sharocks the blogspot

fltgc: jon kessler

2012-02-03T16:36:00.001-05:00

best blue friday excursion: the blue project at salon 94. i didn't know much about jon kessler, but the review in tony made me check it out. boy was i glad i got back on my friday lunch time gallery crawl horse for this one. once you descend to the ground floor there is a explosion of blue, cameras, screens and cardboard cut outs of people. the screens loop video of blues - the blue man group, tobias funke of the dearly departed arrested development and mel gibson in braveheart make-up. don't miss the smaller room adjacent to the large piece. there are a few nice collages. the blue project is up until march 10.

saw this on my way one. shepard fairey on rivington and bowery

2012-01-31T13:42:00.000-05:00

must old fav rehash: kristen bell. i loved veronica mars and loved kristen's cameos in party down but this is her best work yet.

tramp

2012-01-30T09:48:00.000-05:00

must listen (you won't be sorry): sharon van etten's tramp. npr is providing a first listen to sve's glorious tramp. this will deffo be on repeat for me, since seeing it live. to say this is highly anticipated is an understatement. favs so far "give out" and "all i can".

tree of codes

2012-01-27T14:48:00.000-05:00

Tree of Codes by Jonathan Safran Foer
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

okay, it is a bit like a novel slam, but the idea behind taking a book and dissecting the original text for a new original narrative is bold. i don't know if safran foer does this completely successfully but it's a book i will admire as an art piece more than for the writing. it took me less than an hour to finish it. there are only about an average of 10 words per page. it was surprisingly easy to read as long as i placed my hand to offset the holes in the pages.

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cass's drum

2012-01-26T15:45:00.001-05:00

saw cass mccombs at bowery last night and could not get over how the drum skin looked like some chris johanson goodness, no?

happy new year

2012-01-23T08:55:00.001-05:00

mom, dad and gramps! the asian guilt video is brought to you by my coworker becky. no guilt on my end. been phoning up the rents all weekend. sadly, most of the calls were during the niner-giants game. a loss to end of season for my beloved niners, but thanks for an amazing season. who's got it better than us? nobody! and now, for a new year!

my american idol

2012-01-22T16:15:00.000-05:00

best first concert at radio city: kelly clarkson. the reason why shar hasn't had the pleasure of seeing a gig at the famed radio city is largely due the hefty price tags. i did fork it over when matt nathanson was announced as her opener. matt and i go back, way back to my younger years in sf. he was a local troubadour and i, one of his street team members. i even once unintentionally forced him to give me a hug at starbucks. true story, ask jackie. his set largely took from his latest this modern love with a sprinkling from some mad hope. not much from his older albums and a little disappointed that kelly didn't come out to duet on "run", which originally was recorded with jennifer nettles of sugarland. it could have been magic.

for the main attraction, kelly did not disappoint. are you surprised? this coming from a super fan, but my pal rachel was witnessing her first dose of kelly live and was thoroughly loving it. she opened up with "dark side", then followed up with hits "behind these hazel eyes" and "since u been gone". i was surprised she busted out quite a few covers: florence and the machine's "heavy in your arms", "my man" (babs) and a timely cover of etta james' "i'd rather go blind". the later was perfection and probably made etta proud. kelly did a medley of tunes for her five albums. a great way to cover people's favs. she pretty much got all of mine except she didn't play my favorite oldie "beautiful disaster". ahhh, you can't have it all. here's the set list in case you wanted the complete play by play. i know i'm harping now but i would have liked matt to step in for jason aldean on "don't you wanna stay", instead we got a huge hologram of jason. all i wanna say is radio city was bumpin' saturday night and kelly still and always will be my american idol.

epic

2012-01-19T15:30:00.001-05:00

got this last night at sve's gig at mercury lounge. a belated purchase and well worth the wait.

the lion's roar

2012-01-17T12:55:00.000-05:00

sisters söderberg (aka first aid kit) are streaming at npr.

the artist

2012-01-15T21:34:00.001-05:00

much belated viewing: the artist. shar's been highly anticipating this film but slacked on actually seeing it until today. it was a trip down old hollywood lane with deep influences from "singin' in the the rain". a film with hardly any words spoken captures the attention where you can hear a pin drop among the audience. out with the old and in with new. as a gal who loves the past, i was rooting for george (the old). there was a compromise of sorts in the ending. charming, clever and might be worth best picture. i still am rooting for "bridesmaids" for that honor but the oscars have never given a comedy any due.

niners win!!!!

2012-01-14T23:19:00.000-05:00

it was a nail biter and i'll probably wake up tomorrow a little hoarse, but who's got it better than us? NOBODY! (made sure brooklyn knew that by waving my niners flag down atlantic avenue)

meow pow!

2012-01-12T13:37:00.000-05:00

liking this new cat power tune, "king rides by" and proceeds of song downloads goes to the festival of children foundation and the ali fornay center, which both chan and manny champion.

return to downton

2012-01-09T12:25:00.000-05:00

best season two opener: downton abbey. a long awaited return, but well worth the wait. (warning: some spoliers if you haven't been keeping up) it's two years since we've left the granthams and their dedicated staff. last time world war one just broke and mary had refused matthew. it's two years later and many of the men are overseas. the women are finding new roles to fill. my favorite part was the first meeting and the look from mary to matthew. ahh the anticipation. lavinia seems sweet enough, but really? i love how edith and sybil have come into their own. o'brien and thomas are as devilish and conniving as ever. shar can't wait for the how season two develops (nudge, nudge yoon).

p.s. that's my actual character rankings above.

sve on late night

2012-01-07T14:55:00.000-05:00

sharon rocking her new tune "serpents" from her forthcoming album, tramp (if you couldn't read the cue cards).

home vacay is...

2012-01-04T13:16:00.001-05:00

mom's homemade won tons. mmmmmmmm!

re-reading old favs and new one

being a tourist in my hometown

celebrating new year's with my oldest friends (going on 30 years)

auntie tour winter 2012

2012-01-04T13:01:00.000-05:00

so home has been a lot of visits with babies and munchkins. i didn't get them all but i think i did a good job. leila, jeru, anais, and violet i got you next visit. i'm excited for an unnamed baby girl to join us in a few months too. love, auntie shar

hello gabriel! it's nice to meet you

yo toph! looks like you did well this xmas

emmit you will love dim sum, oh yes, you will

sophia you are an amazing cheesecake tart model and kyle i know you be chillin'

it was nice to meet you leighton. next time i hope you will be more awake

larissa thanks for attempting to poke my eye out

niners win!

2012-01-01T17:01:00.000-05:00

way to close out the regular season. first round bye clinched. it's been great being home to watch the last regular season game. i was scrounging the closets for any old school niner gear. i wouldn't be able to fit my tee when i was 7, but maybe dad's and mom's. none could be found, but i still gots one of my super bowl pennants.

also, my mom got me this beaute from a guy on 19th ave. not old vintage goodness, but niner goodness nonetheless.

challenge completed!

2011-12-31T11:52:00.003-05:00

happy new year! finished my good reads challenge too. woot!

2011 Reading Challenge

Sharlene has completed her goal of reading 50 books in 2011!

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50 of 50 (100%)

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sfmoma: francesca woodman, seca winners

2011-12-27T19:58:00.003-05:00

best fltgc homecoming: sfmoma. shar's been very off her game with the gallery crawlin' but as i'm home i popped in with fellow a/v founder kristin and jeff in tow. i was keen to check out the seca retrospective and quite impressed by winner colter jacobsen's detailed drawings on found paper. also, recently discovered the late francesca woodman, whose works transported me to an ethereal world of monochromatic beauty. lastly, caught the tiny andrew schoultz / paul klee exhibit. i was warned that this was a small exhibit and sad there weren't more of andrew's larger pieces. all in all, good times at sfmoma.

niners win!

2011-12-24T21:50:00.000-05:00

akers sets field goal record too!

winey neighbor + village voice

2011-12-22T10:55:00.001-05:00

congrats kenneth and young!

the nutcracker

2011-12-21T08:00:00.000-05:00

best way to get in the christmas spirit: the nutcracker at bam. last year i saw the hard nut, this year i thought i'd go more traditional. all i have to say is that i've never seen the role of the princess danced more beautifully than gillian murphy did last night. i'm bummed i didn't get to see her paired with david hallberg, but eric tamm served as a perfectly lovely prince.

niners win!

2011-12-20T07:37:00.002-05:00

20-3! how about that for a statement?

the marriage plot

2011-12-19T10:59:00.000-05:00

The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

*note: slight spoiler*

i really liked it with sprinklings of austen, bronte, james, etc. things i especially enjoyed:

1.) "Scientific American! Are you kidding me?"
"What's wrong with that?"
"This isn't science. It's journalism. It's not even peer reviewed!"

wow, as someone who works in stm publishing, this is very true. :)

2.) a character works at Gump's (totally SF, love it!)

3.) the pitch perfect ending:
"From the books you read for your thesis, and for your article-the Austen and the James and everything-was there any novel where the heroine gets married to the wrong guy and then realizes it, and then the other suitor shows up, some guy who's always been in love with her, and then they got together, but finally the second suitor realizes that the last thing the woman needs is to get married again, that she's got more important things to do with her life? And so finally the guy doesn't propose at all, even though he still loves her? Is there any book that ends like that?"

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my mistakes

2011-12-16T11:13:00.000-05:00

developing a lil girl crush on eleanor after seeing her last month.

cold spring

2011-12-12T21:45:00.002-05:00

been aching for a good hike and to break in my new merrells, so off to cold spring.

beacon yonder

frozen lake via the washburn trail

shar vs goodreads

2011-12-09T22:14:00.001-05:00

You have read 42 books toward your goal of 50 books (84%).

If you haven't yet completed your challenge, don't worry—you're in good company. Goodreads members optimistically pledged to read 10 million books in 2011. So far we've finished 4 million with an average of 27 books per reader. Impressive numbers, but there's still time to read more in December. So here's your gentle reminder. If you reach your target, you will get a special 2011 Reading Challenge badge for your Goodreads profile!

View your progress »

oh badge you will be mine. oh yes!

mayer hawthorne x daytrotter

2011-12-07T13:20:00.001-05:00

mr. hawthorne throwin' it down for daytrotter

niners win!

2011-12-04T19:36:00.001-05:00

26-0 shutout over the rams sends my niners into the playoffs after a looooong nine year drought. only sad point is that i wasn't able to call my mom's to celebrate. she's being awesome in asia.

the winey neighbor

2011-12-03T15:23:00.001-05:00

best neighborhood opening: the winey neighbor. i'm sooooo glad to have been at the opening last evening. i've heard much of this project from my dear friends young and kenneth and very happy to be able to raise a glass to a dream come true. so folks of prospect heights (and surrounding hoods), come by and get your wine on at the winey neighbors. bonus: they just got a christmas tree today!

fltgc?

2011-12-02T14:34:00.001-05:00

what happened to fltgc? shar has not crawled in weeks. well, i've holed up for fridays as i am burning through some vacation days, but on those days i'm dedicating my time to a/v. if you haven't checked it out, you should at seelisten.tumblr.com. i'll be back to my gallery crawlin' hopefully once more before the end of the year. stay tuned!

cass mccombs - daytrotter

2011-12-01T11:08:00.001-05:00

love, love, love stripped down cass. you can enjoy here and my public service announcement about daytrotter here. they just keeping producing magical sessions.

first aid kit on kcrw

2011-11-30T16:41:00.001-05:00

lotta's 2012

2011-11-29T16:41:00.001-05:00

every year i'm jazzed for what lotta will design. 2012 looks like a beaut. pre-order your's now!

daytrotter goodness

2011-11-25T16:54:00.001-05:00

must subscription: daytrotter. shar's loved daytrotter for years now, so when she received the message that the unique music hub was charging $2/month to access their sweet tunes she didn't think twice in joining. they've had a stellar group of sessions posted just this week, including the antlers, surfer blood and yellow ostrich. these seshes are truly musical gems. striped down and often with extra special covers.

yay snail mail

2011-11-22T19:40:00.001-05:00

best snail mail: n amesak e ny-ny 07-09. my pal adam made this and was kind enough to send me this snail mail treasure trove. thank you, thank YOU! pre-gobble gobble.

niners win!

2011-11-20T19:06:00.001-05:00

9-1!

stare at the sun

2011-11-20T10:31:00.001-05:00

new tune from eleanor beautifully shot by jeff martin. saw it live last night.

fnl

2011-11-19T15:00:00.001-05:00

best late to the game recovery: friday night lights series completed. okay everyone and their mother has been lauding this series. my brother for years had been telling me best show ever. coworkers were on me. my best friend was the one who eventually got me to start. after kyle chandler and jason katims won the emmy this year, my butt got into gear. i barreled through three seasons like nobody's business. only took me less than 2 weeks. season four in three days. THREE DAYS!!! it was my tv crack. last night, friday night, i concluded the series with another late adopter, liz. one of the few series that's ending is pitch perfect. closing out story arches nicely and nothing too over the top. it vies with my fav tv series of all time, the wire. funny, a certain someone is featured in both series. coincidence? luckily it isn't exactly the end of fnl. there are already confirmations of a movie in the future and not like that one with billy bob. clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose. can't believe i'm typing this, but texas forever.

cannot wait for...

2011-11-18T18:51:00.001-05:00

fltgc: marilyn minter and billy childish

2011-11-18T17:11:00.001-05:00

must fltgc: salon 94 and lehmann maupin. two of old trusted friends of art. first up, marilyn minter at salon 94. while passing by the new museum, there was a crowd in there probs getting ready to slide down the museum. anyhoot, minter's video pieces are mesmerizing. who knew dousing metallic paint on toddlers would so awe inspiring. friends, it is. i especially like the pig tailed girl wallowing in the silver goodness. catch before is close december 4.

then it was billy childish at lehmann maupin. recently featured on a/v, this dude is kinda awesome. art and tunes. poetry and prose. this gent does everything. his paintings are impressionistic, but modern. up until january 21.

lykke li on letterman

2011-11-17T00:51:00.001-05:00

check the swede attack! also caught the first aid kit last night. they are singing backup.

creator's project can't get enough of a/v

2011-11-15T14:08:00.000-05:00

niners win!!!

2011-11-13T19:58:00.001-05:00

thought i was in trouble as the lone niner fan at rock shop, but the niners didn't let up and my guys showed up (thanks leonard and hieu) to provide bay area support. being a niner fan in ny when playing the giants is satisifying when we win 27-20.

glass house

2011-11-12T19:58:00.000-05:00

must daughter of an architect excursion: the philip johnson glass house. ahhhmazing and well belated. it was two and half years ago when my pal saki (now in japan) and i decided to get our then design student pal vanessa a trip to the famed glass house for her birthday. i finally got around to honoring the gift post-graduation.

an hour train away from new york city and you are dropped into the posh town of new canaan. our very knowledgeable tour guide expounded on johnson's architectural intentions from the location of buildings to his personal life with david whitney. he liked circles and rectangles. he was pals with andy warhol and frank stella. he wasn't much of a cook, but he loved parties. my pictures don't do it justice, but my pal catherine did a good job documenting in her visit. seriously go and visit yourself if you have a chance. it's highly recommended.

a/v on lost at e minor

2011-11-11T15:49:00.001-05:00

gnomes vs snowmen

2011-11-10T17:11:00.001-05:00

must cute overload: gnomes vs snowmen at gallery hanahou. this is the best way to get into the winter season (aside from skating). bonus, you get a candy cane when you visit. SCORE!

jens lekman: tiny desk concert

2011-11-07T10:50:00.000-05:00

love the hanging key on jen's guitar.

pre-gaming to t-day = niners win!

2011-11-06T17:00:00.002-05:00

best pre-gaming to t-day: turkey loaf + niners win.

= celebratory turkey feast. can't wait for the baltimore ravens on t-day

first saturday!

2011-11-05T23:30:00.000-04:00

much missed saturday activity: first saturdays at brooklyn museum. how shar's let saturday after saturday slip by, she doesn't know but she was fully prepared to make up for it. first up the sanford biggers exhibit in the cantor gallery. pianos. lights. trees.

i was quite excited to check out the youth and beauty: art of the american twenties exhibit, but honestly was underwhelmed. i guess i was expecting a more robust collection. it was the usual suspects - georgia o'keffe, alfred stieglitz, edward hopper and imogen cunningham.

i breezed through the eve hesse's septres 1960 exhibit with it's free flowing strokes. lastly, i was pleasantly surprised by the singular piece by matthew buckingham. "the spirit and the letter" feels like you are part of the installation.

maurizio cattelan at guggenheim

2011-11-04T22:55:00.001-04:00

must on site exhibition extravaganza: maurizio cattelan at guggenheim. wow! shar hasn't been to an exhibit in a long time that may garner a return visit. cattelan takes full advantage of the frank lloyd wright designed space, hanging his assemblage of taxidermy, sculpture, paintings and prints. reminds me a bit of banksy's village pet store. it's surreal with a humorous tone. i was amazed by the taxidermy and this coming from a lady that lived next to one. there's playful repetition of objects throughout with pieces decreasing in size as they descend to the ground. check before it closes january 22.

feisty bam

2011-11-02T23:59:00.000-04:00

best all inclusive set: feist at bam. i haven't forked over duckets in a while for a show, so this was kinda a treat for myself way up in the balcony of bam. its been 4 years since i'd seen the songstress and that was back in sf. leslie played the bulk of her new album "metals".

funnily, a few folks in the front row began to take pics during feist's rendition of "graveyard". as ushers swarmed, leslie playfully inserted the lyrics "i really don't if they take pictures of me". feist was the hostess with the mostest this evening. she invited a gent with a skeleton painted on his face to join her on stage and dance to "my moon my man". she encouraged the crowd to get up to the stage so friends way back in the orchestra section got a fast pass to the front.

i was hoping grizzly bear would make an appearance, but got mountain man as backup singers instead. they did lend nicely with harmonies and sweet sways. feist managed to not play hits "1234" or "the limit to your love". she did encore with "sea lion woman", and invited everyone to the stage to sing along. she fittingly end with "let it die". a perfect "storytime" setting and happy ending.

fanfarlo at glasslands

2011-10-31T19:52:00.000-04:00

niners win!

2011-10-30T23:00:00.000-04:00

niners win and frank gore overtakes roger craig in rushing.

ac

2011-10-29T23:51:00.000-04:00

best escape from the first snow (and it's only october): atlantic city. yep, it snowed in new york. trudged through a snowy wet times square to catch the hampton luxary liner. i know i'm a baller. not really, i snagged a deal on groupon. :) anyhoot, mollie and i came out on top. $32 and $30 respectively that went to a winner's dinnah.

just like glee

mollie's moneymaker

kreay kray area

2011-10-27T11:10:00.001-04:00

must big up to the bay area: kreayshawn on npr. girlfriend, speaks up to her critics. here's to growing up in the bay.

slingshot 2012

2011-10-24T19:18:00.001-04:00

thing that made me :) today:

a/v

2011-10-23T23:30:00.000-04:00

when i was recently home, i had a good catch up with one my my favoritest people in the world, kristin. she proposed a most excellent music art project, which we've managed to "launch". friends, i am pleased to introduce audio + visual (thanks mel for the title inspiration). the project pairs songs with art pieces. ever see a painting or print and instantly have a song conjure up in your head? we take submission and i know all you good folk love art and tunes so send them over to us.

finished!

2011-10-22T10:19:00.001-04:00

worst and best morning activity: rock n' roll new york. shar doesn't like getting up before sunrise and hauling her arse out of her warm cozy bed, but she does like finishing her first 10k in under an hour. true results aren't posted until 7pm EST, but i'm pretty sure i saw like 58 or 59 something before i crossed the finish line. anyhoot, i got a medal and it's got glitter on it. ummmm, awesome!

fltgc: amze emmons + kevin haas

2011-10-21T15:39:00.001-04:00

happy return to a tried and true: christina ray. shar feels like she's been neglecting this art outpost, but finally popped back in. christina was in the house and as always filled with background info on the current exhibit, disintegration and sprawl. featuring the prints of amze emmons and kevin haas, the exhibit's themes are coincidentally very timely as folks just south of the gallery on wall street are living in some makeshift homes as well. amze peppers his prints with fine lines and color, while kevin plays with monochromatic layers. closes on the 30th, so get your butt to christina ray.

zola jesus @ knitting factory

2011-10-19T08:14:00.000-04:00

best urban gospel gig: zola jesus at knitting factory, brooklyn. friends, nika can sing. she's got pipes in a bellowy, enchanting tone. gurl can dance too. she even jumped into the crowd to sail through her fans. she almost tripped on my neighbors briefcase. ahmazing, ahmazing. this pint size dynamo can really pack a punch. she's at lpr tonight, if you can get tickets. better yet, stream the concert live via npr. amen.

left my heart in sf

2011-10-17T13:43:00.000-04:00

clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose

2011-10-16T21:50:00.000-04:00

just started fnl. :) niners win!!! handing the lions their first loss. 5-1 baby.

congrats angelina and bryan!

2011-10-14T20:41:00.000-04:00

tiger mt peasant diddy

2011-10-11T09:51:00.000-04:00

funny we totes played fleet foxes on our camping trip. wish klara and johanna from first aid kit were there too to sing this live for us. one day work week. woot! boarding jfk-sfo this afternoon. hip hip hooray!

niners win streak!

2011-10-10T08:17:00.000-04:00

holy sourdough cannoli! the niners stomped the bucs 48-3 and go to 4-1. this is the best start they've had since 2002. the jim harburgh era is looking bright. next up, the lions which will be quite the match up.

mongaup pond

2011-10-09T20:36:00.001-04:00

camping!!!! shar's been missing the outdoors and my pals were awesome enough to make my camping dreams come true in the catskills. thanks mel, bill, mike, jen, sue and andrea!

key to my heart

2011-10-08T01:37:00.002-04:00

shar truly <3s this swede. i got giddy as he hit the stage last night.

fltgc: lehmann maupin, salon 94 freemans, canada

2011-10-07T18:55:00.001-04:00

best keeping with routine: fltgc. ha getting back to the swing of friday lunch time gallery crawlin'. i managed to pry myself off my desk to some sunshine and art. on the route, lehmann maupin, salon 94 - freeman's outpost and canada (a newbie to fltgc).

first stop: mickalene thomas at lehmann maupin. mickalene creates collages with archival pieces. she also likes frames on frames, which produce an almost magnified quality to the subjects of her pieces. she also likes polaroids. really big polaroids

next stop: salon 94 in freeman's alley for dzine's imperial nail salon. it's blingiest shop in town.

oh i saw a new hanksy in the alley too.

last stop: canada for carrie moyer's abstract paintings. it's got influences of georgia o'keffe, no? drawing from flowers and sea life.

niners win!?!?!?!

2011-10-02T17:40:00.000-04:00

against the eagles in a comeback. what!?!?!? 3-1 baby!

nuit blanche ny 2011

2011-10-01T23:55:00.000-04:00

the art kids were in greenpoint this evening for nuit blanche (bring to light), a free annual evening public art event. rachel's friend marco had a piece. it's the lotr's saruman like eye on the watchtower.

fltgc: gbe + team x2

2011-09-30T17:01:00.000-04:00

much belated fltgc: gavin brown and team gallery. okay, i feel like a broken record but really blowing it on the weekly lunch time gallery crawls. i tend to miss something in my cultural appetite and realize i'm sorely hungry for some art. it was going to be a big crawl, but unfortunately jack hanley, maccarone and christina ray were closed. however, i was able to get some good arty eats in.

gbe was featuring the large scale portraiture of alex katz. his figurative paintings are simple, yet somehow eye-opening at the same time. the dude is 84 and still painting so that's ahhhmazing. check it out before it closes next weekend.

after getting denied at maccarone and jack hanley, it was due east to the team galleries. over at the wooster outpost (where jack black was filming something next door), the sculpture of greek artist vlassis caniaris is on exhibit. his pieces play against stillness with movement. swing, bike, roll. all stationary in space.

in the grand space, new york artist marc hundley peppered the walls with posters and text pieces for his exhibit, joan baez is alive. his works are like grand pieces of a scrapbook with key lyrics and quotes capturing a place, time and feeling.

typhoon daytrotter sesh!

2011-09-28T11:38:00.000-04:00

loved these kids since seeing them live in newport. they recently recorded a sesh over at daytrotter. it's an absolute musical gem.

niners win!

2011-09-25T16:25:00.000-04:00

what?!?!? 2-1 for the season so far. ahhhmazing! though watching the game on espn gamecast was highly annoying and delayed. thank goodness i had my mom with play by play via the west coast. holler! looked and sounded like a messy game.

drive

2011-09-22T00:00:00.011-04:00

best slow burn: drive. holy hot stuff. that there mr. gosling smolders in nicolas winding refn's voyeuristic and bloody story of a driver. it's 80's-tastic, even borrowing the opening title font from risky business. i heard that hugh jackman was first casted in the driver role and the film was going to be your typical action flick. what nicholas winding refn and ryan gosling has created is more complex. we never know the driver's name. he barely speaks. there's a lot of driving in la (there was no traffic?!?!?) warning there's some graphic violence and pretty boy gosling doles out some of it. go see it if you get a chance. you won't be sorry.

poster by: matt needle

dirty beaches

2011-09-21T15:44:00.001-04:00

saw him last night and wrote about it here. not my best prose. sorry!

vetiver redux

2011-09-18T14:01:00.000-04:00

opened up the day to vetiver's "been so long' playing as i got into my first asana at kula this morning. vet's been on my mind. saw them again with fruit bats on tuesday and stumbled across this, which just engulfs memories of my hometown.

Vetiver - The Errant Charm from Yours Truly on Vimeo.

o's

2011-09-16T23:13:00.000-04:00

#16 in my stadium challenge with my boys geeno and joe. prolly my last stadium of the season. added three new stadiums this year including this and that.

when in b-more = soft shell crab sammy with old bay chips

radical x veng

2011-09-15T00:04:00.000-04:00

must early fltgc:

Radical x Veng - Lafayette / Bleecker St, NYC from MaNY Project on Vimeo.

pb&j four years later

2011-09-14T14:31:00.000-04:00

shar last saw these kids four years over at bimbo's in sf. the swedes are still a bundle of fun live. i was actually covering the opening band memoryhouse. you should check them out.

yeah that's peter on the tables

niners win!

2011-09-11T20:24:00.001-04:00

ahh nfl returns and my fav team has knocked out an opening win versus division rivals seattle seahawks, 33-17. thanks to that dude to the right, ted ginn, jr.. not one but two kick return for touchdowns. luckily the fox switched over to the final five minutes of the niners-seahawks action after the ny giants loss. before that, i was calling my mom to give me play by plays. mom's no espn commentator, but she sure has enthusiasm to to spare.

also, congrats to sam stosur for upsetting serena williams in straight sets.

Vegas baby

2011-09-05T09:38:00.000-04:00

lancaster, pa

2011-08-27T10:45:00.003-04:00

down in dutch, amish pa kickin' it with my bestie. stuck an extra night due to a lil hurricane named irene.

didn't get to see a game because of the aforementioned irene

cruel

2011-08-25T13:56:00.003-04:00

sad and a lil glad shar didn't get tickets to annie's rooftop gig at the met. can't wait for strange mercy..

the view from a volcano

2011-08-23T14:52:00.003-04:00

premature fltgc: the view from the volcano at the kitchen. funny that when i arrived the building was evacuated due to a lil rumble. funny enough when i got up tot he gallery a gent said, "earthquake? i'm from california. i'm used to it." my sentiments exactly.

anyhoot, been meaning to check out this historical collage of an exhibit on the notable media space. the space started on 420 mercer, then moved to wooster and broome. wish it were still in the hood because this space has hosted the likes of laurie anderson, philip glass, karole armitage, the beastie boys (when they were teens), talking heads, cindy sherman, sonic youth and fab five freddie. a curation of videos, posters and press releases create a timeline of works. closes saturday, august 27 so try to get your soho art history before then.

parked!

2011-08-20T16:05:00.003-04:00

coolhaus menu

kelvin natural slush - had me a ginger slush with white peach and fresh mint

fltgc: hilary lloyd @ artists space

2011-08-19T12:58:00.004-04:00

best transatlantic fltgc: hilary lloyd at artist space. another exhibit caught before closing. shar hasn't been on her a- game for her gallery crawling. i'm slowly but surely getting back to it. hilary's debut in new york was perfectly placed in the expansive loft space of artists space. i've always admired the gallery "hidden" in the the unassuming 3rd floor of a nondescript building on wooster street in soho.

walk into a minimal installation of flat screen tvs, projecting slides and video collages. hilary has capture the remarkable shapes and shadows of the mundane everyday. i was particularly taken with the hovering shoulders barely grazing in back light and the simplicity of a sweeping foot as the shadows swap back and forth. hilary's art begs for a soundtrack. i could hear sigur ros or garth stevenson (recent find from all the kula teachers playing it during class). show ends tomorrow so if you can make it, do! you can definitely see why hilary was nominated for the turner prize this year.

shelled out

2011-08-15T14:10:00.002-04:00

...for feist at bam's gillman opera house. i haven't thrown down cash like this in a while, but i'm fairly certain i won't be disappointed. i got a crappy seat, but the joy of the gillman opera house is that the view is still decent from way up top. i'm hoping for some grizzly bear friends to show up. check her latest single from the forthcoming "metals".

rainy day

2011-08-14T19:35:00.002-04:00

been raining all day in nyc.

help holly

2011-08-10T17:30:00.002-04:00

help holly make her new album and pledge here. you can get autographs, art, homemade chocolates and a private concert.

cults at summerstage

2011-08-07T20:33:00.003-04:00

summer vinyl...

2011-08-07T09:22:00.004-04:00

party! more summer time memories made with pimms and vinyl.

ra ra riot at celebrate brooklyn

2011-08-06T12:23:00.005-04:00

best last hurrah: ra ra riot closed out the last free concert at prospect park. it was my first time seeing them outdoors. saw them previous here and there. was a lil bittersweet because saki was not with me. she introed me to wes and gang. in her stead was denise, another saki convert and ol' high school bud. shar was dancing along especially to "ghost under rocks", "oh la" and "everest". the encore, however was sing along time as wes declared we are going to have some fun. he barreled into a cover of steve winwood's "valerie". they closed with my fav "dying is fine". great tunes, awesome setting, and good friends (mike, jen, sue, denise, marco and fadi). perfect brooklyn summer memory of 2011.

better late than never

2011-08-05T15:31:00.007-04:00

better late than never fltgc: team gallery and half gallery. wow friends, shar's been slacking on the art crawlin'. i knew i felt a little off. got my butt to the group show, "i sent my love a red, red rose" at team on it's last day. the works of marc hundley, donald urquhart and jean-luc verna were on show. urquhart (left) was my fav.

next up was a new addition to the fltgc line-up, half gallery. joe bradley, dan colen, leo fitzpatrick, hanna liden, nate lowman, adam mcewen, josh smith and dash snow respond to the works of ray johnson. notable was dash snows shelled smoking bird. bonus: ray johnson buttons and a nice booklet on ray johnson's free associations. nice shots of his mail art.

an american tail

2011-08-04T22:58:00.004-04:00

best kid again evening: an american tail at dumbo's pier 1. brooklyn bridge park's summertime movies with a view relocated this year to the lovely new pier 1, harbor view lawn. fievel mousekewitz, anyone? he pretty much rules. shawn and i totally made a pact to watch this screening. when he told me he owned a fievel doll growing up, the deal was sealed. then, my roomie (also in attendance) said she, too, had a fievel doll growing up. lucky!

friends, an american tail, sure stands the test of time. with the unforgettable "somewhere out there" ballad to the mantra songs like "there are no cats in america" and "never say never". ahhhmazing!

an american tail dinner of champs - smoked gouda!

surprise fireworks post viewing

newport folk fest 2011

2011-08-01T21:15:00.002-04:00

in order of appearance

typhoon

freelance whales

pat seeger

gogol bordello

p.s. 22 with freelance whales

earl scruggs

pokey lafrage

typhoon in paste mag sesh

tegan and sara

gillian welch

david rawlings

sara evans (guesting with gillian and dave)

newport harbor

me and rachel

dude who should be in newport sartorialist

brown bird

seeger clogging all stars

rachel and virginia (my festival crew)

secret sisters

wanda jackson

chris thile and michael daves

justin towne earle

middle brother

mountain man (guesting with middle brother)

m. ward

dawes backing m.ward

secret sister (guesting with m. ward)

emmylou harris

pete seeger and most of the sunday line-up

mystic pizza, mansions, flo's

2011-07-29T08:44:00.007-04:00

the breakers marble houseentry to flo'sfisherman's platter

alexander mcqueen: savage beauty

2011-07-22T14:44:00.005-04:00

worth the wait exhibit: alexander mcqueen: savage beauty at the met. shar's been meaning to hit this up but stories of 1.5 hours waiting in line were not fun. thankfully i borrowed a member's card and bypassed the line with new member liz in tow. the exhibit is staged like no other i've seen at the met. i've seen fashion exhibits like vivienne westwood at the deyoung or the golden age of coulture at the v&a, but nothing quite as elaborate. mcqueen spanned all sorts of styles from s&m to romanticism, and this exhibit incorporates teh gowns with not only videos but some extra specials which i don't wanna give away. my fav was the romantic patriotism pieces. this one in particular.

also i didn't know about his "bumster" pants, which i also liked. liked his quote the lower back being the sexiest place on the body.

i highly recommend catching this exhibit before it closes august 7.

rufus does judy

2011-07-19T05:54:00.006-04:00

best belated gay evening: rufus does judy at the royal opera house. shar owns the album by rufus and the original by judy on vinyl (thanks mel!), so i was keen for the opportunity to see it live. it was happenstance that i was in town as rufus was taking over the royal opera house. i could not miss the opportunity. t got tickets, but sadly missed out as she was under the weather. pal michelle was game to step in. from the rousing "san francisco" rendition to end the first act to sister martha wainwright coming to belt out "stormy weather", the gig sent me back to the good ol' golden era of mgm musicals. though it wasn't the complete concert, it sent me off dancin' into the wet and cold streets of londontown happily.

weekend postcards

2011-07-17T15:20:00.006-04:00

washed out @ rough trade east

missed ya stik

indian at lahore with my indian pal jenny

happy birthday michelle! sorry you didn't get the new iphone you desperately need

drinking a pint while watching the last harry potter

couldn't help myself