Presidential Politics Comes to Brooklyn ?

Since NYC is considered so strongly, traditionally, Democratic, despite our Republican Mayor, I wondered how much Presidential campaigning of any kind would occur in New York:

Tuesday, July 15: Corner of Court & Joralemon Streets, about 1:15 PM. A person holding up a hand-written poster, covered by the poster up to the eyes, the poster stating: "McCain Loves America, Vote for McCain." A crowd gathered, hooting. The McCain supporter is Black.

Voices from the crowd, "Are you even legal?" "Are you an American Citizen? You are not a citizen!" More incredulous hooting. "How much are they paying you to hold up that sign?"

An NYPD officer came by, standing by. A young woman, probably an office worker on lunch break, held up a hastily-written sign on looseleaf, "We (love) Obama." The crowd grew, becoming more animated. More shouts. The McCain supporter stood there meekly, almost completely hidden up to the eyes by the homemade sign, but yielded no ground. The crowd became even more excited, keeping their distance, but loudly hooting at the McCain supporter. Finally, the NYPD officer led the McCain supporter away, probably to another corner, to prevent the situation from escalating any further. Interesting that the McCain campaign itself appears to have virtually no campaign presence in Brooklyn, or NYC for that matter.

There was an interesting article in Salon.com about the absence of humor on the liberal-left, as reflected in the hostile response to the New Yorker magazine's Obama cover this week. Did that same cover, or media coverage of it, prompt this homegrown McCain activist to venture out into the hustings on behalf of the GOP's nominee? Just a thought.


Salon Here: http://www.salon.com/opinion/kamiya/2008/07/15/new_yorker_cartoon/?source=newsletter

Court Street Construction Mayhem -"Hey, Dude, Where's My Bucket?"

At around 12 noon, a bucket that apparently dropped from the repair and construction work occuring at 66 Court Street (at Livingston Street) crashed through the roof of a NYC Department of Environmental Protection vehicle parked in front of the building. It appeared that the bucket contained construction mortar and demolished the roof of the car. It further appears that no one was hurt. Spectators, under the nearby scaffolding, gathered round to view the accident. Construction workers continued to do their job, apparently unaware of the mayhem the bucket drop had caused.

The Waterfall at Brooklyn Heights

I first saw the Olafur Elliasson's Waterfalls in action from the FDR Drive as my son and I were driving through Manhattan in early June. It was before the official starting date so I guess it was being tested. I saw it again while I was in motion, travelling upstate and then back again. Until today, I realized that I had always only seen it on the go. After today, I realized that seeing it in motion was kind of like seeing it on television. It was a technologically-mediated experience. Impressive but not quite real.

Today was the first day that I was able to see the Waterfalls first hand. I had seen Elliasson's work at the Museum of Modern Art, but despite all of the media coverage, I hadn't yet formed a sense of what The Waterfalls are really about. So this afternoon, I left my office to take a brief hike. A very refreshing breeze was blowing down Remsen Street, the first day in a while where the sunlight and humidity felt tolerable, and you could enjoy summer again.

There is no doubt there are many ways to see The Waterfalls. There are 8 in all. The view from Manhattan of the waterfall pouring down under the Brooklyn Bridge on the Brooklyn side is certainly somewhat surreal, forcing you to see the Bridge in a completely different way.

But the view on foot of the Waterfall at the waterfront, on the Brooklyn Heights Promenade at Remsen Street, is dramatic and more.

As you reach the end of Remsen Street, where it loops around to the Promenade, you can see the formidable, dramatic superstructure of the waterfall and you get a meta-architectural view since the water isn't pouring at you, it is pouring away from you. The day I visited, you could feel the breeze and a little of the resulting falls' mist as it cascaded down into the bay and was blown back over the promenade.

There is certainly something techno and post-modern about these waterfalls, and, just as we read about the anticipated collapse of another huge ice shelf in Antarctica, something sad, beautiful and almost powerfully primitive as humankind strives to create simulacrums of the same natural world that we are pushing off the page.

Through Monday October 13th
7am to 10pm (except Tuesdays and Thursdays 9am to 10pm)
They will be lit up at night.

For locations of all of The Waterfalls and more information see here:

http://www.nyfalls.com/nycwaterfalls.html#When

Brooklyn Road Journal: Bloody Springs and Ghostly Taverns in Saratoga

The hotel that we are staying in was spacious and comfortable, homey suites for the kids and for us. It felt a little distant from town, out along Route 50, which was a busy road bordered by Big Name stores and malls, that turned into Broadway in the the town of Saratoga Springs. We took a long walk along Excelsior Avenue, near the hotel, and were pleasantly surprised that much of this road had sidewalks, so we decided to explore. Out along the way, map in hand, we realized that we could walk all the way into town. Nearby, as we hiked, a bit of Brooklyn, as we passed a boarding school of Chasidic boys, observing shabbos with a quiet walk in long black coats and hats on a summer day.

At the junction of Excelsior and High Rock Road we came upon our first spring, "Old Red Spring" which is a bubbling fountain, covered by a small wooden pavilion. We had no cups so we took a handful of spring water and thirstily slurped it up midway on our hike into town. A little further along High Rock Road we encountered High Rock Spring, one of the oldest, which the sign indicated had once been visited by George Washington and his goombada-cheech Alexander Hamilton, along with Hamilton's father-in-law, Philip Schuyler, owner of Huge Tracts of Land upstate, especially near Albany.

The mineral source had dried up but the Peerless Spring had been piped from across the road and was bubbling fast and furious. The Peerless Spring was a bit like prosecco, definitely a bit of the bubbly in that spring. Old Red Spring, which was naturally ice cold and a real gusher had a much stronger, salty mineral flavor which one sampler describeed as "tastes like blood" -- no doubt from the heavy iron content. The natural mineral springs were believed to have healing powers and people would come from all over to drink or bathe in the waters.

The List of the Springs in town includes:

Big Red Spring, Charlie Spring, Columbian Springs, Congress Spring, Deer Park Spring, Empire Spring, Geyser Island Spouter, Geyser Spring, Governor Spring, Hathorn #1, Hathorn #3, Hayes Well Spring, High Rock Spring, Old Iron Spring, Old Red Spring, Orenda Spring and Tufa Deposits, Patterson Springs, Peerless Spring, Polaris Spring, and State Seal

We kept on trucking into town where the All-American July 4th celebration was still ongoing. It now included a cool antique car show, dozens and dozens of lovingly restored antique American cars.

We continued on past the main drag in town til we reached Beekman Avenue which is the new art district in Saratoga Springs. Numerous galleries and restaurants have opened in the last several years or so in an area that is experiencing a revival.

Later that day we visited the Frances Tang Museum at Skidmore which featured a sculpture exhibition, Almost Blue, by Dean Snyder.

Finally, we capped our day of exploration with dinner at the Olde Bryan Inn, on Maple Avenue, which is a lovely, historic, rustic tavern with roots back to the 18th century where its original owner offered a way station and inn to visitors to the curative waters of the High Rock Spring. It was a pleasant meal in a cozy ambiance although the Inn, according to our waitress and other local historians, is as haunted an establishment as they come. A lady in a green Victorian high-necked dress reputedly was seen walking down in mid-air the middle of the Inn's bar -- where a staircase used to exist.

Another visitor reported seeing the ghost of the original colonial owner, Alexander Bryan, who also was a spy for the good guys in the American Revolution, on horseback, with a lance, on the second floor off of the men's room. After a couple of glasses of wine with dinner, and while the check was on the way, I decided to venture upstairs to use the facilities. As readers of this blog may recall (see A Real Brooklyn Ghost Story >http://dithob.blogspot.com/2007/10/real-brooklyn-ghost-story_29.html ) I am at best an agnostic when it comes to the spiritual realms. My wife and I had visited an old inn near Lake George years before, the Balsam Inn, in which we we felt extremely strange vibes until we were told that the place had the reputation of being, yes, haunted. Between the French and Indian and Revolutionary Wars, a lot of blood was spilled in northern New York State. Perhaps that is part of it, or it is just the result in living in regions where the tug of nature and its natural forces and its concommitent mysteries remains strong. Very strong.

Well, there were no shocks or thrills tonite, but again, there was that strange vibe, at least on the second floor off of the men's room. But the Olde Bryan Inn is definitely worth the visit. I am scribbling this while Judy is in the pool with our younger daughters and my son, 17, is pondering the commencement of his return to the NYC Summer Film Institute in Tribeca where he was accepted and where he will be studying for the next couple of months. Our older daughter, looking forward to her junior year in distant and ancient lands, is at home with summer jobs working at the Cobble Hill Cinema and babysitting. Here, Best of Clapton is playing in the background. In the back of my mind, I am anticipating the bittersweet end of our visit to Saratoga Springs this week, my return to suit and tie and cubicle, comforted by the dangling carrot of the thought of a couple of more vacation days ahead that still promise relief from my otherwise usual busy summer of business communications, and the organizational thang. But for now, Brooklyn is down there, and we are up here, and that seems as it should be.

--Brooklyn Beat

Brooklyn Beat on the Road: Saratoga Springs on the 4th of July

At the foot of the Adirondacks, Saratoga Springs, NY, is a city in Saratoga County, New York, USA. The name reflects the presence of mineral springs in the area. While the word "Saratoga" is known to be a corruption of a Native American place name, authorities disagree on what the exact word was, and hence what it meant.

More interesting is the meaning of the word 'Adirondacks.' It is an Anglicized version of the Mohawk latilontaks (ratirontaks), meaning they eat bark, a derogatory name which the Mohawk historically applied to neighboring Algonquian-speaking tribes. When food was scarce, the Algonquians would eat the inside of the bark of the white pine. The Mohawk word is composed of several morphemes, as is usual in the language: lati, a third-person plural masculine agent prefix; lonta, an incorporated noun root for 'bark'; k, a verbal root for 'eat'; s, an active state aspect suffix.

Saratoga is a resort town, artistic but less bohemian than Woodstock or even New Paltz to the south. The racing season in late July and August brings a big crowd of horse enthusiasts and the Saratoga summer set.

The fourth of July was a big to-do in town. Many businesses close altogether or close early for the holiday. Lots of folks downtown along Broadway celebrating in pubs and restaurants that are open. Then, a trail of locals, tourists, kids, punk music fans, guys with Lacoste shirts and massive watches, starts to make its way downtown toward Congress Park, at the end of Broadway. There, it was a little bit of "Ain't That America" (to someone from NYC, it seemed scripted by Rod Serling, a blast from the past), as a brass band played patriotic music, folks sat out on blankets on the grass, waiting in the twilight for the fireworks display. No irony here. Locals told us that last year the fireworks display was rained out so it was held on Labor Day instead. It is a small town fourth of July. Ain't that America?

While Judy and I were in the hotel gym, we were watching CNN and saw reports about the energy crisis and all of the other issues that suggest that we are at the End of Empire. Gas crisis, Middle East crisis, econo-political challenges from a resurgent Russia and China, continuing threat of terror, weakened economy, recession threatening, according to Dmitri Medveded, aka Putin 2, to slide into Depression, the Patriot Acts threats to freedom, 8 years of George Bush, Democratic disarray, the need for new energy infrastructures and new technologies, the need to make the world Safe for Democracy, balance religious and cultural freedoms with protecting ourselves internally and externally from religious intolerance. To quote Boris Badenov, "Hoo-boy, we are in Big Trouble, Natasha, get me Moose and Squirrel.")

Challenges, yes, but possibilities always. The land of potential and always the land of remarkable freedom. The ability to bring about change. After 8 years of the conservative revolution, the wheel seems to be spinning with the potential for change. In 2002,and then in 2006, as the Endless Term dragged on, one thought, how can we survive this Neo-Con Ascendancy? But we did. And people, even those rabidly pro-Bush, finally saw the truth. Ain't that America ?

Barack Obama will face challenges. He is the presumptive candidate of the Democrats. But, just as it it possible that the Bob Barr Libertarian party run can steal and de-stabilitze the GOP run, could poor campaign management or Demo party disappointment as Senator Obama moves to the center, threaten his candidacy at the Convention ? Stranger things have happened. In Saratoga I saw kids with painted faces and Obama Tshirts. I also saw teenagers with "Viva Reagan Revolution" shirts and others with John McCain buttons.

Interesting also that States-rights advocate and US Senator Jesse Helms now shares the fourth of July with Jefferson and Adams.

Yes, in Saratoga Springs, it is a small town, Jeffersonian fourth of July, picnics and popcorn, brass bands, flags and fireworks, as opposed to the Hamiltonian fourth of July celebration in New York City, all corporate and sponsored, with fireworks best viewed from a penthouse or a yacht. Ain't that America?

DALI: PAINTING & FILMS

We caught the opening preview of Dali, Painting and Film at the Museum of Modern Art yesterday. Another must see show at the Modern. Dali, Bunuel, all of the Surrealists were essentially a hypermodern thrust into the future that reflected the early 20th century vision of a modernist, secular, humorous, dream-based art culture.

The exhibit presents a breathtaking retrospective of Dali's art and career with its most unique take on his work its structuring around his groundbreaking collaborations with numerous legendary filmmakers,some logical, some mind-blowing: Luis Bunuel, his fellow Surrealist; Walt Disney and Alfred Hitchcock. There is even evidence of pre-production plans to make a film with the Marx Brothers, which would have starred Harpo Marx, who Dali viewed as the most surrealist of Minnie's always surreal and anarchic boys...

Linking classic paintings like the portrait of Luis Bunuel by Dali (my personal favorite), "Persistence of Vision," the spectacularly titled "Dream Prompted by a Bee Buzzing Around A Pomegrantate in the Moment Before Awakening", and other classics, with some of his essential film collaborations, this is a show not to be missed by cineastes, artists and anyone looking for some masterful inspiration and creative input. The opportunity to see some of these films again, as part of the exhibition and not separate screenings, is alone, worth the price of admission. "Un Chien Andalou" which outraged critics with its surreal suggestions of violence, erotic content and anti-Church imagery, also appears, in the estimation of some critics, to have helped set the structure of film and montage that constitutes the language and grammar of the cinema through the present day. "L'Age Dor", another collaboration with Bunuel, continued to outrage and create new images ripped from dreams. He continued his work with Walt Disney and later created Gregory Peck's dreamscapes that he decribes to his shrink, Ingrid Bergman,in Hitchcock's "Spellbound."

Although in his later years, Dali, like many Modernists and Futurists, including Ezra Pound, tended to gravitate toward political figures who offered modernization and more secular social orders in response to the power of the Church in western Europe, such as Franco (ugh)and even (yech) Hitler, Salvador Dali still continues to explore creative expression through any means avaialble. Like Andy Warhol, another creative collaborator, he used film, commerce, store windows, advertising -- anything could serve as a window that would allow him to share with the world his art and his powerful, cubist and surrealist vision. A great show, in previews through June 28. Opens June 29 through September 21. Musuem of Modern Art, 53rd street, between 5th and 6th avenues, NYC.

Also, another very notable exhibit, Olafur Eliasson's Take Your Time. Besides his fantastic and highly publicized waterfall project, the Scandinavian artist has a number of works here, all exploring light, vision and environment. The lobby of the Special Exhibitions gallaery on the 3rd floor is recast as a monochromatic world here, where the high-pressure sodium lights drain all color from skin and clothing. Like you are in a sci-fi world. Also, you may want to note that the seeming "line to nowhere" at entrance to the Eliasson exhibit, which leads to a spectacular mirrored alcove, is well worth the wait. Additional work also at PS 1. At MOMA through June 30. The sculpture garden remains a cool place to hang with a glass of wine or a gelato.

We also went across the street to visit "Dargerism" and "Asa Ames" at the Museum of AMerican Folk Art. I love this museum, too, but Henry Darger still strikes me as Art Brut/Outsider Art that I can live without. Any art that reeks of exploitation of kids, even if by a talented, visionary, naif, doesn't do it for me. Never has, never will. The wood sculpture by Asa Ames is a relatively thin exhibit but worth catching, as is the always excellent permanent collection.

http://www.moma.org/exhibitions/index.php

Power to Change: The Black and White Years

As I said on my previous post on this band, based on the large venue performance in Albany and the cd, I thought these guys were about to achieve escape velocity, and at their brief set at Piano's on Thursday, it was clearer than ever, you can feel it and sense it, the BLACK AND WHITE YEARS have something very special and have what it takes to break through. The fact that they can totally impress a boomer like me and my 17 year old son indicates The Black and White Years are really on to something.

Fantastic, original, funny, theatrical, tight, richly textured tunes and performance. Scott Butler - vocals, guitars, keys, words,Landon Thompson - guitars, keys, vocals , John Aldridge - bass, brass, Billy Potts - drums, cd produced by Jerry Harrison (Talking Heads, Modern Lovers).

It was a great rocking, fun, set. They are going back in the studio shortly to record some additional songs, some of which they played at Piano's, and which will appear on an EP in the fall. Their current CD, the eponymous "The Black and White Years" with its amazing ready-for-lift-off tune, "Power to Change" (so appropos in the scheme of things, I am surprised it isn't positioned for use by a presidential candidate, although the lyrics would seem to cut closer to the needs of Al Gore), on Brando Records, currently in limited and iTune release, will go wide later this summer.

These guys currently reside Deep in the Heart of Austin, Tejas, although I believe they also hale in part from New York State and Tennessee (their tune A Dense History seems to address their current home with the affection of Hamlet holding Yorick' s skull or if you were holding and addressing a beloved pet rattlesnake). There is clearly an affinity here. With any luck they will be back to NYC to perform (and who knows, even Brooklyn, where one of the guys briefly resided during a past visit) for more live shows.

Check out their downloads, iTunes, or the cd on release. Post-punk, ska, frenetic, with deeply layered Latin, CW, and other surprises, tightly and earnestly played. Deep in the Heart of These Guys, you can tell they are onto something and it is something big.

Coda: Summer Music: The Black and White Years

Since this is already proving to be a great summer of music in NYC, I am happy to report that the BLACK AND WHITE YEARS, who really fired up an upstate crowd and got them moving at a big outdoor show in late spring, will now be making an appearance at PIANO'S, 158 Ludlow Street, on the lower east side, on Thursday, June 19, at 8 PM sharp. These guys are so original, amazing, with tight music, great vocals, laden with awesome pop-hooks, that I cannot wait to hear them in a smaller indoor venue.

The Black and White Years, an Austin, Tejas -based band, produced by Jerry Harrison (Talking Heads, Modern Lovers), are bringing their post-punk, ska and high-energy, extremely danceable music to New York. Named "Austin's Best New Local Band 2008" (Austin Chronicle) earlier this year, THE BLACK AND WHITE YEARS-[Scott Butler, vocals, guitar, keys; Landon Thompson, guitar, keys, vocals; John Aldridge, bass and brass; and Billy Potts, drums]; will be performing tunes from their eponymous first album, soon to be nationally released in September on Brando records. The band already has an entire new album worth of songs and is likely to perform 3-4 of them that are not on the current album and include titles such as, "me and the abyss," "the grand arch," "steady as you go," and "life debt."

Word has it the band will likely go in the studio to record these new songs in August for a new EP to be released before the end of the year. The national physical release date for the current album (currently available only on iTunes and a few select stores) is set for September 9th.

This should be a great show of original, high energy music. These guys should be achieving escape velocity shortly. See and hear for yourself.

Black and White Years, Thursday, June 19, 2008 at Piano's is located at 158 Ludlow at Stanton Street, 212-505-3733.

Train: F or V to 2nd Ave/Houston St. Exit at Allen St end of the station and walk two blocks east on Houston to Ludlow, then one block south to Stanton. J, M, Z, F to Delancey/Essex. Exit at Delancey/Essex and walk two blocks north on Essex to Stanton, then one block west to Ludlow.

Summer In the Flatbush Forest

The unique and brilliant plumage of birds is only surpassed by the remarkable diversity of their song. The homes in Flatbush, especially in Fiske Terrace and Midwood Park, are nestled in their own wooded and verdant enclave. In the early morning now, as I get up early to start the coffee, empty the dishwasher, and basically set everyone in our home in motion for the final weeks of school, the tree canopy of Flatbush is filled with the tweats, twitters and percussive caws of birds birds birds. Each year, birds migrate and make their way through Brooklyn, on brief stopovers in the evergreens, elms, maples, oaks, birch, spruces, catalpa, cherry, gingko, apple, fig and other varieties that fill the Flatbush forests. It is a concert, combining bird call and response, jazz and scat singing, blues, anthems, and doo wop, a wild mix of bird songs from the mesozoic to the present day. Each year I look forward to, and savor, the few fleeting months of early summer, when I can hang out on the deck in early morning, sipping a home made macchiato, Guinevere the Corgi at my feet who also seems to listen with a huge grin, listening to the wild and crazy birdsong in the Flatbush forest, before I need to get dressed and ready and deal with civilization and its discontents.

Storm Front & Aftermath: Summer Comes to Flatbush

The oppressive heat of the last few days was finally swept away by a violent storm that brought intense lightning bursts and heavy winds to Flatbush, knocking down tree limbs and even some trees (see photo left) as the storm swept over NYC on Tuesday night. It was a powerful, energetic storm that seemed to bring powerful wind and lightning but not much rain to our immediate area.

Wednesday was a dramatically more comfortable day, warm and very sunny, but without the breathless humidity of the last few days. Summer arrives in NYC.

Bob Dylan: The Times They Are Still Achangin'

In an interview in the Times of London, Bob Dylan, 67 years, discusses politics, art and America.

Bob Dylan: "Well, you know right now America is in a state of upheaval,” he says. “Poverty is demoralising. You can't expect people to have the virtue of purity when they are poor. But we've got this guy out there now who is redefining the nature of politics from the ground up...Barack Obama. He's redefining what a politician is, so we'll have to see how things play out. Am I hopeful? Yes, I'm hopeful that things might change. Some things are going to have to.” He offers a parting handshake. “You should always take the best from the past, leave the worst back there and go forward into the future,” he notes as the door closes between us."

The full article appears in the link here:
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/visual_arts/article4074327.ece

Bob Dylan + Brooklyn = Yeah Baby

Earlier this year, I think it was in an email to another blogger, I was speculating on the hypothesis that wouldn't it be so cool for Bob Dylan to perform at the Brooklyn Academy of Music? I mean, he plays Sequim Island, Albany, Dubuque, Lewiston, and all points in between on his Endless Tour, so why not Brooklyn, USA ? Shortly afterward, BAM announced that Paul Simon was appearing as a performer in residence, so I thought, well that's great, pretty close, (and it turned out Paul still gives a great show) I guess we will have to be satisfied with Bob's usual appearances at his usual venues in Manhattan, NJ and on Long Island, when he plays the City. Well surprise, surprise.

I was getting ready to get my kids out of the house to school and myself to work this morning when I heard on the NY1 morning wallpaper that Mr. Dylan was appearing at the Prospect Park Bandshell for Celebrate Brooklyn's 30th anniversary of concerts. Dang, I thought, another great event missed. I even missed out on an attempt to get Dylan tix in Albany last year. On my way in, I thought, darn, what are the odds that there would still be any tickets left ?

Well, never say never. Bright and early, after dropping the kids off, and driving downtown listening to Blind Willie McTell and stuff from Modern Times, with that vague sense of impending disappointment, this intrepid blogger decided to mosey on down to planet Dylan. Sure enough, we made it in just under the wire. And it is an outdoor show, without primo seats, and it may be hot, or rainy, and Boomer uncomfortable, but come August 12, when Bob Dylan and his current hot touring band hit the stage, the show will go on and Mr and Mrs Brooklyn Beat will happily be in attendance...more to come

Cai-Guo Qiang - "I Want to Believe" at the Guggenheim

We saw the Murakami exhibit a few weeks back at the Brooklyn Museum. Except for the "flower room" there was not much one would consider exciting or inspiring at this exhibit. From an aesthetic standpoint -- forget the commercialism and the presence of the Louis Vuitton accessories being gobbled up by visiting Eurotouros-- there was something a little too reductive and hollow about the show, like they could have shoehorned most of what was interesting and sincere about the content of this huge show into Manhattan's "Museum of Sex" and still had enough room for (to paraphrase Fred Allen) three carraway seeds and Bruce Ratner's heart.

On the other hand, the soon-to-be closing Cai Guo-Qiang's exhibit at the Guggenheim is remarkable, creative, inspiring, dramatic, and visionary.

The installation at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum is remarkable both in Cai Guo-Qiang's work and in the huge and impressive way it has been incorporated into the Frank Lloyd Wright structure. The exhibition of "Inopportune" with its lifesize exploding Ford Taurus's hurtling (metaphorically)from the ground up through the atrium to the roof of the Guggenheim is breathtaking. The life-size clay sculptures of Chinese farmers and landlords lining the ramp of "New York Rent Collection Yard," the incredible rush of a huge pack of life-size snarling (some almost cute) wolves in mid-flight, the re-creation of antique ships and thousands of arrows, or antique ships and tons of broken porcelein, the gunpowder paintings, the videos of the firework extension of the Great Wall in the Gobi Desert -- the artist appears to be an unlimited source of energy and creativity. I guess in these politically complex and confused times, issues can be found with the artist's association with the forthcoming Beijing Olympics (he is involved in the designing of certain key events) which is supported by the People's Republic of China. The artist is being offered a world-wide showcase for his dramatic and inspired vision. There is nothing cold, abstract or exploitative here. Cai Guo-Qiang explores social realism, technology (both contemporary and archaic), nature, and the spirit. His concept of "Everywhere is Musuem" explores locally curated sites (former military bunkers, the Gobi Desert, Chinese waterfront areas) to promote contemporary art with community involvement where art is often not regularly viewed). It will be amazing to see that vision enacted on a world stage. (At the Guggenheim through May 28th)

http://www.guggenheim.org/exhibitions/exhibition_pages/cai.html

The Black and White Years

One of the great surprises of the Albany Tulip Festival was the great free music offered in Washington Park. I have to write a little bit more about The Black and White Years who have a new CD on Brando Records. The band has a strong post-punk feel, their tunes are so amazingly hook-laden that they instantly caught my attention. Strong ska influences, but in a totally American pop style, with lead singer Scott Butler's great vocals, that draw comparisons to David Byrne, but to me were more resonant in the idyosyncratic Danny Elfman/Oingo Boingo style which, to this listener, is high praise indeed. In any case, BWY are originals and if you are looking for a fresh rock sound, give a listen. Especially notable is "Power to Change" which, like much of the album, playfully mines its obscure lyrics but clearly wears its green heart on its sleeve. "Evil Ape," "A Wetter Sea," are among the other great movers and shakers on their eponymous The Black and White Years.

At the show, I picked up the CD, produced by Jerry Harrison of Talking Heads, which I am still exploring. The band originally used synth drums but for the album added the great Steve Ferrone of Tom Petty and the Heart Breakers and Average White Band.

Ya gotta hear this.

Black and White Years is --

Scott Butler - vocals, guitars, keys, words
Landon Thompson - guitars, keys, vocals
John Aldridge - bass, brass
Billy Potts - drums

http://www.theblackandwhiteyears.com/

Video: Power to Change - http://www.switchburn.com/theblackandwhiteyears/powertochange

Brooklyn on the Road Again: The 60th Annual Albany NY Tulip Festival

We hit the road again for My Better Half's Birthday and of course Mother's Day. We picked up our oldest and her pal at their college campus and drove up yonder on the Thruway to Albany NY with our 3 younger kids. Rented a couple of cozy, reasonable 2bedroom suites at a great motel near the SUNY Albany campus. Having set up our headquarters, we proceeded to paint the town pink, and purple, red, and yellow: after all, we were in town to check out the 60th Annual Albany Tulip Festival which our daughter had visited before and was the prompt for this Mother's Day weekend away.

Located in Washington Park, a lovely preserve located in the center of downtown Albany, designed by Olmstead and Vaux, designers of Central and Prospect Park, the Tulip Festival is a local tradition that includes the washing of the streets of Albany, followed by a weekend of fleurs and frolic, and capped by the crowning of the Tulip Queen.

The Tulips are lovely, numerous plantings on a hill in the center of Washington Park (which is about 4 blocks by 3 blocks in size), resulting in fields of lavish color. Lots of photographers out there. But, as Jerry Garcia used to say about the Grateful Dead, and Jagger said about the Stones in Gimme Shelter, the center of attraction, while cool and loads of fun, is really more of an excuse for folks to get together, listen to music, eat food from a variety of vendors and shop like crazy from artisans, craftsfolks, etc. who are set up throughout the park.

The music was great, especially The Black and White Years, produced by Talking Heads' Jerry Harrison, a band that reminded me a little of Danny Elfman's Oingo Boingo, crossed with TH. Performances concluded with an appearance by The Spin Doctors, of the multiplatinum "Pocket Full of Kryptonite," who have a new album coming out soon.

The Tulip Fest was also the site of a Wellness Green, health care and organic foods providers, yoga lessons, etc. Finally, Grannies for Peace held a demonstration for world peace, in which they invited participants to help produce "Peace Soup" by working for a better world. We walked away with great freebies, including organic dog food, too.

Later that night we were invited to fantastic home thrown pizza fest (baked on the barbecue grill)at the home of friends in Albany, plus vino and homemade desserts. It was a fun, lovely and warm evening with a delightful family.

The next day, we celebrated Mother's Day/Mom's Birthday at a great place, Provence, in town. Funny, we were originally trying to find its sister restaurant, Milano, in Latham NY, but got hopelessly lost, and we were heading back into town when we stumbled on Provence, which we had scoped out the night before for its lovely sounding brunch buffet, but which we gave up hope of getting into because of the lateness of our reservation. But, out of sheer desperation we ended up in Provence, its sister bistro, and the manager took pity on us Out-of-Towners, got us a table, where the six of us enjoyed the warm ambiance and great brunch. Just shows you never can tell. Then we headed back to New Paltz and back to the City, thinking about our great weekend away and looking for excuses to visit Albany again