LAND OF BROKEN DREAMS
Park Ave. Armory
643 Park Ave. at Sixty-Seventh St.
Concerts and convenings: December 9-11, $25
Installation: Tuesday – Sunday through December 31, $18 www.armoryonpark.org
As part of Carrie Mae Weems’s “The Shape of Things” monumental multimedia installation at Park Ave. Armory, there will be three days of live music, conversations, and performances that activate the space. Tickets are going fast for the “Land of Broken Dreams” series, which features nighttime concerts by singer-songwriter Somi on December 9, the jazz trio of Vijay Iyer, Arooj Aftab, and Linda May Han Oh on December 10, and Terri Lyne Carrington and Lisa Fischer, whose latest project is “Music for Abolition,” on December 11. Tickets also include admission to a “Daytime Convening” from 1:00 to 7:00, with pop-up performances by more than 150 artists in the Wade Thompson Drill Hall, the Board of Officers Room, the Veterans Room, and the Colonels Room.
Among those participating are photographer Dawoud Bey, tap dancer Maurice Chestnut, painter Torkwase Dyson, theater director Scott Elliott, Reggie “Regg Roc” Gray and the D.R.E.A.M. Ring, philanthropist Agnes Gund, poet, playwright, and novelist Carl Hancock Rux, dancer and choreographer Francesca Harper, musician and author Nona Hendryx, civil rights leader Ben Jealous, interdisciplinary artist Rashid Johnson, visual artist Joan Jonas, set designer Christine Jones, artist Deborah Kass, painter Julie Mehretu, cultural theorist, poet, and scholar Fred Moten, visual artist Shirin Neshat, curator, critic, and art historian Hans Ulrich Obrist, multimedia installation artist Tony Oursler, poet, essayist, playwright, and editor Claudia Rankine, sculptor Alyson Shotz, conceptual artist Hank Willis Thomas, performance artist Carmelita Tropicana, rapper, actor, and Roots MC Tariq Trotter, author Quincy Troupe, director Whitney White, and the Peace Poets. You might just have to move in to the armory for seventy-two hours so you don’t miss a minute of what promises to be a memorable event.
Lorin Sklamberg, Sarah Gordon, and Frank London celebrate a Yiddish Chanukah with food and music
Who: Sir Frank London, Lorin Sklamberg, Sarah Gordon What: Streaming Chanukah event Where:National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene online When: November 28 – December 6, free (donations accepted) Why: Named for the Yiddish word for eat, “essen,” National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene’s ESN series combines cooking and music. It now turns to the Festival of Lights for a special presentation available on demand November 28 through December 6. The show, in English and Yiddish, features ESN creators Frank London and Lorin Sklamberg of the Klezmatics and fourth-generation Yiddish singer Sarah Mina Gordon sharing holiday music and cooking demonstrations. Directed and edited by Stephanie Lynne Mason and Adam B. Shapiro, “Songs from the Kitchen — Chanukah Edition!” will feature latkes, syrniki, varenikes, banya pontschkes, and schmaltz and gribnenes alongside fun, festive tunes.
Who: David Broza, the Maccabeats, the Christian Cultural Center Choir, Eboni K. Williams, more What: Public menorah lighting Where: Times Square at Forty-Third St. When: Monday, November 29, free, 5:30 Why: On November 29, the second night of Chanukah, the UJA, JCRC, AJC, and ADL are coming together for Shine a Light, a holiday menorah lighting in Times Square, focusing on antisemitism in America and around the world. The event will be emceed by Eboni K. Williams and feature live performances by David Broza, the Maccabeats, the Christian Cultural Center Choir, and others along with messages from public officials. In order to “Dispel the Darkness,” everyone is encouraged to bring their own light to shine on hope and justice and fight against bigotry and hate. The initiative, which is taking place across the country during the Festival of Lights, was started “to raise awareness of antisemitism, share educational resources, empower individuals to stand against Jew hatred, and mitigate ignorance.”
In Indulge Your Senses: Scaling Intimacy in a Digital World, music entrepreneur and philanthropist Michael Dorf writes about opening night at his new club, City Winery: “By then, the smartphone and social-media revolution was underway, and I realized why music fans were showing up in droves. Like me, they had inadvertently let technology disrupt their connection to music — and now they were coming to City Winery to get away from their devices. They were eager to escape their hermetic digital bubble, excited to watch their favorite musicians pluck real guitar strings and slam actual drum skins while also nourishing their other senses — the dramatic sight of a legendary performer up close, the aroma of the winery, the taste of great food and wine, the touch of a nearby friend. . . . Man, it feels great to be back in the real world.”
The Wisconsin-born longtime New Yorker and married father of three wrote those words in 2019 about a 2008 New Year’s Eve concert by Joan Osborne, but he could just as easily have written them today, as the country emerges from a lengthy pandemic lockdown. The amiable and driven Dorf started the much-loved Knitting Factory in 1986 with Louise Spitzer, when he was a twenty-three-year-old Washington University psychology and business graduate. (“We had no idea what we were doing!” he has admitted.) In 2008 he opened City Winery on Varick St., an intimate venue where fans came for food, wine, and music. Among the many acts who played there were Richard Thompson, Kasey Chambers, Robyn Hitchcock, the Mountain Goats, Living Colour, Bob Mould, Nanci Griffith, Eric Burdon, Los Lonely Boys, Lucinda Williams, Todd Rundgren, Steve Earle, Ian Hunter, Ed Sheeran, and Prince. Dorf has also presented “The Music Of” concerts at Carnegie Hall, paying tribute to such musicians as Bruce Springsteen, R.E.M., Led Zeppelin, Aretha Franklin, David Bowie, Bob Dylan, the Who, and Joni Mitchell with all-star lineups, raising money for music education in schools.
In 2020, just before the coronavirus crisis stopped the world, City Winery moved to a thirty-two-thousand-square-foot space on Pier 57 in Hudson River Park. During the pandemic, Dorf and City Winery hosted special livestreamed holiday concerts for Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day, and Father’s Day and virtual seders for Passover. Early on, Dorf, who also runs City Vineyard, became a vocal advocate for the reopening of bars, restaurants, and music venues, citing numerous inconsistencies and incongruities in government regulations. Following strict CDC guidelines, City Winery is back in business, with music, food, and wine flowing. The upcoming schedule includes Suzanne Vega, John Waters, Betty, Los Lobos, Aimee Mann, and David Broza.
On December 13, City Winery and the Town Hall are joining forces for the seventh annual John Henry’s Friends benefit to raise funds for the educational needs of autistic children; the concert features Steve Earle and the Dukes with special guests Bruce Springsteen, Rosanne Cash, Willie Nile, and the Mastersons.
Dorf recently shared his thoughts with twi-ny on coming out of the lockdown, charity concerts, the future of livestreamed shows, and how great it feels to be back in the real world.
twi-ny: You were one of the leading advocates for reopening New York City, especially entertainment venues. What were the major issues that you felt the government wasn’t getting?
michael dorf: We all agreed, we needed to do things safe. But in the bureaucratic fear in the beginning, there was no practical thinking around seating vs. standing, paid tickets vs. just free music, etc. We wanted to take the smart Dr. Fauci approach to the gatherings, whether it was rapid testing, social distancing, and provide real world producer input so that we could follow what was being advised but dovetailed for live performances.
twi-ny: A lot of people like to knock Sen. Schumer, but he really pushed Save Our Stages. What was his involvement like?
md: People like to bash everyone and that is unfortunate. Chuck Schumer and several others helped enormously to push for our industry. He understood live music, theater, dance, and the impact it was having, not just on our venues, but on all our people, the ecosystem of the live entertainment world. I have tremendous respect for him because of this.
twi-ny: Your virtual seders were a blast. Going forward, will you do some kind of hybrid Passover?
md: Breaking bread (in this case matzah) around the table with other human beings is the essence of the seder. Now, my Passover event, which I’ve been doing in New York City for over twenty-five years now, is certainly not your normal seder. So, I think a hybrid is our future, three hundred people live in on our room in NYC and another few thousand around the globe.
twi-ny: You also hosted several special holiday streaming shows with artists from around the country, and you have livestreams coming up with Jacob Whitesides, Sa-Roc, the Empty Pockets, and Woofstock. Will you be doing more of that in the future, or do you see that coming to an eventual end?
md: Again, our business is to create live, intimate gatherings of people and sell them food, wine, great service, and an experience they will remember. We can’t do that as well virtually (especially the selling of wine), but certainly when it is practical for us to add the livestream for shows and events so that people who can’t travel to any of our venues can partially experience the event.
twi-ny: When you first reopened, what was the reaction of artists and audiences? Was there any initial hesitancy on the part of either or both?
md: Audiences are still a bit hesitant, especially as we live in a world where breakthrough cases happen, even with all our strict protocols of vaccine-only admissions and masks for all unless eating and drinking. Nevertheless, people miss the magic of live entertainment and when you get to it, it is an emotional experience that one misses. Artists are so grateful to be working again and audiences grateful to be entertained. Together, we are seeing lovefests every night with very happy fans and artists.
twi-ny: Were those reactions different at your various locations? Or was the situation pretty much the same in Boston, Chicago, Nashville, Atlanta, Philly, the Hudson Valley, and DC?
md: It is similar. In Nashville, perhaps a little weirder given the local political insanity and freer laws. But for the most part, we have worked hard to push smart policies on admission and staff throughout the pandemic. It’s not over either.
twi-ny: No, it’s not. City Winery is renowned for its vintages. Has the pandemic, as well as climate change, affected your vineyards?
md: Well, thanks for the positive on the wine. The pandemic has only made working in the winery and harvest more difficult from a labor perspective. However, global warming, the fires and temperature out west and in Europe, has severely affected the crop, the yield. The lack of water has made some vineyards not be able to deliver their grapes. It is only going to get more difficult for a supply of grapes, and prices on wine will be going up.
twi-ny: Are you loving your new location on the Hudson? What do you think of your neighbor, Little Island?
md: Love our new location; the entire neighborhood is filled with the arts — architecture, visual arts, cool businesses, and, yes, Little Island is very cool. We are also near the Whitney Museum, the Meatpacking District, the High Line, and so many other cool buildings.
twi-ny: City Winery has always put on terrific benefit shows, raising money for music education in schools with your annual “The Music Of” concerts at Carnegie Hall. Next up is Carly Simon in March, with Darlene Love, Livingston Taylor, Bettye Lavette, Jimmy Webb, and more to be announced. Can you share who might be feted in the future?
md: I’m a kid in a candy shop, thinking about the future shows at Carnegie. The music of Stevie Wonder, CSN, Dolly Parton, U2, Sting, so many other great songwriters out there to do. There are so many artists that love them and want to pay homage to them. And there remains much-needed cash to the music programs that serve undersupported youth in schools around the country.
twi-ny: On December 13, you’re teaming up with the Town Hall for the seventh annual John Henry’s Friends Benefit, featuring Steve Earle & the Dukes and several of his amazing colleagues. What can you tell us about that show and the charity?
md: We have done this to support our friend Steve Earle, who is really the hero of this evening. His son is autistic and goes to the Keswell School, which this benefits. Steve makes the importance of this real by explaining to the audience the severity and challenges and why we need to support this program. It’s very powerful stuff, and this year’s show is going to blow people away. It feels great for all of us at City Winery to help raise these important funds.
twi-ny: You seem to have been going nonstop for decades; do you ever take a break? When you’re not at City Winery, what cultural things are you doing elsewhere?
md: I like to hike, need to hike. I like to golf, need to golf. I like wine, I like my kids, I like my friends. But I love what I do. I love creating spaces where people can gather, indulge their senses, and creating lasting memories. It keeps me going, and we have a lot more still to do and grow. Five new locations in 2022 and many more before I am done.
After being off the road for nearly two years because of the pandemic lockdown, Bob Dylan’s never-ending tour is back in action, returning to the Beacon Theatre this weekend in support of the Nobel Prize winner’s latest record, 2020’s phenomenal Rough and Rowdy Ways. Dylan rarely speaks to the audience during his live shows, except to introduce his crack band — and, on November 19, to celebrate that New York City is open again — but he had a lot to say in his setlist choices, essentially acknowledging that, at eighty, he might have only so much time left to do this.
He starts with 1971’s “Watching the River Flow,” declaring, “Oh, this ol’ river keeps on rollin’, though / No matter what gets in the way and which way the wind does blow / And as long as it does I’ll just sit here / And watch the river flow . . . I’ll sit down on this bank of sand / And watch the river flow.” The ninety-minute concert concludes with 1981’s “Every Grain of Sand,” in which Dylan admits, “Don’t have the inclination to look back on any mistake / Like Cain, I now behold this chain of events that I must break / In the fury of the moment I can see the Master’s hand / In every leaf that trembles, in every grain of sand.” (Although in past tours Dylan and the band would come out for two encores, he stopped doing that after the first two November concerts this year.)
He’s taking stock of his life, poignantly and publicly, right in front of our eyes — even though we can barely see him. The lighting keeps Dylan in a shadowy darkness, as if he doesn’t want us to see him clearly. As has been his desire for many years, no photography is allowed, and Beacon employees enforce that rule with vigor. He remains mostly behind his piano, which has now been turned so we cannot see his hands playing it, as we could in the past. He stands uncomfortably, at times reaching out his right hand to grasp the top of the piano for balance. (He no longer plays the guitar or harmonica, perhaps because of arthritis.) When he emerges briefly to croon at the back of the stage — he used to come front and center — as he does during the old Frank Sinatra standard “Melancholy Mood,” he is slightly hunched over and barely moves his feet. He pleads, “Pity me and break the chains / The chains that bind me / Won’t you release me, set me free?”
Dylan and the band are all dressed in black: Bob Britt and Doug Lancio on guitars, Tony Garnier on upright and electric bass, Donnie Herron on pedal steel, violin, and accordion, and Charlie Drayton on drums. They all keep a close eye on Bob as he signals them like a gentle conductor. During an aggressive “Gotta Serve Somebody,” he looked into the audience a few times; I thought I saw a smile or two, but my wife thought they were grimaces. “You might be a rock ’n’ roll addict prancing on the stage . . . But you’re gonna have to serve somebody,” he sings, with nary a prance.
Even given all that, Dylan is a marvel. His raspy voice, well rested from the long break, sounds better than it has in years. His enunciation is precise, his phrasing as strong as ever. He continually reinvents his old songs, which are barely recognizable at first, reconfiguring them with a bluesy jump jazz, transforming the Beacon into a rollicking juke joint. His version of “When I Paint My Masterpiece,” one of only three tunes repeated from his 2019 Beacon shows, is, indeed, a masterpiece.
He plays eight of the ten tracks from Rough and Rowdy Ways, and aside from the meandering and curious “Key West (Philosopher Pirate),” they sound triumphant, from the ballad “I’ve Made Up My Mind to Give Myself to You” to the propulsive “False Prophet,” feeling right at home with “Early Roman Kings” from 2012’s Tempest and a smoking version of 1967’s “I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight.” He also surprises with the relatively rare “To Be Alone with You,” from 1969’s Nashville Skyline.
For the first time in many moons, the tour, which heads to Port Chester after the Beacon gigs, has a name, after the new album, and an end date, 2024. The album title itself is a nod to Jimmie Rodgers’s and Merle Haggard’s “My Rough and Ready Ways,” in which the latter explains, “Somehow I can’t give up / My good old rambling ways / Lord, the railroad trains are calling me away.”
If only one thing is plainly evident from Friday night’s show, it’s that Dylan loves playing live, has to play live, in front of an audience. (Even his bizarre livestreamed pandemic show, Shadow Kingdom, was performed to a small, mysterious crowd, and included five of the older songs being played on this tour.) “I’ll lose my mind if you don’t come with me,” he sings in “I Contain Multitudes,” continuing, “Tell me, what’s next? What shall we do? . . . What more can I tell you? I sleep with life and death in the same bed.” With Dylan, there’s always more to be told.
Allison Charney and Errin Brooks star in virtual adaptation of Verdi’s Otello
Who:The Town Hall,PREformances Chamber Music Collaborative What: Virtual performance of Giuseppe Verdi’s Otello Where:The Town Hall online When: November 18-25, $20-$35 Why: The Town Hall’s new Opera at Home series, consisting of abridged versions of classic works shot in quarantine during the pandemic lockdown, kicks off with Giuseppe Verdi’s 1887 Otello, an adaptation of one of Shakespeare’s most beloved tragedies that is streaming November 18-25. The Town Hall is teaming up with the PREformances Chamber Music Collaborative for the sixty-minute presentation, which features tenor Errin Brooks as Otello, soprano and PREformances artistic director Allison Charney as Desdemona, actor Jordan Charney (Allison’s father) as the Narrator, and Craig Ketter on piano. There will also be a live Zoom talkback with the artists and creative team on November 22 at 8:00.
“The Town Hall, once the home of the classical music debut, is very excited to bring accessible opera to the masses,” artistic director Melay Araya said in a statement. “The history of classical vocalists at the hall is one of great pride, and diversity in classical music has been a thread throughout the hall’s one-hundred-year history. With a legacy that includes the debuts of Marian Anderson and Leontyne Price, the Town Hall is excited to bring diverse voices and high-quality, accessible classical programming to a wider audience.” Brooks, the Charneys, and Ketter performed scenes from Otello as part of PREformances’ Like the Wind concert at Merkin Concert Hall in March 2020; in addition, during the pandemic, PREformances and the Town Hall collaborated on the seven-part online free series The Season of Hope.
SHEEP #1
Japan Society
333 East 47th St. at First Ave.
November 4-7, $23
212-715-1258 www.japansociety.org
Shortly after crash landing in the Sahara Desert, the isolated pilot narrator of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s Le Petit Prince recalls, “You can imagine my surprise when I was awakened at daybreak by a funny little voice saying, ‘Please . . . Draw me a sheep . . .’” After several failures, the pilot draws a picture of a crate, explaining that the sheep is inside. The boy, aka the little prince, is very happy, noting, “Where I live, everything is very small.”
Japan-born, Brooklyn-based visual artist Sachiyo Takahashi uses that section of Saint-Exupéry’s classic book, which also explores differences between grown-ups and children, in Sheep #1, which runs November 4–7 at Japan Society. Sachiyo tells the story using small puppets from Nekaa Lab, which she founded in 2006, projected onto a screen to make them look life-size (or bigger). The cast includes Sheep, who claims not to act but to play, and Rabbit, who says Nekaa Lab is “an eternal playground for the curious mind.” Among the other lab members (stuffed toys and figurines) are Cat and Polar Bear.
Sheep #1 is an example of Sachiyo’s Microscopic Live Cinema-Theatre, which tells stories using objects, live music, and camera projections and is able to, in Cat’s words, “even magnify the hidden emotions.” The wordless show, which made its US debut at the Tank in 2018, will be performed and projected live by Sachiyo, with pianist Emile Blondel playing original music with excerpts from Franz Schubert on Friday and Saturday and bassist Kato Hideki playing an original score on Thursday and Sunday, accompanying Sachiyo’s electroacoustic soundtrack.
The opening-night show will be followed by a reception with the artists. Sachiyo, who has been awarded several grants from the Jim Henson Foundation, has previously staged such works as Everything Starts from a Dot and Not Outside, which also starred Sheep, in addition to performing as Miya Okamoto in such Shinnai-bushi sung-storytelling presentations as Shinnai Meets Puppetry: One Night in Winter and the upcoming The Emotions.
