this week in music

WORLD NOMADS TUNISIA

Jonah Bokaer’s THE ULYSSES SYNDROME is part of FIAF festival focusing on the past, present, and future of Tunisia

French Institute Alliance Française (and other venues)
Florence Gould Hall, 55 East 59th St.
Le Skyroom, 22 East 60th St.
Tinker Auditorium, 55 East 59th St.
May 1 – June 1, free – $40
212-355-6100
www.fiaf.org

After having explored the art and culture of Africa, Haiti, Lebanon, and Morocco in past years, FIAF’s 2013 World Nomads festival heads to Tunisia this spring for a month of multidisciplinary programs that look at the history of the small North African nation, particularly within the context of the recent revolution that led to the downfall of dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. The now-biennial festival begins on May 3 ($35, 8:00) with a concert in Florence Gould Hall featuring singer Sonia M’Barek and the Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture ensemble, followed by a reception with Tunisian delicacies. Also on Friday night (free, 7:00), brother-and-sister choreographers Selma and Sofiane Ouissi will debut a twelve-minute video in Tinker Auditorium about Tunisian women potters. On May 4 (free), visitors are encouraged to add their own message of peace to a canvas supplied by Tunisian graffiti artists eL Seed and Jaye at the New Museum’s Ideas City street festival on Rivington St. On May 6 ($40, 12:30), Syhem Belkhodja, Dora Bouchoucha, Kenza Fourati, Lina Lazaar Jameel, and Leila Souissi will gather at FIAF for the English-language panel discussion “The Role of Women in Tunisian Society,” which includes lunch and wine. The next afternoon (free, 1:00), Belkhodja, Bouchoucha, Lazaar Jameel, and Amna Guellali will be joined via Skype by Hélé Béji and El Iza Mohamedou for the “Women in Tunisia” talk “Art, Women & Politics” at White Box, which is also hosting a free Tunisian photography exhibition highlighting work by Héla Ammar, Amine Boussoffara, Wassim Ghozlani, Amine Landoulsi, Zied Ben Romdhane, Rim Temimi, and Patricia Triki that is part of the World Nomads visual arts program “The After Revolution.” Tuesday in May ($10), FIAF will screen Tunisian movies curated by Bouchoucha as part of its weekly CinémaTuesdays series, including such films as Moufida Tlatli’s The Silences of the Palace and Hinde Boujemaa’s It Was Better Tomorrow. Tinker Auditorium will be turned into a traditional Souk, or Tunisian craft market, May 8-10 (free, 5:30 – 8:00), with food and crafts available for purchase. On May 9-10 ($25, 8:00), choreographer Jonah Bokaer delves into his relationship with his Tunisian-born father in the meditative The Ulysses Syndrome, set to a Mediterranean soundscape. On May 12 (free, reception at 6:00), eL Seed and Jaye will be at 5Pointz in Long Island City to create a mural with Meres One and others and screen a film about them. On May 14 ($25, 8:00), Radhouane El Meddeb will perform the solo piece Sous leurs pieds, le paradis, which honors the role of women in Tunisian society, set to music by Oum Kaithoum. Singer Ghalia Benali will take the stage at FIAF on May 15 ($25, 8:00), Tunisian DJs will spin at CATCH Roof on May 15 (free, 10:30), and Emel Mathlouthi will perform previously banned songs on May 22 ($25, 8:00) at FIAF. In addition, throughout the festival the FIAF Gallery will host a multimedia exhibition with works by Héla Ammar, Amel Ben Attia, Nicène Kossentini, Mouna Jemal Siala, and Mohamed Ben Slama that focuses on women artists and the aftermath of the revolution.

IDEAS CITY: UNTAPPED CAPITAL

Markus Kayser’s “SolarSinter” is part of “Adhocracy” exhibit opening at New Museum during Ideas City festival

The second biannual Ideas City festival takes place May 1-4, with more than one hundred programs featuring conferences, workshops, seminars, panel discussions, walking tours, live music and dance, interactive art installations, a street festival, and other events tackling urgent urban issues at home and around the globe. Following up on 2011’s Festival of Ideas for the New City, this year’s theme is “Untapped Capital,” exploring ways to better use available resources to provide better infrastructure and general societal needs. On May 1, the keynote address will be delivered by MIT Media Lab director Joi Ito at the Great Hall of the Cooper Union, who will examine the internet’s role in untapped capital. On May 2 at the Great Hall, four prestigious panels will examine “Ad Hoc Strategies,” “Waste,” “Play,” and “Youth,” with such impressive guests as Jeffrey Inaba, Emeka Okafor, Thaddeus Pawlowski, Nancy Lublin, Barry McGee, Charles Renfro, and Carlos Motta. On May 3, the Old School at 233 Mott St. will host a series of workshops, including “A Discussion about the Armed Forces and the Arts,” “Social Mirroring,” “Hack City,” “Wherefore Store and Designing for Future Economies,” and “Revitalizing Space — Unlocking Creativity,” while “Pitching the City: New Ideas for New York” will be held at St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral. Among the projects on view throughout the four-day presentation are the Uni Portable Library, “TrafficCom” by Tomorrow Lab and Change Admin, “In Art and Cooperation We Trust!” by Trust Art, and “The Plastic Bag Mandala” by what makes you move. On May 4, the Basilica of St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral will host “Music of the Invisible”; the talk and performance “Big Art in All Spaces” occurs at Dixon Place; Downtown Art will stage the roaming outdoor opera The Great Struggle for Cheap Meat; and First City Green will screen the multichannel video Urban Exquis III. Also on Saturday, Streetfest offers dozens of fascinating presentations downtown, including Art in Odd Places 2013: “NUMBER,” “Ask a Prisoner,” “Dance for DNA,” “Raw Candy Innovation,” “Sewer in a Suitcase,” “SUSTAIN: Steering Urban Sustainability through Action, Innovation & Networks,” “Truck Farm,” “Unboxed,” and “The Urban Habitat Project.” Home base for the festival is the New Museum, where you can catch “The Money Shot: Roundtable with Karen Finley” on May 3 at 1:00, “Performance Beyond the Limits: Short Works” with Erin Markey, Sally May, Brigham Mosley, and Tobaron Waxman on May 3 at 7:00, a screening of Robert Garcia and Kevin Couliau’s Doin’ It in the Park, followed by a Q&A with the director on May 4 at 8:00, “Change of State” video projections on the facade of the museum on Saturday night, and other special events.

SAKURA MATSURI

Cosplay is one of the highlights of annual Sakura Matsuri at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Brooklyn Botanic Garden
900 Washington Ave. at Eastern Parkway
Saturday, April 27, and Sunday, April 28, $15-$20 (children under twelve free)
718-623-7200
www.bbg.org

Last weekend, we were in Washington, DC, where we were delighted to see that the cherry trees were in bloom, filling the streets with their beautiful pink and white blossoms, even though it was still unseasonably cold down there. The weather should be a whole lot milder this weekend for the annual Sakura Matsuri at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, with temperatures nearing seventy for the always charming Cherry Blossom Festival. Over the course of two days, there will be workshops, live music and dance, martial arts demonstrations, flower arranging, arts & crafts, food tastings, art exhibits, comedy, book signings, origami lessons, manga drawing, games, museum tours, and more. Below are only some of the highlights of one of the most enjoyable, though usually extremely crowded, festivals of the year; most programs are held both days.

Saturday

Bonsai Basics for Home Gardeners, Steinhardt Conservatory, 10:00 – 5:00

Ikebana Flower Arrangements with students of master Fumiko Allinder, Rotunda, 10:00 – 5:00

Vintage Kimonos: YokoDana Kimono, Magnolia Plaza, 11:00 – 5:00

Wagashi Japanese Sweet Shop: Minamoto Kitchoan, Magnolia Plaza, 11:00 – 5:00

Uncle Yo: Anime Stand-up Comedy, J-Lounge Stage at Osborne Garden, 12 noon

Manga Drawing and Book Signing with Misako Rocks, Osborne Garden, 12 noon – 4:45

Nihon Buyo classical dance: Dancejapan with Sachiyo Ito, Cherry Esplanade Stage, 1:00

Shogi: Japanese Chess, with New York Shogi Club, Osborne Garden, 1:00– 5:00

All-female marching band: Zakuro Chindon Band featuring vocalist Maiko, Cherry Esplanade Stage, 3:00

Traditional Tea Ceremony: Urasenke Chanoyu Center, Auditorium, 3:00

The BBG Parasol Society Games, J-Lounge Stage at Osborne Garden, 4:30 (preregistration required 2:00 – 4:00)

Sunday

Hana Kanzashi Hair Ornaments, Magnolia Plaza, 11:00 – 5:00

DJ Saiko Mikan’s Tokyo Teleport Station, J-Lounge Stage at Osborne Garden, 11:00 – 5:30

Harie Paper Collage Exhibit, with artist Junko Yamada, Members’ Room Annex, 1:00 – 5:00

Meet Puzzle Craftsman Maki Kaji, Osborne Garden, 1:00 – 5:00

Kuni Mikami and East of the Sun: Jazz-inspired renditions of traditional folk songs, Cherry Esplanade Stage, 2:00

Moku Hanga Woodblock Printing Demonstration with April Vollmer, Steinhardt Conservatory, 2:00

Ukiyo-e Illustration with Jed Henry, Osborne Garden, 3:00

Samurai Sword Soul, Cherry Esplanade Stage, 3:45

Magician Rich Kameda, J-Lounge Stage at Osborne Garden, 4:00

TRIBECA FAMILY FESTIVAL STREET FAIR & TRIBECA/ESPN SPORTS DAY

Crowds will flock to TriBeCa for film festival street fair and sports day on Saturday

Tribeca Family Festival Street Fair: Greenwich St. between Chambers & Hubert Sts., free, 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Tribeca/ESPN Sports Day: North Moore St. between Greenwich & Wall Sts., free, 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
www.tribecafilm.com/festival

The Tribeca Film Festival celebrates the TriBeCa neighborhood with its annual downtown street fair on April 27, a full day of special activities for children and adults. There will be signature dishes from such local chefs as Morimoto of Tribeca Canvas, Jehangir Mehta of Mehtaphor, Keith Klein of Milk Truck, and Rachel Thebault of Tribeca Treats, along with specialties from Bubby’s, Kutsher’s Cavaniola’s, Grandaisy Bakery, and others; live performances by the Amazing Max, Judy Pancoast, Jody Prusan, LAVA Brooklyn, TADA!, Noel MacNeal, Rolie Polie Guacamole, and the casts of Rock of Ages, Spider-Man Turn Off the Dark, Motown: The Musical, Cinderella, and Kinky Boots; plenty of arts & crafts booths; a green-screen studio backlot and other film-related activities; and a free screening of The Smurfs, with an appearance by Christina Ricci and a sneak peek at The Smurfs 2. Meanwhile, Tribeca/ESPN Sports Day will be taking place nearby, featuring a full slate of sports-related events, including live performances, demonstrations, competitions, and lessons involving basketball, hockey, badminton, fencing, flag football, cricket, jump roping, lacrosse, Ultimate Frisbee, women’s baseball, golf, soccer, sailing, and more, with street teams from the Rangers, the Mets, the Red Bulls, and others.

VIDEO OF THE DAY: “MOVING ON (TOWARDS BETTER DAYS)” BY LUKE WINSLOW-KING

Jazzy folk bluesman Luke Winslow-King appears wise beyond his years on his third LP, The Coming Tide (Bloodshot, April 23, 2013). The thirty-year-old Michigan native mines treasures old and new on the eleven-track disc, which melds a variety of old-fashioned Tin Pan Alley–era music styles, referencing such forebears as Muddy Waters, Leon Redbone, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Tom Waits, Justin Townes Earle, Johnny Cash, and Woody Guthrie while injecting plenty of his own originality. “There’s no place to hide from the coming tide,” guitarist Winslow-King and washboard player Esther Rose sing on the opening song, “The Coming Tide,” but they provide an answer on the next tune, “Moving On (Towards Better Days),” on which they declare, “Together, baby, we can make a stand.” The swampy New Orleans influence can be heard all over the record; Winslow-King moved to New Orleans shortly after being stuck there in 2001 when his band’s GMC Suburban, packed with their equipment, was stolen while they were in the Big Easy. The new record is filled with sweet slide guitar courtesy of Winslow-King, a former busker who has been performing since he was fourteen, along with generous helpings of piano (Ben Polcer) and horns (Polcer on trumpet, Rick Trolsen on trombone, and Chris Johnson, Bruce Brackman, and Tom Saunders on saxophones); Cassidy Holden handles the bass, while Rich Levinson is behind the drum kit. Winslow-King also shows a sharp taste in covers, with splendid takes on Ida Cox’s “I’ve Got the Blues for Rampart Street,” Lead Belly’s murder ballad “Ella Speed,” and James Ray’s “I’ve Got My Mind Set on You,” the last one a radically different version of the song popularized by George Harrison in 1987. The Coming Tide is a pure pleasure from start to finish; if you can’t find something to like here, you just don’t like music or know how to have fun. Winslow-King, Rose (his significant other), and Holden will be celebrating the release of the album on April 27 at Rockwood Music Hall and on April 28 at Jalopy.

VIDEO OF THE DAY: “RACECAR” BY TWIN TIGERS

Not to be confused with Twin Tigers Karate Academy, fellow Georgians who “set the standard of excellence in teaching karate with a Christian emphasis,” Athens-based four-piece Twin Tigers have been developing a following while opening for such bands as Minus the Bear, Deerhunter, Les Savy Fav, and Interpol. Founded in 2007 by singer-guitarist Matthew Rain and bassist Aimee Morris, who were working together at the Grit vegetarian restaurant in an Athens building owned by Michael Stipe, Twin Tigers, which also features Forrest Hall on guitar and Logan Hornbuckle on drums, is out on the road in support of their latest album, Death Wish (Old Flame, April 9, 2013). Written and recorded in an Athens studio loaned by Interpol, the album evokes Bloc Party, the Cure, Joy Division, and Interpol across eight big-sounding tracks, from the propulsive “Racecar” and “Sources” to the slow, mystical “Transition.” Death Wish culminates with the eight-plus-minute epic “Holiday,” which goes through a number of tempo changes before rising to a major climax. Twin Tigers — without any martial arts accompaniment — will be headlining at Glasslands on April 25 with the Teen Age and Honduras and at Pianos on April 26 with Cruiser, Nude Pop, and the Denzels.

VIDEO OF THE DAY: “WAKING WORLD” BY EL SPORTIVO AND THE BLOOZ

White Iris Records and Black Iris Music founder Daron Hollowell, the man behind El Sportivo & the Blooz, has followed up the band’s eponymous 2011 EP with the outstanding full-length Nights & Weekends (White Iris, February 2013). Produced by White Iris/Black Iris’s Lewis Pescacov (Best Coast, Fool’s Gold), the eleven-track disc delves into rockin’ country blues as Hollowell explores the pain of loneliness and heartbreak. “We live this life / but we always wanted more,” he sings on “Waking World,” an aching duet with Nikki Lane. “I wish I could change everything I say,” he adds in “Along the Way.” And in the closing ballad, the six-minute-plus “Blue,” he asks, “Dare I speak a word?” Loaded with musical references from Celtic folk to even a hint of Pink Floyd, Nights & Weekends features a crack band that really gets to show its stuff on the seven-minute epic “Underground.” El Sportivo & the Blooz will also get to show its stuff at Mercury Lounge on April 24 with Sons of Fathers and at Littlefield on April 25 with Lapland and Frank LoCrasto.