New York City has some of the world's best museums. Some of them can get a bit pricey for my tastes. Who am I kidding? It's not my tastes; it's my budget!
Artist Ron Anteroninen
The good news, though, is you can get into just about any of them for free on the right day and at the right time. Two of the best museums in the Galaxy--the American Museum of Natural History and the Metropolitan Museum of Art--have "suggested donations," meaning you can pay as little as you like. Click here for more information.
And check back here often as I'll be reviewing many of the great exhibits going on.
Looking for something fun to do this Friday night? Look no further. Described as a night of coldwave, punk, and dance, this is sure to be an amazing night. There is a killer line-up of acts: Rosa Apatrida, Nomadic War Machine, Agnostic Pray, Shady Hawkins, Ice Age Crew, and it's a sliding scale of $5 to $10 and cheap drinks all night long. You can get all the details by clicking here, but make sure to RSVP so that you get the final location for the event.
People tend to complain about how expensive New York City is to live in, but the truth is there is a lot of fun to be had for free here. From Urban Camping to free movies and open bars to some of the world's best museums there is no shortage of really fun stuff to do for free in New York City. I collect links to great free stuff, and I'm always on the look-out for more. Click here for a Sqworl page with nearly 40 links to great free stuff to see and do in New York City. Some of the stuff isn't available during the winter but bookmark it and you're wallet will thank you.
Of all the free things I highlight here at the Straphanger's Guide to the Galaxy few are as free as this. The Really Really Free Market is just that: A free market. But this isn't anything dreamed up by Milton Friedman or Ayn Rand; this is the real deal!
Do you have some stuff you want to get rid of? Bring it to the Really Really Free Market (RRFM). See something you like at the RRFM? Grab it. It's all free. It's all wonderful.
The RRFM will be this Sunday at Judson Memorial Church, (55 Washington Square South) from 3 to 7pm.
Stephanie Rooker is making her debut performance at Rockwood Music Hall on stage 2 this Sunday January 23 at 8:00pm. You won't want to miss this.
Stephanie Rooker and the Search Engine are riding high on the release of their debut album The Only Way Out is In. Rooker is one of those artists that really has it all. This girls got soul! And as good as the recorded stuff is there is nothing like seeing her live. Her band consists of some really monster talent who have played with all sorts of big name stars. The Search Engine will blow you away.
Head on down to Rockwood Sunday. You'll be glad you did.
The folks at Brecht Forum are paying tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a special screening of two classic documentaries At the River I stand and The Negro Protests. If you want to remember Dr. King for the revolutionary he was, click here for more details.
"It is a crime for people to live in this rich nation and receive starvation wages." ~~Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., speaking to striking sanitation workers in Memphis, March 18th, 1968
Feel passionate about something? Would you like to be part of a lecture series that combines a love of community, education, and drinking? Sounds like fun to me. A few of the key details:
We offer the chance for individuals to share a short presentation on any topic. The evening will consist of 6 10-minute presentations, and free food and beer while it lasts. Come join us for a night of peer learning and a drink on us. We meet the third Sunday of every month.
This awesomeness all happens at 382 Jefferson Street in Brooklyn (Bushwick). Take the L train to Jefferson Street; You can find out more by clicking here.
Burton Snowboards and Vice Magazine have teamed up for the Opening Reception of the gallery show for the snowboarder/photographer Jim Mangan's newly released photo-book Winter's Children. Complimentary cocktails provided by KRU Vodka. But you'll need to click here to RSVP!
About Winter Children the book:
In 2010, Mangan left an 11-year in the business side of snowboarding and lit out for the remote backcountry of Idaho's Sawtooth Mountains to recharge and redirect. He was accompanied by seven accomplished snowboarders: his college friend, Peter Sutherland, now a renowned photographer and artist, and rising stars from the sport's next generation, including Laura Hadar and Alex Andrews. The perfectly manicured terrain parks and half pipes, and the ever-present audience, the riders literally stripped away all artifice — along with their clothing — in a powerful artistic statement that honors the original roots of the sport.
The seven riders soared naked and uninhibited down empty slopes on vintage snowboards from the 1980s, clad only in vibrant Native American blankets that contrast with the stark winter landscape. Mangan captured the action and the emotional intensity on an intentionally grainy 35 mm film reflective of the ethos of snowboarding's early years. "As I exited the snowboarding business, I wanted to recreate the feelings that originally drew me to the sport," explains Mangan. "This project is an exaggerated overstatement of those feelings."
Ultimately, for the photographer, the riders, and the viewers, Winter's Children becomes a baptism, with the cold snow washing away the neon filth of consumerism and serving as a bracing reminder of snowboarding's pure origins.
Courtesy of myopenbar.com, they have a killer party happening at Public Assembly tonight. Free vodka, no cover from 10pm to 11pm. The music is insane. Prepare to dance.
New Yorkers! Mark your calendars for this Saturday (1/15/11). AwShockKiss will be bringing their amazing sound to the Mercury Lounge. Get your tickets here. AwShockKiss go on at 10:30. You really don't want to miss this. Check out the hot promo vid for their upcoming show:
Booze, awesome music, and a movie screening all for free? All you have to do is RSVP here and show up! Open bar from 8:30 to 9:30; Music by ADM, and a screening of The Shoemaker at 9:30. Not a bad Wednesday night.
If you love good music you know what a treat it is to find that special musician that really grabs you; that musician that literally takes your breath away. The type of musician that really pours their heart and soul into their music. Mieka Pauley is exactly that.
The first time I heard Mieka Pauley was in May of 2009 in Boston. They were having a May Day fair with music, great food, and tons of cool people. As we meandered about soaking in the sights I heard Mieka off in the distance. It was just her and her guitar. I had no idea who she was but I had to get closer. Who was this musical angel?
As we got closer the crowd around her was transfixed. People couldn't help but just stop and listen. You just knew you were witnessing something very special. Luckily I had the good sense to record it. To this day I get goose bumps when I listen to her performance. In the clip below you'll find Mieka's performance of Marked Man.
Marked Man quickly became one of my favorite songs. Over the past couple years I've had the good fortune of seeing Mieka play it numerous time and I can say without a doubt that it never gets old. It's a passionate and moving song about vengeance. It's an angry song. And it's one of those songs that you really have to see live to fully appreciate.
Typically Mieka plays it by flipping her guitar upside-down and using it as a drum, so it really showcases what an amazing voice she has. She's also broken a few guitars playing this song but thankfully that hasn't stopped her.
We're really fortunate to have such an amazing talent here in New York City. But if you're not in the New York area don't fret! Mieka tours quite a bit and chances are she'll be headed to your area. So head over to her website for all the latest news and tour updates.
Few people have grabbed the public's attention like Harry Houdini. Nearly a century after he shuffled off this mortal coil Houdini continues to be a cultural influence. If you're like me, however, your familiarity with the man starts and stops with the very basics: he was the World's greatest magician.
So it was a real treat to find out The Jewish Museum had a Houdini Exhibit.
If you'd like to learn how the poor Erik Weisz transformed into the iconic Harry Houdini make a trip down to the Jewish Museum. The exhibit is wonderful, filled with artifacts, archival video footage, Photographs and more that really help put Houdini in context.
Tonight's a perfect night for a free screening of Aaron Katz's film Cold Weather. Tonight kicks off a month of free weekly films at Ace Hotel with drink special Moscow Mule. For more information check out their calendar for upcoming events by clicking here.
Cold Weather:
Doug (Lankenau) has just moved back to his hometown of Portland, Oregon, to move in with his sister (Dunn), hoping for another chance at jumpstarting their grown up lives. When Doug's ex-girlfriend comes to town unexpectedly, only to disappear shortly after, Doug, Gail, and their new friend Carlos (Castillo) appoint themselves as detectives in what they see as a real life Sherlock Holmes situation.
Looking for some fun this Wednesday (January 12, 2011)? You won't want to miss this: Out of the Basement Film Fest at the Manifesta Loft. The night will start out with short films put together by Chris Clavin of Ghost Mice followed by a rare unplugged show with some of the best radical artists at the Manifesta Loft in Brooklyn!
