From the New York Times, via my friend Megan:SANTA ROSA, Calif. -- ...the foundation, called Life Is Art, recently began to reap a new kind of financing, in the form of tall, happy-looking marijuana plants. Late this month, with some help from the sale of its first small crop, grown under California's liberal medical marijuana laws, the group plans to present an inaugural exhibition on its land, of sculpture and installation work by more than 20 visiting artists -- some of whom will have helped bring in the harvest. The foundation's hope … [Read more...]
I’ll give you a thousand dollars if you don’t make me go.
Inspired by Aaron Sorkin's excellent screenplay for The Social Network (which really is worth seeing), I've been watching The West Wing for the second time through. I always liked President Bartlet, mostly because they make it fairly clear that he was supposed to be a professor at Dartmouth, but also because he uses a lot of Latin unnecessarily. That said, I was dismayed to learn that he does not support contemporary classical music! The set-up for this bad news is that President Bartlet is forced to go see The Reykjavik Symphony Orchestra at … [Read more...]
Newsies
It's always great when classical musicians get featured on the TV, but I think we can all agree that it's especially great when my clients get featured on the TV. All kidding aside, I have to applaud Jeff Brown and producer Anne Davenport at the PBS NewsHour for committing to a story about a new piece of classical music, and to many other important arts stories in the past. I post this clip...well, first to to brag, but also so it gets as many hits as possible on YouTube so there will be more features like it in the future. Now go watch it from … [Read more...]
Does your mother know that you’re out?
Since there is not one track off ABBA Gold that I do not know the words to, I feel it's my duty to post this, from our friends at C to the Hall. Carnegie Hall will host a disco attire contest for ticket holders attending The New York Pops season-opening concert, The Music of ABBA, on Friday, October 15, 2010 at 8:00 p.m. with special guest vocal group Rajaton. Participants are invited to embrace the spirit of the decade and come flaunt their finest leisure suits, bell bottoms, glitter gowns, and other 1970s attire while enjoying the … [Read more...]
Rhapsody in Amber
One night--ONE NIGHT--I spend meeting my lawyer friend's visiting Argentinian quasi-boyfriend at Please Don't Tell and not at a classical music concert, and look what cocktail I had to go and order: It was delicious. I had two. (No, I sit on a throne of lies: I had three.)I did some light internet stalking of this "classical musician and mixologist" Lydia Reissmueller, and here's what I found: Lydia Reissmueller was born in Orange, California USAa great and famous lady mixologist she likes to put natures gifts into her work life!working with … [Read more...]
Some artists have complicated images
...but don't you just hate it when publications use old photos?From the Kansas City Star: … [Read more...]
A Tale of Two Cities
This morning, Anne Midgette posted about the PR success of the Chicago Symphony's Riccardo Muti music director launch versus the seeming PR failure of the National Symphony Orchestra's Christoph Eschenbach music director launch on her blog, The Classical Beat. She points out that while both men have comparable careers (despite Muti's perhaps more current trendiness), not even an Associated Press writer was sent to review Eschenbach's first performance in D.C., and the Kennedy Center's season launch for him was business as usual. Riccardo Muti … [Read more...]
Ladies and gentlemen…the beaver!
The Gray Lady has the story:When the Wildlife Conservation Society recently discovered another beaver living in the Bronx River - the first to be spotted there in three years, and only the second in two centuries - it did the neighborly thing and asked local residents to help name the floppy-haired, buck-toothed little critter. And when the Bronx Zoo opened up the competition to online voting, it all but guaranteed the end result: ladies and gentlemen, say hello to Justin Beaver. On Friday, the Wildlife Conservation Society said "the … [Read more...]
You could either be successful or be us
I'm going to see my favorite band at the Williamsburg Waterfront tonight, even if it means standing in a veritable monsoon for four hours. The following graphic reflects both the weather forecast and my emotional state if this concert doesn't happen:In my desperate search for news of cancellation, I noticed that the Belle & Sebastian website currently has a feature that I've been meaning to blog about for a while now: launching a website with performance footage. I first noticed it on the BTTLS site and then again on the LCD Soundsystem … [Read more...]
Information age of hysteria
My friend James, my sister and I went to see American Idiot on Broadway tonight despite already seeing it (me at Berkeley Rep, them on Broadway) and not loving it. We went, of course, because like all middle-schoolers to whom "Basket Case" "spoke," we weren't about to miss this:It was completely surreal to see a man who built a career on apathy love every minute of singing, acting (!), and dancing (!!) in his own Broadway show, and equally strange to hear an audience explode in cheers when an understudy was announced at the beginning of the … [Read more...]
My thoughts on the Met’s ‘Das Rheingold’
One ring to rule them all
The Metropolitan Opera's season opens tonight with a new production of Wagner's Das Rheingold. I will be wearing a gold dress and drinking at Valhalla after, why? Because I like a well-curated event. I also plan on asking Eric if I can borrow the ring for the night. It's entirely possible that the Met costume department will Wotan's-spear off my finger, but I'm gonna give it a go. Again, because I like an event. As usual, the Met has provided multiple ways for folks to experience the production:At the Opera HouseThe Met's 2010-11 season kicks … [Read more...]
The Cure for the Common Blog Post
Apologies for being M.I.A. (and not of the truffle fries variety). I've had Hilary, Nico and more Nico, and Eric on the brain.That said, I have had time to watch Mad Men. It's...about advertising, so it's...work-related...right? I won't give anything away, but if you too have been watching this season, you saw the episode where the cousin of Roger Sterling's (annoying and skinny) wife is applying for a job. This lad's portfolio includes other people's ads that he admires (Don Draper = not amused by this), and a series of slogans that all say … [Read more...]
Who doesn’t love family
This is what my sister e mails me today: "Thank you for officially turning me into a nerd." Let the record show that on the day she started work at the Central Park Conservancy, I received a donation letter from them in the mail. Coincidence? I think not. … [Read more...]