Tonight, for one night only, the Filmore New York at Irving Plaza will host a hip-hop karaoke championship. Do you like to rap? Do you like to perform karaoke? If you answered yes to both of these questions avoid the Filmore tonight.
This particular event is for spectators only. Apparently karaoke rap battles have been happening in the toughest boroughs of NYC (Manhattan and Brooklyn) and the hardest of the hard have triumphed and now will face off in a "regional battle reminiscent of rap's old days."
These hardcore rappers will have the lyrics scrolled in front of them on a big screen while they are cheered on with hired entourages and even a "hype man." I'm about 90% sure this is what it will look like:
I highly recommend checking this championship battle out. Highly.
Thank you to Kat Johnson for tipping us off to this video illustrating a new tree sweater epidemic in Brooklyn. What is up with these things? Did some misguided tree-hugger get tired of feeling cold bark on their cheek?
Excellent find Becky Kanis. So excellent that we'll forgive you the non sequitur about putting an end to Hoom Leshnesh (whoever he is).
The president of Weatherproof decided to take the image of the president of the United States of America and put it on display in Times Square. According to the Huffington Post who heard it from Associated Press who heard it from Sally after gym class Weatherproof saw this pic of Obama in AP and thought it would be totally rad if he modeled for them. So they took the pic and put it on a billboard. Then Obama had to say, "Uhm. Not cool guys." Since he's the pres they have two weeks to remove it. So enjoy it while it lasts NYC.
Meanwhile, some smaller companies seem to coast by while using Obama's likeness. Take this lil deli in Fort Greene for example (thanks to Shante Smalls for the picture).
There seems to be a long-running dispute between the hipsters and the Hebrews that share the lovely neighborhood of Williamsburg. While we normally make a fair amount of fun of both groups on this blog this time it's over something serious: bike lanes.
From Pete's Candy Store: Just before Christmas, 2009, a war broke out on the bike lanes of Williamburg. On one side: the Hassidic Jewish community of the Southside, who had advocated--successfully--for Mayor Bloomberg to remove the Bedford Ave Bike lane. Their ostensible reason: Too much rolling flesh on display from the biker community. On the other side: A coalition of bikesters, whose defiance led them to re-paint the bike lanes, and threaten a topless ride in protest (it was snowed out in the blizzard of '09).
So here we have the Hasidic neighborhood being all like, "Those capri pants offend me! Get that boy off that bike!" while the hipsters are all like, "Call us bikesters. Trust fund. Cocaine. Indie rock." That round went to the law in this land and Bloomberg came down on the side of the YOGs. Then the hipsters were like, "Let's show them how gross we are! Yeah civil liberties and bike-riding! In your face THE MAN!" That quickly became, "It's cold out so let's do coke by the fire."
According to Gothamist two hipsters waited until a nice temperate evening before committing mild civil disobedience by repainting some of the bike lanes. They then got chilly and proceeded to turn themselves in. Pete's Candy Store is hosting an "Open City Dialogue" to try to moderate these two parties before there are any more citizens lost to, and I quote, "criminal mischief charges." The horror! At least it's a cause worth dyingfighting talking for.
Begun in 1992, Restaurant Week has become a New York City institution. Over 260 restaurants throughout the five boroughs will offer special prix-fixe menus next week. Three-course lunches will go for $24.07 (don't ask me why the seven cents) and dinners for $35. I know, you New Yorkers already knew most of this and you non-New Yorkers hate when I rub this sort of thing in but consider this your reminder to book a reservation or move to the city. One of the two. Your choice. Click the link for a full list of participating restaurants.
The Brooklyn Kitchen has a series of classes coming up. One of them focuses on cooking with a date. No, you don't cook a dessert together. Nope, it's not a nice meal. Give up? On February 6 at 6:00PM you and a date will be taken through how to cut up a half a pig.
Can you imagine flirting with some guy back and forth on match.com and you meet up for a drink and when you ask where he's taking you to dinner he says, "Actually, we're gonna cut us up some bacon." Then he takes you to the Brooklyn Kitchen and you two go all cleaver-fever on Babe from Kingston, NY. It's like every girl's dream come true.
I mean, fine, host a class on how to slaughter an animal. Do it semi-frequently. That's your biz. But trying to sell it as a date night? Wow.
Thanks and praises be to the lovely Victoria Gerstman for writing up this weekend's bulletin of events. She is cool and you should take her advice. I often do.
Tonight, dig out your most outrageous duds and pay tribute to New York's unofficial spokeswoman at the The Flame Monster Ball at Mix in Astoria [editor's note: I know, it's Queens. Just keep an open mind for once in your life]. The clientele at Mix aren't exactly known for their restraint [editor's note: neither are you], so tonight's event should be one heck of a time whether you're a Lady Gaga enthusiast or not (do you see how I resisted saying goo goo for Gaga? Do you?)
On Friday and Saturday nights you'll have the once in a lifetime (maybe, probably not) chance to catch Ben Bailey from Cash Cab doing stand up at Comix. Wait. You don't know what Cash Cab is? Why, it is only the most important television show of our time. After Jersey Shore, that is. [last editor's note for realsies: you need to click on that link] Anyway, Ben Bailey is bound to be hilarious.
If snobby French stew doesn't quite do it for you, cut your losses and head to the Tribeca 92Y for a Muppets Take Manhattan Sing-a-long. I almost didn't want to tell you guys about this, cuz I don't want to fight the crowds. But I am nice, so here are the details.
When you're done sleeping off your Sunday morning Muppet-hangover, pop over to the NY Historical Society for everyone's favorite way to spend a day - a murder mystery! What fun!
It may be a three day weekend, but that doesn't mean you should spend the whole day on your ratty sofa, reading NYiR archives. Instead, do that, and then get yourself into Manhattan for an MLK-themed walking tour. Led by eighth graders (aww)! Meet at the Ghandi statue in Union Square at 10 am for "A Peace of the Dream: Living MLK's Dream in a Turbulent World."
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the results of the No Pants! Subway Ride courtesy of Gawker (what? we're feeling lazy and sometimes they're funny). Click here for the story. Improv Everywhere estimates that over 3000 NYC residents participated.
We would be remiss to not mention that there was a rally hosted by a group who were Pro Pants on Sunday as well. The Pro Pants group mission is to "inform pantsless subway riders about the joys and advantages of pants and to persuade them to accept pants into their lives." Last year Pro Pants representatives issued 200 questionnaires, distributed over 400 pamphlets, and gave away more than 20 pairs of pants.
Tonight go to Ellis Bar at 627 5th Ave in BeeKay (Brooklyn) for their 1 cent beers. Yes. 1 penny. I bet you wish you were stingier with the local homeless now huh? Well don't be Scrooge because it only lasts from 9-9:30 and then 11-11:30. Go for the beer, stay for the karaoke.
Made a new year resolution to bring out the inner child in you? Really? You did? Oh. I woulda said, "Clean up around the house more" but whatevs. Anyway, head to the corner of Broad St and Wall St Saturday at 2 pm for a chaos-inducing game of freeze tag.
Then head over to the Gershwin Theater for Michael Alan's Draw-a-thon (the pic from above gives you some insight into what you're drawing). Having hosted these for four years now Michael Alan has decided to kick off 2010 with an "Artistic Revolution" based on the French Revolution where artists such as yourself (come'on you can draw!) show up to sketch models posing as the Virgin, the Aristocrat-Prostitute, the Bather, the Absinthe-Poisoned Mask Maker, the Drunken Rebel-Rouser, the Raffle Girl, and the Nude Visionary. You had me at model. Then lost me at Virgin. Then had me at Prostitute and Nude.
The other day it was my lady's bday which made me think, "What sort of a cake do you get for someone you care about?" Some people love chocolate, others vanilla. For the heir of the man with the hair that owns Manhattan it's...a gun cake.
Oh but he's turning 12 so it's acceptable right? He's going through a phase. It's funny. Nope. Ladies and gentlemen, according to our dear friends at Gawker this vampire...
...just turned 26. Eric Trump serves as the Executive VP of Development and Acquisitions at The Trump Organization. And he loved his gun cake. And will inherit several million square feet of Manhattan realty.
Guess who contacted us yesterday? Did you guess Playboy? I thought you would. Now did you guess that they want me to pose for them? No? Why not? That's a bit insulting. I guess they only ask women to pose. It's okay then. We're okay.
Remember when we told you all about Dick Chicken? Well Playboy has just released the first-ever appearance of this graffiti genius on film so you, dear NYiR readers, can be the first to see him. Check out the video above. You're welcome and if you need us, we'll be chilling by the pool at the mansion with our new bunny friends.
Ah. Once in a blue moon we get a hot tip on something that reminds us just how ridiculous New York can be. Remember how we told you that it's perfectly legal to be topless in NYC? Well now it's time to go bottomless. This Sunday you are invited to participate in Improv Everywhere's 9th annual No Pants! Subway Ride. Check the video above, go buy some new undies, and we'll see you on the train.
See something? Say something! Any topics that you think ought to be covered on this blog will be considered for way too long and agonized about intensely. Most of them will be used. E-mail 'em over.
Send this delightful waste of time on to your friends. And tell them to tell their friends. If they have any. Which they may not considering they're friends with you. Is that too mean? I am sorry.
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