twi-ny recommended events

BRAINWAVE 2011

Amy Hardie’s THE EDGE OF DREAMING documentary is centerpiece of annual Rubin Museum Brainwave festival

Rubin Museum of Art
150 West 17th St. at Seventh Ave.
February 7 – April 20, $15-$30
212-620-5000
www.rmanyc.org

The Rubin Museum’s fourth annual Brainwave lineup is another compelling collection of events featuring unusual and eclectic pairings of artists with scientists, this year focusing on dreams and prophecy. The centerpiece of the festival is the U.S. theatrical premiere of Amy Hardie’s documentary THE EDGE OF DREAMING, which will screen at the Rubin February 16-26; if you attend one of the showings ($12), you are eligible to participate in a dream workshop being led by Hardie the following day ($75) in which the nature of storytelling is explored in dreams and the changing world of cinema. The Brainwave discussions begin February 7 when punk-rock icon and spoken-word poet and comedian Henry Rollins is joined by neuroscientist David Eagleman for “The Assassin of My Dreams,” followed February 11 by composer Meredith Monk teaming with nueropsychologist John Antrobus for “Secrets of a Dream Diary.” Among the other intriguing programs, in which things threaten to get deeply personal and revelatory, are author Nathan Englander and neuroscientist Amir Raz pontificating on “Bedtime Hypnotism” February 27, novelist Amy Tan and dream researcher Deirdre Barrett talking about “Creativity in the Dreaming Brain” March 5, author and lawyer Scott Turow and Michael Gazzaniga of the Sage Center for the Study of Mind delving into “The Murderous Mind,” actress Debra Winger and psychiatry professor Robert Stickgold of the Center for Sleep and Cognition asking, “Do Dreams Come True?” March 20, and meditation teacher Sharon Salzberg and cognitive scientist Lawrence Barsalou getting into “The Buddhist Dreamer” April 13. In addition, Cornell’s Dr. Edward Nersessian will guide a “Dream-over” March 5-6, a twelve-hour event beginning at 9:15 in the evening in which participants (eighteen and over only, $55) will sleep in the galleries under a specially selected work of art; registrants must fill out an online Dreamlife Questionnaire between February 1 and 15 to qualify.

LITURGY

Brooklyn’s own Liturgy will share the sacrament of pure transcendental black metal at several upcoming local shows

Thursday, January 27, Union Pool, 484 Union Ave. at Meeker, free, 9:00
Thursday, February 10, Glasslands, 289 Kent Ave., $8-$10, 8:00
Saturday, February 26, 285 Kent Ave, 285 Kent Ave. at South First St., 8:00
Thursday, March 10, (le) poisson rouge, 158 Bleecker St., $15, 7:00
www.myspace.com/liturgynybm

Spouting influences from Friedrich Nietzsche to Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Angelo Badalamenti and Glenn Branca to William Blake and Alejandro Jodorowsky, Brooklyn foursome Liturgy lets loose a unique blast of pure transcendental black metal that rattles the eardrums and shakes the soul. Originally begun as a solo project by guitarist and songwriter Hunter Hunt-Hendrix back in 2004 with a homemade demo tape, the group has since expanded to include Bernard Gunn on guitar, Tyler Dusenberry on bass, and Greg Fox on drums, releasing the twelve-inch IMMORTAL LIFE in 2008 and their debut disc, RENIHILATION, in 2009. Not to be confused with a Chicago death metal band also called Liturgy — made only more confusing now that the Brooklyn quartet has signed on with Chicago-based label Thrill Jockey, for whom they’re currently recording their next album, AESTHETHICA — Liturgy mounts epic songs that strike fast and loud, melding Middle Ages elements with ear-melting hardcore and well-thought-out, literate lyrics (at least those you might be able to make out) on such tunes as “Pagan Dawn,” “Ecstatic Rite,” “Everquest,” and “Mysterium” (named after an unfinished work by Russian composer Alexander Scriabin). The songlist for AESTHETHICA, due in May, sounds promising, among them “Tragic Laurel,” “Helix Skull,” “Glory Bronze,” and “Veins of God.” Liturgy will continue to spread the word of ecstatic annihilation at Union Pool on January 27 as part of the Mike Bigel Thirtieth Birthday Bash-a-Thon with Naam, Arms, Your Youth, and a DJ set from Shy Child, at Glasslands on February 10 with Extra Life, Lichens, and Chaos Majik, at 285 Kent Ave on February 25 with Talk Normal, Nat Baldwin, and Cavex, and at (le) poisson rouge on March 10 with the Ex.

FILMS ABOUT NOTHING: RAN

The Fool (Peter) sticks by Hidetaro (Tatsuya Nakadai) as the aging lord descends into madness in Kurosawa masterpiece RAN

RAN (Akira Kurosawa, 1985)
Cabaret Cinema
Rubin Museum of Art
150 West 17th St. at Seventh Ave.
Friday, January 28, free with $7 bar minimum, 9:30
212-620-5000
www.rmanyc.org

Inspired by the story of feudal lord Mori Motonari and Shakespeare’s KING LEAR, Akira Kurosawa’s RAN is an epic masterpiece about the decline and fall of the Ichimonji clan. Aging Lord Hidetora (Tatsuya Nakadai) is ready to hand over his land and leadership to his three sons, Taro (Akira Terao), Jiro (Jinpachi Nezu), and Saburo (Daisuke Ryû). But jealousy, misunderstandings, and outright deceit and treachery result in Saburo’s banishment and a violent power struggle between the weak eldest, Taro, and the warrior Jiro. Hidetaro soon finds himself rejected by his children and wandering the vast, empty landscape with his wise, sarcastic fool, Kyoami (Peter), as the once-proud king descends into madness. Dressed in white robes and with wild white hair, Nakadai (THE HUMAN CONDITION), in his early fifties at the time, portrays Hidetaro, one of the great characters of cinema history, with an unforgettable, Noh-like precision. Kurosawa, cinematographers Asakazu Nakai, Takao Saitô, and Masaharu Ueda, and Oscar-winning costume designer Emi Wada bathe the film in lush greens, brash blues, and bold reds and yellows that marvelously offset the white Hidetaro. Kurosawa shoots the first dazzling battle scene in an elongated period of near silence, with only Tôru Takemitsu’s classically based score playing on the soundtrack, turning the film into a thrilling, blood-drenched opera. RAN is a spectacular achievement, the last great major work by one of the twentieth century’s most important and influential filmmakers.

RAN is screening January 28 as part of the Rubin Museum’s Films About Nothing series, being held in conjunction with the exhibition “Grain of Emptiness: Buddhism-Inspired Contemporary Art” and will be introduced by British writer Anthony Gottlieb. The series continues February 4 with Antonio Monda introducing John Ford’s THE SEARCHERS, February 11 with Baz Lurhmann introducing FELLINI’S 8 1/2, and February 18 with Francine DuPlessix Gray introducing the 1938 period drama MARIE ANTOINETTE.

WALLS AND BRIDGES: TRANSATLANTIC INSIGHTS

Photographer Jen Davis will join Pierre Cassou-Noguès for “Picturing the Self: A Philosopher Discusses a Photographer’s Work” at the Aperture Gallery as part of Walls and Bridges festival (Jen Davis, “Mike, Del Rio, TX,” archival pigment print / © 2008 Jen Davis)

New York Public Library, Celeste Bartos Forum (and other venues)
Stephen A. Schwarzman Building
455 Fifth Ave. at 42nd St.
January 27 – February 4, free – $15
www.wallsandbridges.net
www.nypl.org

From January 27 through February 4, the inaugural Walls and Bridges festival will seek to break down barriers and build new dialogues and thought processes with a series of fascinating programs held throughout the city. Organized by the Villa Gillet and the Conseil de la Création artistique, the first part of Walls and Bridges — it’ll be back in the spring and summer — begins January 27 at 7:00 with the round-table discussion “Art/Truth/Lies: The Perils and Pleasures of Deception,” which brings together Pierre Cassou-Noguès, Jean-Pierre Dupuy, Carrie Lambert-Beatty, Glenn D. Lowry, and host D. Graham Burnett at the New York Public Library. On Friday at 6:00, Paul Holdengräber will moderate “The Magical Side of Celebrity” with Cécile Guilbert, Laura Kipnis, and Wayne Koestenbaum, followed at 8:00 by one of Walls and Bridges’ premier events, “Three Faiths in the Form of a Fugue,” a combination of art, poetry, music, and philosophy relating to the library’s current exhibition about Judaism, Christianity, and Islam and featuring Salman Ahmad, Reza Aslan, Ala Ebtekar, Dan Fishback, Fabrice Hadjadj, Alicia Jo Rabins, Shirin Neshat, and Damien Poisblaud, hosted by Reza Aslan. Other programs take on “The End of Privacy: The State and Surveillance,” “The New Faces of the Enemy,” “Going Public: Embodying a Persona,” and “The Shapes of Space — The Shears of Time: Why Does Philosophy Need Art to Become Truly Experimental?,” with such participants as Maira Kalman, Daniel Handler, Philip Gourevitch, Cynthia Hopkins, Josh Neufeld, and Rick Moody at such venues as the New School, the Aperture Gallery, the Greenlight Bookstore, the Brooklyn Flea, Joe’s Pub, UnionDocs, and the French Institute Alliance Française in addition to the NYPL. The name of the festival comes from Sir Isaac Newton’s quote “We build too many walls and not enough bridges,” although we’d also like to think it relates to John Lennon’s classic 1974 album WALLS AND BRIDGES as well.

TALES FROM THE PARKSIDE PT 2: AN ACOUSTIC SONG SWAP

Carolyn AlRoy will host a night of indie folk rock from a group of close friends at the Parkside Lounge on January 27

Parkside Lounge
317 East Houston St. between Aves. B & C
Thursday, January 27, free, 7:30
212-673-6270
www.parksidelounge.net

In the spirit of radio great Vin Scelsa’s “A Bunch of Songwriters Sittin’ Around Singing” series, originally held way back when at the sadly defunct Bottom Line, local singer-songwriters Carolyn AlRoy, Paula Carino, Erica Smith, and Rebecca Turner will come together January 27 for “Tales from the Parkside Pt. 2.” In round-robin fashion, the women will share acoustic songs and stories, mixing music with interviews led by AlRoy, who is also a practicing psychologist. The four friends have dubbed the event “Carolyn AlRoy’s Rock ’n Roll Therapy Circus,” intimating that anything can happen — and probably will. It should all make for an exciting evening of excellent indie folk rock and juicy revelations.

THE DECEMBERISTS

Colin Meloy leads the Decemberists at the start of new tour at the Beacon on January 24 (photo by twi-ny/mdr)

Beacon Theatre
2124 Broadway at 74th St.
January 24-26, $39.50, 8:00
212-465-6500
www.beacontheatre.com
www.decemberists.com

“And if you ever make it to ten, you won’t make it again,” the Decemberists opine on “Rox in the Box,” one of seven songs they played from their latest release, THE KING IS DEAD, on January 24 as they kicked off the Popes of Pendarvia World Tour with the first of three shows at the Beacon Theatre. Bespectacled lead singer Colin Meloy pointed out early on that in addition to the new album and tour, the band was celebrating its tenth anniversary this month, and they’re still burning ten years down the road. The Portland, Oregon, band, featuring Chris Funk on lap steel guitar, mandolin, and keyboards, Jenny Conlee on accordion, keyboards, and harmonica, Nate Query on electric and stand-up bass, John Moen on drums, and Meloy on guitar and harmonica, with guest violinist and background vocalist Annalisa Tornfelt, mixed it up Monday night with a set that drew from the group’s diverse catalog, including “July, July!” from 2002’s CASTAWAYS & CUTOUTS, “The Soldiering Life” from 2003’s HER MAJESTY THE DECEMBERISTS, and “The Rake’s Song” from 2009’s HAZARDS OF LOVE. Meloy’s highly literate, poetic lyrics and the band’s alternative indie folk sound, melding old English balladry with R.E.M. and Americana roots rock, filled the ornate hall in majestic ways, as befitting a group that often references royalty. On record, the songs from the new album sound more rustic and folkie, but played live they gained a sparkling vitality, as the opening trio of “Down by the Water,” “Rox in the Box,” and “Calamity Song” flowed seamlessly into the PICARESQUE hat trick of “We Both Go Down Together,” “The Engine Driver,” and “The Bagman’s Gambit.” After a few songs, Meloy told the audience they could stand if they wanted, and they rose as one, not sitting down for the rest of the night. He also said at one point that they weren’t going to play any of their long tunes, but the first encore was a stellar version of the song suite “The Island” from 2006’s THE CRANE WIFE, comprising “Come and See,” “The Landlord’s Daughter,” and “You’ll Not Feel the Drowning.” It was a triumphant night for the band, who are also the subject of a photo exhibition at the Impossible Project Space in SoHo, where Autumn de Wilde’s Polaroids of the group making THE KING IS DEAD will be on view January 26 through February 28, with the artist and some band members present at the opening reception this Wednesday from 3:00 to 7:00. (By the way, if you’re going to the Beacon either of the next two nights, be sure to get there early to catch the Baltimore duo Wye Oak, who played a strong, well-received opening set on Monday, with singer-guitarist Jenn Wasner and drummer-keyboardist Andy Stack previewing songs from their upcoming release, CIVILIAN.)

PARSONS DANCE

David Parsons’s stroboscopic classic, “Caught,” will be part of all three programs at the Joyce

Joyce Theater
175 Eighth Ave. at 19th St.
January 25 – February 6, $10-$59
212-242-0800
www.joyce.org
www.parsonsdance.org

Born in Chicago and raised in Kansas City, David Parsons cut his teeth dancing for the Paul Taylor Company and the New York City Ballet before forming the New York City-based Parsons Dance in 1985. Since then he has choreographed more than seventy works for the ten-member troupe, in addition to many other commissions and commercial endeavors. Parsons Dance will be at the Joyce January 25 – February 6 presenting three different programs as well as a VIP preview. Program A includes “The Envelope,” “Sleep Study,” “Mood Swing,” the world premiere of “Portinari,” inspired by the life of Brazilian artist-activist Candido Portinari, the stroboscopic classic “Caught,” and the world premiere of “Run to You,” set to the music of Steely Dan; Program B consists of “Bachiana,” “Portinari,” “Slow Dance,” the world premiere of Monica Bill Barnes’s “Love, oh Love,” “Caught,” and “Nascimento”; and Program C, arranged for four family-friendly weekend matinees, contains “The Envelope,” “Sleep Study,” “Hand Dance,” “Love, oh Love, ” “Walk, ” and “Caught.” The January 25 opening night VIP preview highlights “Bachiana,” “Portinari,” “Love, oh Love,” “Caught,” and “Run to You” and will be staged without intermission; the ten-member troupe currently features Eric Bourne, Sarah Braverman, Elena D’Amario, Abby Silva Gavezzoli, Christina Ilisije, Jason MacDonald, Miguel Quinones, Ian Spring, Melissa Ullom, and Steven Vaughn.