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Category: Events

New York Philharmonic Critics' Pick

(212) 875-5030nyphil.org

$50–$142

Oliver Knussen’s invigorating Flourish with Fireworks ignites this fiery program led by rising British conductor Daniel Harding. Classical music superstar Joshua Bell keeps the temperature rising on Tchaikovsky’s over-the-top Violin Concerto before the orchestra stages a full-fledged musical revolution during Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring.

Sep 22

Smithsonian Magazine Museum Day

Check out five cool exhibits when Smithsonian magazine sponsors free admission at city museums.

By Sarah Rammos

Rolling Stone and the Art of the Record Review”

Illustration: Lou Beach

Some of the city’s hottest cultural spots offer free admission on Saturday 24 during this annual event sponsored by Smithsonian magazine (download a coupon at smithsonianmag.com/museumday). Check out five of the coolest under-the-radar exhibits.

Museum of American Illustration at the Society of Illustrators
What to see: Rock & roll history is on view in “Rolling Stone and the Art of the Record Review.” The show features more than 90 original illustrations from the music magazine’s reviews section, with musicians including the Beatles, Bruce Springsteen, Steven Tyler and Neil Young represented. Notable pieces include Philip Burke’s oil painting of Beck, which accompanied a review of the singer’s 2008 album Modern Guilt, as well as a collage on paper and sandpaper by Lou Beach, from an October 1976 issue for the article “There Went Summer.”
Where to go: 128 E 63rd St between Park and Lexington Aves (212-838-2560, societyillustrators.org). Sat 24 noon–4pm.

The Jewish Museum
What to see: Step into the apartment of a Jewish family in 1930s Berlin in “Maya Zack: Living Room.” For her installation, the artist created four giant computer-generated 3-D images (yes, you’ll have to wear glasses) based on the family home of Manfred Nomburg, a German-born Jew who fled Berlin in 1938. Audio recordings of an interview that Zack conducted with Nomburg are played as people explore the installation, which boasts re-creations of Nomburg’s living room, dining room, kitchen and other spaces.
Where to go: 1109 Fifth Ave at 92nd St (212-423-3200, thejewishmuseum.org). Sat 24 11am–5:45pm.

Asia Society
What to see: Korean sculptor U-Ram Choe stages his first solo museum show in New York as part of the organization’s “In Focus” series, in which artists draw inspiration from a piece in the Asia Society’s permanent collection. The original work is a 10th-century statue of Hindu deity Shiva Nataraja. For his interpretation, Choe created a kinetic sculpture that includes metal, resin and LED lights.
Where to go: 725 Park Ave at 70th St (212-517-2742, asiasociety.org). Sat 24 11am–6pm.

Fraunces Tavern Museum
What to see: This 18th-century watering hole is also home to “New York Held Prisoner: Revolution and the City.” Artifacts on view chronicle the British occupation of NYC during the Revolutionary War; among the coolest pieces is a spike from a fence that surrounded a statue of King George at Bowling Green. The monument was torn down by overenthusiastic patriots who—incited by a public reading of the Declaration of Independence on July 9, 1776—wanted to show the monarch what they really thought of him.
Where to go: 54 Pearl St at Broad St (212-425-1778, frauncestavernmuseum.org). Sat 24 noon–5pm.

The Rubin Museum of Art
What to see: The exhibit “Human Currents” features the work of photographer Hannes Schmid, who captured images and video of Maha Kumbh Mela, a monthlong festival in North India that is held once every 144 years. The 2001 gathering, during which people made a pilgrimage to bathe in the Ganges River, attracted about 60 million people—a crowd so large that it could be seen from space. A related show, “Pilgrimage and Faith: Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam,” showcasing artifacts from the spiritual lives of each of the religions’ followers, like a 13th-century Christian reliquary casket and a Tibetan hand prayer-wheel.
Where to go: 150 W 17th St between Sixth and Seventh Aves (212-620-5000, rmanyc.org). Sat 24 11am–6pm.

Coney Island Film Festival Critics' Pick

Coney Island Museum, Tomorrow 7:30pm; Sat – Sun 1pm. Ending: Sun Sep 25 1pm 1208 Surf Ave (at 12th St)
Subway: D, F, N, Q to Coney Island–Stillwell AveGet directions

individual event price varies, full festival pass $55; visit website for details

A pair of classic Coney Island venues—Sideshows by the Seashore and the Coney Island Museum—bring you this 11th annual film festival, which raises funds for the nonprofit arts group Coney Island USA. The weekend includes an opening-night party on Sat 24 (10:30pm; $10) featuring performances by sideshow regulars Insectavora and Serpentina, and burlesque beauties Lefty Lucy and Creamy Stevens, as well as an annual screening of cult classic The Warriors.
UD - Glow-in-the-Dark Ping-Pong
SPIN DOCTORS
Glow-in-the-Dark Ping-Pong
You’ve mastered the art (yes, it’s an art) of playing ping-pong while holding a beer. But don’t get too comfortable, because SPiN’s upping the challenge. While saving on their electric bill. On Tuesdays, they’ll shut off the lights for glow-in-the-dark ping-pong. And you’ll strongly consider investing in a pair of night-vision goggles.
411:
Tuesdays, 10pm, SPiN, 48 E 23rd St, 212-982-8802

The Feast: L.E.S. Cirque Pop-up Critics' Pick

Hotel on Rivington, Today – Fri 8:30pm–midnight. Ending: Fri Aug 26 8:30pm–midnight 107 Rivington St (between Essex and Ludlow Sts)
Subway: F to Delancey St; J, Z, M to Delancey–Essex StsGet directions

$125, including gratuity and tax

Find out how a midtown fine-dining stalwart fares downtown when Le Cirque takes up fleeting residence in the Hotel on Rivington’s penthouse space. The rotating menu—devised by Le Cirque executive, chef Craig Hopson, and the team behind Guerrilla Culinary Brigade—will spotlight one seasonal ingredient each evening: lobster (Tuesday), watermelon (Wednesday), heirloom tomatoes (Thursday) and sweet corn (Friday). Expect dishes like hamachi crudo with seared watermelon and aged balsamic, plus Grey Goose cocktail pairings such as the Jus de Rouges, which features watermelon, ginger and basil.

TV Party: Battlestar Galactica Critics' Pick

The Bell House, Today 8pm. 149 7th St (between Second and Third Aves)
(718) 643-6510thebellhouseny.com
Subway: F, G, R to Fourth Ave–9th StGet directions

$5

Battlestar Galactica fans and their Cylon friends can visit the Bell House for trivia, costume contests and drinking games based on the sci-fi series. In addition to clips from the show, you’ll be able to catch a performance by Battlestar-inspired cover band Kara Thrace and Her Special Destiny.
Brooklyn Bridge Park, Pier 1, Thu 6pm–11pm. Old Fulton St (at Furman St)
Subway: A, C to High St; F to York StGet directions
Roman Polanski’s 1968 classic, still creeps us out in a good way, as opposed to the filmmaker, who’s still dodging his 1978 sentencing on a sexual-abuse conviction. Before the feature, enjoy tunes from DJ Ming and a presentation of Don Hertzfeldt’s short “Wisdom Teeth.”

Slavic Soul Party! Critics' Pick

Barbès, Today 9pm. Ending: Tue Sep 06 9pm 376 9th St (at Sixth Ave)
(718) 965-9177barbesbrooklyn.com
Subway: F, G to Seventh AveGet directions

$10

Of all the NYC dance bands that draw on Eastern European music, Slavic Soul Party! is the coolest. And the group isn’t preoccupied with rebelling against the Old World. Live, the band’s members prove they are acutely aware of the common principle that unites the traditions they borrow from: Music ought to move you.

Coney Island Reggae Beach Party Critics' Pick

Coney Island Boardwalk, Sun 2pm. Boardwalk (at 10th St)
Subway: D, F, N, Q to Coney Island–Stillwell AveGet directions
WKCR’s Eastern Standard Time show, along with Sound Liberation Front, hosts a killer lineup of selectors (including Vaughn All Star and Carter Van Pelt, Tony Screw, Sir Tommy, Digital English and Clive Chin) at this homage to Jamaican sound-system culture. Just head toward the parachute jump and follow the deep bass and heavy rhythms—you’ll find it. The party ends at sundown.

Summer BBQ Blowout Critics' Pick

City Winery, Sat 1pm–4pm. 155 Varick St (at Vandam St)
(212) 608-0555citywinery.com
Subway: 1 to Houston StGet directions

$60

Hit up City Winery for this outdoor concert and barbecue block party, cohosted by Finger on the Pulse. Ten of the city’s top toques—including Christina Tosi (Milk Bar), Phillip Kirschen-Clark (Vandaag) and Noah Bernamoff (Mile End)—will create fire-kissed dishes like Bernamoff’s coriander-smoked beef ribs and Tosi’s watermelon-and-basil ice milk. Admission gets you samples from all ten chefs, two complimentary drinks, such as Sierra Nevada Kellerweis or Lake County sauvignon blanc, and plenty of dance music from DJ Autobot and Midnight Magic.