this week in music

THE WHIZ: OBAMALAND

The Wizard of Oz heads to Obamaland at Abrons Arts Center

NICHOLAS LEICHTER DANCE + MONSTAH BLACK
Abrons Arts Center, Henry Street Settlement
466 Grand St. at Pitt St.
June 16-19, $20, 8:00
212-598-0400
www.henrystreet.org
www.nldnyc.org

Since 1996, nicholas leichter dance has specialized in what it calls “cultural narratives where movement tells the story,” creating such works as KILLA, FREE THE ANGELS, CARMINA BURANA, and SWEETWASH. The company’s latest piece of musical dance theater, made in collaboration with Monstah Black (who also participated in KILLA), reinterprets THE WIZ and THE WIZARD OF OZ through the lens of the Obama generation. Leichter, who previously danced with Ralph Lemon, Jennifer Muller, Ronald K. Brown, and Gus Solomons jr., will ease audiences down the yellow brick road and into Obamaland at the Abrons Arts Center June 16-19, examining America’s hopes, fears, dreams, and recession-busting fantasies.

Monstah Black and nicholas leichter dance ease on down the disco road in a reimagined WIZ for the Obama generation (photo by Steven Schreiber)

Review: A fanciful collaboration between New York City-based choreographer Nicholas Leichter and self-proclaimed Messiah of the Funk Monstah Black, THE WHIZ: OBAMALAND is a campy low-budget send-up and joyful celebration of Sidney Lumet’s 1978 musical, THE WIZ. Black, serving as a sort of emcee à la Joel Grey in CABARET, has adapted songs from the original soundtrack, performing such numbers as “The Feeling That We Have,” “Ease on Down the Road,” and “Slide Some Oil” while wearing some of the most fab costumes this side of 1970s-era Studio 54 and the 1980s PARIS IS BURNING aesthetic. (Oh, those shoes…) Leichter and Black also throw in Missy Elliot’s raunchy “Lick Shots,” Faith Evans’s “Soon as I Get Home,” the Time’s “Jungle Love,” and Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger” to keep up the funk and, in the latter case, add yet more silly humor to what was already a very funny, groovy show. The dancers, including Lauren Basco, Wendell Cooper, Stephanie Liapis, Aaron Draper, Dawn Robinson, Keon Thoulouis, Laurie Taylor, Yozmit, and Leichter, pay tribute to Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, and Rocky Balboa as they clearly have a ball performing Leichter’s exuberant choreography. Draper brings down the house several times, first holding fans on Robinson to make her dress and feather boa flap in the wind, then coming out as a boxer, his skinny white body soon dancing alongside three men with much, er, bigger, stronger, darker frames. Even at a mere seventy-five minutes it could use a little trimming here and there, but the show is still great fun, with one heckuva surprise near the end that will have you gasping for breath. THE WHIZ: OBAMALAND runs through June 19 at the Abrons Arts Center, but we’re hoping it comes back soon so it can be seen by the wider audience it deserves.

BFF10: BICYCLE FILM FESTIVAL

Santos Party House, 96 Lafayette St.
Dash Gallery, 172 Duane St.
Anthology Film Archives, 32 Second Ave. at Second St.
June 16-20
Tickets: $10 per film, Sunday pass $25 (five films), festival pass $50 (all films)
www.bicyclefilmfestival.com

The Bicycle Film Festival celebrates its tenth anniversary with another cool slate of hot shorts, features, and special programs that honor the human-propelled two-wheeler that can go a long way in dissipating the country’s addiction to foreign oil. The party gets started tonight at Santos Party House with Bikes Rock, featuring live performances by DJ C.lo, Frances Rose, and Ninjasonik (you can get in free with the BFF password BIKES ROCK). On Thursday, the “Joyride” group show opens at Dash Gallery, with works by WK Interact, Albert Maysles, Spike Jonze, Tom Sachs, and many others and a live set by Kembra Pfahler, followed by an after-party at Lit Lounge. On Friday, Jeff Tremaine’s widely hailed THE BIRTH OF BIG AIR documentary kicks off three days of screenings at Anthology Film Archives and local after-parties; among the other bike-related weekend films are Stephen Auerbach’s BICYCLE DREAMS, about the three-thousand-mile Race Across America; Jorgen Leth’s 1976 cult classic A SUNDAY IN HELL, about the Paris-Roubaix road race; and Christian Thormann and Luke Stiles’s EMPIRE, which takes a look at some of New York City’s leading riders. As always, please do your best not to drive your car to any of these programs….

SIRSY

Melanie Krahmer and Rich Libutti will be downstate for two revolutionary shows this week

Wednesday, June 16, Lakeside Lounge, 162 Ave. B, free, 9:00
Thursday, June 17, the Bitter End, 147 Bleecker St., $10, 7:30
www.myspace.com/sirsy

Albany-based DIY two-piece Sirsy has been around for the better part of a decade, averaging about 250 gigs a year, so it’s not exactly an overnight success story now that their 2007 self-produced album REVOLUTION is being remixed and remastered for release this summer by Funzalo Records. Lead vocalist, stand-up drummer, flutist, and lyricist Melanie Krahmer and guitarist Rich Libutti are dedicated Paul McCartney fans who have been making soulful indie pop on such albums as BAGGAGE, AWAY FROM HERE, and RUBY and covering such tunes as the Beatles’ “Don’t Let Me Down,” the Eurythmics’ “Here Comes the Rain Again,” and Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues.” On REVOLUTION, Krahmer, whose voice can go from high to low register from one line to the next, sings about love and heartbreak and the sadness of letting one’s life slip by, from the upbeat, groovy title track to the sweet ballad “Still.” Regularly named Best Local Band by the readers of the Albany alternative weekly Metroland, Sirsy’s name is a homonym for the daughter of the Sun God as well as meaning intoxicating or alluring, two words that fit their music as well, including such newer songs as “The Cost of You,” in which Krahmer sings, “Oh, the bet was true / But I spent the cost of you / And I’ve lived for less / But it kills me to confess,” and “Goner,” in which she declares, “Arrest my heart for treason / I don’t want to fall for love / I spy a thousand reasons / I don’t want to fall for love / Our crimes change us like seasons.” Upstate native Krahmer and Providence-born Libutti will be in the city this week for two shows, at the Lakeside Lounge on June 16 and the Bitter End on June 17.

TWI-NY TICKET GIVEAWAY: GET YOUR ROCKS OFF

Rocks Off Concert Cruise will offer great views of Red Bull Air Race June 19-20

ROCKS OFF CONCERT CRUISES
Skyport Marina, East 23rd St. & FDR Dr.
West 41st St. & the Hudson River
Through September
www.rocksoff.com

There are plenty of ways to get your rocks off this summer as the Rocks Off Concert Cruise series celebrates its tenth anniversary. In addition to such great live bands as Railroad Earth, the Black Lips, Tortured Soul, Murphy’s Law, Red Rooster, Mr. Scruff, the Electric Six, the Detroit Cobras, and Jesse Malin & the St. Marks Social and tributes to Bruce Springsteen, Pink Floyd, Sublime, and more classic groups, the Temptress, the Jewel, the Half Moon, and other ships will take beer lovers to the June 19 Brewfest on Governors Island and offer choice views of this weekend’s Red Bull Air Race (featuring three and a half hours with an open deck, a full bar, and live DJs; tickets range from $30 to $95 for the actual race, with packages going up to as much as $1,650, but it’s only $20-$25 aboard the Harbor Lights).

This Week in New York has four pairs of tickets to give away to any of this summer’s Rocks Off concerts, as well as the Air Race. Just send your name, daytime phone number, and event choice to contest@twi-ny.com by Thursday, June 17, at 3:00 pm. Winners will be selected at random and must be at least twenty-one years of age. Only one pair of tickets can be given out for each show. Good luck!

TRUTH, REVISED HISTORIES, WISHFUL THINKING, AND FLAT OUT LIES

john Jasperse’s latest, playing at the Joyce June 16-19, features a pair of bathing beauties and much more (photo by Sylvio Dittrich)


JOHN JASPERSE COMPANY
Joyce Theater
175 Eighth Ave. at 19th St.
June 16-19, $10-$39
212-242-0800
www.joyce.org
www.johnjasperse.org

For more than twenty years, Manhattan-based dancer-choreographer Johnn Jasperse has been creating unique works that explore both the human body and the psyche. Commissioning experimental music and often incorporating multimedia and multidisciplinary elements, Jasperse is always up to challenging himself as well as the audience. In 2007 he presented the environmentally conscious MISUSE LIABLE TO PROSECUTION at BAM, which was trashy fun, and last May he staged the very intimate BECKY JODI AND JOHN at Dance Theater Workshop. Back at the Joyce this week for the first time in ten years, Jasperse will be holding the New York premiere of TRUTH, REVISED HISTORIES, WISHFUL THINKING, AND FLAT OUT LIES, featuring a commissioned score by Hahn Rowe played live by the International Contemporary Ensemble.

Erin Cornell and John Jasperse go at it in the choreographer’s latest work (photo by Sylvio Dittrich)

Review: In his latest evening-length piece, John Jasperse explores the social, political, and personal aspects of the history of performance, with forays into adagio tango, the flappers fad, classical ballet, and experimental contemporary dance. He mixes fantasy with reality, truth with fiction, playing with illusion while testing the audience’s patience and its ability to acknowledge quality. At one point Neal Beasley, Erin Cornell, Eleanor Hullihan, and Kayvon Pourazar stumble about, unable to complete a move correctly, while at another they slide gracefully across the stage, in total control of their bodies. Jasperse makes occasional appearances as well, serving as comic relief, including one stint as a lousy magician. The glitz and glamour of the first part, which features sequined outfits, a colorful beach backdrop, and songs by Ginuwine and Barry White, is offset by the much more serious second act, with everything bathed in bright white, from the International Contemporary Ensemble, who play Hahn Rowe’s beautiful score live onstage, to the doily lampshades the four dancers and Jasperse don during a long, nearly motionless section following a scene of unexpected violence. While a handful of people left early on opening night (June 16), many more gave the company a rousing standing ovation at the end of a challenging, diverse, exciting, and intriguing night of unusual dance theater.

MAD. SQ. MUSIC

Bluesman David Bromberg brings his quartet to Madison Square Park on July 14

OVAL LAWN SERIES
Madison Square Park
23rd to 25th Sts. between Madison & Fifth Aves.
Wednesday nights at 6:00 or 7:00 from June 16 to August 4
Admission: free
www.madisonsquarepark.org

Every year the free music lineup at Madison Square Park gets better and better. This year, the Mad. Sq. Music series, held on the beautiful Oval Lawn, gets under way June 16 with Grammy nominee Ruthie Foster. Unlike other summer festivals, this one tends to not get overcrowded, so there’s usually room to spread out with a group of friends and have a great time. However, please remember that people are primarily there to listen to the music; if we see that large party again that comes to the park, sits in the middle of the crowd, and allows their kids to run wild while the men loudly discuss business and refuse to quiet down whether asked nicely or, eventually, not so nicely, we’re going to give them a piece of our mind. They were so loud that Ollabelle nearly said something from the stage last year. Enough of our rant; we love coming to Madison Square Park for any reason, and the music series is a damn good one. And if you feel like you’re being watched, you are; the park is surrounded by dozens of Antony Gormley’s “Event Horizon” statues, both on the ground and on rooftops. The series continues with Solas on June 23, the legendary Mose Allison on June 30, Alecia Nugent and the Farewell Drifters on July 7, the amazing David Bromberg Quartet on July 14, Somi and John Ellis & Double Wide on July 21, the Wailin’ Jennys on July 28, and the too-cool James Carter Trio on August 4.

CLEARWATER’S GREAT HUDSON RIVER REVIVAL

A MUSIC & ENVIRONMENTAL FESTIVAL
Croton Point Park, Croton-on-Hudson
Saturday, June 19, and Sunday, June 20
Tickets:  One day $65 in advance, $80 at the gate, weekend pass $90 in advance, $115 at the gate, weekend plus camping $125
www.clearwater.org

Pete Seeger celebrated his ninetieth birthday last spring with a big bash at Madison Square Garden featuring so many luminaries performing live that it’s easy to see why this pioneer of folk music can truly be called an American folk icon. The stage set-up that night was nautically themed, suggesting an enormous replica of the sloop Clearwater, the boat that Seeger helped restore back in the 1960s to sail the waters of the Hudson River — in those days an environmental disater area contaminated beyond belief with the industrial run-off of corporate polluters. Making his home in the river town of Beacon for a good chunk of those ninety years, Seeger and a diverse group of local residents succeeded in building and launching the nineteenth-century-style sailing vessel, turning the Clearwater into a sustained presence on the water, offering day trips and spreading a message of education and environmental advocacy to generations of Hudson Valley natives and visitors.

The Felice Brothers will play the Rainbow Stage on the first day of the Clearwater Festival (photo by twi-ny/mdr)

A series of concerts hosted by Seeger to raise money for this venture — and the subsequent founding of the nonprofit Cleawater Foundation (full name: Hudson River Sloop Clearwater Inc.) — were held over the course of the following decade, eventually becoming an annual event consisting of folk music and its offshoots, held at the scenic Croton Point Park on the shores of the Hudson each June. In the decades since Clearwater’s launch, passage of key environmental legislation has had a profound effect on the cleanliness of the river, and the message of conservation and environmental awareness still rings out — like the proverbial bell in Seeger’s anthem “If I Had a Hammer” — all over the land (or at least up and down the Hudson.) The Great Hudson River Revival continues as a benefit for the foundation and as a textbook example of a green event, highlighting sustainable power, recycling, and a generally friendly atmosphere encouraging environmental awareness and social responsibility. In the wake of this type of successful event have come popular nationwide events like Denver’s Green Festival and North Carolina’s Festival for the Eno, and Clearwater still maintains a distinct homegrown flavor with local acts and artists exhibiting each year alongside performers of wider renown. And of course there is the man himself, Pete Seeger, still playing at ninety-one, always asking the audience to join in and sing along.

Hazmat Modine will get things shaking on the Rainbow Stage on Sunday (photo by twi-ny/mdr)

As for the scores of other acts on the bill, this year’s roster includes an especially strong and diverse lineup of entertainers from across the musical map. Singer/songwriter Steve Earle bridges the Americana gap between country, folk, and rock; David Bromberg is a folk legend; Railroad Earth meld bluegrass with great songcraft and aren’t afraid to explore improvisational journeys; Shawn Colvin is the reigning doyenne of Austin folk; Slavic Soul Party brings manic energy to a gypsy/klezmery horn-heavy mishmash; Buckwheat Zydeco is the eponymous master of his craft . . . and there are many, many more on tap, from virtuoso Kerouac contemporary David Amram to local folk-gospel legend Tom Winslow in addition to the next generations: Winslow’s daughter Thomasina, Woody Guthrie’s granddaughter Sarah Lee, and Seeger’s grandson Tao and goddaughter Toshi Reagon, creating a family vibe throughout the weekend. (Among the others on the massive bill are Hazmat Modine, Joan Osborne, Steve Forbert, Rhett Miller, the Subdudes, and Jonatha Brooke.)

This vibe extends to the grounds of the event itself, which is especially kid-friendly, expanding beyond music and art to offer dozens of other activities such as kayaking, song circles, storytelling, and environmental displays about the Hudson River and its aquatic inhabitants. And the ecological vibe is also evident in the food, the vendors, and the green -powered restroom and stage facilities. The festival, less than an hour from Manhattan, runs June 19-20, and tickets are significantly less expensive if you pick them up now instead of at the gate. Expect the sloop Clearwater to be on hand, along with the eternally young Pete Seeger, welcoming in a weekend a celebration and music for a great cause.