Happenings for Week of January 29th, 2007

Monday, January 29th, 2007

On the Shoulders of Giants: Kareen Abdul Jabbar speaks out (C, E, F)
From 1920 to 1940, the Harlem Renaissance produced a bright beacon of light that paved the way for African-Americans all over the country. Journey with indomitable basketball star, author and historian Kareem Abdul-Jabbar back to his birthplace, through one of the greatest political, cultural, literary, and artistic movements in our history, revealing the tremendous impact the Harlem Renaissance had on both American culture and his own life.
@ New York Historical Society
170 Central Park West (@ 77th Street)
6:30p
$15
For more information and to sign up: nyhistory

Movie Screening: King of Beggars (Melech Shel Kabtzanim) (code: EFFKOB00W7) (C, E, F)
Based on the character of Fishke der Krumer (Fishke the Lame) created by the Yiddish writer Mendele Mocher Sforim, the film follows the adventures of Fishke, from humble bathhouse attendant in a late 16th century Russian shtetl to leader of a fighting brigade of Jewish outcasts. The story of the rise and fall of a Jewish warrior leader and his inevitable struggle against both a divided Jewish community and the hostile masters of his coincidental ‘homeland.’
@ JCC of Manhattan
334 Amsterdam Avnenue (@ 76th Street)
7:30 PM
$10
For more information and to buy tickets: jcc

Tuesday, January 30th, 2007

Joshua Prager discusses his latest book (C, E, L, S)
The Echoing Green: The Untold Story of Bobby Thomson, Ralph Branca and the Shot Heard Round the World
Josh Prager, reporter for the Wall Street Journal uncovers the hidden scandal behind the famous 1951 homerun that lead to victory for the New York Giants over the Brooklyn Dodgers in the upset of the century. The Giants won the pennat when Bobby Thompson hit a home run off Ralph Branca and Prager reveals that a Giant coash with a Wollensak telescope made that hit possible.
@ Brooklyn Central Library - 2nd floor Meeting Room
Grand Army Plaza (between Washington and Atlantic Avenue)
7p
Free
For more information call: 718.230.2100



Fiesta Fun (F/D, P, S)
Join us for a Mexican-style fiesta. Get to know your fellow attendees by participating in one of our unique Beneath the Surface mixers. For singles ages: 28 to 49. Five percent of the gross proceeds from this event to charity.
@ Iguana
240 West 54th Street (Btw Broadway and 8th Avenue)
6:30 - 9p
$20 in advance, $30 at the door
For more information and to sign up: fish

Book Signing and Discussion: Margo Jefferson’s, On Michael Jackson (C, E, L, M)
Michael Jackson is known for his greatest hits like “I’m Bad,” “Rock With You,” “Billie Jean,” “Beat It,” and many more. However, this Grammy nominated, entertainer, pop icon, and well established musician has had a fall from grace. Author Margo Jefferson analyzes and Mr. Jackson dual personality through all his glory and beyond.
@ Hue Man Bookstore and Café
2319 Frederick Douglass Boulevard (between 124th and 125th Streets)
6p
Free
For more information: hueman

Wednesday, January 31st, 2007



Laura’s List Happy Hour (P)
Get out of the cold and come and join us for a cocktail.
Kick back and meet new people from Laura's List...
Drink Specials:
Listed Martinis - 1/2 price
Draft beers (domestic and imported) $4
Bud/Budlight - $3
Merlot and Chardonnay - $5
@ Kanvas Bar & Lounge
219 9th Avenue (between 23rd and 24th Streets)
5:30p
For more information or questions email Laura @ nyckid135@yahoo.com

Art Lecture: The Modernist Disconnection with Avigdor Arikha (A, C, E)
It took more than a thousand years to achieve art as masterly art but only a few decades to achieve non-art as art. How did this happen?
@ The Frick Collection
1 East 70th Street (@ 5th Avenue)
Doors open at 5:30p, lecture starts @ 6p
Free
For more information: frick



Army of Bjork (F/D, P)
A costume party featuring cold weather (Iceland), warm wine (glogg), Bjork music and maybe even Bjork.
@ Stain Bar
766 Grand Street (between Humboldt and Avenue of Puerto Rico), Brooklyn
8p
Free
For more information: stain

Thursday, February 1st, 2007

The Hudson River School: The Influence of the Environment Then and Now (A, C, E)
Distinguished environmentalists and art historians combine to examine the relationship between the Hudson River School, the first self-consciously ‘American’ landscape vision, and the conservation movement that emerged more than a century ago. The panel will explore the artists’ motivation in creating these images, the chord they struck in the 19th century and its resonance today.
@ New York Historical Society
170 Central Park West (@ 77th Street)
6:30p
$15
For more information and to sign up: nyhistory

Hemi Rudner and Yirmi Kaplan (Code: T-MM5PF12-01) (A, C, M)
The two friends come together on one stage, for a show of Israeli rock. They will perform each others greatest hits together with a full band. They perform the current Israeli hit songs like you've never heard them before,"Mishehu shomea oti", "Ma sheover alai" from Eifo Hayeled, "Geula" by Hemi Rudner and many others.
@ Makor, Steinhardt Building
35 West 67th Street (between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue)
Cost: $25 in advance; $30 at the door
8p
For more information and to buy tickets: 92y

Movie Screening: How the War Started on My Island (A, C, E, F)
(Kako je poceo rat na mom otoku)
Though being one of the first movies to take a humorous approach to the violent break-up of Yugoslavia, this motion picture is partly based on real events that took place in September of 1991. A few months after Croatia seceded from Yugoslavia, Yugoslav military installations still hold previously recruited Croatian men inside. One such installation is a garrison on a small island, commanded by Major Aleksa Milosavljevic. Besieged by local militia, Major Aleksa threatens to blow up ammunition depots with half the island in the event of any hostile action. During the stalemate, art historian Blaz Gajski comes from Zagreb, hoping to rescue his son from the barracks.
Pioneer Theater
155 East 3rd Street (@ Avenue A)
7p
Tickets range: $6.50 - 10
For more information or to buy tickets: pioneer



Design Thursday (A, E, F/D)
Design Within Reach and Pre-A-Habiter team up. Bring your questions and ideas to the design professionals and let them provide you with modern solutions using Design Within Reach products. If you have an interior space in need of a modern make-over, then come and get free design advice that will help give your home a new look. Refreshments will be served.
@ Design Within Reach
76 Montague Stree (@ Hicks Street), Brooklyn
For more information: dwr
Please RSVP in advance to: brooklynheights@dwr.com

Exhibit Opening and Artists Reception: Art as Anecdote (A, E, F/D)
This show looks to the resources of a nonprofit institution (where, ostensibly, artists' best interests are always in mind) and begs the question: Why is it that what makes an artwork so meaningful to a broad audience is often what makes an artwork incredibly personal, unique?
@ Brooklyn Arts Council Gallery
55 Washington Street (between Fulton Street and Atlantic Avenue), Suite 218
6 - 8p
For more information: brooklynarts

Friday, February 2nd, 2007 (Groundhog Day)



Photography Exhibit: Richard Renaldi, The Plains (A, C)
Richard Renaldi’s recent photographs depict the social and economic landscape surrounding America’s modern-day Great Plains. Taken with an 8-by-10-inch camera over the course of several trips to towns such as Medina, North Dakota, Hooker, Oklahoma, and Wichita Falls, Texas, Renaldi’s work includes landscapes and portraits. In the former, Renaldi illustrates the expanse of land and sky that was once iconic to the American frontier. In addition to his landscapes, Mr. Renaldi‘s work features portraits of local residents in these environments.
@ Yossi Milo Gallery
525 West 25th Street (between 10th and 11th Avenues)
Free
For more information regarding the artist: renaldi
For more information regarding the exhibit: yossimilo

Asia Circle Cocktail Evening (C, F/D, P)
Asia Circle, the Asia Society’s young patrons membership group, hosts a networking and cocktail evening open to the public at Asia Society’s Leo Bar. These informal gatherings offer opportunities to reunite with old friends, network with members and their guests, tour the Society’s exhibitions and find out why you should join Asia Circle. Enjoy exhibition tours at 7:15p and 7:45p
Asia Society and Museum
725 Park Ave (between 70th and 71st Streets)
6 - 9p
Free
For more information: asiasociety



Buckwheat Zydeco (C, M)
If you've seen a Buckwheat show, you know what to expect: rocking, stomping, good time Creole party music. If you haven't seen Buckwheat Zydeco live, you're missing one of the music world's most exciting and fun performers. "Buckwheat leads one of the best party bands in America; he can pump out zydeco two-beats or shift into rolling 12-bar blues, steaming all the way." - The New York Times
@ BB King Blues Club
237 West 42nd Street (between 7th and 8th Avenues)
8p
$20.50 advance, $25.00 day of show
For more information and to buy tickets: bbking

Saturday, February 3rd, 2007

Singles Horseback, Wine and Fondue Tasting (F/D, S)
Join us for a day of riding, wine and fondue tasting.
We will saddle up, then ride for one hour through fields and woods with an experienced Wrangler or two. All skill levels welcome. Then, back to Manhattan to warm up over fondue and wine. Our Swiss hosts will make us most comfortable, as we sample from two custom-made fondues raclette and chocolate and a wide range of wines from the wine bar. Wine experts will be on hand to provide information, education and add a little history to this interactive event.
Time: 10 - 5p (meet at 9:45 for check-in).
Meeting Place: 73rd Street and Broadway, NE corner (in front of Apple Bank)
Cost: $150
For more information and to sign up: outdoorbound
Save $5.00 - after signing up email: info@outdoorbound.com and let them know you found out about trip from Laura’s List.



Museum Exhibit: Radical Lace and Subversive Knitting (A, C, E)
A provocative and timely exhibition of work by international artists using fiber in unexpected and unorthodox ways, Radical Lace & Subversive Knitting illuminates a field of creative practice that is fresh, surprising, and engaging. Artists employ a variety of media, from traditional yarns and laces, to found objects and video, and explore contemporary currents in art practice of socially engaged, participatory work. The artists in this exhibition are experimenting with forms and techniques in the most novel and surprising ways, exploring new relationships between structure, design, color, and pattern.
@ Museum of Arts and Design
40 West 53rd Street (between 5th and 6th Avenues)
$9 admission
For more information: mad

The Museum of Natural Hysteria 2: The Naked and Damned Scavenger Hunt (A, C, S)
If you enjoyed the movie Night at the Museum, you’ll enjoy this whirlwind tour of the most dangerous and shocking displays in the Museum of Natural History, featuring displays that inspired scenes in the movie. You’ll see nature and humans in a way that would make PBS blush. You’ll see exotic tribes and well-armed beasts in battles of tooth and claw and to the victors go the eyebrow raising spoils.
Price: $32 (which includes museum admission)
Advance payment is required
For more information and to sign up: adventures

Exploring the African American Quilt-Making Tradition with Edward Bostick (A, C, E)
Join artist and self-taught quilt maker Edward Bostick for an illustrated discussion of the African American quilt making tradition. Learn the stories and hidden messages depicted in the patterns of quilts, from the diamonds that represent birth, life, death and rebirth, to ‘Log Cabins’ that advertised safe homes for escaped slaves.
@ Brooklyn Central Library - 2nd floor Meeting Room
Grand Army Plaza (between Washington and Atlantic Avenues)
4p
Free
For more information call: 718.230.2100

Lee Feldman Performs (A, C, M)
Lee's timeless songwriting has evoked comparisons such as "Fats Domino meets Chopin", "Harry Nilsson meets Fats Waller," and "Randy Newman by way of Lou Reed and Paul Simon." Still, Lee's songs have a style uniquely their own, a reflection of his multiple roots in rock 'n roll, jazz and classical music. Perhaps this is why James Lien of CMJ wrote, "Lee Feldman is one of a vanishing breed: a literate, intriguing songwriter who sits at the piano and plays songs that are entertaining, witty and brimming with wry humor and creative wordplay.
@ Googies Lounge - upstairs at the Living Room
154 Ludlow Street (between Stanton and Rivington Streets)
9:30p
No cover, $5 suggested donation, 1 drink minimum
For more information: lee or livingroom

Sunday, February 4th, 2007 (Superbowl Sunday)

Winter Hike and Russian Baths/Spa (S)
Enjoy an invigorating 6 mile, medium-intensity hike through winter woods then back to Manhattan for several relaxing hours in the pool, hot tub, sauna, Jacuzzi and plunge pool. You may also add on a 30 or 60 minute massage...the perfect way to wrap up a winter day trip.You will have unlimited use of the facilities until 11p. You are provided you with a plush terry cloth robe, personal slippers, and as many towels as you need.
Time: 8 - 5p (meet at 7:45 for check-in).
Meeting Place: 73rd Street and Broadway, NE corner (in front of Apple Bank)
Cost: $95 (massages are additional)
For more information and to sign up: outdoorbound
Save $5.00 - after signing up email: info@outdoorbound.com and let them know you found out about trip from Laura’s List.



Singles Snow Tubing, Beer and BBQ (F/D, S)
Tired of Sledding on the 'hills' in NYC? Want a real ride? Jump on the wagon for a day of hard-core tubing!! You'll have your choice between the single and the and alternate whenever you like. Once you've got your tube, hitch a ride up the mountain on any one of four tows, jump in your tube and barrel down on one of ten different extended runs. Afterward, we’ll relax over a beer tasting at an award-winning microbrewery, housed in a renovated late-1800s farmhouse.
Time: 8 - 4p (meet at 7:45 for check-in).
Meeting Place: 73rd Street and Broadway, NE corner (in front of Apple Bank)
Cost: $115
For more information and to sign up: outdoorbound
Save $5.00 - after signing up email: info@outdoorbound.com and let them know you found out about trip from Laura’s List.

Akiko Yano Performs (A, M)
She is one of the most famous people you never heard of. She has recorded with many of the world's great musicians, and has been a major star in Japan since she was 21. Akiko has continued to collaborate with some of the world's most renowned musicians: Thomas Dolby, Pat Metheny and The Chieftains, singing in both Japanese and English.
@ Joes Pub
425 Lafayette Street (between Astor Place and West 4th Street)
7:30p
$27
For more information and to buy tickets: joespub

Louis Comfort Tiffany and Laurelton Hall - An Artists’s Country Estate (A, C, E)
This estate was completed in 1905 and was the epitome of the designer's achievement and in many ways defined this multifaceted artist. Tiffany designed every aspect of the project inside and out, creating a total aesthetic environment. The exhibition is a window into Tiffany’s most personal art, bringing into focus this remarkable artist who lavished as much care and creativity on the design and furnishing of his home and gardens as he did on all the wide-ranging media in which he worked. Although the house tragically burned to the ground in 1957, the exhibition brings together many of its surviving architectural elements and interior features. In addition, the exhibition features Tiffany's personal collections of his own work breathtaking stained-glass windows, paintings, glass and ceramic vases as well as the artist's collections of Japanese, Chinese, and Native American works of art.
@ Metropolitan Museum of Art
1000 Fifth Avenue (at 82nd Street)
Suggested admission, $20
For more information: met



Super Bowl XLI (Code: T-MM5RT86-01) (P, S)
Catch all the drama, anguish and triumph of the most intense game in pro sports. At this annual Super Bowl party, you can watch on the big screen while enjoying our great selection of premium beers and munchies. Price includes an open bar for one hour, snacks and prizes for score predictions.
Makor, Steinhardt Building
35 West 67th Street (between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue)
5p
Tickets are $25 advance; $30 day of event
For more information and to buy tickets: 92y

Super Bowl Party (P, S)
Come and watch the game, chill, party, mingle, drink and hang out with new folks.
@ Identity Bar
511 East 6th Street (between Avenues A and B)
5p
$10 in advance, $15 at event
For more information and to sign up: thelunchclub

Monday, February 5th, 2007

Speed Dating (S)
Prey Bar and Lounge
Up to 16 dates in one night
Ages: women 29 - 39, men 30 - 42
4 West 22nd Street (between 5th and 6th Avenues)
7:30p
Cost: $37.00 (use the name - Laura when registering on-line and save $5.00)
For more information and to sign up: dates

Key to Activities

A Art
C Cultural
D Dance
D/F Drink/Food
F Film
E Education
L Literature
M Music
NP Non-Profit
P Party
S Sport