Canadian-born and NYC-based singer-songwriter Jenny Kern has released the heartfelt and lyrically rich song, “Where Did the Time Go.” The new single follows a string of acclaimed singles that will precede the release of her long-awaited self-titled EP I Never Thought You Were Listening, due out on October 1.
Jenny’s career began when she was still in University, performing around Montreal. Eventually, she gained more confidence in her sound, leading her to move to NYC in 2013. NBC welcomed Jenny as a Page seeing her true potential, where she would late work for acclaimed filmmakers Noah Baumbach and Greta Gerwig, allowing her to make the leap into film and television. Her love for music became so apparent that in 2018 she decided to take a leap of faith and pursue music full time.
In her rise to fame Jenny found herself performing at notable venues around New York City like Rockwood Music Hall, Pianos, and Mercury Lounge. Her debut EP was not only down to earth but intimate; a self-reflection on her personal experience with self-doubt, regret and the search for comfort in painful seasons. Jenny lures her audience through a confession-like delivery portraying her vulnerability through each lyric.
The COVID-19 pandemic served as a catalyst for Jenny’s writing style. Her anticipated self-titled EP I Never Thought You Were Listening will be released this October 1st, with her new single “Where Did the Time Go” giving her audience a tease of what we can expect from her.
“Where Did The Time Go” is an intensely personal and self-reflective song about dealing with anxiety. I started writing this song in quarantine while having an existential crisis, and not knowing what my purpose was, or why I was existing. While it’s dark in nature it was very cathartic to write. There’s something powerful in laying out your fears and anxieties and admitting that you don’t have all the answers.
Jenny Kern on Rock and Roll Globe
Jenny’s first single of 2021, “Coming Back For Me” released this January has spun on XPN and NPR’s World Café and earned a spot on Spotify editorial playlists like New Music Friday, Fresh Finds, and Indie All Stars.
Watch Jenny’s new music video below, produced by Tashaki Mikyaki, with a focus on the reality of isolation that pushes us to question ourselves.
In celebration of the upcoming religious holidays, FANS.live and The Friday Night Jam present High Holidays, a spiritual and musical celebration. Now in its tenth year, the website will present four services broadcasted live for free led by Rabbi Daniel Brenner and musical director Jeremiah Lockwood, featuring Antibalas‘ Jordan McLean, Yuli Beeri and a full live band.
Streams on September 6 and 7 are set for Rosh Hashanah and will take place at Brooklyn Bowl, with a limited number of tickets also available for those who wish to attend. Two more services on September 15 and 16 will be in celebration of Kol Nidre and Yom Kippur, streamed live from Relix Studios.
The services will feature a mix of live music and remote video contributions from a mix of musicians including Alex Bleeker (Real Estate), Eric Slick (Dr. Dog), Dan Lebowitz (ALO), and Eric Krasno (Soulive and Lettuce). CEO of Mindfulness Consulting, Yael Shy, will be leading guided meditations at each event streamed from the Brooklyn Bowl, while Jewish mindfulness teacher Michael Bilick will lead meditations at the events streamed from the Relix Studios.
Links for tickets and streams are below. For those wishing to attend services at Brooklyn Bowl, all guests ages 12 and over must show proof of at at least one vaccine shot prior to entry.
The BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! summer festival continued on Friday, August 27th with a hometown show headlined by Brooklyn native and deep house producer & rapper Yaeji. Support for the night was curated by Yaeji herself, and featured sets by writer, rapper, and producer Nappy Nina followed by singer-songwriter KeiyaA. Celebrate Brooklyn! came back strong in 2021 with a stacked lineup of free concerts. Friday night was another celebration of the return to live music by many in attendance as well as Yaeji.
Yaeji at BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Photo by Buscar Photo
Thunderstorms threatened the show, even delaying the opening of doors by about 30 minutes while a quick shower passed by. After that, we lucked out the rest of the night without any rain but the delay unfortunately shortened the opening sets a bit. Nappy Nina was on first, delivering a high energy rap performance to an already large crowd at the bandshell. KeiyaA followed; backed by a full band she performed a set of soulful R&B. Walking around the crowd you can hear KeiyaA’s powerful voice echoing through the park.
KeiyaA at BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Photo by Buscar Photo
When Yaeji took the stage, she was visibly humbled by the enormous reception she received from the crowd. She was born in Flushing, Queens to a Korean family and spent much of her young life living in Korea. She moved back to the United States to attend Carnegie Mellon University where she learned to DJ as a hobby at after-hours parties. This culminating in Yaeji combining her love for music and collaboration with electronica to forge her distinct deep house (hip-house?) sound. Now a Brooklyn resident, her debut came in 2017 with a self-titled EP, but notoriety came flowing in 2020 after the release of the mixtape What We Drew. This mixtape includes the track “Waking Up Down” which features Yaeji’s subtle rap style over light and airy house beats.
Yaeji at BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Photo by Buscar Photo
Yaeji packed in the bandshell, even without having any ‘full length’ albums to her name. In the true nature of being an artist in today’s internet age, Yaeji has been steadily releasing music since her debut in 2020. This has been in the form of singles and collaborations, two EPs titled Yaeij and EP2, remixes, and most recently a single featuring DiAN called “PAC-TIVE.” You can see the music video for this single below, featuring an immersion into a modern day PAC-MAN universe. Other songs included in the set at Celebrate Brooklyn! were “Raingurl” from EP2 as well as “Guap” from the self-titled EP.
Yaeji has been prolific over the last few years, and this will most likely continue. After breaking the ice with a hometown show on Friday night, there is no doubt that more creative energy and live shows will be in the near future. A last minute, early Sunday morning DJ set has just been added at Nowadays in Ridgewood – more info for that show is HERE. There is no official tour on the books as of now, but you can see Yaeji on the festival stages in September with appearances at Bonnaroo, Pitchfork, and Life is Beautiful.
Yaeji at BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Photo by Buscar Photo
The BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! festival continues on Saturday with San Fermin and Son Little, followed by Glass Animals on Tuesday. Find the full schedule HERE.
It was a calm, quiet Wednesday night in Greenwich Village, Manhattan. With the streets hardly packed, some headed home to end their evenings early, others made their way to the Subway for their night shifts, while scattered groups searched for a potential brouhaha to jumpstart their night. New York City has a suis generis aura because not only is it one of the world’s marquee Metropolitis, but it is also the cultural hub of the world. And on any given night something amazing could be happening around the corner.
Such was the atmosphere inside the intimate setting of Blue Note Jazz Club. Founded in 1981, Blue Note’s motto is centered around preserving the history of jazz, according to their website. “The club is a place where progression and innovation – the foundations of jazz – are encouraged and practiced on a nightly basis…while regularly showcasing up-and-coming jazz, soul, hip-hop, R&B and funk artists” and has seen the likes of Stevie Wonder, Tony Bennett, Liza Minelli, and Quincy Jones grace their stage.
But on this night, Blue Note did not play host to any developing talent, but rather two established hip hop legends. For two consecutive nights on August 24 & 25, GZA of the Wu Tang Clan headlined the culturally historic club accompanied by Talib Kweli and of course live music as the Phunky Nomads shared the stage with the two hip hop greats.
Thus, on a cozy summer night the two Brooklynite’s performed a medley of records that reminded those in attendance of a simpler time in the world. Fans lightly serenaded the club, singing along to some of GZA and Wu Tang Clan’s more recognizable records and even some album cuts.
GZA is a master of his craft, so it came as no surprise that he had memorized not only his rhymes, but those of his groupmates as well, performing several verses from the deceased Ol’ Dirty Bastard and other Clan members. In one sequence in particular, the Liquid Swords emcee began performing the Clan’s hit record, “Triumph.” You know, the one where Inspectah Deck “lyrically performs armed robbery” before transitioning into “Shame on a N***a” and performing ODB’s verse.
The live music only added to the atmosphere as the Phunky Nomads took command of each record, seamlessly sequencing between jazz, classical, funk, hip hop and rock instrumentation. They made each record their own, evident when GZA began performing “C.R.E.A.M.” backed with classical sounding music (They even did a rendition of The O’Jays’ “For The Love of Money”). Their choice of musical direction often kept the audience on edge, wondering what new possible twist they would put to classic Clan records.
Up and coming artist, Nick Vivid, released his new single “Hush Money (Straight to the Bribe)” on August 18, 2021 off his upcoming album No More Secrets.
Nick Vivid hails from Buffalo, NY and creates music that is a blend of indie electronic funk that has blends of soul and blues throughout it. Between his father being a radio DJ and his mother loving glam rock Nick Vivid was always surrounded by music which shaped and formed his musical style and taste. He currently resides in New York City and works with Bill Aucoin who is the original manager of KISS and Billy Idol.
The single “Hush Money (Straight to the Bribe)” was released in anticipation of his upcoming album No More Secrets which will drop on November 12, 2021. He has two albums out Nicksploitation which was released in 2017 and Blissed Out which was released in 2019 but his new album is going to be a bit different than these previous albums. This album will revolve around themes of the loss of both of his parents in recent years and the life lessons he’s learned from what he calls “intensive meditative pandemic soul searching.”
Nick Vivid spoke on the newest single to his repertoire saying that the single is about what he’s learned from observing people making decisions based on self-serving fear and greed. He elaborated on this saying, “The ‘bribe’ in the song is the alluring ‘shortcut’ to the fake ‘easier’ solution. But for me, that doesn’t work. I’ve tried.”
The new single “Hush Money (Straight to the Bribe)” definitely plays into multi-instrumentalist Nick Vivid’s indie electronic funk sound. It almost sounds like a blast right out of the past. It features a simplistic yet captivating beat that goes around and around in your head and you will find yourself bobbing side to side without even meaning to it while listening.
For more information on Nick Vivid and his upcoming album No More Secrets and new single “Hush Money (Straight to the Bribe)” check out his website.
The Central Park “We Love NYC: The Homecoming Concert” was cut short Saturday, August 21 due to approaching Hurricane Henri. The announcement was made over the PA system in the middle of singer Barry Manilow’s set. Those in attendance were urged to move to the nearest exits and “proceed to outside of the park.”The concert was originally scheduled from 5pm to 10pm, but was abruptly shut down just after 8pm.
Despite the rain, concert organizer and music mogul Clive Davis along with Mayor De Blasio desperately tried to get the show restarted. Unfortunately it was to no avail as the rain was at its heaviest during 9pm and 10pm (a record-setting rainfall for Central Park). The concert was supposed to be the grand finale after a week of other homecoming concerts throughout the city.
Although We Love NYC concert was cut short, the 60,000 fans in attendance still got to witness some pretty amazing performances. “CBS This Morning” host Gayle King kicked off the show by introducing the New York Philharmonic. They performed a bunch of New York themed instrumentals including Billy Joel’s “New York State of Mind” featuring Billy’s former saxophone player Richie Cannata, and “Theme From New York, New York” made famous by Frank Sinatra. Then italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, who himself had a recent battle with covid, joined the Philharmonic for beautiful renditions of “You’ll Never Walk Alone” and “O Sole Mio”. Before leaving he told the crowd “After a storm comes always the sun.” It was an emotional moment.
Also joining the Philharmonic was Jennifer Hudson who stars as Aretha Franklin in the new biopic “Respect.” As a tribute to “The Queen of Sole” she performed “Nessun Dorma” which Franklin sang at the 1998 Grammy Awards as a last minute replacement for Luciano Pavarotti. Jennifer did not disappoint. It was a wonderful tribute that Aretha herself would have been proud of.
At this point the man of the hour himself, Clive Davis came out and greeted the crowd. He also introduced one of his good friends Carlos Santana who performed “Maria, Maria” with Wyclef Jean. He also performed the 1999 hit “Smooth” with Rob Thomas.
Singer Kane Brown also made a quick appearance. He performed his 2018 hit “Homesick” as well as his 2020 single “Be Like That.”
Senator Chuck Schumer was also on hand. He introduced Journey who also played Jones Beach Theater the same night at the Never Forget 9/11 concert. There performance was explosive as lead singer Arnel Pineda belted out “Any Way you Want It” and “Don’t Stop Believing.” Yet another memorable moment.
Perhaps the best performance of the night goes to grammy award winner and hip hop legend L.L. Cool J. His set tuned into a hip hop lovers trip down memory lane. He was joined by fellow legend Rev Run as they performed the Run-DMC classic “It’s Tricky.” He also brought out Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five’s Scorpio and Melle Mel and performed one of the earliest hip hop songs ever recorded “The Message.” Other hip hop stars like Busta Ryhmes, Spliff Star, Fat Joe, Remy Ma, French Montana and A Boogie also contributed to Uncle L’s set.
Then, “The Late Show” host Stephen Colbert came out and introduced Jon Batiste. He only performed one song, “Freedom”, but it was fantastic.
Perhaps the least favorite guest of the night was New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. The 60,000 strong crowd greeted him with a round of boo’s, but he was able to get them back and he and his wife introduced the next performers Earth, Wind and Fire. They had recently released a new version of their hit song “You Want My Love” and performed it live for the first time with R&B start Babyface. They also sang their 1978 hit “September” with Babyface and Lucky Daye.
At this point of the show, we were starting to get warnings about the incoming weather as plastic tarps were brought out and put over the cameras and other equipment. Cnn anchor Don Lemon came out at this point and introduced Barry Manilow who was cut off in the middle of “Can’t Smile Without You.” It was just a few minutes later that the heavens opened up and New York City experienced the heaviest rain it has seen in years.
Still scheduled to perform was The Killers, Patti Smith with Bruce Springsteen, and Paul Simon who was waiting in his nearby apartment for word on weather the concert was going to resume. Unfortunately it did not resume but now Mayor De Blasio and Clive Davis are in talks to discuss a possible We Love NYC 2.0 Concert in the near future. NYSMusic.com will keep you up to date as soon as any new developments are made.
The Kitchen has reached the organization’s 50th year of vanguard programming, continuing its work in highlighting experimental artists and composers. The Kitchen was actually among one the very first American institutions to embrace fields of video and performance when it was founded in 1971.
The Kitchen continues to be one New York City’s oldest non-profit spaces that has shaped countless careers by being a powerful force to help define the American avant-garde. This season will feature residency-performances that go beyond the limitations of art-making and presentation. Both celebratory and introspective, these events push the audience to revisit The Kitchen’s pivotal work throughout history. As this season begins, Legacy Russellstarts her role as Executive Director & Chief Curator, while Tim Griffinleaves his position after a decade.
Nevertheless, The Kitchen houses two residencies this upcoming fall. First, a comedian, artist, and writer named Sophia Cleary will be performing her standup material, One & Only. This material will delve into the relationship between audience and performer. Next, we’ll hear from Alex Tatarsky’s residency. With overwhelming reviews, Rachel James in BOMB describes her as an “artist, poet, absurd ranter, and avid lover of trees, clowns, and dirt.”
In addition, The Kitchen will also feature the multifaceted musician, poet, and visual artist Moor Mother. She celebrates the release of her album Black Encyclopedia of the Air. Without a doubt, this evening will be filled with music from the synth duo Anteloper featuring their trumpet, drums, and synths (obviously). Also Undoing Language: Early Performance Works by Brian O’Doherty will celebrate the 93-year-old artist. During this performance you can also hear from vocalist and composer, Holland Andrews, not to mention Claire Chase who has finally released Density 2036 part viii after 26 years of commissioning. In the exhibition In Support, we’ll hear features from Fia Backström, Francisca Benítez,Papo Colo, and Clynton Lowry.
The Kitchen’s anticipated Annual Benefit Gala, will be held September 14, 2021. Of course, the event honors CindyShermanand Debbie Harry. These two artists are known for their impact on photography and music history. It’s easy to forget that both of these artists are actually The Kitchen veterans. After all, Sherman made her New York debut with Untitled Film Stills at The Kitchen in 1980, and Harry performed in Dubbed in Glamour the same year. Unfortunately these tributes were postponed from last year’s gala due to the pandemic. However, the event will also welcome artists like singer/songwriter and hip hop violinist Bri Blvckand L’Rain. Their work has been described as having “wearied landscapes of synth, air horn, strings, and saxophone [that] distill a suite of low moods … into resilience and hope” (Pitchfork).
The gala also provides an opportunity to introduce Legacy Russell and recognize Tim Griffin’s relentless work. Russell’s background with The Studio Museum in Harlem includes leading the organization’s renowned Artist-in-Residence program and organizing numerous exhibitions. Furthermore, her academic, curatorial work, and research have revolved around the intersection with Black and queer visual culture.
Virtual programming from last year has led to new Video Viewing Room presentations. This monthly series showcases recent and archival video alongside contextualizing media and writing. The first months of the season will feature a new video short by Jen Liu. This video poses as a response to archival materials surrounding Fred Ho’s opera Warrior Sisters: The New Adventures of African and Asian Womyn Warriors, which was conveniently staged at The Kitchen in 2000. Recent video work, text, images, and research references are from Ilana Harris-Babou.
Fall 2021 Schedule and Descriptions
The Kitchen Gala Benefit
Honoring Debbie Harry and Cindy Sherman
And Welcoming the Next Avant-Garde with Performances by Bri Blvck, L’Rain, and More
Tuesday, September 14, 2021
512 W. 19th St.
The Kitchen and a star-studded, wide-ranging benefit committee including JiaJia Fei, Doreen Garner, Tyler Mitchell, Antwaun Sargent, Chloë Sevigny, and Qualeasha Wood, to name a few, gather supporters to celebrate Debbie Harry and Cindy Sherman, The Kitchen’s vast, rich history, and the future of the avant-garde. The milestone event begins at 6pm with cocktails, followed at 7:30pm by dinner and a program featuring special performances from Bri Blvck, L’Rain; a welcome to Legacy Russell; and a tribute to Tim Griffin. April Hunt and Stretch Armstrong DJ the after party, from 9:30pm-12am.
Moor Mother
Sunday, September 19, 7pm. $15
512 W. 19th St.
Multifaceted musician, poet, and visual artist Moor Mother returns to The Kitchen with a new electronic set to celebrate the release of Black Encyclopedia of the Air (ANTI- Records), an album that speaks to “memory and imprinting and the future, all of them wafting through untouched space like the ghostly cinders of a world on fire, unbound and uncharted, vast and stretching across the universe.” Trumpet, drums, and synth duo Anteloper (Jaimie Branch and Jason Nazary) shares the evening. Organized by Lumi Tan, Senior Curator.
Sophia Cleary: One & Only
In residence September 20–October 2
512 W. 19th St.
Sophia Cleary is in residence to develop a stand-up comedy show for an audience of one person. Developed from the comedic material she has performed in recent years, Cleary uses the frame of the black box theater to explore the limits of connection between performer and audience using intimacy as her medium. One & Only is a performance series where each show is borne of the unique connection between Cleary and her audience. Each performance simultaneously celebrates and upsets 1:1 power dynamics, and asks: “How does the apparatus of theater support or disrupt a relationship?” Directed by Sara Lyons. Lighting Design by Madeline Best. Organized by Matthew Lyons, Curator.
Video Viewing Room: Jen Liu >< Fred Ho /// Electropore >< Warrior Sisters Available to view beginning the week of September 27, 2021
Online: The Kitchen OnScreen
Artist Jen Liu premieres a new video short, Electropore, as part of her ongoing project Pink Slime Caesar Shift (2017–present). Through this new piece, Liu responds to the work of composer, baritone saxophonist, and activist Fred Ho (1957– 2014), whose foundational concepts—political revolution through artistic form, Black and Asian American coalition building, matriarchal socialism, and capitalism as biotoxicity—continue to resonate today. Liu will present Electropore in tandem with archival materials related to the sci-fi opera from which it draws inspiration: Warrior Sisters: The New Adventures of African and Asian Womyn Warriors, by Ho and librettist Ann T. Greene, staged at The Kitchen in 2000. The Video Viewing Room will also feature working materials that draw out Liu’s conceptual affinities with Ho and her reframing of the original opera within an anonymous and electrified/digitized paradigm, as the extension of her own explorations of contemporary labor activism, grassroots genetic engineering, and femme filiation. Organized by Alison Burstein, Curator, Media and Engagement.
Undoing Language: Early Performance Works by Brian O’Doherty
Friday, October 8, 7pm. Tickets $15
512 W. 19th St.
This program brings together early performance works by artist, art critic, poet, and novelist Brian O’Doherty that engage with the breakdown of language into vowels that are isolated from meaning and enunciated as bodily sounds. It will include the first-ever performance of Vowel Chorus for Five Voices (1968) by the vocal ensemble Ekmeles; the movement and sound work Vowel Grid (1970) for two performers; and a new commission by vocalist and composer Holland Andrews, who will unpack the layers of the O’Doherty’s vowel performances and poems in a soundscape. At age 93, this program recognizes O’Doherty’s role as an artist who created a substantial body of performance works when he made works engaging with the performativity of language and how it interacts with the performance of the “self,” but also led the first national funding for performance and media art at the National Endowment for the Arts in 1970s, making an indelible mark on the New York performance art scene. Guest curated by Lucy Cotter.
Alex Tatarsky
In residence October 20–November 22
512 W. 19th St.
Performance artist Alex Tatarsky will create a laboratory for performance research, thinking through the opportunity of a residency as a home—a “residence”—to revisit latent ideas and cultivate unhinged processes within the framework of an institution, a context that can often inhibit individual values and experimentation. Taking inspiration from Palace of Depression, a mansion constructed of detritus in Depression-era New Jersey, Tatarsky imagines constructing an opulent home for one’s darkest feelings. Principles of assemblage shape improvisations guided by discarded objects and materials to probe our relationship to decay, and the things we push out of sight. Tatarsky will work with a group of collaborators who will provide performance prompts, or give insights into their process in order for Tatarsky to potentially inhabit their practices. Each week, the public will be invited in for studio visits and guided tours, which additionally serve as performative acts. Organized by Lumi Tan, Senior Curator.
Video Viewing Room: Ilana Harris-Babou
Available to view beginning the week of October 25, 2021
Online: The Kitchen OnScreen
Artist Ilana Harris-Babou presents recent video work, along with related materials such as text, images, and research references. In the artist’s words, her work “speaks the aspirational language of consumer culture, using humor as a means to digest painful realities. Her work confronts the contradictions of the American Dream: the ever unreliable notion that hard work will lead to upward mobility and economic freedom.” Organized by Alison Burstein, Curator, Media and Engagement.
In Support
Group exhibition featuring works by Fia Backström, Francisca Benítez, Papo Colo, and Clynton Lowry
Opening November 2021
512 W. 19th Street
The word support commonly appears in language describing the aims and activities of mission-driven, nonprofit institutions like The Kitchen. This exhibition invites four artists to reflect on what this term means in practice within institutional contexts, asking: How do institutions rely on cycles of providing and receiving support? In what ways do institutions position themselves in support of people, projects, or causes? Is support inherently good? Participating artists will create new works that animate the interlocking structural, fiscal, interpersonal, and ideological systems underpinning institutions. Highlighting interstitial spaces in which artists, staff, and audience members commonly enact or accept support in its manifold forms, these works will be installed in sites such as The Kitchen’s lobby, production workshop, administrative offices, and roof. While realizing In Support, the artists and the institution’s staff members will work collaboratively to negotiate the opportunities—and grapple with the limitations—of how support functions within and beyond The Kitchen. Organized by Alison Burstein, Curator, Media and Engagement.
Claire Chase: Density 2036, part viii
December 9–11
512 W. 19th St.
Celebrated flutist Claire Chase returns to The Kitchen to perform the world premieres of new compositions by composers Ann Cleare, Matana Roberts, Lu Wang, and Bora Yoon, commissioned by Chase as part of her 26-year Density 2036 project to find radical, new musical terrain for the flute and its community in the 21st century. Organized by Matthew Lyons, Curator.
As anyone who has seen the TV series Painting with John can attest, John Lurie is a storyteller of the highest order. In his new memoir, The History of Bones (Penguin Random House), Lurie weaves a gloriously gritty, informative and entertaining portrait of Downtown NYC in the 1980s. The universe below 14th Street was a creative cauldron where edgy musicians, filmmakers and fine artists – giants like Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Debbie Harry, Madonna, Bowie, Eno and Jim Jarmusch to name a few – co-existed and often collaborated to create art that still casts a profound influence on today’s culture. As for Lurie, he ultimately emerged as a player in all these spheres. He was a uniquely stylish lout with the driest of wit, someone dubbed “The Coolest Man of Earth” by a host of style arbiters for a multitude of very good reasons.
John Lurie was a true “It Boy” of this mythic era when Downtown NYC was cheap, dangerous and full of creative action. He was co-founder, chief composer and the angular “face” of The Lounge Lizards – the sharp-suited, globe-trotting punk jazzbos who helped define the “No Wave” genre. As his musical light started to shine, Lurie added a high-profile acting career to his creative portfolio. This came via scene-stealing roles in Jim Jarmusch’s Stranger Than Paradise and Down by Law, Wim Wenders’ Paris, Texas, Martin Scorsese’s The Last Temptation of Christ and others. The relentlessly touring musician also somehow found time to score 20 films including 1995’s Get Shorty, which earned him an Oscar nomination. And before he devoted his creative energies almost entirely to visual art in the early 2000s, Lurie garnered more limelight via romances with boldfaced names like model Veronica Webb and Uma Thurman, by cat walking for European fashion designers and in a vast number of interviews – ones where he pulled no punches in his controversial assessments of his contemporaries and the entertainment business writ large.
Like Bob Dylan’s Chronicles Volume One, The History of Bones only tells part of this artist’s sprawling story. It concludes with a performance in Stuttgart on the New Year’s Eve 1989, as a new decade and artistic sensibility dawns in Downtown NYC. His subsequent years out of the spotlight due to chronic Lyme’s Disease, along with his development as a painter, his first TV series Fishing with John and musical ventures like his bluesman alter-ego, Marvin Pontiac, and his John Lurie National Orchestra, are only referenced in passing. But, oh what a story it is, even in part! And unlike the mumble-prone Dylan, I cannot wait to get my hands, err ears, on the audiobook version of Lurie’s memoir. It is sure to be told in a comic deadpan that brings to mind the Godfather of Alt.Comedy, Steven Wright.
Lurie’s book begins with his childhood, one spent mainly in Massachusetts. By 16, he had discovered the harmonica and jammed on stage with the likes of Canned Heat and Mississippi Fred McDowell. Lurie also graces readers with the oddball story of how he got his first sax. It came as a gift from a quasi-homeless man on a dark, empty street at 4 a.m., a man who claimed he was seeing statues turning into angels at the time. After his father’s death, teenage Lurie went a little off the rails. He became involved in petty theft and travelers’ check schemes before turning into a hardcore kundalini yogi and vegan. At this juncture, he would fast and practice sax for days on end, remain celibate (something that would quickly pass) and also ride his bike naked in the streets in the early morning. Lurie’s journey of lurid begins when he loses his virginity and gains a bout of gonorrhea from Crystal, a groupie who had reputedly slept with Jimi Hendrix the week before.
Much of Lurie’s story involves his long affair with and dozens of attempts to kick heroin. His first taste comes courtesy of another famous 1980s icon, Debbie Harry. It’s one that will lead to a seven-year long habit that puts him in the company of junky jazz greats like bassist Sirone and drummer Bobo Shaw. It also leads him to the doorstep of the legendary Dr. Gong, the Chinatown acupuncturist who reportedly helped Keith Richards kick his habit.
Even as his career as a critically-acclaimed musician takes flight, Lurie lives hand-to-mouth, due to the hunger of his habit and the petty wages paid to touring jazz musicians. His fortunes are buoyed by landing government support in the way of a monthly disability stipend and a $55 apartment on the Lower East Side, two things he wisely holds onto for years. Unfortunately, his nicely priced abode is on a block he calls “Third Street Hell.” It was right across from a notorious men’s shelter. This leads to a few robberies, muggings and many a night spent sleepless due to the screams and fights unfolding on the street below.
Lurie pulls no punches in his attempts to set a few records straight. Most notable is his beef with director Jim Jarmusch in whose debut film, Stranger Than Paradise, Lurie first gained acclaim for his acting.
According to Lurie, the original story idea for the film was his – that of a low-level gambler who has to take care of his visiting Hungarian cousin. When the movie comes out, Lurie’s expected story credit is nowhere to be seen, but he continues to work with the director anyway. After working with Italian actor Roberto Benigni in Jarmusch’s Down by Law, Lurie writes a script for the Italian to star in. It’s inspired by a true-life story Lurie is told about an Italian cowboy who challenges and beats the legendary Buffalo Bill Cody in a cowboy contest. Lurie’s script has Benigni traveling across a surreal Western landscape with a Native American. When he finishes the script, he sends it to Jarmusch for his input … and hears nothing. Later, when he is just starting to raise funds for his film, Lurie hears that Jarmusch is making a surreal Western with Johnny Depp and a Native American sidekick called Dead Man, a virtual copy of his premise. Jarmusch’s film goes ahead; Lurie’s never happens.
Lurie’s long and competitive relationship with his “best friend,” the late painter Jean-Michel Basquiat, weaves throughout the memoir. In its early days, Basquiat is homeless and crashing at Lurie’s pad for almost two years. They spend much of their time painting together, and the then-unknown Basquiat looks up to Lurie as his Lounge Lizards begin to take off. Even with notoriety, the musician Lurie is still living hand-to-mouth. Shortly thereafter, Basquiat’s career takes off like a rocket ship. With it, Basquiat flaunts his money, fame, belongings and even competes for women with Lurie. Lurie also expresses the deep hurt over Basquiat using his idea for a poster for group show of their own – of him and Basquiat facing off in boxing trunks – as the image Jean-Michel uses for his famous collaboration with Andy Warhol. In the end, he laments the loss of this close, competitive friendship that helped both excel.
Lurie has both praise and criticism for some of his musical collaborators, as well as many funny meetings with other Downtown NYC boldfaced names.
He calls quixotic guitarist Marc Ribot a genius for finding a place in his and many of the other obtuse musics he has collaborated on. His comments on later-day Lizards’ six-stringer Brandon Ross are less in-depth and kind, basically only saying that his dreadlocks smelled funny! He tells a funny story about twisting the arm of a man trying to intercept a joint being passed to him at a party by actor Willem Dafoe… only to discover it is that of David Bowie! He passes judgement on Knitting Factory impresario Michael Dorf by claiming that “dorfed” became a popular verb used by musicians of the era to express when they had felt ripped off. A truly funny story involves him going to Chinatown to buy a dead eel to photograph for the cover of the album Voice of Chunk. Strangled, bashed about, it’s an eel that refuses to die…until taking a four-floor drop off his windowsill and crawling a half-block in the gutter.
An overriding sentiment of Lurie’s is that the acting overshadowed, or at least got in the way of people fully appreciating, his music. Thought they toured extensively and most successfully in Europe and Asia, Lurie feels The Lounge Lizards never fully broke through or rose above the “fake jazz” label put on them in the early 1980s. Lurie took work scoring and acting in films to support his band and their original music. And at the end of his memoir, Lurie is using in excess of $100k of his own money to record the Lizards’ 1989 masterwork, Voice of Chunk, because no U.S. record company would sign them. In the end, it resulted in Lurie producing another memorable piece of art, a hilarious, 30-second, late-night TV spot to market the disc directly to consumers just like OxyClean, one that included four of his ex-girlfriends as models.
The above just scratches the surface on the many colorful anecdotes and salient observations in Lurie’s book. You can almost picture him spinning these yarns around a cracker barrel fire in a metal trash can or dumpster on Avenue C.
This is certainly one of the best and least scrubbed clean memoirs coming from a Downtown hipster of the era, a place-in-time that is now birthing a motherlode of such books. I, for one, can’t wait for him to get us another installment, one charting his less profiled journey from edge-cutting musician through illness and solitude to the painter-raconteur-philosopher that he is today.
SummerStage announced two free performances at the end of August of 2021. The performances will take place in Coney Island Amphitheater and will require full vaccination or negative COVID-19 PCR test within 72 hours for entry.
The first performance will feature Go Brooklyn! Stetsasonic & Friends – 40th Anniversary Show on Saturday, August 28 2021 at 7PM EST. Brooklyn’s Stetsasonic were one of the first-ever hip-hop bands that used beat-boxing, sampling, and live performance to elevate the musicality of the nascent genre in the 1980’s. Originally known as the “Stetson Brothers”, there were three members including Daddy-O, Delite and Wise the Human Mix Machine. Soon, the group evolved to “Stetsasonic”, adding the prolific energy of DBC (Devastating Beat Creator), Bobby Simmons, Prince Paul, and Fruitkwan. Though their last album was released in 1991, Stetsasonic has continued to tour and will celebrate the 40th anniversary of their formation at Summerstage in Coney Island with friends and special guests. The performance will live streamed for one night only on summerstage anywhere’s website.
The second performance will feature INVINCIBLE: A Glorious Tribute to Michael Jackson / DJ KS 360 on Sunday, August 29, 2021 at 7PM EST. Drawing its name from Michael Jackson’s tenth and final studio album, Invincible: A Glorious Tribute to Michael Jackson is a performance of the King of Pop’s greatest hits—indelible anthems such as “Billie Jean,” “Beat It,” “Smooth Criminal,” “Thriller” and more—as well as dance routines rehearsed for the HBO special One Night Only. With choreography by Jackson’s longtime choreographer and dancer, Lavelle Smith Jr., the show was created, produced and directed by the Bessie award winner Darrin Ross. The night will be led by professional impersonator, Jeffrey Perez. The performance will live streamed for one night only on summerstage anywhere’s website.
Due to increasing spread on COVID-19 due to the delta variant SummerStage has updated it’s vaccination and mask policy They will now require full vaccination or negative COVID-19 PCR test within 72 hours for entry. SummerStage at Coney Island Amphitheater will accept proof of final Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, Moderna or WHO-approved vaccination using the CLEAR app, the NYS Excelsior Pass, NYC Covid Safe app, a physical/photo of CDC vaccination card, or EU digital pass, accompanied by a government-issued photo identification. Guests must show that their final dose of vaccine was received at least 14 days prior to the show date or show proof of a negative PCR test within 72 hours. Please note all SummerStage events in Central Park follow a different entry policy and only accept full vaccination proof. For all SummerStage events, masks are required upon entry to any venue and strongly encouraged for all guests for the duration of the performance, as is physical distance. Learn more about acceptable documentation, mask guidelines, and other safety protocols here.
For more information the two shows happening in August of 2021 and upcoming event visit SummerStage’s website.
A New York Welcome at Citi Field – Review/Photos by Steve Malinski
It was otherwise just a typically warm summer NYC evening to usher in this past Friday night when Dead and Company took the stage at Citi Field. After some strange times in the two-year gap since their last stop in NYC (and some Covid-19 checks before entering), however, the music restored a sense of normalcy and familiarity with experiencing a large-scale concert.
Just as if Dead & Co. hadn’t skipped a beat since their 2019 tour, they took the stage without an ounce of rust from their pandemic downtime. As they shuffled into the first set with “Good Times,” John Mayer commanded the mic, signaling the core role he has developed in this iteration of the Grateful Dead family. Bob Weir stepped up to the plate sharing the lead with Mayer on vocals throughout the night, rallying the Queens crowd for the New York City line in “Ramble on Rose.” The youngest surviving member of the original Grateful Dead lineup, Weir was nimble on his feet as he enjoyed crafting the rhythms just as much as the crowd relished the sound.
Set two took a trip to the late 1970s-era Dead setlists, featuring the classic pairing of “China Cat Sunflower/I Know You Rider” and fluidity from the start to finish of the set. The night was capped off on a high note with an energetic “U.S. Blues” and an encore covering The Band’s “The Weight,” featuring a trade of choruses between Jeff Chimenti, Mayer, Weir, and Oteil Burbridge.
Dead and Company Citi Field – Flushing, NY 8/20/21
Set 1: Let the Good Times Roll, Bertha, Good Lovin’ -> Big Railroad Blues, Ramble On Rose, They Love Each Other, Cassidy -> Casey Jones
Set 2: Eyes of the World -> Uncle John’s Band -> China Doll -> China Cat Sunflower -> I Know You Rider -> Drums/Space -> Spanish Jam -> Althea, Stella Blue, U.S. Blues
Dead and Company Recreate 1969’s Woodstock Performance at Bethel Woods – Review by Matt Romano, Photos by Steve Malinski
It’s true, The music never stopped for the Grateful Dead. It’s newest reincarnation as Dead and Company continued its trip through the Empire State at Bethel Woods Performing Arts Center on Monday, August 23. The band played on a stage set among the rolling hills of the original 1969 Woodstock festival. A sense of delight was in the air for all those on the adjacent path of the site towards the stage for this year’s festivities.
They opened with “Hell in a Bucket,” this time enjoying the ride. Jeff Chimenti immediately stepped out as he would the whole night on the keyboards. The band really seems to play off Jeff and the musical ideas he passes onstage. John Mayer especially picks up on the mixolydian blues concept Pigpen started in the ‘60s by taking lead on “Easy Wind.” This track is ideal for Mayer’s blues background and the words, “Easy wind going ‘cross the Bayou today. There’s a whole lotta women. Out on the streets in a red today.”
Mayer also stepped out in front for “Brown Eyed Women,” singing as humbly as Jerry sang about Delilah Jones. The band then drifted off into the seas to end the first set. A “Row Jimmy” out in the mist led to a “Lost Sailor,” and they came back to shore with a “Saint Of Circumstance.”
Tigers in trance deserve a second chance. That’s what the band was able to get on the other side of the hill from their Woodstock ‘69 performance. The Grateful Dead may have been one of the more famous performers at Woodstock, but their set didn’t exactly knock it out of the park. They played from 10:30 pm to midnight on the second day, but their entire performance was filled with technical difficulties. The band was even subject to electric shock on stage although that truly could have been them representing their infamous logo.
But on this night on the other side of the hill, Bob Weir said at the start of the second set, “Now 50-some years ago right here, we tried this next little sequence and it didn’t go so well. It didn’t work so we’re gonna try it again.” With that, Dead and Company, in all their glory, recreated the five song setlist from the 1969 festival that includes covers by Merle Haggard and Bobby Blue Bland: “St Stephen,” “Mama Tried,” “Dark Star,” “High Time,” “Turn on your Lovelight.”
Weir, who was 22 during the original Woodstock, sang Merle’s “Mama Tried” with the same howl in 2021 that he had in 1969. “I turn 21 in prison doing life without parole. No one could steer me right but Mama tried.” Bobby Bland’s “Lovelight” percolated throughout the set with John Mayer, who is no gravity stranger, wanting to be where the light is. The old memory set faded into a “Drums/Space” jam that featured a new “bass” segment from Oteil Burbridge – who has joined the Rhythm Devils on Halloween at Madison Square Garden – took his own featured piece. He was left on stage solo with only pure bass notes to the crowd’s ears. The band joined Oteil on his sky journey for “Space” While up there, they decide to return to the Garcia classic “Standing on the Moon,” to remind of summer tours past. Bob Weir and John Mayer then brought out the acoustics to send everyone back on the tree lined paths with “Ripple.”
You certainly could feel Jerry’s spirit in the same rolling Catskill hills that his music happily haunts. His music helped Dead and Company continue to set the bar high for likely their only recreation of this old performance. “It’s not enough to be the best at what you do. You must be perceived as the ONLY one who does what you do”
Dead and Company hit Darien lake Wednesday night, then head to Saratoga Springs on Friday.
On your way to SPAC, don’t forget that Stewart’s Shops is your ice cream shop! With over 345 shops in 31 counties across New York and southern Vermont, the convenience store chain is known for their fresh & local dairy products. With dozens of choices at the cone counter, you’re bound to find something you love! Try a shake, sundae, or cone today, What’s Your Flavor?
Dead and Company Bethel Woods Performing Arts Center – Bethel, NY 8/23/21
Set 1: Hell in a Bucket, Easy Wind, Loser, Brown-Eyed Women, Throwing Stones, Row Jimmy, Lost Sailor -> Saint of Circumstance
Set 2: St. Stephen -> Mama Tried -> Dark Star -> High Time -> Turn On Your Love Light, Drums/Space/Oteil Bass Solo -> Deal -> Standing on the Moon -> Turn On Your Love Light
