Stained glass colors the environment of Dimension 70, a unique studio space in Manhattan’s Lower East Side.
Founded by Berklee-educated engineer and musician Fern Souza in late 2019, D70 is a space defined by aspiration on each floor, with two craftily designed recording spaces, useful non-musical amenities, and plans & ideas that put artists first.
A stained glass display within the D70 building.
Assembled by Francis Manzella, a studio designer whose work spans nearly 40 years, the studio’s intrigue is fittingly matched by the space’s history. The building was originally a synagogue in the early 1900s, with prayer book pages being discovered between the bricks during construction. It also saw intriguing use during prohibition, when the space housed a whisky still.
D70’s adherence to this unique background can be found in Studio One, their “flagship tracking room.” 20 feet tall and 730 sq. ft wide, this space is comprised of a control room, live room (315 sq. ft), and isolation booth, which are arranged with a collective line of sight between all three areas. Studio One has a wide range of audio equipment and instruments available, and the live room is decorated by a custom stained glass window and a mural by Florida graphic artist Marlon Pruz.
Wide shot of Studio One.
Dimension 70’s other recording space, the 10′ by 11′ Studio Two, is the domain of mixing and mastering engineer Joshua Pleeter. Pleeter has engineered on records by artists such as Topaz Jones, Gabriel Garzón-Montano, Princess Nokia, with marks of his D70 residency including work on records by Felly, Carrtoons, and Masego. While obviously not on the same physical scale of its companion recording space, Studio Two does have its own collection of audio equipment and instruments for artist use.
Wide shot of Studio Two.
Aside from the two recording areas, Dimension 70’s building includes a lounge room with assortments of vinyl records and gaming consoles, a workplace with a meeting table and flatscreen, and a kitchen.
In their quest to make a space as artist-accommodating as possible, in October 2020, D70 launched their Time & Space program. Time & Space offers musicians 10 hours of free recording time and 10 hours to gift to another creator of their choice. To apply for this limited opportunity, artists have to share one story and one post to Instagram. The last winner of free studio time was Orrin, a now LA-based rapper back in March 2021.
Photo of Orrin.
In just under three years, Dimension 70 has managed to build itself a strong network. Over 90 different artists have worked on projects at the studio, with big names such as Camila Cabello, 88rising, and Magdalena Bay leaving their mark in the building.
With plenty of distance covered as a business, a thoughtfully arranged studio, and business policy, there is likely much more to come from Dimension 70.
On Wednesday June 8th, Arthur’s Tavern located in the West Village had it’s long awaited grand reopening with New Orleans legend Kermit Ruffins headlining. The historic jazz club first opened its doors in 1937, but was forced to close in 2020 due to the pandemic. Arthur’s has hosted performances as well as long term residencies over the years by some of the biggest names in jazz such as Charlie Parker, Mabel Godwin, Al Bundy and The Grove Street Stompers.
Kermit Ruffins at Arthur’s NYC
Jazz trumpeter Ruffins had the honor of performing at the reopening. His band includes Yoshitaka “Z2” Tsuji on piano, Kevin Morris on bass and Jerry Anderson on drums.
I’m just a small jazz player from New Orleans, and all of a sudden I’m sitting right here. It’s full circle to be sitting here knowing the history of this place and I’m so excited.
Kermit Ruffins, just before going on stage
Ruffins, born in New Orleans, is not only a trumpeter, but a singer, composer and actor. His influences include Louis Armstrong and Louis Jordan. He plays himself in the HBO Series Treme and also owns a bar in his hometown called Kermit’s Treme Mother-In-Law Lounge. Ruffins has also sat in with Jon Batiste and Stay Human on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
Arthur’s has a very intimate atmosphere and offers live music every night with no cover charge. The staff is also very friendly and accommodating. It’s one of the best spots in the village and has a very “Old New York” vibe. You can see all of their upcoming events here.
The Tribeca Festival will be held June 8-19 in New York City. The 20 year-old annual arts festival celebrates film, television, podcasts, musical performances and video games. This year’s highlights include 88 film premieres and musical performances from Lil Baby and Of Monsters and Men.
The Tribeca Festival will feature both live and virtual events at this year’s edition.
A Brief History of the Tribeca Festival
The festival began as a series of dinner parties hosted by Robert De Niro in Lower Manhattan in an effort to revitalize the area following 9/11. The most popular of which had almost 800 people and included former President Bill Clinton. After the initial popularity of the dinner parties, De Niro and fellow co-founders Jane Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff decided to launch a fully fledged film festival.
In 2009 director Damien Chazelle would premier his musical romantic drama Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench. The movie is a heartfelt story of a jazz trumpeter who goes through an unusual break up. Chazelle would go on to direct movies about music throughout his career, such as La La Land and Whiplash.
Tribeca would continue to expand its programming offerings in 2016 when it decided to include television shows in the festival. The same year would also include a commemorative screening on the 40th anniversary of De Niro’s classic film Taxi Driver.
The 2022 edition of the Tribeca Film Festival will feature 111 movies from 40 countries.
This 2022 feature film program leaves us proud and humbled by the boundless ingenuity and passion of our indefatigable filmmaking community. Whether a comedic breath of fresh air or a trenchant expose of the most urgent contemporary issues, this year’s official selections again remind us of the vitality and urgency of independent film in a world that needs it more than ever.
Cara Cusumano, Festival Director and VP of Programming
In addition, to several music films Tribeca will also feature several live performances throughout the weeklong festival. This Thursday at the Indeed Theater Icelandic band Of Monsters and Men will celebrate the 10 year anniversary of their debut album, My head is An Animal with a special live performance. On Saturday, June 11 Lil Baby will perform following the debut of his documentary Untrapped: The Story of Lil Baby.
Music has always been an integral part of Tribeca, from the live performances to the countless music docs we’ve celebrated at the Festival. This unique series of events aims to highlight the true power of music and underscores Tribeca’s ongoing commitment to year round programming.
Jane Rosenthal, Founder and CEO of Tribeca Enterprises
To celebrate the relationship between music and film at the Tribeca Festival, here are a few recommendations from both this year’s edition and past ones. The list below includes feature length movies that are specifically about music in New York State
Mr. Soul!
The titular Mr. Soul is Ellis Haizlip, the producer and host of “Soul!” the first Black variety show in America. Which makes “Mr. Soul!” a documentary not about musicians and performers but rather about someone, like Haizlip, who created places for them share their music. Haizlip was a trailblazer for making a TV show centered exclusively on black identity and art. And he was a tastemaker for introducing television audiences to acts such as Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight and The Pips, and Al Green. Interspersed throughout the movie are readings of passages from Haizlip’s journal. In it he regularly uses phrases such as “uplift voices” and “create a safe space” when talking about Black artists. Terms that might be familiar to a contemporary audience until we remember he wrote them in 1968 when they were genuinely revolutionary. Not just because they sought to overturn a status quo (although that was certainly the case) but because he’d thought them up himself. At the end of the documentary, when discussing the show’s eventual cancellation, the poet Sonia Sanchez comments, “I was sad not just because of the demise of Soul! but because I knew they wouldn’t replace it”.
Other Music
Another documentary that isn’t about musical artists but rather about the people that surround them—in this case music listeners. “Other Music” is the story of a legendary, alternative record store in New York City run by co-owners Josh Madell and Chris Vanderloo, which was forced to close in May 2016. If someone ever asked you “What is passion?” you could show them this documentary. Its focus isn’t Other Music’s owners—a falling out with an estranged third partner is hinted at but never addressed—or its customers—although the famous ones are interviewed for the movie. The core of this movie is the question of what does it mean to fill your life with art? The record store, its shelves brimming with esoterica and its staff with their trademark curtness is a testament to how fulfilling a life spent in the arts can be. In all likelihood, if you’re on this website you’d be a fan of “Other Music”. Hell, you may have even shopped there.
Woodstock: Three Days That Defined a Generation
The documentary with the most famous subject in our list. It’s also the only documentary to take place outside of New York City. “Woodstock: Three Days That Defined a Generation” is composed entirely of archival footage so expect to see lots of long hair, hippie outfits, and blurred out nudity. The movie doesn’t spend too much time with the famed musical acts and their legendary performances instead it focuses on the festival’s organizers and attendees. The voices of the talking heads are always played over grainy, archival footage from 1969. We never see any of their faces. Which maybe is the point, because it’s not important who went to Woodstock so much as what they went there for: three days of peace and music.
Blue Note Records: Beyond the Notes
The documentary opens with a montage of famous Blue Note Records releases. If you’re like me you probably didn’t recognize the album covers but did recognize the names: Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock. “Blue Note Records: Beyond the Notes” is not interested in the chronological, nuts and bolts of Blue Note’s time in the music business or a history of jazz music. It’s a worthwhile addition to this list because it’s about the significance of that label. It shows us what happens when well-meaning afficionados, like the label’s founders Alfred Lion and Franck Wolff, work with talented artists. In an interview towards the end of the documentary Hancock explains jazz music in one minute when recounting a recording session with Miles Davis. If nothing else watch the documentary just for that anecdote.
2022 Tribeca Festival Recommendations
Halftime
Tribeca is a downtown film festival and JLo is an uptown girl. Few artists made their New York roots as important to their identity as JLo did. The Netflix documentary “Halftime”, directed by Amanda Micheli, follows Jennifer Lopez over the last few years. In it she prepares for major shows including her 2020 Super Bowl halftime show and the presidential inauguration in 2021. “Halftime” is billed as a documentary in which Lopez prepares for the second half of her career and life. In it she evaluates her own contributions to American pop culture and more specifically Latinx culture. “The Tribeca Festival is eager to bring audiences from all over the world together to honor the importance of purpose-driven creative expression,” said Robert De Niro, the festival’s founder. Likely part documentary, part commercial “Haltfime” promises to be at the very least an entertaining 98 minutes with a charismatic, beloved star and at most a meditation on activism and middle age. Either way Jenny from the Block is here.
Beauty
Gracie Marie Bradley stars as the titular Beauty in the film “Beauty” which will make its world premier at the 2022 Tribeca Festival.
The only Tribeca Festival narrative feature included on this list, “Beauty” is the story of Beauty (Gracie Marie Bradley) a talented singer on the verge of industry success in the 1980s. When Beauty innocently signs her first contract she’s met with the realities of pop stardom, asked to hide her relationship with her girlfriend, compromise her identity as a black woman, and intentionally mispresent her own art in pursuit of audience approval. It’s apparent from the description alone that this movie is as much about legendary real-life singers, such as Whitney Houston, Patti LaBelle, and countless others as it as about the fictional Beauty. Written by Lena Waithe “Beauty” is about the timeless themes of ambition, identity, and love as told through the lens of the music industry.
LIFT
The New York Ballet’s Project Lift offers scholarships to homeless children to learn ballet. This documentary follows international ballet star, Steven Melendez, as he teaches young dancers ballet. The catch? Melendez himself was a homeless seven-year-old before joining the LIFT program. The doc follows Melendez and his students over the span of ten years. The movie culminates in a stage performance from the LIFT students that addresses the pain of homelessness.
Music Performances at Tribeca
Thursday, June 9
8 p.m.: Machine Gun Kelly at the Beacon Theater After the premier of the semi-autobiographical Taurus the rap-rocker will make a special appearance.
8 p.m.: Of Monsters and Men at the Indeed Theater Icelandic band Of Monsters and Men will perform after a screening ofTIU, a feature documentary about the band.
Friday, June 10
6:00 p.m.: Pharrell in Conversation at BMCC Tribeca PAC Pharrell Williams will sit down for a live interview to discuss his career.
8 p.m.: The DOC 54th Birthday Party feat. DJ Quik, Das, and Kurupt at the Beacon Theater Rapper The DOC will celebrate his birthday with the premier of a documentary about his life followed by a live performance.
Saturday, June 11
3 p.m.: A Conversation with Taylor Swift at the Beacon Theater The Grammy winning artist will showcase her movie Red, All Too Well: The Short Film and discuss her creative process with filmmaker Mike Mills.
8 p.m.: Lil Baby at the Beacon Theater Atlanta rapper Lil Baby will premier Untrapped: The Story of Lil Baby, a documentary about his life and career. Following the screening will be a special performance from Lil Baby.
8 p.m.: Inner City and Blake Baxter at the Indeed Theater The electronic music group, Inner City, will perform after the screening of God Said Give ’Em Drum Machines, a documentary about the origin of techno music.
8 p.m.: Performance by Onyx Collective and Duenditaat Baby’s All Right Onyx Collective is a jazz ensemble founded in NYC that will be performing with Another artist who is Duendita, a singer-songwriter from Queens.
12 a.m.: DJ sets by Huerco S and Ade Kassim at Baby’s All Right. The two DJ’s will perform at a festival afterparty.
Tribeca Festival Tickets
Screenings will take place across New York City from June 8-19. The festival’s complete schedule is available online. Tickets for both in person and virtual events are available on the festival website.
This month, Le Poisson Rouge celebrates 14 years as an underground live music sanctuary in the heart of Greenwich Village. To celebrate, LPR will hold a pair of 14th anniversary shows featuring Blonde Redhead, over June 14-15.
Shoegaze/art-rock trio Blonde Redhead serves as the perfect band for the occasion, with two uniquely curated shows planned, planned to be unlike any performances they have done before, and reportedly a welcome challenge to the band as they celebrate Le Poisson Rouge.
June 14th will feature a career-spanning “Best Of Blonde Redhead” setlist, highlighting the greatest of the band’s 25 year discography and even premiering some unreleased music. June 15th will have a “Choose Your Own Adventure” setlist will be determined by fans, who will be given the chance to vote on what they’d love to hear. This is a great chance for fans to hear B-sides and rarities Blonde Redhead rarely plays.
Medeski, Martin and Wood at Le Poisson Rouge – photo by Brian Ferguson
Originally known as the Village Gate, where artists like Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and more performed, Le Poisson Rouge was founded by musicians in 2008. The location in historic Greenwich Village highlights indie rock, contemporary classical, electronica, metal, jazz, world music, and everything in-between. Late shows at LPR transform the cutting-edge music venue into a premier nightlife destination. An eclectic independent venue, Le Poisson Rouge includes Gallery Bar, which hosts art exhibitions, stand-up comedy, and drag queen bingo.
Sign for The Village Gate on the wall of 160 Bleecker Street, at the corner of Thompson Street.
In 2015, LPR Presents transformed the venue into a full-fledged events production company expanding into rooms such as Town Hall, Brooklyn Bazaar, Warsaw, Baby’s All Right, Murmrr Theatre, with a footprint that now spans three boroughs.
SPAGA at Le Poisson Rouge – photo by Jamie Huenefeld
Additional residencies coming up at Le Poisson Rouge include Kamaal Williams (June 26, July 10, July 30, August 14), Jawbox (July 20, July 21, July 22), and William Basinski (September 18 and 19). Tickets for Blonde Redhead are available here. 7:00PM Doors, 8:00PM Show
What is there to say about Curren$y… a legend, a stoner rap icon, and also quite the performer. Coming off of a recent release, Curren$y gave the audience at Sony Hall a dynamic and intimate performance Friday night, May 27th.
Shante Scott Franklin, better known as Curren$y is a rapper, songwriter and record execuive with his own label Jet Life. The Louisiana native existed in the underground rap scene for over a decade finding his own niche within the stoner rap sub-genre with the likes of Wiz Khalifa and Mac Miller.
Some of his best work include The Marina which features Smoke DZA, Action Bronson, French Montana and Wiz Khalifa. Curren$y shows his charisma and charm through this thought provoking lyrics and smooth punchlines.
During the show, Curren$y stopped the music to go on a quick aside on his love for the movie Scarface. He urged the audience to understand the deeper implications of the movie and the way it represents how a unhealthy desire for fame and fortune can corrupt.
Curren$y brought down the house at Sony Hall on Friday night. Curren$y recently released Continuance which features production by esteemed producer Alchemist. He played most of his new album during his performance in additional to his beloved classic songs.
France Rocks Summer fest, the largest festival of French music in the United States, have announced their 5th anniversary lineup. Beginning on Saturday, June 4, this month-long festival will feature 15 concerts across Brooklyn and Manhattan, and will culminate with a celebration at Central Park’s SummerStage.
Gracing the France Rocks stage will be legendary French hip hop artist MC Solaar, the Nice-based electro-pop artist Hyphen Hyphen and electro-pop trio Bon Entendeur. Co-presented with FiAF (French Institute Alliance Francaise), the performances on June, 21 will also mark the 40th Anniversary of “La Fête de la Musique”, an International day of music that derived from France.
We are thrilled to celebrate the 5th edition of France Rocks Summer Fest and the return of live music to New York City, which is once again thriving.
I am proud to present this diverse group of edgy, up-and-coming artists and can’t wait to witness the beautiful energy of audiences enjoying this tremendous music.
France Rocks founder, Michele Amar
France Rocks highlights the most exciting music coming out of France today, as well as international artists who draw their inspiration from French culture. Attracting more than 50,000 music lovers across all backgrounds, free and ticketed shows will be held across eight venues throughout the month, including Brooklyn Steel and Blue Note Jazz Club.
This year’s France Rocks festival is supported in part by the city’s programming initiative, NY Music Month, the official celebration of New York City’s vibrant and dynamic music ecosystem. In turn, France Rocks hopes to present its most eclectic roster of music to-date, ranging from gypsy jazz, electro-pop, Latin inspired French music and more.
France Rocks SummerFest is also supported through partnerships with France Rocks, French Institute Alliance Francaise, the Cultural Services of the French Embassy, Make Music New York, French Morning, A2IM Indie Week, SummerStage in Central Park, and the Lincoln Center.
Fore more on France Rocks Music Festival, visit their official website. While the entire festival lineup can be found below.
FRANCE ROCKS SUMMER FEST 2022 LINEUP: Sat, June 4 – Las Rubias del Norte @ Barbes – 8PM
Sun, June 5 – La Femme @ Brooklyn Steel – 8PM
Fri, June 10 – Clovis Nicolas @ Blue Note Jazz Club – 12:30PM & 2PM
Americana singer-songwriter Marcus King has announced U.S. fall tour dates in promotion of his upcoming album, Young Blood, slated for August 26 release.
With King’s European tour beginning June 23 and finishing July 8, followed a couple American stops in the weeks after, the U.S. stretch will start September 9 in Philadelphia and wrap up October 27 in New Orleans.
Poster for Marcus King’s U.S. Tour.
Hosted by comedian Dean Del Ray and featuring Neal Francis and Ashland Craft for most dates, the tour includes shows at Beacon Theatre in Manhattan on September 15 & 16.
Young Blood, which is produced by Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys, is King’s second studio album. His 2020 debut record El Dorado earned a Grammy nomination for “Best Americana Album.”
Cover art for Young Blood, releasing August 26.
King has released two singles for the album so far, “Hard Working Man” and “Rescue Me.” A music video for “Hard Working Man,” the record’s lead single, dropped Tuesday.
A South Carolina native, King has been around music his entire life, first learning to play guitar at three years old. He has opened for Chris Stapleton, Greta Van Fleet, and Nathaniel Rateliff. Festivals King has made the bills of include Stagecoach, Fuji Rock, and Rock Werchter.
More information regarding tickets/the tour can be found on King’s website.
Tour Dates
JUN 23 THU – Fairview Park – Dublin, Ireland* JUN 25 SAT – Alexandra Palace – London, United Kingdom* JUN 26 SUN – The Globe – Cardiff, United Kingdom JUN 28 TUE – O2 Apollo Manchester – Manchester, United Kingdom* JUN 29 WED – O2 Apollo Manchester – Manchester, United Kingdom* JUN 30 THU – Rock City – Nottingham, United Kingdom JUL 2 SAT – Rock Werchter – Werchter, Belgium JUL 3 SUN – Rockhal – Esch-sur-alzette, Luxembourg JUL 5 TUE – Oosterpoort – Groningen, Netherlands JUL 6 WED – Cognac Blues Passions 2022 – Cognac, France JUL 7 THU – Doornroosje – Nijmegen, Netherlands JUL 8 FRI – North Sea Jazz Festival 2022 – Rotterdam, Netherlands JUL 16 SAT – Wild Hare Music Festival 2022 – Canby, OR, United States JUL 27 WED – FloydFest 22- Heartbeat 2022 – Floyd, VA, United States *with Greta Van Fleet
Sept 9 – The Met – Philadelphia, PA Sept 10 – The Theater at MGM National Harbor – Washington DC Sept 11 – House Of Blues – Boston, MA Sept 15 – Beacon Theatre – New York, NY Sept 16 – Beacon Theatre – New York, NY Sept 17 – KEMBA Live! – Columbus, OH Sept 18 – Bourbon & Beyond Festival – Louisville, KY Sept 20 – HISTORY – Toronto, ON Sept 21 – Stage AE – Pittsburgh, PA Sept 23 – GLC Live at 20 Monroe – Grand Rapids, M Sept 24 – The Sylvee – Madison, WI ^ Sept 25 – Palace Theatre – St. Paul, MN Sept 27 – Egyptian Room @ Old National Centre – Indianapolis, IN* Sept 29 – Ryman Auditorium – Nashville, TN* Sept 30 – Ryman Auditorium – Nashville, TN* Oct 1 – The Tabernacle – Atlanta, GA Oct 2 – The Tabernacle – Atlanta, GA Oct 4 – Stubb’s Bar-B-Q – Austin, TX Oct 6 – The Van Buren – Phoenix, AZ* Oct 7 – The Wiltern – Los Angeles, CA Oct 11 – The Masonic – San Francisco, CA Oct 13 – Crystal Ballroom – Portland, OR Oct 14 – The Neptune Theatre – Seattle, WA Oct 15 – The Neptune Theatre – Seattle, WA Oct 17 – The Complex – Salt Lake City, UT Oct 18 – Mission Ballroom – Denver, CO Oct 20 – The Pageant – St. Louis, MO* Oct 21 – Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom – Chicago, IL* Oct 22 – The Fillmore Detroit- Detroit, MI Oct 23 – Agora Theatre – Cleveland Ohio Oct 25 – The Fillmore Charlotte – Charlotte, NC Oct 26 – Avondale Brewing Company – Birmingham, AL Oct 27 – The Fillmore New Orleans – New Orleans, LA
Neal Francis and Ashland Craft unless otherwise stated, ^ Neal Francis only * Support to be announced
The AdHoc-curated Emerging Music Festival will return for the first time since 2019 from June 24-25 as part of Bryant Park’s Picnic Performances, a series of concerts running all summer long.
Both nights of the festival will feature three different acts. The 24th will open up with Benét, a singer-songwriter from Richmond, VA, followed by Brooklyn-based indie-country artist Dougie Poole, with the night being closed by fellow Brooklyn musician Anna Beckerman, better known by her performing alias of Danashevskaya.
Having released two full-length albums to this point, Dougie Poole has uniquely defined himself, melding country songwriting with bedroom pop textures. (photo from Bandcamp)
The following evening will be opened by NYC five-piece rock band 95 Bulls, followed by Talia Goddess, a multi-hyphenate musician and entrepreneur from Brooklyn, with the night being closed out by Reyna Tropical, a duo composed of Mexican-born artists Fabiola Reyna and Sumohair.
With their group tagline being “Queer Love & Afro-Mexico,” Reyna Tropical dedicates their music to raising awareness of social justice causes. (photo found on their website)
Returning for the fifth time since its beginning in 2016, The Emerging Music Festival is the Bryant Park Picnic Performances’ final event of June, with Bryant Park running performances until September 17.
Both nights of performances will also feature a rotating line-up of NYC food and beverage vendors curated by the local Hester Street Fair.
Complete Bryant Park Picnic Performances
May/June June 10: Contemporary Dance: EMERGE125 and Ayodele Casel June 11: Contemporary Dance: Ballet Hispánico’s Social Latin Dance Class and Dance Heginbotham June 17: New York City Opera: Pride in the Park June 18: Contemporary Dance: Juneteenth Celebration with Josh Johnson, Music From The Sole, Earl Mosley’s Diversity of Dance, and More June 24: Emerging Music Festival Curated by AdHoc: Benét, Dougie Poole, and Daneshevskaya June 25: Emerging Music Festival Curated by AdHoc: 95 Bulls, Talia Goddess, and Reyna Tropical
July July 1: Carnegie Hall Citywide: Afro Latin Jazz Ensemble July 8: Carnegie Hall Citywide: The Baylor Project July 15: Carnegie Hall Citywide: Squirrel Nut Zippers July 22: Carnegie Hall Citywide: The Broadway Sinfonietta July 23: Jazzmobile: Bobby Sanabria Multiverse Big Band July 28: Performers TBA July 29: Carnegie Hall Citywide: The Hot Sardines Featuring Nellie McKay
August August 5: Performers TBA August 12: New York City Opera: La traviata August 19: Asian American Arts Alliance: Rafiq Bhatia and Ian Chang August 26: Habibi Festival: Esraa Warda & The Châab Lab, Firas Zreik, Yacine Boularès, and AJOYO August 29: The Town Hall: Eighth Blackbird Celebrates John Cage
September September 2: New York City Opera: Lucia di Lammermoor September 8: Steinway Artists Aaron Diehl and Orrin Evans September 9: Classical Theatre of Harlem September 16: Accordion Festival: Heart of Afghanistan and More September 17: American Symphony Orchestra
In a renaming ceremony held on May 28, family and fans of deceased rapper Big L, gathered as the corner of W 140th Street and Lenox Avenue in New York City became Lamont “Big L” Coleman Way. The designation is in honor of Harlem native and fabled rapper, Big L, who, in 1999, was shot nine times and killed in the very same East Harlem neighborhood.
“It took a whole lot of effort and Support to get to this great point but as a collective we made it happen, an Instagram announcement read.”
The Biggest Thank you’s go out to the Dope 500 plus people who signed and passed the petition around so we could get this street renamed. There are entirely tooo many good people that gave this their support, so with all my heart, I personally want to say THANK YOU!!!!
Known for his wordplay, free-styling ability, and overall wittiness, Big L was once the crown prince of New York’s underground hip hop scene. As part Harlem hip-hop crew Children of the Corn alongside Mase, Cam’ron, Bloodshed, and McGruff, he featured in dozens of records as the group attempted to get signed. Coleman later found success as a solo act, signing to Columbia Records in 1994. His debut album, Lifestylez ov da Poor & Dangerous (1995) is considered a cult-classic. His posthumous sophomore project, The Big Picture, (2000) was executive produced by DJ Premier and featured the likes of 2Pac, Fat Joe and Big Daddy Kane and has been certified Gold.
On June 11, Manhattan’s Performance Space New York will host a performance of “Divine Justice,” a 24-hour long show by Obie-winning playwright Ariana Reines.
Taking a mystical approach, “Divine Justice” hypothesizes what a female-first, reformation-oriented conception of justice would look like. The play draws influence from early Greek theater, exploring its themes using the Greek myth of Medea. The main character of the production, Medea is portrayed by Obie-winning actress Birgit Huppuch. Other inspirations include Balkan women’s folk singing, Reverend Billy’s Church of Stop Shopping, and the pop culture trope of the courtroom drama.
Reines conceived the play in wake of the hearings of Brett Kavanaugh and Kyle Rittenhouse during 2018 and 2020 respectively, viewing these legal proceedings as “precise portraits of the judiciary as a theater of white masculine hysteria.”
Looking to explore thousands of years worth of misogyny through “Divine Justice,” she chose the 24-hour format out of a desire to attract a crowd of “hardcore people.” Over the course of its runtime, the production will include refreshments, meal breaks, “more traditional performance events,” meditation, conversation, and music. A schedule for such proceedings will be found on Performance Space New York’s website in the days leading up to the show.
In addition to her works as a playright such as “Divine Justice,” Ariana Reines is also a poet, performing artist, and astrologer. Her most recent collection of poetry, A SAND BOOK, won the 2020 Kingsley Tufts Prize and was longlisted for the National Book Award.
Along with Reines and Huppuch, other contributors to “Divine Justice” include Sunder Ganglani on sound design, Tuçe Yasak on lighting design, Marsha Ginsberg on production design, Ken Rus Schmoll as a drama coach and co-director, Savitri D as the play’s dramaturgist, Yva Las Vegass as a musical performer.
