Jalopy in Red Hook is the place for roots music almost any night of the week. But that’s especially so this week, thanks to a 20-plus musician showcase put together by Ken Waldman, aka “Alaska’s Fiddling Poet.” I previewed the variety show for the Brooklyn Paper to get a sense of what exactly to expect.
A rockabilly birthday bash for Elvis
This Elvis birthday bash at Radio Bushwick is truly fit for a king. In one night, you can hear four rockabilly bands and participate in a Elvis-themed dance, costume and trivia contests. I talked with the producer in advance of the party for the Brooklyn Paper.
Funny business
Some time ago, Seth Olenick started taking pictures of comedians for a photography book. What started out as a six-month project and 30 comedians turned into more than six years and 200 comedians. I talked to the Greenpoint photographer for the Brooklyn Paper on some of the big names in the book and how it all came together.
Make Music Winter taking it to the streets
The last place you probably want to be right now is outside for an extended period of time. But the one-day Make Music Winter festival might just drag you out. I rounded up all the parades happening in Brooklyn for the Brooklyn Paper, including Philip Kline’s boom box-based work “Peregine.”
The many ‘Nutcrackers’ of Brooklyn
According to the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, there’s a record number of productions of “The Nutcracker” happening in the city right now. They all aren’t traditional, either. At Galapagos Art Space, “The Nutcracker Suite” incorporates burlesque, Massive Attack, aerial acts, and more. You can find even more options for the holiday classic in Brooklyn here.
Less Etsy, more art
This event has already passed, so forgive my tardiness in posting. But I enjoyed talking to Brooklyn jeweler Christine Mackellar about her craft. She was quite poetic.
A Brooklyn cookbook holiday shopping guide
This one was fun to put together. For the Brooklyn Paper, I did a definitive roundup of Brooklyn cookbooks that came out this year. There were many.
To the market we go
There are a ton of holiday markets in Brooklyn this season. I tried to compile them all for the Brooklyn Paper.
The photography of war
Since moving back to Brooklyn from Houston, I am finding all sorts of connections between the two art worlds I never would have previously put together. There was an exhibition of drawings by Robert Pruitt, a widely respected Houston artist, at the Studio Museum in Harlem this fall. There’s the current Tony Feher survey at the Bronx Museum, which was put together by the Blaffer Art Museum at the University of Houston.
And now, there’s “War/Photography: Images of Armed Conflict and Its Aftermath,” a massive examination of the experience of war that originated at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and opens at the Brooklyn Museum this Friday.
In the grand scheme of things, it’s all mere coincidence. But it’s been nice to see familiar names and shows get new life in a new city and draw parallels between a couple of major art hubs. Especially a show as important as this one.
Thai-ing it all together with Andy Ricker
Andy Ricker is widely considered the U.S. ambassador for northern Thai food. He considers himself more of a student. With a new cookbook out, I talk with him about his growing Pok Pok empire and his favorite recipe, as well as where to find the ingredients to make his authentic dishes in New York City.
Meredith Deliso 