What I Want For Christmas: Mighty Mighty Bosstones Tour in 2010

The good friends at Read Junk posted earlier this month about this, but The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, you know, your favorite band that had a cameo in Clueless (take THAT Save Ferris in 10 Things I Hate About You) have a new album out called Pin Points and Gin Joints. For the cover art, see above.

Anywho, besides being at the crux of third wave ska with their biggest hit being "The Impression That I Get" (which I have told my significant other that their lyrics aren't cookie cutter haha), they were a favorite back in the day (I should change my blog's name to Bands I Really Liked In High School And Are Writing About It In A Timely Fashion Because Well They Are Getting Back Together Or Someone Died Or Joined A New Band Or I Saw Them In Concert) and what I would love to do is go see them live again. Suits? Plaid? Member that only dances and nothing else? Totally.

Anywho, they are currently doing their annual Hometown Throwdown in Boston continuing tonight and tomorrow at the Middle East. But what I really want is for them to do a proper tour next year if they are willing to do so. Seeing them live is like getting the biggest hug and kiss. Especially if that kiss was from a big mustached dude, like Ken from Union Hall. Awesome? I think so.

Here is their recent perf on Jimmy Kimmel, who has proven that more intimate settings are for losers when it comes to late night talk shows.

Me So Hungry Blog Presents - Cookie Contest and Full Slate of Bands This Sunday Dec. 20th

Union Pool off the Lorimer L stop (I actually like the Graham stop just as much if not more) is where hipsters go to occasionally meet non-hipsters, drink 4 dollar beers, and throw down to either great soul music or bearded fellas playing the gee-tar. Our good man Jason over at foodie blog Me So Hungry is serving up some mighty fine holiday spirit this year with a combo of cookies baked by whoever feels like bringing cookies (he described it as a cookie pot luck, but I see it as a chance for cookie hipsters to fight tooth and tight jeans over whose is better) and a whole host of bands for Sunday evening. For free.

Music will have plenty of recognizable holiday tunes, done in the bands' own styles, which could range from indie rock to indie rock, depending on how you see it. Here's the flyer:

Hey, any excuse to chill at the depression I've felt called Kellogg's Diner is good enough for me.

Resident Film Critic Chris Cabin Reviews: Avatar (One of those beneficiaries of 3-D)

Our very own resident film critic, Chris Cabin, of AMC's Filmcritic.com, gives his take on a whole planet full of Blue Man Group. As always, his opinions are his own and not necessarily reflective of the KCB, but I know I'll probably think this movie is gonna score a win in my book.

In his new film Avatar, James Cameron sets upon doing something monumental and, one would think, overwhelmingly tedious: Creating a new world. Which is to say where so many "massive" filmmakers have developed alternate realities or adapted the strange wilderness of lands found in literature, Cameron has both envisioned an entirely original ecosystem of flora and fauna, and given new emphasis to what it means to its inhabitants. Trees grow incandescent lines of communication to the dead and may house entire civilizations if let be. Appendages connect and bind through small hairs, allowing all manner of animal -- whether web-winged or heavy of hoof -- to download the moral and spiritual compass of one another. Everything is connected and everything burns radiant, even in the daytime.

Gestating in the day-glo terrarium of Cameron's frontal lobe for something like fifteen years, Avatar is the most enveloping and (no two ways about it) beautiful spectacle to find home at the multiplex since Peter Jackson's stroll to Mordor, and clocks in, thankfully, in only a third of the runtime. And like the warring tribes at its center, it is a film of two worlds with its seamless, brilliantly colorful mix of digital animation and live-action colliding, clashing and finally flowing with the power and thrill of a raging river. Giving newfound cred to the motion-capture technique so absurdly misspent trying to make human beings look just slightly less human in The Polar Express and A Christmas Carol, Cameron's alien western likewise lends defense to that other over-used marketing tool: 3D not only gives the imagery lift but highlights the depth of Cameron's worlds, evident from an opening shot of soldiers, scientists and missionaries floating upwards out of rows of sleep cells.

Set-up as a last-ditch replacement for his twin brother, Jake (Sam Worthington of Terminator: Salvation) pauses to glimpse at two floating pebbles of water before he is ejected into the same weightless space. His destination is Pandora, Cameron's ostensibly peaceful planet ruled by the Na'vi, a species of 10-foot-tall blue-monkey cat-people who ride reptilian horses with ant-eater noses. Crippled while serving in the Marines, Pandora offers Jake a working body in the form of one of the blue-monkey cat-people -- an avatar. His payment is the surgery to reconstruct his own dilapidated form. Jake works under a chain-smoking, green-as-can-be scientist (Sigourney Weaver) and chums it up with an eco-dweeb (Joel Moore) and later reports his findings to tough-as-coffin-nails Colonel Quaritch (Stephen Lang of The Men Who Stare at Goats) and a Fortune-500 architect of doom (Giovanni Ribisi, one-upping Paul Reiser's greedy brat from Aliens).

Saved by warrior princess Neytiri (Zoe Saldana), the conflicted marine now finds himself a prophet-in-training to the warrior princess's father (Wes Studi) and her psychic earth-mother (CCH Pounder) and in rivalry with her betrothed (Laz Alonso). Streaming intel back to the Colonel, Jake is too busy learning to ride oversized neon-orange pterodactyls and tenderly mating with Neyteri -- the film's cheesiest moment -- to realize that the military and the corporate goons are planning to decimate Pandora in the hopes of mining it for a valuable mineral known as Unobtainium. Climactic war is waged with Jake and his pack of eco-friends backing the Na'vi and the brutish troops sporting their own types of avatars -- heavily-armed supped-up robo-bodies upgraded from Ripley's alien-fighting cargo-mover.

Replete with soggy allegories to every racial conflict in human history, though Native Americans are given the most blatant treatment, Avatar is essentially a film about the progress of film technology in a similar way that Quentin Tarantino's Inglorious Basterds confronted how we see the past through film. Cameron has conceptualized the act of motion-capture on-screen and given it immense visual muscle, making the Na'vi tribes not only the trippiest civil-rights advocates of the decade but the first convincing case of visual effects as a sincere conductor of human emotion not to involve the name Pixar. The humans are portrayed, primarily, as unreasonable creatures driven only by a selfish agenda and who see the Na'vi as nothing but a paltry nuisance; an opinion similar if not identical to cinematic purists who dismiss the advancement of technology as a threat to "real" filmmaking.

Of course, Avatar borrows heavily from cinema's past through a bevy of American westerns and, just maybe, the nature-themed animation of Hayao Miyazaki; the story is most obviously contrived from Kevin Costner's ludicrous Dances with Wolves. But even as Cameron uses these genre stereotypes and benchmarks to root viewers among the ruby-red mushrooms and dragon hounds, the director uses Avatar to cannibalize his own oeuvre: Elements from Titanic, The Abyss, True Lies and, most prominently, Aliens are redeployed under the canopy of his new technological frontier. It would be easy to cast off Avatar as a leftist parable aimed towards reckless red-staters but sweet love for mother earth is far from Papa Cameron's endgame. Assured and confident in his status as the preeminent living director of the motion-picture spectacle, Cameron's latest offers an olive branch between those who think that cinema is dead and those who think it's just rediscovering its own form.

Editor's Note (who am I kidding): Avatar made 73 million at the box office this past weekend. I went in the snowstorm to Astoria to watch in 3-D. While not without it's faults, namely being the cheesiest Cameron movie in certain parts, it is overall a fantastic adventure film with a universally appealing and uplifting message.

Subway Musings - Discman Like a Boss

I was coming back from work on the subway listening to a little Scary Kids Scaring Kids, and I was at the front of the train. Being at the front of the train is awesome because you can stare out the front window and with the help of side lights and the train headlights, you can see the trajectory of the train. It's like you're going through your personal cave tour.

Anywho, there was this twenty-something woman with jet black hair parted to one side, bob length. She had a bright purple, old school puffy jacket, kind of like a purple version of the jacket worn by Jennifer Lopez in her "Feelin' So Good" video.

She was quietly rocking a Discman. Large and in charge Discman. Obstructing her purse Discman. She changed CDs and was listening to an old MCA Records compact disc, and it was just kinda glorious to watch. The deliberateness, and patience, and slow pace was nostalgia and hypnotism at once. I would remember for the longest time, I had my old school water resistant Koss portable CD player, bought for cheap at The Wiz (none other) for 20 bucks. One of the best 20 bucks ever, because it was the baddest ass CD player ever. It had rubber on it, and didn't need skip protection because it was a beast of a CD player. It was ginormous. Even if I was a weirdo, everyone loved my CD player. I could submerge it in ze water and it would still play. I had to carry it in my hands everywhere because it didn't fit into any pocket. A tank wouldn't survive a head on collision with it.

So as I saw this woman with this Discman, and not for ironic or hip reasons, switch CDs out, from one full album to the next, I smiled. I bet I could still do it like that (I'm partial to listening to albums straight through). It's not just a technology thing, but the transition from tapes and CDs to something like an iPod is the patience with which we listen to music, the time we take to listen to musicians and the complete work that they record. Of course there are great singles. That's why we take the time to make mix tapes and CDs. The charm is there. You think about the music more. It's great.

Picture this CD player, but a snap on arm on the right and a light gray front. About twice as thick too. And large kooky rubber buttons along the bottom. And the word Koss was embedded on the plastic front.

Oh and before you forgot that I referenced a J Lo music video, BAM:

Ludacris's "Fantasy" in Brooklyn classroom, Notes On A Scandal style

Talk about learning a new tongue (oh come on, that was from Tomorrow Never Dies). According to the Daily News, none to wise, two female high school teachers were caught naked with each other. Passions I guess were fervent a la Notes on a Scandal and the two teachers were immediately given the boot. And they were Romance language teachers. The jokes just sell themselves. Definitely wrong place wrong time sort of thing.

All of this went down (oh come on that's just an expression) at James Madison High in Midwood in our fair county. Famous alum include Joe Torre's brother Frank, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, and Loni Berman of Berman Bothers. Now social media is in on the case, as there is a Facebook fan page dedicated to all those rumors that have apparently come true: The Infamous Ms. Brito Rumor on Facebook. Not a lot of love for that janitor who initially caught them so far...

"The infamous Ms.Brito rumor. Excuse me, but for those of you that wants this page deleted that will not happen unless Facebook says to do so. For one thing, this page does not tell you anything that nobody doesnt know. It is here so we all can talk about a rumor. Second, we are not exploiting the teachers any more than the students already are."

It's like this, except they weren't angry, they were naked, and they were younger and in a classroom:

And of course, every male high school student is probably wondering if this was in the background:

Bar Spotlight (Football Season Edition): Kopperfields

Photo courtesy of Kopperfields Bar.

Kopperfields

8910 5th Avenue

Brooklyn, NY 11209

Jim: "Hey, I stole these beets from the DJ"

Lady: "Why does the DJ need beets? I don't get it"

This sums up the awesomeness that was Sunday at Kopperfields. Heavy accents, some shouting, lots of ball busting, and a genuine warmth and "join us" attitude.

When it comes to extra perks, you have to hand it to Bay Ridge. Inexpensive beer, and in the case of The Salty Dog, hilarious cover bands and half a fire truck.

Kopperfield's exists on a quiet stretch in the early 90s and 5th avenue; it's quiet because it's one of the few non-residential blocks in the area, so its easy to miss if you're not paying attention (Christmas lights notwithstanding).

It's a very nice bar; the inside is warm and the bar is long, sturdy and clean. Tables are lined up on the left wall opposite the bar, but then you go farther back and it's kinda romantic, the lighting fixtures, Italian-ish/Mediterranean interior, the loungy couches, and nice wood backyard...with the grill straight from heaven. Just a nice looking, spacious bar, and now with more TVs (I'm going to venture that adding the sports element will give the bar even more appeal). According to Jim Shaffer, the owner, they are working to get NFL Sunday Ticket very soon. There are plenty of bars in the area and the more features the better. The jukebox drains out conversation a little, but according to pictures from the usual weekend nights with (DJ Frankie Finesse, Screwy Louie, etc.) a party hardy atmosphere, it's fitting to get the crowd doing a little fist pumping.

I walked in with my girlfriend and my friend Pat and his wife Jessica to catch the end of the Giants game. The Patriots lost earlier in the day and well, that sucked. Jim was sporting a Romo jersey ("Don't be Romophobic", he stated) and the lovely bartender Jackie was big on the G-men as they pounded out a solid victory. A Hasidic was chillin' with a beer at one of the tables along with several couples and single persons. Basically your average Sunday at any establishment.

The reason why we came in the first place was they were sporting 5 dollar pitchers. I've had 5.50 pitchers at The Patriot and Yogi's, but 5 is an all-time low. Coors Light (which I prefer to Bud Light, but that's just being fickle). The other kicker was free food. Now I've also munched on free grub at plenty of bars, and if you haven't, you should get to the nearest one because there's something wonderful about getting something for free at a bar, and since food is awesome, a bunch of people eating for free while drinking is probably the next best thing to free drinks.

This food was crazy good. Jim and his cohorts not only served us some fresh meats, but treated us to a pitcher on the house as well. We had fresh cheeseburgers (I had provolone on mine, GTFO), bratwurst (punch me in the face), sausages (stop this shit), homemade jalapeno poppers (you don't even know, you don't), and chicken kebabs (we're done here). All of it freshly made on the grill, proudly served by Jim who was ecstatic about still grilling in December.

Eating babies....baby beets (photo courtesy of Kopperfields Bar on the facebook).

Jim couldn't get enough of these pickled beets. He was parading it around, and we had to try one. It definitely perked up my insides for a while, very strong stuff. Lots of jokes around "beets" were made; Michael Jackson, wives, the aforementioned DJs, art scenes, football, etc.

We came in not knowing what to expect and got so much in return and I would definitely suggest if you're far in to Bay Ridge, this would be a great place to go. You'll want to check out their hilarious Facebook profile and plenty of photos (the bar is female....I guess).

They have a serious happy hour on Fridays as well as lots of specials and event nights (retro, pajamas, you know, themes that run deep, like literature). End of the R line, meet the beginning of your late night of drankin'.

Brooklyn Stands Up...for gay marriage...well at least one dude

Below is Brooklyn's very own, former NYPD sergeant Eric Adams, a state senator now, giving his two cents at the gay marriage vote. It's a speech said with conviction, respect, and heart, and you have to give props to him for bringing it all together well at the end. The bill to legalize gay marriage was voted down this week.



Props to Rod 2.0 for putting it up yesterday with some commentary.

Football, or Ted Leo on Sunday December 6th at Bowery Ballroom?

Since the show is sold out at the Bowery (I'm glad I have seen Ted Leo and the Pharmacists on more than one occasion, because they are pleasant in that they take less time to set up than most and have a blend of hyper rock and roll that spells out words like conscience and progressive and empathy and meaning) I'm going with football, but they will most likely be spilling the beans on their new record out on March 9th of next year called The Brutalist Bricks.

Brooklyn Vegan has the artwork and the free mp3 from indie patron saint Matador Records, who is putting out the album, all the tracks, as per usual with albums.

Free mp3 called "Even Heroes Have To Die". Sounds heavy. Here's the artwork. It's just mostly yellow.

Motion City Soundtrack coming to Fillmore Irving Plaza February 3rd, 2010

Talk about pop-punk darlings. It's hard to imagine that Motion City Soundtrack, with catchy hooks, keyboard, high/clean vocals, and a very particular formula approach could have this much success....on Epitaph Records. They have a new tour to showcase their new album, My Dinosaur Life, out January 19th on Columbia (looks like that whole Epitaph thing is done) and they will be stopping by Irving Plaza (excuse me, Fillmore) so be sure you get your kicks at 119 Bar beforehand and then instill utter fear into the underage crowd that will no doubt line up in droves on February 3rd of 2010. 2010? Man that was an entire decade that went by and I still feel like 1990 isn't THAT long ago...

A couple things: first off, I like MCS. Their best songs can be poppy-romantic backed up with big chords and that damn keyboard. While I'm not warm to their new single off the new album "Disappear", I'm also wary of the whole major label thing. People have got to realize that many a time, major label recognition really does hinder the production of the music, but more power to bands for being able to pull in some more dough. I feel like a lot of times, the major labels just don't understand that some bands aren't fads that go away and are disposable, but they spend years building a loyal fanbase and what happens is they get taken out of context. Not that this can't happen with indies as well, but the business models are different. Anywho, they have a very pretty sound, and on songs like "Time Turned Fragile" (my absolute favorite of theirs) and "It Had To Be You", you feel like it's the holiday season all the time, both in terms of reflection but also upbeat romanticism. Two, and many consider, three solid albums in a row, you might be thinking, is it time for a clunker?

I saw them when they were touring in 2007 and they put on a great show; lots of energy and their sound translated well for a large venue (I believe it was Roseland Ballroom). I think count me in. Although the keyboard player could use a snip with the scis's on his bangs. Unless he wants to get confused with any other "emo" band member.

Props to Consequence of Sound and Hear/Say. Here is their latest music video for the single "Disappear" off the new album My Dinosaur Life. Rawr. It's one of their more forceful songs.


Motion City Soundtrack - "Disappear"

Motion City Soundtrack MySpace Music Videos

Zero Bridge plays MTV Iggy Party at Vermillion, new EP

Zero Bridge, who has a new EP out called There We Were, Now Here We Are which came out yesterday, played a fabuloso MTV Iggy party last weekend at restaurant Vermillion. Check out the video below.

MTV Iggy is basically an attempt at "global pop culture" featuring artists from across the world, although most of the homepage is made up of Canada and the US. Vermillion is an attempt at Indian and Latin American flavors, and according to the friends at Yelp, it has succeeded so far.

Add a ethnically-conscious and ethically-conscious band like Zero Bridge and it's basically a formula for cultural positivity even with MTV's presence in the mix. Is MTV even relevant anymore? I stopped watching a while except True Life episodes, but is it still regarded as a premiere destination for youth pop or is it just one in a sea of premiere outlets? Maybe I'm just out of the MTV loop.

Zero Bridge just did a stint in Morocco and played at Public Assembly in Brooklyn for CMJ.

Some video of the perf:

Last Day to Enter Ms. G Train Contest!

From McBrooklyn and the Yelp NY talk threads comes a wonderful thing: the crowning of the next Ms. G Train (Carrie Prejean antics hopefully not included). City Reliquary is giving you ladies the rest of today to apply for consideration by the only train that decided not to go into Manhattan (not that the train has a mind of it's own, unless you want to call it lazy and uncooperative when you most need to get to Long Island City).

You can apply at this email here: missgtrain@cityreliquary.org but please take a look at the requirements first. You'll need a photo. If you don't have a camera, I would just find an approximation of you on the web and send it in.

On Nov. 19th during the daylight hours, finalists will be chosen. If you're a vampire, that's ok because the actual decision and par-tay will be in the evening at where else, the City Reliquary:

370 Metropolitan Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11211

What should go into being a Ms. G Train? I have no idea, but touring the city up and down the G line would be pretty cool. It's like a Ms. G Train sighting. She could end up being a dirty hipster, but hey the G Train is full of 'em right? Or an incredibly unreliable woman. Basically a lot of cliched negative things about subways, put it to the women, and let's see what happens.

Ska-cision to Make: Less Than Jake and Aggrolites playing this Thursday November 19th

Less Than Jake

As if third-wave ska hasn't already bit the bullet 8 years ago, New York ska fans will have to make a small decision on Thursday: go all caffeinated with Less Than Jake at the Nokia Theater or go more trad-soul "dirty reggae" with The Aggrolites (who are touring with chillax poor man's Sublime: yes Slightly Stoopid is still around) at Terminal 5.

Aggrolites

Less Than Jake is moderately priced at a 20 spot while Slightly Stoopid/Aggrolites is a bit much at nearly 30 clams but I can't get enough of that ska guitar clicking. Less Than Jake will probably have tons of smelly teenagers (not that we all weren't one once) and the benefit of gritty punk outfit The Casualties but The Aggrolites might have more big dudes with attitude doing some skinhead moonstomps. Or more weed, who knows.

My colleague and friend Loni of Berman Bothers would probably tell me at this point, "Who gives a poop?" but I know there are enough ska fans in Brooklyn but not Staten Island to get into these mixes. Definitely not enough to sell the venues out though.

In the end, you have to commend the fact that these guys still churn out music a decade later, in a genre that has been frowned upon by not only mainstream, but the independent scene as well. Since I enjoy the music, I dig it and defend most of ska even more.

For more info, go to ticket pages for Less Than Jake here and Aggrolites here.

Bar Spotlight (Football Edition): Harry O's

You can also read a similar review of mine on Yelp.

Harry O's

120 Lawrence Street (You don't think anything is on the block, but it's there)

Brooklyn, NY 11201

Harry O's is neatly (or not neatly) tucked away on a construction filled block of Lawrence (and stands to make lots of business if the new building across the street becomes inhabited, as the new tallest building in Brooklyn). It's definitely a bar to look out for in the next few years or so if it keeps around; the building across the street at 111 Lawrence will be a huge addition to Downtown Brooklyn's already boom-attempting bid for residential supremacy in the near future. However, with it's height, so much for the views from our roof! Being so close to me that when I first looked for it I couldn't find it because I didn't think it was that close, I walked in on a Sunday afternoon to watch the games. There were several regulars in the spacious bar area, and the restaurant section is actually rather large, decorated very simply and old school, everything wood, white linen tablecloths, well lit, like something out of Bay Ridge or more suburban upstate. I sat down at the bar and enjoyed a 3 dollar Yuengling and some cheap, really good chicken fingers (although I was hoping for some good sauces). The menu? Whatever was written on the chalkboard sign. The cook? Was the barback, which is awesome because he was just chillin' like a villain with the other patrons. The bartender was very sweet, she was being celebrity roasted by Hatch, a good natured (although I freaked him out about a dream I had about Troy Polamalu) Redskins fan that was big enough to play linebacker for them. I guess they were good with each other from a while back. There was a Steelers couple to my left, and two older gentlemen came in later and starting cursing about jobs, honor, and friendship. The jukebox every once in a while popped on a Sinatra tune which was kind of weird. All the games were on right in front of me, it was quiet (save Hatch's grilling), and incredibly chill. While it doesn't have the overall warm vibe that Cody's has, it's super relaxed and definitely hidden to most. The funniest thing? Hatch must have had a late night the night before, because he totally fell asleep at the bar at around 4:25 in the pm. The place was so chill that everyone just let him take a nap for about 20 and he went back to watching the games as if nothing happened. Bottom line, if you're looking for a bar that is a little out of the way (unless you're a DoBro denizen) to relax and watch the games with limited menus and a couple of characters, Harry O's could be your spot.

You can see the location here, take any train 'cept the N or D and you're kosher.

AMD Vision Event @ Greenhouse 11.9.09 - Watch HD Content and Dance

Image by Sam Posten.

I had the pleasure of working and mingling with several tech and entertainment bloggers and some agency folks at AMD's cozy and chill event to roll out their Vision line of platforms for computers and laptops. In a nutshell, the line, with three levels suiting three levels of user, is a fully capable system focusing on entertainment value and especially video capability.

It all may sound a little abstract at first but the get together was a nice way of putting the actual computers in a room and having everyone check it out. Basically what AMD does is provide the hardware for computer makers such as HP or Dell or what have you. Vision is how that hardware is packaged, sort of like saying, "I have a Dell computer running on Intel", in this case it is "I have a Dell computer running on AMD Vision hardware." Get it? Before, it was kind of like, AMD has all these parts but to package it together and make it more presentable and palatable to someone whose idea of customization is going to COMPUSA when I was 16 and thinking that I handpicked my computer when I really didn't.

It's hard to make a dent in the mainstream in their industry (AMD has been able to carve out a niche with hardcore gamers and such who spend a considerable amount on hardware to support the lifestyle), but with something like Vision, it's more clear cut in how to attack and capture a new audience. I mean, those Intel commercials, they are pretty compelling (the "rockstar" one is hilarious) and their focus on employee culture is relatable.

The basic Vision level, which has a set of standard features (listening to music, watching movies, surfing the web, operating on Windows 7) and the laptop can go for as low as 500 which is affordable. Then there is Vision Premium and Vision Ultimate, which peaks my interest in that I've never investing in a computer that really was tailored to multimedia editing (I just can't bring myself to invest in a Mac). Tempting for sure.

Anywho, sitting around chit chatting over a whiskey soda and mini cheese toasts, I got to connect with several of the good people that attended and hopefully walked away with a much clearer understanding of what AMD is trying to do this holiday season with Vision. The vibe was very low key, we had some serious gamers in the house trying out a 3 monitor set of first person shooter destruction, and I chatted with Headlight Entertainment, Paint The Town Red, Pocket Lint, Chip Chick, and journos Laurie Heifetz and Andrew Graham.

The cards say "dance to pulse-pounding music"...and who doesn't want to do that? To me, a computer can house so much of what entertains nowadays and I'm smart enough to know my options, I just need them marketed to me without any pretense or clutter as a baseline consumer. Who knows what's in store for AMD in the future as they have been unveiling a lot of new initiatives over the past year, but this is certainly a step to streamline things and provide a simple option for PC purchasing. Check out the peppy background music below:

Resident Film Critic Chris Cabin Reviews - Antichrist

Image by IFC Center.

An aria by Handel soundtracks the opening salvo of the entity henceforth to be known as Lars von Trier's Antichrist. Underneath the operatic swell, a series of slow-motion, black-and-white movements details a married couple (Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg) losing themselves in a particularly encompassing bout of pleasure while their toddler climbs up to the windowsill and falls to his death. A moment of this plainly ridiculous segment even features a close-up of genital insertion while the two are showering, catching glimmers of the bathroom light in the cascading drops of water.

Despite numerous reports that von Trier's lunatic cannonball into the void of art-horror is insufferable from frame one on, this stiff introduction counts as one of only two moments that deserve to be so harshly judged. For most of the films 100+ minutes in fact, von Trier orchestrates an effective look at grief gone mad, tucked away in a remote cabin the couple has named Eden. It is in said cabin that Dafoe's manipulative psychotherapist takes Gainsbourg's struggling PhD candidate to work out her grief and remorse through a series of exercises he has planned, including a rather fruitless attempt to figure out what she is really scared of: Husband, herself or just the plain evil of nature.

Then, as the film's now-canonical central quote pronounces, chaos reigns. A storm of acorns rattling Eden's roof and Dafoe confronting an animatronic fox eating its own intestines in the woods are fanciful lead-ins to the orgy of clitoral castration, penis-smashing and wanton mutilation that dominate the film's final quarter. As her madness begins to bellow in fits of screams and accusations, he finds a scrapbook of witches and pagan rituals performed by women that she has collected and entitled "Gynocide", which may or may not be a tip of the hand from the film's director.

The clutter is immense; noisy, showy and often times deliberately assaultive towards von Trier's (perhaps misguided) concept of inactive cinema. The Danish enfant terrible has consistently incurred bloodlust from the cinema community for his happily malevolent, wildly ambitious canon of experiments in genre mechanics. Over the years the results have swung from triumphant (Dogville, Europa, Breaking the Waves) to provocative (The Idiots, Dancer in the Dark) to imprudently polemical (Manderlay, Epidemic) but they are never films unfit for discussion or boring, for that matter.

Antichrist is no different; but for the first time in his career, von Trier's narrative diversions feel self-conscious and without meaning. The director has said that the film was birthed from a case of severe depression that he looked to excise through the filmmaking process and it's not hard to imagine his more brutal diversions (the fox, the raining acorns, a living burial) as cathartic responses to a dark psychotic state. But underneath the melee lies a tenebrous piece of traditionalist 1970s horror, something Polanski wouldn't have been completely incapable of creating in his heyday. Von Trier's structure here -- bouts of concentrated form interrupted by puerile intimations towards the avant-garde -- suggests a tightly paced art-horror film that was assailed by the director's own psychological dissonance.

That being said, Antichrist does contain one consistent element amongst its anarchy and that is Ms. Gainsbourg. Certainly one cannot discount the reliable Dafoe, who employs his distinct intensity and snarl here with sincere discipline, but Gainsbourg's dedication to von Trier's vision -- something which has been argued as wildly anti-woman and covertly pro-feminist -- is quite simply astonishing. Whether furiously masturbating against the bare, impious roots of a tree or trembling and torturing herself in their barren apartment, Gainsbourg's physical manifestation of one woman's hell is unshakeable. The same thing cannot be said, in whole, about Antichrist whose director seems too distracted by his own demons to dedicate himself to his characters' demons.

Antichrist is playing at the IFC Center in the West Village (ah, those were the days at the Waverly bar).


Chris Cabin is our very own resident film critic. You can find his reviews mainly at AMC's FilmCritic.com.

NYC Horror Film Festival in Tribeca Nov. 18th - 22nd kicking off with surf pop sirens Witches in Bikinis

Image from Icons of Fright.

The friends at the NYC Horror Film Festival are gearing up for what looks to be another year of great genre fun from Nov. 18th to the 22nd, so buy your tickets! Not only that, it will be held at the posh Tribeca Cinema, nearby where you'll be able to take in a few drinks at Nancy Whiskey Pub and shoot free shuffleboard until your luck runs out and some sort of verbal assault starts up. If you see the director of programming Joe Mauceri (you'll know, he's probably got that "man about town" look) you should totally buy him a beer and bug him to feature Jason X next year as the headliner.

Before you run through the press release below though, a couple things of note. There will be 5 bands at the kickoff party on the 18th at BLVD, most notable to me are Brooklyn's Witches in Bikinis, of whom I've been fans of now for a while ever since I went to see them at a Stray From The Heart fundraiser a couple years back. They play a real fun, "Monster Mash" type mix of surf and 50s girl pop and look exactly as advertised. I'm sure there will be enough fanboys gushing over them and blushing blood red to match some of the themes of the evening. I totally own a glo-in-the-dark shirt from them. What, you don't? Lamesauce.

While I'm not as big of a horror buff as, say, Andrew Jupin of the Jacob Burns Film Center and all around bearded fellow, I do enjoy horror films on a basic level. I can enjoy them as a flick to just pop in if I'm not feeling anything in particular. That might sound weird considering a lot of horror is not easy to watch (could be really scary, could just really suck) but it sucks you in to something more odd, more fantastic, or more unnerving. Taking that conspiracy and horror in American film class at NYU did me wonders in terms of understand horror on a higher level and it's a fun, timeless genre that can be wonderfully subversive. That and I own a ton of newer horror material but am taking my time going through them.

Anywho, if you have a few bucks and are willing to surround yourself with nerdy genrespeak, possible bad haircuts, and creepy, bespectacled people such as myself, please check out their official site with some cool artwork and find something that fits your bleeds.

Here's all the info:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (November 06th, 2009, New York City) – The 2009 NYC Horror Film Festival kicks off on November 18th, 2009, with the opening night party at a new venue, BLVD, located at 199 Bowery, in New York City. Doors open at 7:30 pm, with the festivities to kick off at 8:00 pm. The opening night party serves as one of the few fundraisers for the festival and a $10.00 donation is suggested.

Shorts screened at the party in between the performances include “Barbee Butcher,” “Aaragh, a Monster,” “Carved,” “The Stings of Clarity,” “Burn the Whole Place Down,” “Black Suit Youth,” “Elder Sign,” “Mascacator,” “You Better Behave,” “Close Call,” and “X-Mess Detritus.”

BLVD (http://www.blvdnyc.com/), located at 199 Bowery, adjacent to the termination of Spring Street, BLVD features a world-class restaurant, café, nightclub, event space, live music venue and recording studio, all within one bi-level complex. Noted for its stunning high-tech computer controlled creative lighting and state-of-the-art sound installations that bring both warmth and excitement to the spaces inside, each area of the complex is crafted to support the best in dining, events and entertainment. The main area of BLVD provides a comfortable and spacious lounge and ultra-premium bar where guests can meet and mingle for a pre-dinner drink, or to spend an entire evening.

At just 23 years old Hayley Griffiths (http://www.hayleygriffiths.com/) is achieving global recognition and critical acclaim for her classically trained vocal abilities. Her “stunningly pure soprano voice” (Chicago Medhill review) earned her roles as the lead singer in both “Riverdance” and Michael Flatley’s “Lord of the Dance” world tours. Along with acting accomplishments in performances for both the RSC and the BBC, Hayley is ready to pursue her career as a recording artist for the Classical Crossover market. Currently recording her debut album in collaboration with Surefire Music Group, and working with producers who have written/produced for Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, Ne-Yo, Brooke Hogan, Makio, Ryan Toby and many others, Hayley’s New Age sound infuses the purity and beauty of her classical background with the solid rhythm and striking arrangements of pop and R&B music. Expect high drama, powerful lyrics and a captivating sound from Hayley’s debut EP, due out Fall 2009.

Brewed in a cauldron deep in Brooklyn, Witches In Bikinis (http://www.witchesinbikinis.com/) combines beach party movie and low-budget horror flick themes into a unique rock ‘n roll experience. Composed of stunning female vocalists and a solid three piece band, the group’s sound is reminiscent of 60’s girl groups, Rocky Horror and B-52’s. Witches In Bikinis has been featured in the NYC Halloween Parade and Fangoria Sirius Radio.

The Tarantinos NYC (http://www.tarantinosnyc.com/) play music that is total twang and severe reverb – an instrumental smorgasborg flavored by the films of Quentin Tarantino.

M-16 (www.myspace.com/m16metal) is a Latin Hardcore band that has been redefining heavy music since its inception. In the late 90's three friends and musicians emigrated from the Dominican Republic to New York in search of a wider audience for their brand of metal. Scathing, pulsing, louder than hell, M-16's music is at times bombastic and scalding yet poetic in style and nature. Unapologetic lyrics sung entirely in Spanish, scream and whisper tales of mortal disillusion, political terror, and the chaos of modern times. A band that firmly believes in substance over style, M-16 is all the angst and frustration of real people channeled through guitars, drums and bass. Currently the band is composed of original member Daniel Estrella and guitarist Marcos Medina. Ex-member Ray Reed is dominating the live drums.

The New York City Horror Film Festival (http://www.nychorrorfilmfest.com/) was established in 2001 by Festival Director Michael J. Hein. The festival is dedicated to the international genre film community. There are no restrictions on the films that are screened at the festivals. The program includes films screened both in and out of competition. The Festival jury presents awards to films in the categories of Best Feature Film, Best Short Film, Best Cinematography, Best Special Effects, Best Actor/Actress, Best Screenplay for films showcased, and Audience Choice. The NYCHFF also presents an annual Lifetime Achievement award. Past recipients include director George A. Romero, Special Effects Artist and Director Tom Savini, Producer and Director Roger Corman, and Producer and Director Mick Garris.

The Get Up Kids @ Gramercy Blender Theater 10.30.09

I consider myself a decent singer. One time maybe 2 years ago at Botanica on Houston, I was at the bar waiting to get a drink and a girl next to me mentioned that I had a very nice singing voice. I thanked her and offered to buy her a drink. She said that she was good and didn't need one, and I joked that I could buy her a water. She didn't really think it was funny, and I joked "weeeak" and she totally called me out on the fact that I was being arrogant when she was just trying to pay a compliment.

I guess that's how this review has started so far.

I usually try to sing at concerts if I'm into the band and know all or most of their catalog and if I feel I'm not doing a disgrace to their vocals by joining in. The Get Up Kids are one such band that I have enjoyed since Four Minute Mile. I sang my heart out at this show, and lost my voice a little bit at two points.

The music was grittier back during Woodson/Four Minute Mile and the other earlier recordings, and the guitars bled in a way that reminded me of a contemporary of theirs, Jimmy Eat World. It's like you are right there in a tiny room listening to their high pitched, fast picking Kansas bravado, so earnest and yet with smart lyrics. Their lyrics would grow more refined on Something to Write Home About as well as a full addition of one of my favorite musicians in James Dewees. The way things started to rhyme was one thing, but also the bare boned simplicity at some points was great.

There are pieces of On a Wire and The Guilt Show that I enjoy but I don't think they compare. There are some nice pieces on Eudora, a compilation they released that I have two copies of because I thought I lost it the first time.

Wearing my buttoned up polo and Metroschifter pin (who have a new album out called Carbonistas, if you are not familiar with them I highly suggest reading up on them) me and several buddies got drinks at Black Bear Lodge before hand and jumped right in as GUK was starting up. At the Black Bear Lodge there was a hilarious coincidence when the bouncer and a baby were inspired by a large animal:

Like Jimmy Eat World again, The Get Up Kids actually have two lead singers; Matt Pryor is generally considered the frontman but Jim Suptic sings some of their most pivotal songs like "Ten Minutes".

I've gone to several reunion shows in the past while, but The Get Up Kids just strike an easy chord for me. I feel like they get a lot of unjustified flack AND praise for being an "emo" band, that term which most people couldn't care less about. It's hard to define their sound which makes a return so welcome in an ever increasing hole that permeates current bands shoved into the same genres. They just do everything better, simple as that. From the very underrated rhythm section of the Pope brothers to Pryor's searing voice (it's piercing and has so much force behind it when he's full blast, almost like an extra distorted guitar) and Suptic's more warm, rounded, blunt singing, all overshadowed by the guitars that almost work as constantly as say Hot Rod Circuit's.

"See those blinding lights? It's call hope. And masks the fact that they totally were picking their noses"

They are also a band that is cohesive in feel and tone; the only thing that I'm thinking of in my chicken wing induced food drunk right now is like a ride that is not too fast but not boring-slow...like the Scrambler? Anyone? Or driving with the window down at say 65 miles an hour. Not gunning it because you want to take in the moments, but with an urgency that pushes you to peak. They have breakdowns at the right moments, chorus melodies that linger for just the right amount of beats; it just all works. Some may call it unoriginal or just blah, but in nearly all of their work and especially the best of their work, it's very personal and can have a wonderfully intimate quality which I love in my favorite bands.

I was nearly screaming out all the lyrics, every word. We had a great view from the back, as the Blender has a nice up slope as you get back by the bars. GUK never has moshing at their concerts which I always found interesting; even at Motion City Soundtrack shows there are circle pits. I always think it is because GUK can have a sense of "older and wiser" as a theme, and maybe that's reflected in the crowd. Not that a good pit means younger and dumber, it's just every once in a while it's good to take a break.

They rolled out songs from every album/compilation (I was hoping for a Coalesce cover) including Replacements and Cure covers. A healthy dose of Four Minute Mile was great; it's their most stripped down and scrappiest work and hits hardest. They also made it through probably my favorite song of theirs "Close To Home" which was awesome enough to give me some sort of righteous conviction which I didn't use toward anything, it just sat in my soul through the rest of the concert. They were able to overcome the uneven sound of the venue to punch out an hour and 15 minutes of pure 1997-2002. Every crescendo, every rising riff was accounted for with my fist pumps and torso tilts. Their songs are like personal anthems; not epic statements, but of one heart at a time, one memory at a time.

Edit update: My buddy went for a second night on Saturday, as GUK dressed up as characters from the Wizard of Oz (a Kansas nod, perhaps) and played Something to Write Home About in it's entirety, which is redonculous.

Dirty Dozen Brass Band does Brooklyn Bowl right on Nov. 5th

Dirty Dozen Brass Band is a band that years ago, when we were all into bands with horn sections (I wasn't much of the swing revival but still a huge ska fan, suck it haters) I was introduced to heading over to Washington Park area of Albany for some fun around town (Music Shack, Last Vestige, etc.) by my friend Mr. Jupin at All Ears All Eyes All The Time.

What I'm all for in this case is the fact that this New Orleans band is not young, but has enjoyed so many years of being around without being a has-been like so many bands who are 10+ or even 5+ years in existence. They are celebrating their 25th anniversary of their first release, "My Feet Can't Fail Me Now", and there's a joyous feeling when you realize that 25 years is so long in any respect (George Carlin said something along the lines of, 'life's not short, it just is compared to how old things like mountains are').

They will be playing at Brooklyn Bowl their first release in it's entirety and people should probably stop doing whatever they are doing there and just listen up. Work up a sweat. Get those feet moving. They bring the funk, but most of all it's just a hardcore horn section. The baritone sax is made for bands like this, just absolutely filthy with the funk.

krts is back at Monkeytown with Ryan Uzi to blow your mind

My man krts is back in action (he's having a busy fall after a nice little break from being so festive) at Monkeytown on November 7th with an audio/visual catharsis that will inspire you and make you wanna get out there in the brisk air and clear your mind and move forth with your life and progress and have those ups and have those downs.

Seriously, you're going to want to make your reservations at the link below. Oh and the cheese plate is pretty good at MT. Oh and did I mention Charlie Pino and his bretheren in Gold Fiction will be there? Oh yes.

From the information booth at my Facebook wall:

After 3 sold-out Monkey Town events, Krts welcomes another emotional roller-coaster of live indie-hiphop/electronic music with live video projection story-telling from award winning filmmaker Ryan Uzi of Light Harvest Studio. Together they tell the story of "The 6th Floor Walk-up" - An intense ride of LIVE mind bending visuals with indie-hiphop styled melodic, romantic, heart breaking and fun LIVE instrumentation.

**WITH A SPECIAL APPEARANCE BY CHARLIE PINO OF the fun indie-rock/american garage band GOLDFICTION!
myspace.com/goldfictionband


This may be the first collective of Krts and Ryan Uzi but, they're not amatuers at grabbing the minds, ears, and hearts of their audience.

Krts's Monkey Town shows had the critics hyping it as "a blend of hip-hop electronica à la Radiohead and Sonic Youth" (Village Voice). Trip-hop legends Nightmares on Wax (Warp) called his latest track "Doran Penny Roller" an "indietronic meets Zapp" crowd-pleaser on their latest 2009 compilation album, “Wax On - Volume 2."

Krts has shared stages with The Beatnuts, Machinedrum, Melo-X, Daedelus, Eliot Lipp, Mux Mool, Mexicans with Guns and others.

Light Harvest is the live multimedia performance work of award winning filmmaker Ryan Uzi. He creates complex visual atmospherics on subjects ranging from politics to paganism, from seductions of New York City to secluded train rides aboard the Orient Express.

Ryan Uzi's cinematic approach to video mixing and projection design has been seen with some of the worlds best DJ's including Felix da Housecat and Mark Farina (Mushroom Jazz), as well as commissioned for live events with the Guggenheim Museum, Diesel, Prada, Adidas Y3, and Flavor Pill Magazine.


****YOU MUST RSVP @ monkeytownhq.com/reservations.html *****

KRTS OFFICIAL WEBSITE
krtsmusic.com
KRTS MYSPACE & VIDS:
myspace.com/krts


RYAN UZI OFFICIAL WEBSITE:
light-harvest.com

Unnecessary: Boondock Saints II Trailer

The Boondock Saints is a horrible movie. In fact, personally, it's one of my top 5 least favorite movies of all time, up there with such luminaries as Empire Records and Love Actually. I've actually been punched for voicing such an opinion of The Boondock Saints' first go around, and after I saw Overnight, the documentary about the writer and director Troy Duffy, and realized how much of a ridiculous person he is, it only strengthened my resolve.

The first film not only had a terrible plot, poor character development, crappy action sequences, and an awful "commentary" ending, but there are so many "Boston" movies such as Gone Baby Gone and Monument Ave. that are just so much better. Granted, this is an action movie in the John-Woo-rip-off mode and thus can be held to different standards as those dramas, but I don't find anything in this movie to recommend. It's a sociopathic film that has no reflection on the characters portrayed; Willem Dafoe's tranny FBI agent is such a retardation and Billy Connolly's Il Duce doesn't seem to have much of a purpose. Forget the Irish theme supposedly drawn up by the fact that the two leads are Irish Catholic vigilantes who society is sort of led to believe that they are doing good. Sure, they are getting rid of the baddies. But the action scenes are just awful I think; they are overcomplicated, and the slow motion has no beauty to it; and the staging is abhorrent because there is actually very little grit to it. Duffy is trying to make something shallow and stylish out of something that should be more brutal and less fanciful. Maybe it would come off more interesting if he actually cared about his two lead characters, Irish brothers who think they are on some mission from God. That character motivation alone is just kinda nuts but in Duffy's hands is all the more frustrating for the caricatures he creates. There is something freaky about how they kill for God, but Duffy doesn't do anything with it. He just goes along which makes me think that he's just some religious nutjob making a movie about religious nutjobs.

So quoting the Bible is cool? Yes when Jules does it in Pulp Fiction, because at the end it becomes a key character beat for him.

Two guns and slow motion? Yes when John Woo does it.

Hanging from the ceiling by a wire? Yes when Brian De Palma does it in Mission: Impossible (even though that movie kinda sucked too).

Violence and religion? Yes when it was called Mean Streets or State of Grace. Or The Apostle if you include baseball bats.

Oh and the second one is coming out at the end of the month. Seeing Duffy's face intro the trailer on the Rotten Tomatoes version makes me want to smash my computer screen. He's so smug. The fact that Peter Fonda is in this just screams "I did it for the money." And the fact that Judd Nelson is in it, well that's just a neutral addition.

Ridiculous Kicking of the Butts Trailers - Expendables, Bad Lieutenant with cra cra Nick Cage....The Tooth Fairy?

That's right, all of these trailers have so much in common: action stars, ridiculous lines, and this panache that can only be described as intangible, so whatever objections you have, you're totally wrong because you just can't touch it.

Expendables (with a release date of August 20, you know it'll be worth it):


Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (Herzog let's Nick Cage do his batshit stuff):


The Tooth Fairy (with that 'you can't handle the tooth' tagline, I'm totally hooked):

Not Doing Anything This Weekend? OpenHouseNewYork still has FREE awesome tours

So openhousenewyork every year has an amazing set of tours across the city, allowing you to really appreciate a day long stay-cation by taking in architecture, history, and amazing touristy things in a non-touristy way for zero bucks.

List of Sunday Oct. 11 tours, some booked, some still open!

There are all sorts of programs available, from the Chrysler Building to Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, so choose anything and you'll come out with a better understanding of the city. Tours like the Atlantic Tunnel are all booked currently, but there's always next year.

If it's one thing that is incredibly cool, you can't get any better than this. From the Bronx to the farthest reaches of Brooklyn, Ellis Island to Queens, kids tours and more, it's a weekend of insane knowledge, so drop it like it's haaawt.

Even if you miss out, openhousenewyork has year round events and tours, so give your support to keep it free and fun. Go to their official site to learn more.

Nothing to do this weekend? Urban Arts Festival and Oyster Frenzy

Photo by Powerstrip Circus. Awesomeness by KRTS.

For those of you who aren't checking out the annual Atlantic Antic (The Pats - Ravens game is on at 1, so consider me busy for most of that portion) this weekend, I've got two things you'll be interested in.

First is the Urban Arts Festival in presented by Mark Batty Publisher.

From the Facebook invite:

It's $15 cash at the door & $10 in advance for the whole day & night! Buy your tickets in advance here: http://bit.ly/32XS7. *** S.K.A.T.E. competitors get FREE (beerless) entry. Sign Up at Entrance.

Mark Batty Publisher (http://www.markbattypublisher.com) is an independent publisher dedicated to making distinctive books on the visual art of communicating, showcasing the visual power and innovation of contemporary culture in all of its varied poses.

Come on out on October 3 for the first MBP Urban Arts Fest! The two-part, one-day festival will go from 1PM-2AM. The whole day is about the thriving urban art community MBP has advocated since its inception. With skateboard demos and contests sponsored by SUBSTANCE SKATEBOARDS (http://www.substanceskateboards.com), live painting, music and DJs, photography and art installations and plenty of art and books for sale, there will be something for everyone!

We will be taking over and transforming the entire lower-half of Castle Braid (http://www.castlebraid.com) in Bushwick, Brooklyn. The day’s first part runs from 1PM-9PM and is open to all ages; 8PM-2AM is 21 and over, featuring free beer and a dance party.

Our non-profit beneficiary is Art for Progress (http://www.artforprogress.org), an organization dedicated to supporting rising multi-discipline arts in New York City.

What to expect:

• Gallery-style art installations
• Live graffiti exhibitions & public graffiti wall
• Live entertainment, DJs, dance & musical performances
• Sponsored skate/BMX demos & open skate park
• Free corresponding entry to the Brooklyn Artillery Art Fair (http://www.brooklynartillery.org) at the location, hosted by the Williamsburg Gallery Association
• Unveiling of exclusive OBEY x PEEL poster by Shephard Fairey for Peel Magazine (authors of MBP’s PEEL: The Art of the Sticker)
• Special Guest Signings
• First 500 guests receive a FREE in-person signed copy of "Talk Balk: The Bubble Project" by Ji Lee (http://markbattypublisher.com/books/talk-back-the-bubble-project/)
• Local & International Artist Showcases & Tables
• Shopping (MBP bookstore & Local Artists’ offerings)
• Food & Drinks (Honest Ade, Hoegaarden, Local Food Truck Vendors)
• Gift Bags & Prizes - with bags from Bags for the People (http://www.bagsforthepeople.org), goodies from Mimobots (http://www.mimoco.com), Cafe Bustelo (http://cafebustelo.com), Zoo York (http://www.zooyork.com), AIAIAI (http://aiaiai.dk) and more!

ARTISTS/SPECIAL GUESTS:
Martha Cooper, "Going Postal" (http://markbattypublisher.com/books/going-postal)
Remo Camerota, "Graffiti Japan" (http://markbattypublisher.com/books/graffiti-japan)
Ji Lee, "Talk Back: The Bubble Project" (http://markbattypublisher.com/books/talk-back-the-bubble-project)
Luz A. Martín, "Textura: Valencia Street Art"
Art from ORBIT Gallery (http://www.orbitgalleryspace.com)
Special Guest Curator Mighty Tanaka (with art from: avone, JMR, Hellbent, Alexandra Pacula, Peter Halasz, Mike Schreiber, AVOID PI, FARO, Royce Bannon, BLOKE, Mari Keeler, John Breiner, Skewville) (http://mightytanaka.com)
Tijn Snoodijk of Shop Around-Netherlands (http://www.shop-around.nl)
Chris & Veng - RobotsWillKill (http://www.robotswillkill.com)
Project Super Friends (http://projectsf.blogspot.com)
Destroy & Rebuild (http://destroyandrebuildnyc.com/)
Royce Bannon (http://choiceroyce.tumblr.com/)
El Celso (http://www.elcelso.com)
CR
Abe Lincoln Jr. (http://www.girlsbike.com)
Cosbe
Indigo (http://www.flickr.com/photos/indigoindigo) & Mania (http://cargocollective.com/pleasedontfront)
infinity
Chalk drawings by Ellis Gallagher (http://www.ellisgallagher.com)

PERFORMANCES:
Hosted by: iLLspokinN (http://www.illspokinn.com)
Termanology http://termanology.ning.com/
Cormega (http://www.myspace.com/cormega)
DJ Statik Selektah (http://www.myspace.com/statikselektah)
DJ GSUS187
Krts (Powerstrip Circus) http://www.krtsmusic.com/
Hot 97's DJ Juanyto (http://www.myspace.com/juanitony)
Guest DJ Jason Mizell (son of Jam Master Jay) http://www.myspace.com/jammasterjr
The Outabodies http://www.myspace.com/outabodies
Michael Brian http://www.myspace.com/michaelbrianmusic
True2Life http://www.true2lifemusic.net
Goodomens
Quan
Ad Lawless
Spokinn Movement (http://www.spokinnmovement.com)
William B. Johnson’s Drumadics (http://www.myspace.com/drumadics)
...and SURPRISE MUSICAL GUEST!

SHOWCASES/VENDORS (list in progress)
Sabrina Beram (http://requiredtaste.blogspot.com)
Abztract (http://www.abztract.com)
Fresthetic (http://fresthetic.blogspot.com)
Owen Jones & Billy Hahn (http://www.billyhahn.com)
Peter Moschel Johnson (http://www.petermoscheljohnson.com)
Steve Driebe
Jemmanimals (http://www.jemmawilliams.com) & John Bent (www.johncharlesbent.com)
Natasha Quam/L'Ange Atelier (http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=9382)
Dawn of Man Productions (http://www.dawnofmanproductions.com)
Katie Jean Hopkins
Stephanie Paz (http://pazs.etsy.com)
Alessandro Echevarria (http://www.Skulldaggery.com)
Spost Love (http://www.spostlove.com)
Andrea Grannum-Mosley
Gully Klassics (http://www.gullyklassics.com)
Clazzi & Qool Accessories
Bag and Board Studios / United Fire Comics (http://www.benvsdov.com)

The OFFICIAL BLOG of the event is http://www.BrooklynStreetArt.com.

A GIGANTIC thank you goes out to Kevy Paige Catering (http://www.kevypaigecatering.com), who will be feeding our artists and performers gourmet-style as they work throughout the day!


You're going to want to go at 1pm because my boy KRTS will be there ripping your mind out of your brain out of your head with serious electronic dreams.


The second thing you're going to want to do is sorta slimy, but oh so good. It's Grand Central's Oyster Frenzy which is still shuckin' it up tomorrow starting at noon. Free admission, here's more info:



It’s an all day frenzy! It’s a Bi-Valve Bonanza! Pro shuckers from across the country including four-time champion Luis Iglesius will vie for the championship;

the public will square off in the Slurp Off professional eating competition; Aaron Bashy, executive chef at Pershing Square, will be among the celebrity chefs sharing their gourmet wizardry with the public; and author Rowan Jacobson and restaurateur/shucking champ John Bril, who will present “Oysters 101” seminar, are among the many highlights of the annual Grand Central Oyster Frenzy, all day on Saturday, October 3, from noon to 6:00 PM, at the historic Grand Central Oyster Bar. The festivities are underway at 12:00 noon. In addition, 16 varieties of oysters – eight from both the East and West Coasts – will be on the menu during the “Bi-Valve Bonanza” at the famed eatery located “below sea level” at Grand Central Station. General Manager Jonathan Young and executive chef Sandy Ingber, the venerable “Bishop of Bi-Valves,” will host the festivities.

What: The annual Grand Central “Oyster Frenzy” featuring Professional Shucking Championships, “Slurp off” eating competition, chef demos and seminars, plus 16 Varieties of Oysters

When: Saturday, October 3, 2009

Time: 12:00 noon-6:00 PM

Where: The Grand Central Oyster Bar & Restaurant
“Below Sea Level,” Lower Level, Grand Central Station at 42nd Street, NYC

Admission: Free (including samples, but oysters and other culinary delights from the menu are priced by consumption)

Who: Professional shuckers from across the country including four-time world champion Luis Iglesius; Oyster Bar executive chef Sandy Ingber, general manager Jonathan Young; Pershing Square executive chef Aaron Bashy; food writer Rowan Jacobsen, author of The Living Shore; “Oyster 101” seminar by John Bril, shucking champion and owner of Ship to Shore restaurant on Prince Edward Island

Reservations and Information: 212.490.6650
Website: www.oysterbarny.com