Stevie Wonder- Wonderful at the Apollo Theater recap
Fresh night at The Apollo as the honored and inducted Stevie Wonder into the Apollo Legends Hall of Fame. Sinbad hosted the night which kicked off with a performance by Raphael Saadiq. Wyclef Jean introduced a video clip of Stevie’s work as an activist and also introduced a performance by Melanie Fiona. Tony Bennett gave a short piece and then did a duet with Stevie. Take 6 did a strong acappella set and Yolanda Adams was one of the final performers covering a Stevie Wonder track. The night went full tilt when Ray Chew (and the Crew who backed all performances) brought out Questlove, Chick Corea, Paul Shaffer, Dougie Fresh. The after-party highlights were Stevie and Dougie Fresh freestyling and live remixing a couple of tracks. See videos here
Photo Recap: TTK x SlaveForYourself- THE LAST SIX MONTHS
TTK and Slave For Yourself presented a brief samplings of their work last Friday. Under the title “The Last Six Months” both artists showcased works, ideas and concepts created over the last (possibly six??) months. Solid turnout of folks and many thanks to Scratch DJ Academy for hosting it and Andre Clarke for the invite.
TTK: Urban Equistrian Photo Recap
Shout out to my boy Dre and TTK. Dope show and concept. Plus there were tons of Lo heads with some classic Lo gear. Look at the Cosby piece in the Lo sweater and the Storm Troopers dressed to the nines in the Polo Olympic suits.
Interview with Anton Juul of Norse Projects
Anton Juul of Norse Projects: Interview from Fresh Industries on Vimeo.
I was traveling in Copenhagen, Denmark shooting photos and happened to stumble upon Norse Projects. This is an on the spot interview with one of the owners/founders of Norse Projects. He talks about the start of Norse Projects, its history and future.
Travel Tales: Copenhagen Day 4 – And Like That…
So today I figure I try the last vegetarian place on the only list I made for my trip (the one that was closed yesterday). Allegedly they serve food there and also sell soy products. I felt extra extra today because it was the first real sunny day I have seen since landing. I trekked all the way to the magical veggie store around 11am (normal start time here) only to find out that there is no hot food served (“um, we have bread”) only a subpar grocery experience to be had. So curses to that and I go about my way to the Zoo, after stopping to buy Apple Juice – figured I play it safe after the liquid sugar incident – and some muffins for breakfast. I do my tourist stop off “um, how do I get to the zoo? and how much is it” then wrassle up some change for the bus.
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Travel Tales: Copenhagen Day 3 – Rolling Down The Streets…
Another good day in Copenhagen. I realized that I can start most of my days around 10am since nothing opens before 11am for the most part. I did decide to leave a little early though with the hopes that my wheels would be tucked in the stash spot and sure enough it was! So clean after the rain fall earlier in the day. Since I had my bike still, it only made sense that the first stop be the farthest point I had to go- The Little Mermaid statue. Word is that she is the most photographed individual in the world. The bike started to suck as I think it was slightly broken because it was three times the work of any other bike and people where flying past me like I was cruising in Prospect Park with the Saturday bikers pack.
I made it to the statue in about 10 minutes and sure enough as soon as I pulled up the rain stared falling…correction pouring down on me (that is the dot and marks you see in the photo in the gallery). Thankfully the rain scared away the group of tourists (who were hogging all the good spots) like if they were the Wicked Witch. It is a wonderful site to see the statue set in the water gifted to the city by Carl Jacobsen (same one from yesterday) after seeing the ballet based on Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale. Next was back on the bike and off to see the a couple other sites as I headed to the changing of the Royal guard.
Travel Tales: Denmark Day 2 – Cruising in Copenhagen
(you are not crazy. i didn’t write a post for Day 1) So off I go to explore Copenhagen on a Sunday. One thing I learned from yesterday is that you will not find a dearth of options for open stores on Sunday aside from Church and eateries. The first stop was of course to get some breakfast. The list of vegetarian options is much much more limited than in Reykjavik – somewhat surprised since this is a larger area. My breakfast (pictured below) was okay as it lacked on taste and spices that I am used to tasting. The white substance to the bottom of the plate is scrambled tofu absent flavor as you may have guessed from the white color. All in all- the entire meal was satisfying (I didn’t touch the middle bread as it had a little too much healthy going on with seeds, nuts and such) as it had a smoothie and two of my favorite fruits – ruby red grapefruit and pineapple.
Next stop was to see some sites in town. The plan was to find a City bike to get around on as you can rent one for 20 kroner, which you get back when you return the bike. (more…)
Travel Tales: Iceland Day 4 – Reykjavik Round Up
So today was another shorter stint on the town. I figured I should do one more “only in Iceland” thing and that was Whale Watching. I made the reservation and she said “We will pick you up between 12 and 12:45.” What am I dealing with the cable company?!? Moving forth- First order of business is food. I figured I should try an classic of waffles with potatoes. The waitress looked very confused when I asked for this as she stated “together? I don’t think we have that combination? you want them on top or on a separate plate?” Eventually, I described it to her and got my request. When the plate came out, I realized they serve jam with a lot of things. After the first bite, the food was like the cereal box setup – it looks great on the box but taste doesn’t reflect it.
After breakfast, I made a quick run to the supermarket betting that the pickup would be closer to 1245 and sure enough I was correct. We headed out to for about one hour until we got to an area where the likelihood of seeing a whale was high. (more…)
Travel Tales: Iceland Day 3 – The Artsy Fartsy Tourist
So Thursday was my “time to be a tourist” day. What does that mean you ask? Well it is composed of “eat, sleep and see it” (like what i did right there dontcha) all day. I got up somewhere near 11am central time and got about 8 hours of sleep for the first time in my adult life. After taking care of some business, I figured it was time for some breakfast/brunch being that it was approaching 1pm. As I walked the streets of Reykjavik, I noticed how trendy and hip the main street is, almost like a condensed NY in the sense of the various eateries. There were Chinese food, Italian, Indian, Nepalese, Middle Eastern, American (Ruby Tuesdays omfg) and Icelandic food. I went Indian which was a great way to start the day.
After that I went on my see it mission and visited the Reykjavik Art Museum (more…)
Travel Tales: Iceland Day 2 – Mr. Solo Dolo
The first thing on my mind this morning was, “I am really in Iceland.” It is still settling in with every passing moment. Except the water, which smells and tastes funny. Today I was off to see the Golden Circle route. I got up at 630am – I know I know I’m supposed to be on vacation so I turned off my alarm and did the “I’ll rest my eyes for 5mins”. Sad mistake as I did a scramble at amto get ready and run to the supermarket. My bus pickup was for 830am and I figured I should pack some snacks for the 10 hour tour. This store was a 24 hour supermarket and I did my usual – I have a list but will go down every aisle (806am) after grabbing two smoothies, two muffins and a candy bar I figured I should get a croissant to eat now. Two choices – warm or cold. I went warm..wrong choice. I opened it to put some butter and what awaited me – a nice warm piece of ham. Straight to the trash with that after a short fit of swearing. (815am). Swallowed down a muffin and a smoothie then head outside to wait for the bus. [edit: i don't eat meat which is why i had my fit of cussing. i had to do with the muffin and smoothie. who puts ham in a croissant and doesn't even have the decency to label it!?!]
The first stop we made was the Reykjavik geothermal power plant. On the way astronauts spent some time in central Iceland before the moon trip because the terrain of that area is said to be similar of that of the moon. That is according to the monotone tour guide. On the way, the tour guide mentioned the fields of dried lava after the volcano eruption. The tour guide said the eruptions happen once every 5 years or so and the last one was in 2004.. so 5 years later would be..2009? oh dear.
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Travel Tales: Iceland Day 1 from Brownsville to Reykjavik
After having a shitastic last week that was accompanied by flirts of happiness, I finally landed in Reykjavik [re-kee-ya-vik], Iceland. The flight had a very interesting set of events as my neighbor was asked to switch seats so two people could squeeze into the emergency exit together only to move again within minutes of take-off. That is all I remember from the flight as I was asleep very quickly for the duration of the trip. The process of from airport to hotel was one of the smoothest I have ever been a part of in my life. After finally getting my phone setup and checking with my family, my eyes told me to go to sleep. When I woke up I decided it was time to hit the town and boy what an experience! First, I got lost and then proceeded to wander around aimlessly. After getting over feeling like I was in 28 Days due to my isolation (no zombies), I realized that this is the best way to see the town because every turn is new and exciting vs following a set path to reach a site.
After a quick loop around downtown, I needed to eat and luckily being a vegetarian in Iceland isn’t that hard as there are several places that cater to the veganish diet. I stopped off at A Naestu Grosum to get my meal.
I needed to walk that off, so it was back on the road again. This time I was lost in my reminiscing of my final days in the states and the gray skies were a metaphor for what was going on with me. I sat talking to myself and thinking about everything and trying to find out what the best solution was and just like that a rainbow appeared (see above)! This truly turned my day around and I just started walking and thinking. The rainbow brought me to think that the treasure map is not lost at all, just needed to be tested. The rest of my day was spent walking (saw another sign – “it’s ok…” written on a bench) and snacking (carrot cake pictured below) as I just wanted to see the town. There is a certain quiet that blankets the entire town as you walk the narrow main streets. There is an abundance of eateries ranging from Indian to Thai to Mexican and standard pub fares. The weather is slightly chilly with a constant sea breeze. I assume that since the it isn’t high-summer time and school is in session, the streets will generally be quiet. I was supposed to go on a Northern Lights trip but it got canceled due to the likelihood of not seeing them tonight.
This trip is just beginning but I feel happy that I decided to go through with my big random adventure for the year. Very few people understand why I would go to Iceland. Here I am born on the tiny island of St. Vincent in the West Indies; grew up in Brownsville, Brooklyn then college in Ann Arbor, Michigan; back to Crown Heights in Brooklyn now standing in the middle of Reykjavik on vacation (random road trips and such have been left out for various reasons).
Thank you.
Trevor Traynor I Shoot People Opening – Recap
Trevor Traynor‘s opening at powerHouse Arena for the Brooklyn-stop of his “I Shoot People” five-city tour was great! The powerHouse space is dope and attendees had a chance to peruse their treasure trove of books as the venture to the cul de sac-ish enclosure for the exhibit. Trevor featured over 100 photos over artists in various settings from Tupac getting his mustache touched up to Dave Chappelle during a performance with a haloesque glow. At the opening, you could feel the familiarity that he had with everyone as he laughed; joked and hugged it out with almost everyone. Aside from the man of the hour, you also had people discussing the photos and picking people out of the crowd. There were free flowing libations for the parched attendees to consume which always helps. DJ UNO provided a range of tunes to serve as the backdrop for the event.
I had a grand old time hanging out and connecting with the folks at the opening. Shout out to Darren Cole who flew in from Milwaukee for the event- looking forward to your videos from the event. Also, Trevor has one of the dopest logos I have seen yet. So do yourself a favor and head down to powerHouse before the exhibit is over and done on October 4.
Hip Hop Howl Recap
Hip-Hop Howl: A NY Minute featured a bevy of performances by artists- some raw and others refined-as part of The Howl Festival. The Howl Festival is a three-day affair named after Allen Ginsberg’s poem “Howl.” The event celebrates the East Village and Lower East Side’s contribution to the arts in various aspects, including music, dance, poetry and more, with live painting, vendors, puppet shows and a lot of performances.
On 9.5.09, Crosby & Miz Metro presented Hip Hop Howl as a two part event, with the day event featuring one song performances and the night event featuring more artists from the “A NY Minute” mixtape. Overall, there were a few polished performances (namely Shinobi Ninja, Circa 95, Sciryl, Wordspit and Joya Bravo) that showed they have blessed a stage or two with their presence in the past as seen in their stage performance and the delivery of their art. Other talents had that niche following feeling that can’t be explained but one needs to know that it is there (I enjoyed Spills but can’t explain why). Overall, the event had a great vibe as you saw all the artists entering the audience and jamming to their peers. See the photos below and click more to see video of Spills and Joya Bravo.
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Parlour #7 The Golden Girls Exhibit – Recap
Last Friday, I got an invite to an art show. Friday night art show been there, done that and enjoy it every chance I get. This one was new to me as when I was looking up the address it pointed me to the Upper East Side. Now I am no gallery connoisseur but I was fairly certain there wasn’t a gallery at the indicated address; nonetheless I load up the toys and headed out.
I met up with Kaz and walked into the apartment and, as any experienced house-party goer knows, immediately sought out if there was an air conditioner, and more importantly, if it worked. After both were confirmed as Yes!, I secured space directly in its flow and interacted with the guests. Eventually I made my way to see the rest of the apartment and art. The space was well balanced with art, beverages and randomly placed candy spread through L. Stein’s apartment. The egg-shell / creamish white walls were decorated with various size canvas works that presented colorful and intricately detailed pieces. Sadly, I didn’t grab my correct lens so I couldn’t capture the best shots and to add lipstick to the pig-the batteries on my flash died – double fuckery!
The show was produced by Parlour and hosted at the home of L. Stein. This show was titled No. 7 – “The Golden Girls” and featured paintings by artists Alison Blickle and Megan Burns. Their works created fantasy-type environments that had feminist (not of the “I Hate Men” level) undertones and subjects, who expressed freedom and exploration.
Parlour was conceived by Ciara Gilmartin and Leslie Rosa-Stumpf (she is the excited one at the start of the post) as a nomadic art show traveling the world known as New York City, ever changing locations and art on display.
Recap of Spike Lee’s Michael Jackson Birthday Party
The posthumous power of Michael Jackson continued on Saturday as Spike Lee threw a birthday party for him in we Brooklynites’ claim to grass aka Prospect Park. There were easily over 1,000 people dancing through the rain soaked ground for a little over 5 hours as guests, including politicians, celebrities and the general audience came out to celebrate Michael’s 51st birthday. The power of Michael and his music were evident in the diverse and friendly setting that blanketed the park, as you had all makes of people out and about infectiously dancing, smiling and mouthing the words to Michael’s songs. I enjoyed seeing the impersonators – especially Black and White Mike dance in lockstep to several of MJ’s songs. You have to understand these two guys met in the press pit, for what I assume to be the first time, and reenacted Michael’s moves without a flaw. The musical selection, while great, left me with a slight gripe as there were several of the popular tunes replayed throughout the course of the day.
It is Michael and I have no problems with hearing P.Y.T., Beat It, Thriller and the list goes on, 2 or 3 times but when you get that count up to 5 or 6 and more often back to back playbacks you are left to wonder what about his other music. Easily the King of Pop has songs to span over 5 hours, while all are not dance/party-tempo friendly, the majority of his catalog contains songs that you can’t help but succumb to and groove.
White socks, glitter gloves, posters and bootleggers were all abundant to honor the King of Pop. All in – Spike Lee, NYC Parks, and all the people who helped make this happen did a phenomenal job on organizing, relocating and executing a birthday celebration that will go down in history for the positive vibes and the good, clean fun it provided. I look forward to seeing what he does with the footage. Below is a sneak peak at the pictures I shot from the event, I have many more that will be online later tonight.
Night At The Museum – BK Style
Stop #3 on the fun binge was the Brooklyn Museum for Target First Saturday party. This month’s theme was “Celebrating the Caribbean: Its Bacchanal Time Again!” I kid you not the parking lot looked like a mass camp. Everyone had a grand old time dancing to the music, eating Dippin’ Dots and enjoying the beverages. The music was very heavy on Soca and Calypso tunes but veered off theme from time to time with Afrobeat (not saying anything is wrong with it!!). I ran into a few friends who joined in on the circle of dance.
Fresthetic 2 Year Anniversary Party
This was stop #2 on my 24-hour fun binge yesterday. Fresthetic celebrated the 2-year anniversary yesterday in WillyB. I passed through with my homegirl and a friend to check out the space for the first time. The small spot has a cornucopia of art affairs for all senses and what made yesterday’s event even better – THE ICEE Man was present. For those not in the know, the Icee Man is a name blanketed on all in the profession of service icees. The more established/traditional ones of this ilk tend to have three or four flavors max and these are always: Coco (coconut with real pieces), Cherry, Pina (Pina Colada) and Rainbow (time to time this flaor is not listed on the cart but is something you have to ask for). The Icee Man seemingly always know when an event is going on as they are always found near large or small gatherings of folks.
Fresthetic is a concept space founded by Randy Quiles, Michael Cordero, Eddie Soto, and Omar Corder in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The store front serves as a gallery space for a wide spectrum of artists and a shop featuring silk-screened clothing, bespoke jewelry, films and more. Back story time -I went to Junior H.S. (Phillipa Schulyer – still have my gym shirt) with Michael and we recently bumped back into each other a couple months back at a party in Fort Greene. Since then we continue to cross paths (most recently was at Afro Punk) at various artsy fartsy affairs around the city. As I continue to do artful good, I realize that the circle of similar folk is small, growing community. Pictures from the 2 year anny below.
Kiante and SoleFood NYC Block Party
Kiante the Sneaker Mann and Solefood teamed up with several sponsors, including The Source Magazine, to transform Lispenard Street (TriBeCa, NYC) into a Back to School block party, that featured live painting, giveaways and a back to school fashion show. Also, there were live paintings by 5 artists with 4 of them doing tributes to Mr. White Socks aka the King of Pop, Michael Jackson. The event had a decent turnout as I can’t think of anyone in NYC who doesn’t like free music, giveaways and fun. I See the gallery below for images of the artists, their paintings, a performance and people that were all out at the event yesterday. I had to leave as the fashion show got started, so I didn’t get any pictures from it.
“Work To Do” Photo Recap
Fresh show in soho! The Greene Studio was completely covered in art- floor to ceiling- which made the show immersing! Check out the gallery for pictures from the event.
K’Naan Performing at SOB’s
Great performance at SOB’s by K’Naan.
Justin Bua – Brooklyn Reception
The House of Art Gallery in Brooklyn, NY will host an artist reception and book signing for Justin Bua this Friday and Saturday. Come out and see some of his dope pieces and get your book signed by him. Bua’s art style is truly unique as he mixes strong character design with an unique mix of colors.
UPDATED with pictures
Mediums Art Gallery Post-Event
Below are pictures from Mediums at The Paint Factory opening night. It was a packed show with a wide assortment of artist. Be sure to check it out as the gallery will be open for another two weeks.
John Forte – Accoustic Performance for Music Unites Recap
John Forte performed songs off of his Style Free EP in a small penthouse setting -- I believe intimate is the term bandied about for such a venue- in support of Music Unites. The space was a splendid panoramic view of downtown Manhattan and the bridges that serve as the veins into the city from Brooklyn. John’s tracks showcased his new voice and approach to music, as he is now a singer/songwriter and no longer just John the rapper. His new voice and approach is one that takes his lyrical exercise two reps deeper. Like that burning sensation that tells you to quit as you do your last dip -- but instead of quitting you push through because you know the impacts and results, while not instant, will have a long term benefit.
The show was another good one. Comparing this to the first session he did post-release, you notice a more comfortable John. One that is in a new lane as he smiled through his performances and with the crowd before the show. He made the crowd part of the performance as he joked with them and brought them a level closer to who he was. The place was packed with a crowd which was a mix of supporters of his; supporters of Music Unites and supporters of open bars. I enjoyed the music and still feel there is a lot more to be unlocked from his brain and experiences and ultimately shared with the world. I, world awaits you John.
Below is one video from his performance. Look for additional videos and photos -- but it is an ungodly hour (what does that even mean. really) to be up right now.
October 6, 2009 | Categories: Audio + Video, Commentary | Leave A Comment »