Friday Superlatives: The Best, Worst and Weirdest of the Week

January 11, 2013, 3:00 pm

≫ Next: Who Left Their Dog at the Club?

≪ Previous: Forget the Oscars, Leo!

$

0

0

Best Chuckle of the Week: Mickey's commentary on Joey Lawrence at the People's Choice Awards, because I feel exactly the same way. -- Max Kessler


Biggest Surprise of the Week: The Simpsons getting nominated for an Oscar. (Well, okay, sort of: a short film about Maggie Simpson created by long-time Simpsons animator David Silverman got the nom, not an actual episode.) -- Abby Schreiber


Best TV: The return of Bunheads, which seemed to pack as many words into two minutes as most TV shows use in an entire episode. -- Jonah Wolf

Best Historical Document: This Tom Moulton mix from Fire Island in 1974 was uploaded to Soundcloud on Christmas Day and now I have "Everlasting Love" in my head. -- J.W.

Weirdest National Conversation We're Having: Analyzing soon-to-be Secretary of the Treasury Jack Lew's, er, unique signature, which will soon be on our currency. -- A.S.


Oscar Nominee We're Most Looking Forward to Watching on the Red Carpet: Nine-year-old Quvenzhané Wallis, who's been nominated for a Best Actress Oscar for her performance in Beasts of the Southern Wild. -- A.S.


Best Reunion News of the Week: DESTINY'S CHILD WILL PERFORM AT THIS YEAR'S SUPERBOWL!!! Ahhhh! Wear sensible, easy-to-walk-in shoes, Michelle. -- Elizabeth Thompson

Best Lindsay Lohan Quote from the Times' Magazine's 8,000 word piece on her and her new movie, The Canyons: "When it's done, I want to go somewhere far away, maybe Africa. Uganda?" -- E.T.

Art Show I'm Dying to See This Weekend: Jaimie Warren's The Whoas of Female Tragedy II at the Hole gallery. She's like the love child of Cindy Sherman and the Internet. -- E.T.


Most Hated Person in Brooklyn Right Now: The jerk who left their dog at 285 Kent's Class Actress' show last night. -E.T.

---

Who Left Their Dog at the Club?

January 11, 2013, 3:20 pm

≫ Next: Girls Recap: "Like, I Am Woman, Hear Me Roar"

≪ Previous: Friday Superlatives: The Best, Worst and Weirdest of the Week

$

0

0

When we saw the thousand-plus Facebook RSVPs to last night's free Class Actress show at 285 Kent, we knew to stay well away. (Plus the parenthetical phrase "DJ set" is always a turn-off.)

And it seems like we made the right choice: by 8:30, people were being turned away.

Eventually, the venue limited admittance to 300 guests with wristbands.

Still, things got pretty crazy. 

The next morning (or rather, afternoon), like something out of The Hangover, this tweet emerged. The dog's identity remained a mystery until...

Girls Recap: "Like, I Am Woman, Hear Me Roar"

January 14, 2013, 10:20 am

≫ Next: Off Duty: L.A.'s Animal Guys

≪ Previous: Who Left Their Dog at the Club?

$

0

0

A season premiere should open doors, and last night's return of HBO's hit Girls, titled "It's About Time," did just that. It opens with Lena Dunham's character, Hannah, spooning with her now-gay-ex Elijah, who has moved in. Minutes later, we find her in the arms of a new love interest, Sandy, played by Donald Glover, who encourages her to tell former-flame Adam about their relationship. The issue: Adam, who is still healing from his bus accident at the end of last season, has convinced guilt-ridden Hannah to tend to him 'round the clock. It's all very shameless, manipulative and typically Adam (one word: bedpan). But sometime between the two seasons, Hannah grew a pair. Armed with a bit of confidence, she (sort of) puts her foot down and tells Adam she never wants to see him again. I'm not sure if I buy it, but at least she's finally getting the hang of standing up for herself. All adventurous women must.

Meanwhile, Marnie (Allison Williams), has become intolerable. With no boyfriend, no job and no roommate, she's a tornado of self-obsession, judging and whining about all who stand in her path. The only one spared is her mopey ex Charlie, who somehow seems even more mopey with his new girlfriend (played by Dunham's real life pal Audrey Gelman, press secretary to Manhattan borough president Scott Stringer). Eventually, Marnie shows up at his door, saying that she "just needs to sleep next to someone." Groan. Here's hoping Booth Jonathan screws her out of her pity party, especially since her romp with possibly-bisexual Elijah earlier in the episode was a heinous failure.

Shoshanna (Zosia Manet) steals the episode. She remains the most high-strung character of the bunch, but her frenzied rants are completely earnest. You can totally tell she's obsessed with Ray, even though she's totally saying she's not. ("Like, I am woman, hear me roar.") We don't find out exactly what went down between them, but here's a guess: After Ray took her virginity, she expected a relationship and he pumped the breaks. So they play cat and mouse at Hannah and Elijah's party until they wind up making out in the bedroom -- and Ray obviously wanted it the whole time.

We only get a few seconds with Jessa (Jemima Kirke), whose story line was left the most open-ended at the end of last season when she spontaneously married Thomas John. Now, they're back from their honeymoon and (seemingly) madly in love, except she doesn't know his address. Whatever. I don't care how giddy they seem, I don't see this lasting. It's only a matter of time before she gets bored and becomes a lesbian or a nun or... something. (PS: Kirke not showing up for last night's Golden Globes, where Dunham was awarded Best Actress in a Comedy Series and the show won Best TV comedy, is so Jessa.)

Collectively, all four girls start season two in drastically different romantic circumstances than when we first met them (Marnie, the monogamist, is now single; non-commital Jessa has committed etc.) and such changing roles and dynamics are bound to affect their friendships. Though relationships and guys were barely alluded to, the tension between Hannah and Marnie during the party scene suggests that we're not finished exploring Marnie's and Hannah's adjustments to their new roles with respect to one another. We first glimpsed these changes when Marnie and Charlie broke up last season and -- for a little while at least -- Hannah and Adam seemed to have a functional relationship, thereby inverting the friends' previous romantic statuses and identities. And now those changes are even more pronounced. As much as she is capable of doing, Hannah seems like she's got her shit together (for now). Marnie, meanwhile, realizes that -- likely for the first time in her life -- she has fewer boxes checked than Hannah: no job, no relationship and no (stable) living situation. It will be interesting to watch how Marnie continues to handle this power shift and how long it takes for her to land on her feet. It will also be interesting to see what kind of effect a potential relationship between Ray and Shoshonna (along with Jessa's marriage to Thomas-John) has on the foursome's dynamic and their evaluations of themselves -- and the roles they play -- within the group.

These changes aside, it's clear the girls have remained the same in other respects. They still self-obsess and then point fingers at the self-obsessed. They draw moral boundaries and then dance dangerously close to the edge, occasionally blowing right off the cliff for the story (Jessa) or the experience (Hannah). Ever-suspended in a state of identity crisis, they experiment with dignity and dogma until something clicks. Oh, and drugs. Based on the trailer for the rest of this season, here is my one prediction for season two: Hannah, in an attempt to think less and live more, hits up a warehouse rave and dabbles in MDMA. It's about time.

Photo: Jessica Miglio/HBO

Off Duty: L.A.'s Animal Guys

January 14, 2013, 11:15 am

≫ Next: Cocktail of the Week: The Wayward Son at The Marrow

≪ Previous: Girls Recap: "Like, I Am Woman, Hear Me Roar"

$

0

0

Each week in our new Off Duty series, we'll talk to some of our favorite chefs and industry folk around the country to find out their secret late-night spots where they like to grab a bite and a pint when their kitchens are finally closed. Next up: Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo from L.A.'s carnivorous nirvana Animal and avant seafood "shack" Son of a Gun.

Jon Shook:

What places do you like to hit up when your kitchen's closed?
I like Greenblatt's, a Jewish deli in our neighborhood that's open until 2 a.m. I've probably been going there for at least nine years and I've been in L.A. for ten [years]. I have no clue how I heard about it. It's your quintessential, pastrami, corned beef sandwich on rye bread with thousand island. It's not unbelievably special but I think that's some of your highest quality food at that time of night.

They have potato pancakes and matzoh ball soup and everything you'd think of getting at Canters but I don't think Canters is as good as Greenblatt's. It's as old [as Canters] -- don't quote me on this but I think it's 40-50 years old. [Ed note: It's five years older than Canters and opened in 1926]. It also has an extensive wine list.

A deli with a wine list? That's interesting. What's your favorite thing to order when you go there?
I pretty much get the same thing every time I go there, which is pastrami on rye with Thousand Island or I'll get corned beef, depending how I'm feeling. Always on rye with Thousand Island dressing, though. I'll get it with pasta salad every single time. I've only eaten the [pasta salad] when I'm starving. When you're starving and exhausted, it's delicious.


Any fun anecdotes about your late-night trips there?
I'll just say at 1 or 1:30 in the morning, anywhere adjacent to Hollywood, you're bound to see some of the craziest shit you've ever seen. There's tons and tons of interesting characters/street riders in and around Hollywood. Every time you go there, there's some weird person. I don't want to sound crazy and tell you some story because it might make me sound nuts but you do see all kinds of weird people there -- it's right off of Sunset Blvd near the Roxy. You have wasted people, girls with their titties hanging out, guys wasted from West Hollywood, getting into fights.

Have you ever been during the daytime? I imagine the crowd is totally different.
Yeah, it's full of old people that have been going there for 30 years. Jewish mothers there with their daughters. You should check it out.

Vinny Dotolo

What's your favorite late-night joint?
[I like this place] Dino's Chicken & Burgers that's open kind of late. It's got this vinegar, spicy chicken and they also put French fries in their vinegar sauce and it's out of this world. I don't want to know where the chicken is from -- it's bright orange, almost like tandoori chicken and it's roasted, not fried.

The place itself is a shack and kind of bright inside. There are windows outside where you can order from and you can eat standing up outside -- they have a counter around the perimeter of it. You can also eat inside sitting down at one of four tables that are kind of like old McDonald's-style booths. It's a far stretch from Beverly Hills.

How did you discover Dino's?
I think Jon turned me on to it a couple of years ago -- he found out about it from a friend and we went and tried it and were like, "Wow this shit is really good and crazy cheap." It's six dollars for half a chicken and fries with vinegar sauce.

What do you like to order there? I assume the chicken?
Yeah, I haven't even tried the burgers even though it's called Dino's Chicken & Burgers.

What are your typical nights like when you go there?
A lot of times when I go after work [with colleagues], there are usually a lot of war stories about what your past experiences were as a cook or what you have going on that night. A lot of shit-talking and relaxing, laughing, having a good time.

Have you run into any interesting people there late at night? Any surprising celebrities?
No. Definitely not.

It's not like Pink's.
It's definitely not. Pink's is terrible. That's just a tourist trap. Going to Pink's is just as bad as going to New York and eating at Bennigan's in Times Square.

Greenblatt's is located at 8017 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, CA. It's open daily from 9 am - 2 am.

Dino's Chicken & Burgers is located at 2575 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, CA and at 6135 Pacific Blvd., Huntington Park, CA. It's open daily from 6:30 am - 10 pm, Mon-Thur; 6:30 am- 11 pm, Fri & Sat; 7 am - 10 pm, Sun.

More Off Duty
David Chang

Cocktail of the Week: The Wayward Son at The Marrow

January 14, 2013, 12:00 pm

≫ Next: Eight Items or Less: Furniture by Rem Koolhaas...

≪ Previous: Off Duty: L.A.'s Animal Guys

$

0

0

While waiting for your table (an inevitability given the constant throng of intrigued diners) at The Marrow, Harold Dieterle and Alicia Nosenzo's West Village homage to German and Italian cuisine, you can find refuge at the sleek granite bar. Glasses of crisp white vino from Italy's Marche region easily pave the way for the restaurant's ethereal baccala gnudi, but a more seductive alternative is the Wayward Son cocktail. At the bottom of bartender Devan Van Eyck's turmeric syrup-laced creation, a cherry offers a graceful red contrast to the cocktail's shimmering gold hue. A well-balanced apéritif, the Wayward Son marries the heat of Buffalo Trace White Dog unaged whiskey with Yellow Chartreuse and lemon juice. "No note is too strident, but all are clearly in evidence," Van Eyck points out. "Like the menu, it's a reflection of quality ingredients and bright, clean flavors." With this earthy-sweet mélange in hand, eating hardly seems a priority.

The Wayward Son

2 oz. Buffalo Trace White Dog

½ oz. Yellow Chartreuse

½ oz. lemon juice

2 barspoons turmeric syrup

Brandied or maraschino cherry

Prepare a coupe glass with a cherry at the bottom. Add ice and liquid ingredients to a shaker and shake vigorously. Pour strained contents of the shaker into the coupe and serve.

Eight Items or Less: Furniture by Rem Koolhaas...

January 14, 2013, 1:10 pm

≫ Next: RuPaul On the New Season of Drag Race + Refusing to Watch Award Shows

≪ Previous: Cocktail of the Week: The Wayward Son at The Marrow

$

0

0

1. Chances With Wolves is hosting an "old-school dance party" on the second floor of Taavo Somer's Williamsburg restaurant, ISA (348 Wythe Avenue, Brooklyn), this Wednesday, January 16, 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. AND, admission is FREE! If CWW's EastVillageRadio.com show -- Mondays 6 to 8 p.m. -- is any indication, the music will be most excellent.

2. Hipsters live on, while Die Hipster dies. The blog called it quits after six years and 2.8 million views: "The truth is, I simply can't take these people anymore - to the point that I don't even want to write about them on a regular basis. It's too depressing, nauseating, and aggravating." OK, now how much longer for Hipster Runoff?

3. "Beat Memories: The Photographs of Allen Ginsberg" opens tomorrow, January 15, at NYU's Grey Art Gallery (100 Washington Square East) and runs until April 6. The exhibit includes over 90 b&w photos, with portraits of Jack Kerouac, Gregory Corso and William Burroughs.

4. "Aaron Swartz was my friend, and I will always miss him," writes Matt Stoller. This a long-read, but worth the time. (Photo by Daniel J. Sieradski on Flickr)

5. Fountain Art Fair returns for an eighth year in NYC from March 8 to 10 in the 69th Regent Armory (68 Lexington Avenue) -- that's the site of the original Armory Show in 1913. They are working with Brooklyn gallery guide WAGMAG and performance-art space Grace Exhibition Space, plus they're promising cool parties on both Friday and Saturday nights with "musical guests." Art + Party = ArtyParty! (Photo by Art Comments on Flickr)

6. When can we get this cool table and chairs designed by Rem Koolhass for Knoll?

RuPaul On the New Season of Drag Race + Refusing to Watch Award Shows

January 14, 2013, 1:30 pm

≫ Next: Yeah Yeah Yeahs Share New Album Details

≪ Previous: Eight Items or Less: Furniture by Rem Koolhaas...

$

0

0

Last night might've been a big night for TV premieres, but there's one show that's leaving a giant hole in our hearts: RuPaul's Drag Race. The show returns January 28th and, here, we chat with Drag Race's Queen of Queens RuPaul about the new season, what America's sweetheart Latrice Royale has been up to, and why Ru doesn't watch award shows. Read below for the dish.
 

So what can you tell us about the new season? What are the girls like?
What's interesting is that every time the audition process comes around, I'm always thinking "Oh God, we've probably tapped this well. There can't be any more girls." [Laughs.] But there are, there are! There are tons. And the show is creating more. We're tapping into a resource using seeds we've planted in Season 1. And these kids speak the language, they understand the show and they come prepared. Although, you know, I would love them to be more prepared, because you never know what we're gonna throw at em.

Are there any tense moments in this new season? Any huge fights to look forward to?
Drag queens, on a sound stage with cameras with $100,000 at stake? Yes! It's so funny, every season has a defining moment that sets the tone and we can never anticipate it, but [this season] it comes -- I forget what episode it is -- and where we're gobsmacked at this thing that happens.

What's the tone of the new season? Does the group have a particular feel this time?
Yeah, they always do -- the new groups are always different shades of...shade. [Laughs.] It's hard to put into words, but they're young. They're very contemporary. We've got some girls who are old-school but not as many as we've had in the past.

Are they breaking drag boundaries left and right?
Well, I wouldn't say they're breaking drag boundaries. They leave that to mama!

Do you have a favorite moment from All Stars Drag Race?
Well, it was so hard to see the girls that we love go away. My favorite moment was probably when both Jujubee and Raven lip-synched against each other. It was heartbreaking. And then they both got to stay. I loved that.

And what are some of your other favorite lip-synch moments throughout the seasons?
Well any time Latrice Royale is gonna lip-synch, honey, you're gonna have a real show on your hands, cause that girl's gonna do it! She's one of the old-school girls who can actually do slow songs. You have to cook a little bit longer to do a ballad as a lip-synch, and these younger girls don't have time to learn the lyrics or the nuances and stuff like that. But oh my goodness, Latrice is amazing.

And what is Latrice up to?
Latrice is traveling the world. She was just South Africa, and she's got a new single out with Manila Luzon called "The Chop," with remixes available on iTunes. And she went on the cruise that all the girls went on in December. So she's working -- working, working, working. What I love about this show is that once these girls are on the show they're working non-stop around the world.

And what's new for you?
A new series of EPs that are out on iTunes right now, and I'm just in love with them. And I'm working on a new album right now. Mostly I'm having a really good time with this time in my career.
 
Do you watch TV outside of Drag Race?
I don't watch a lot of it. I watch Judge Judy and Jeopardy and I watch Turner Classic Movies and QVC and HSN. That's it.

Do you watch award shows?
No, no, I don't. In fact I didn't see the Golden Globes, because the idea of watching the popular rich kids in high school congratulating themselves, the idea of the popular, beautiful rich kids from high school putting on a show to congratulate themselves...oh boy.

Do you have any favorite mainstream celebs?
Judge Judy. That would be it. I've been doing this for a long time and I've met all my idols. What ends up happening is that once Dorothy goes to Oz, looks behind the curtain, sees the wizard is just a guy, yada yada yada, it's not the same. And you realize, "Oh. What I'm looking for, I had in myself."

RuPaul's Drag Race premieres January 28th on Logo.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs Share New Album Details

January 14, 2013, 1:50 pm

≫ Next: Morning Funnies: While You Watched Girls Or the Golden Globes, a Park Sloper Was Crowned Miss America

≪ Previous: RuPaul On the New Season of Drag Race + Refusing to Watch Award Shows

$

0

0

You're looking at the album cover for the new album, Mosquito, by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, to be released on April 16 by Interscope. The album was produced by Dave Sitek of TV on the Radio and Nick Launay. On Saturday night, we were at Sly Fox talking to strangers when "Y Control" came on and we discovered that we had all seen TV on the Radio open for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs at Boston's Government Center in 2006. Anyway, this album cover is pretty ugly, especially the way the computer-imaged 3D hand goes through the 2D band logo. According to Pitchfork, it was designed by Beomsik Shimbe Shim, who made the animated short "The Wonder Hospital." Also according to Pitchfork, James Murphy produced a song for the new album called "Nitrous Batcave" that features Dr. Octagon. In an interview on that site, singer Karen O describes Mosquito as a "tongue-in-cheek" "pep talk" during an "emotionally intense" period for herself and guitarist Nick Zinner.

Here's an "album teaser" with some new music and Karen O with blonde hair.

Here's a live performance of the title track.

Another new song.

---

Morning Funnies: While You Watched Girls Or the Golden Globes, a Park Sloper Was Crowned Miss America

January 15, 2013, 6:30 am

≫ Next: Santigold's Ode to Girls

≪ Previous: Yeah Yeah Yeahs Share New Album Details

$

0

0

Kate Middleton's official portrait-meets-botched Jesus fresco. [via I'm With Kanye]


...like a villain. [via Coin Farts]

For all those who were titillated by the recent Times Magazine article about Lindsay Lohan and the shooting of Bret Easton Ellis' The Canyons, here's a preview clip that seems to show the key scene referenced in the piece in which porn star James Deen roughs up Lindsay's character, Tara. [via Vulture]

We'd read that. [via Knusprig Titten Hitler]

On a related note, we'd watch that. [via Pleated Jeans]

Wuttt?!? Cher is apparently developing a sixties-era Hollywood-themed show for Logo. Hope it takes off. [via Jezebel]

In case you're still bummed R. Kelly's Love Letter Cruise got cancelled or already itching to go back to the high seas after jamming to Girl Talk and tasting James Murphy's wine recommendations during the Coachella Cruise, here's a new one to check out: Mark McGrath is hosting his own cruise and hoping that that all that 90s nostalgia you feel for Sonic Youth, Nirvana, X-Girl etc. will eventually translate into pangs for Smash Mouth and Sugar Ray. In addition to those two bands mentioned above, we hear the boat will also feature Cracker, Spin Doctors, Gin Blossoms and more. Don't wait to book your cabin! [via Uproxx]

While you were busy watching Brooklyn girls on Girls -- or watching Brooklyn girls on Girls win a few Golden Globes -- a real-life Brooklyn girl became the next Miss America. She lives in Park Slope. (And, no, she did not wear a vintage one-piece from Beacon's Closet for the swimsuit competition, in case you were wondering.) [via Shift]

Dig a young John Waters. [via The Dorsey Shaw Experience] 

And now, please allow Gary Busey to be your Hobbit spirit guide during this somewhat rambling -- yet no less informative -- discussion in which he describes how hobbits wear "cockroaches in their hair" and have "wide underwear." [The Busey Zone via Bunny Food]

Santigold's Ode to Girls

January 15, 2013, 7:20 am

≫ Next: Style Scraps: Quvenzhané Wallis Is the Cutest + Sky Ferreira Models Saint Laurent

≪ Previous: Morning Funnies: While You Watched Girls Or the Golden Globes, a Park Sloper Was Crowned Miss America

$

0

0

Girls, girls, girls. Getting tired of girls? Can you handle one more thing related to the HBO TV series?  How about Santigold's video for her contribution to the Girls soundtrack -- yes it's called Girls -- out now on Fueled by Ramen records? Actually it's got 14 tracks by different artists like fun.,The Vaccines, Belle & Sebastian and Robyn, and you might enjoy it, even if you hate the show. Santigold hit the streets of NYC for this clip, directed by Weird Days, and everybody joins in a massive lip-synch.  Note to the haters: It only lasts 2 minutes and 20 seconds.

Style Scraps: Quvenzhané Wallis Is the Cutest + Sky Ferreira Models Saint Laurent

January 15, 2013, 9:10 am

≫ Next: Triskaidekaphobia at Parade Ground

≪ Previous: Santigold's Ode to Girls

$

0

0

This video where André Leon Talley interviews Quvenzhané Wallis about fashion is so insanely cute. It needs to be watched to be believed. [via Gawker]  


PPR bought a majority stake in Christopher Kane's label. They're hoping to open a Christopher Kane store next year and introduce another (cheaper, please) ready-to-wear line. We like that plan. [via The Cut]  
  

Beyoncé might be starring in a campaign for H&M's swimwear line! There were rumors of a photo shoot in the Bahamas last week and one of her backup dancers hinted at a collab on Facebook. [via WWD]   

the selby took a look inside of Christian Louboutin's apartment and studio, and it's unsurprisingly lovely. He also told them he created his famous red soles as "a green-light 'Follow me young man....!!!' style."


Valentino wants to re-expand its menswear label, with plans to open stores in Paris, London and Milan! Designers Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli Chiuri want "to combine the sartorial values of the brand, its essence of couture, with our idea of style, in men's wear, too." We're obsessed with their couture shows so we are very much looking forward to seeing what they do. [via WWD]


Speaking of Valentino Couture, Jennifer Lawrence wore a look from the AW'12 couture show to last night's 38th annual Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards. [via Tom + Lorenzo]


Sky Ferreira is the star of Saint Laurent Paris's look-book. [via Fashionista]


Guillaume Henry, the current creative director of Carven, told The Cut that there's not much of a community of fashion designers in Paris, saying: "There are a lot of houses. But I'm not sure there is a fashion community here in Paris. We do respect each other, but I don't spend time with designers...I would lie if I said that it isn't a kind of competition, because obviously everybody is looking at everyone. We are working in an industry, and it's not only images -- it's a question of commercial result, so we're all looking at each other," although "not with pain or anger."

Triskaidekaphobia at Parade Ground

January 15, 2013, 10:30 am

≫ Next: OUTPUT Is Coming to Williamsburg

≪ Previous: Style Scraps: Quvenzhané Wallis Is the Cutest + Sky Ferreira Models Saint Laurent

$

0

0

"Triskaidekaphobia" means fear of the number 13, which might explain why this performance art event at Parade Ground (the new gallery across from Seward Park) was split between Saturday the 12th and Monday the 14th. PAPER popped in to the second installment last night -- the event was supposed to start at seven but, arriving at that time, we found the door locked. When the gallery's lighting was cut and a strobe started flashing, we were finally admitted.

Co-curator Bradford Kessler, skin painted yellow, stood behind this flag the whole time we were there. The other organizer, General Idea's AA Bronson, sat shirtless and bearded in a corner, wrapped in a sheet.

Genevieve Belleveau performed rune readings.

The androgynous Boy Child stood in a corner as house music played.

In the next room, musicians coaxed drones from theremin and synth. Guests were offered "essence of the location" -- water infused with plants picked from the area. It tasted like water.

We left before a promised live action painting involving this pair of pants, but plan to return to the space in April (if not sooner) for their "GIF Festival."

OUTPUT Is Coming to Williamsburg

January 15, 2013, 12:00 pm

≫ Next: Jonathan Morr On His New Restaurant, His Love of Jewelry and Why He's Drinking Less Sake

≪ Previous: Triskaidekaphobia at Parade Ground

$

0

0

A legit nightclub -- not a warehouse party -- is opening in Williamsburg. The 400+ capacity club called OUTPUT is set to open at 74 Wythe Avenue and it's expected to include a restaurant as well as an outdoor, rooftop space. The club has also been designed to be a showcase for the British sound company Funktion-One. The NYC promoters of the Bunker host a party with Speedy J, Peter Van Hoessen and Mike Servito in the space on February 22. Just guessing, but we suspect that it's also got some connection with Halcyon Records in DUMBO. (Commercial Observer)

Jonathan Morr On His New Restaurant, His Love of Jewelry and Why He's Drinking Less Sake

January 15, 2013, 12:45 pm

≫ Next: POL & Sakiroo Choi's "Special Musician Collaboration"

≪ Previous: OUTPUT Is Coming to Williamsburg

$

0

0

Innovative restaurateur Jonathan Morr just opened Cherry, a Japanese restaurant with French influences. The plush, seductive space under the Meatpacking District's Dream Downtown is a far cry from when it was the short-lived Romera. He talked to us about his return to the neighborhood he helped pioneer, plus a few other things.

Why Japanese-French food? Did you go to Japan for research?
The truth is I sent my chef [Andy Choi] to Japan for a couple of weeks. It's so traditional there, obviously, that we didn't pick up too much. The Frenchy part is more of an influence. Andy used to work at Le Cirque. We came up with a basic menu that he then tweaked and polished.

Did you ever go to Romera?
No.

I read in the Times that you described changing the design of the space "from hospital to bordello."
I think I was misquoted, but it was very sterile. Dr. Romera was a surgeon and maybe a little inspired by a surgery room. We gutted the whole space and it feels a lot warmer. It doubles as a fine dining space and lounge serving food until 2 a.m. on weeknights and 4 a.m. on weekends. I wasn't too sure about taking the space at first. A basement is not that easy to pull off.

You were a pioneer in the Meatpacking District, opening APT ten years ago when there was hardly anything there but slaughterhouses and prostitutes.
We opened at the same time as Pastis. APT went from being a lounge to more of a club and at that point having a club was not really my thing. We were only paying $6000-$7000 a month in rent and now it's probably quadrupled. I sold it a few years ago before it closed [in 2010]. Cherry is a little bit of a comeback in the neighborhood for me.

Did you reinvest all that money?
I bought myself a bunch of jewelry. I'm sure it disappeared rather quickly.

So you like to spend money?
Everybody likes to spend money.

You also pioneered fancy espresso bars, opening them back in the '90s.
A long time before Starbucks. And I opened BONDST when nothing was on Bond Street and Republic on Union Square when there was nothing but drugs and prostitutes in the park. It made sense to me at the time that it would develop. The Meatpacking District was much more of a risk. I don't think anybody knew it would explode.

You were ahead of the hamburger craze when you opened Stand. Do you see any neighborhoods or trends emerging in 2013?
I don't know. The Lower East Side is developing nicely. Brooklyn.

Are you going to open something in Brooklyn?
I don't have a visa to go to Brooklyn.

Really? You don't go to Brooklyn?
I get dragged there by friends. I respect all the good things happening there, but I go to places near where I live. My favorite restaurant in New York is Balthazar. I'm there all the time. I love going to Indochine for dinner. I'm old school. Acme has a great vibe. The food is good and interesting, very much the place to be in New York right now.

You get a lot of celebrities and fashion people at your restaurants but you don't snitch to the press about it.
It's not my policy to take advantage of their presence.

I think sometimes they or their publicists tip off the press themselves.
I'm sure they do, probably much more in Los Angeles. If they do that it's fine. Some may also want their privacy, but if you want to be a celebrity you pay the price for that. You can't have it all.

Is there anything you won't eat?
I don't eat the crazy things. I don't like snake. Certain things I have to be in the mood for. Sometimes oysters or uni -- I can't even think about it.

Uni is such a thing now.
We use uni for quite a few dishes at Cherry. Andy made uni with poached egg and I said, 'Hey, we've got to put this on the menu.' I didn't know if people would eat eggs at night. Oddly enough, it's being ordered a lot. Our uni with crispy rice is also delicious.

You always have good looking people working in your restaurants who also know how to do their jobs.
I don't know how it happens. It's not because of me. There's a balance you have to find. If somebody has an attitude -- never! Our servers have so much knowledge. They have to learn all the details of the menu, complex Japanese dishes, and we have 72 sakes on the list. It's not a diner. They're studying. They have to pass a test. We test them every three months.

That must be tough to have to learn to describe 72 sakes.
Everybody wants to learn new things. I love sake. I drink sake quite a lot. Not that long ago I found out it was very fattening, more fattening than wine. It's made from rice. You have to drink less of it or pay for it the next morning when you go to the gym.

I read your father was a diplomat and you grew up all over -- Israel, Paris, London, Africa. When did you come to New York?
1987 or '88. I studied hotel management in Switzerland. My father wanted me to go to college for something specific. We traveled a lot since I was five and I was always so excited to stay in hotels. I wanted to live in a hotel. He said the best place to study hotel management was in Switzerland so I went there.

And now you own hotels [in Mexico City and Miami]. Glad that worked out for you.
It was a good investment for him.

Photo by PatrickMcMullan.com

POL & Sakiroo Choi's "Special Musician Collaboration"

January 15, 2013, 1:00 pm

≫ Next: Finally, a Parenting Magazine for Hipster Dads

≪ Previous: Jonathan Morr On His New Restaurant, His Love of Jewelry and Why He's Drinking Less Sake

$

0

0

It's a double-collab with these fantastic interpretations of classic music collaborations by two young illustrators. Colombian artist POL (Jean Paul Egred) hooked up with Korea's Sakiroo Choi to create a series that they call "Rock It."

See more here.

---

Finally, a Parenting Magazine for Hipster Dads

January 15, 2013, 1:33 pm

≫ Next: Eight Items or Less: The Coffin for Audiophiles

≪ Previous: POL & Sakiroo Choi's "Special Musician Collaboration"

$

0

0

Here's something for all you "cool-dad" men of the house: Kindling Quarterly, a new mag that centers on fatherhood while celebrating the bearded crème de la bearded crème of hipster dads. We'll admit that the whole thing is kind of cute and very well designed, even if it's laughably Brooklyn (e.g., every dad pictured has facial hair and is sporting flannels and/or Steven Alan sweaters). Anywho, check out more previews from the mag below and click here for more info.

(via It's Nice That)

Eight Items or Less: The Coffin for Audiophiles

January 15, 2013, 2:35 pm

≫ Next: Morning Funnies: Jennifer Lawrence Was Talking About First Wives Club, You Dummies!

≪ Previous: Finally, a Parenting Magazine for Hipster Dads

$

0

0

1. New York avant-garde/underground filmmaker Nick Zedd curated a "Cinema of Transgression" festival featuring his films and others by Tessa Hughes-Freeland, Richard Kern, Mary Jordan and more. It starts tonight, January 15, 9 p.m., and runs through the 19th at Glasshouse (246 Union Avenue, Williamsburg). It's FREE with a "$10 suggested donation at the bar." HERE's all the details.

2. When it opens in 2014, Ian Schrager's Miami Beach Edition Hotel (2901 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach) will have a bowling alley, an ice skating rink, several restaurants and a nightclub. (Miami Herald)

3. UK band Savages will be in NYC at the Bowery Ballroom on March 18 and at Music Hall of Williamsburg on the 19th. AmEx pre-sale tix available tomorrow, January 16, at noon and the rest on Friday. (BrooklynVegan)

4. Unbelievable basketball action clip featuring the Hungary Acrobatic Sports Team. The song is "Higher" by Scott & Brendo, w/ Peter Hollens.

5. Now you CAN take it with you. Just buy this CataCombo Sound System for only $30,000. (BoingBoing)

6. Kid Cudi is set to appear in a new film based on the video game "Need For Speed." (Billboard, photo by Dana Beveridge on Flickr)

Morning Funnies: Jennifer Lawrence Was Talking About First Wives Club, You Dummies!

January 16, 2013, 6:50 am

≫ Next: A$AP Rocky Takes His Throne on Letterman

≪ Previous: Eight Items or Less: The Coffin for Audiophiles

$

0

0

Jennifer Lawrence was referencing completely memorable comedy First Wives Club when she said 'I beat Meryl' at the Golden Globes. What is wrong with you people? [ONTD]

Happy first birthday to the Lana Del Rey Twirling On Things meme. Our baby is growing up! [ImWithKanye]

A few questions about this photo:
1) Is George Clooney wearing bronzer on his forehead?
2) What is the correct Marry, F*ck, Kill ordering of this photo? (Answer below.*)
3) Is that Nathan Fillion getting his champers on in the background?
[TheClearlyDope]

Old-timey joke photo. [LaugtherKey]

It's no biggie. HAHAHA. [RatsOff]
Join us on the toad sofa? [LaughingSquid]

This pot pie ate a pot pie. [Reddit]

Tiny Patti Smith! [ThisIsntHappiness]

Drugs not Uggs. [ChrisMohney]


Dramatic Boston Terrier is the new Dramatic Cat. [TastefullyOffensive]

Grilled slime sandwich, anyone? [Coinfarts]



(*Answer: Marry Ben Affleck, f*ck Jon Hamm, kill George Clooney)

A$AP Rocky Takes His Throne on Letterman

January 16, 2013, 9:55 am

≫ Next: Style Scraps: Androgynous Models Edition

≪ Previous: Morning Funnies: Jennifer Lawrence Was Talking About First Wives Club, You Dummies!

$

0

0

A$AP Rocky's album came out yesterday, so he went on the Late Show With David Letterman last night to be sure you knew.  He  brought his own throne in case you wondered who's the king, and wore a pair of $2,000 Raf Simons shoes because "that's usually what I'm dressed in."  He did two tracks from Long.Live.A$AP -- the title track and the Skrillex collab "Wild For the Night"-- with an all-star, back-up trio:  AraabMuzik, A-Trak and DJ Clark Kent.  What more can I say? Top billin'. 

Style Scraps: Androgynous Models Edition

January 16, 2013, 10:30 am

≫ Next: Our Favorite Ladies Share Their Twentysomething Mistakes

≪ Previous: A$AP Rocky Takes His Throne on Letterman

$

0

0

DuJour Magazine has an interesting profile of supermodel Coco Rocha and, among other things, discusses her Jehovah's Witness faith, saying the model still goes door-to-door every week. "There aren't many Witnesses who are in the public eye. I can't even name any," Rocha says. "I know a lot of people in my industry have associated with Witnesses. So, yeah, it's hard sometimes when you're there alone. You're not there with someone who can hold your hand and say we'll do this together." [DuJour via The Cut]

Back in November, we introduced you to Casey Legler, a woman who had been signed to Ford's men's division to work exclusively as a male model and now we hear she's booked her first campaign, starring in ads for AllSaints. Congrats, Casey! [via Telegraph]


And, while we're on the topic of androgyny, check out these gender-bending shots starring Malgosia Bela for Alexander Wang's latest campaign. [via Refinery 29]

Here's a cute little behind-the-scenes video of Jean-Paul Goude directing Kenzo's Spring/Summer 2013 campaign. [via Selectism]

DSQUARED² is launching a children's line! Wonder if they'll make any kiddie versions of these looks... [via Vogue UK]


Even though $96 may be an offensively high number to spend on a sports bra that you're just going to stuff in your gross gym bag and get all sweaty, we really like this little number by VPL. [via ELLE]

Uh-oh: Dolce & Gabbana designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbano are facing a new tax evasion lawsuit that could potentially sentence them to five years in jail. Read more over at Forbes.