02.08.10 My Top Then RIGHT NOW
By Jeremy Kotin
1. CONCERT Nneka at SOBs
Her voice ringing clean and clear, this little dynamo from Nigeria is poised to take over the US if only everyone will pay attention (she did an amazing job on Letterman, so I’m hoping people will). Her message of love and universality is clear as she wails through “Suffri” and “V.I.P.” getting the audience to sing along with her on the latter. But it was her stunning interpretation of her own “Heartbeat” that is still flowing through me. Starting out with an angsty piano driven intro, she quickly drops the beat and pulses her way through a hook that will have you jumping along with the rest of the crowd. The only downbeat here was that I was filming the proceedings, so I couldn’t join in the crowd love. This is one to get on board with immediately… A
2. BOOK I’m Not Myself These Days by Josh Kilmer-Purcell
I never would have believed I could be so engrossed by a book about a drag queen with goldfish in her fake breasts on an alcohol infused downward spiral, but thanks to Kilmer-Purcell’s winning narrative voice, I could barely put this book down. In praising the creatures of the night, a window to a different world is opened, at once fantastic, seedy, sad and enthralling. There’s a constant hope that the protagonist will find his way out, but what that way is seems completely foreign, even to the reader, when every turn offers a hilarious but ultimately destructive obstacle. Hard to believe that this is a memoir… A
3. FOOD Salumeria Rosi Parmacotto
Italian tapas is a fantastic idea, an excellent selection of small plates that in grand New York tradition somehow adds up to quite a hefty price tag. There’s a wide range of sliced meats, a criminally limited choice of cheese, although the chef’s three cheese tasting platter is well paired with a balsamic reduction and spicy reduced pears. The rest of the tapas are an interesting assortment of Italian goodness, including a fantastic pancake like pasta in a delicious thick tomato sauce and an interesting, although ultimately unsatisfying, sweet risotto with squash. A decent dining experience… B-
4. TV Spartacus: Blood and Sand
For anyone that enjoyed 300 and all the other graphic novel gross-outs of the past couple years, this is the show for you. High concept and high gloss filmmaking, each weekly installment is meant to titillate a lust for blood and a lust for lust. Nudity and gore abound, the show has surprisingly more to offer than just the shallow joys, with a love story as the backbone, you find yourself deeply rooting for the titular hero while “learning” about the life of a gladiator. Add to that fun dishy turns by Lucy Lawless and John Hannah and you have a sincerely enjoyable, if light, show… B+
5. MOVIE Winged Migration (2001)
Sheer beauty and not much else is being offered in this French feature. There are inklings of stories here and there as you watch glorious birds make their annual journey south for the winter. More than anything, there is an indictment of the human interaction with these creatures, stunning shots of birds washing themselves in a broken down car, a bird getting stuck in the bi-product of some industrial production. But at the end of the day, it’s about how these filmmakers got a camera so close to the action, filming alongside these stunning creatures as they sail through the air. True beauty that doesn’t quite add up to a movie… B-
6. ALBUM Yeah Ghost Zero 7
Another intoxicating blend of sonic landscapes and smooth vocals from this Air-like outfit. With the excellent “Mr. McGee” the sound is something along the lines of retro R&B by way of jazz fusion, two things that shouldn’t combine but do to wonderful effect. That moves smoothly into “Swing,” more akin to previous works with its sweeping background, simple but elegant melody and playful sound. My absolute favorite is “Medicine Man,” with a propulsive pop track that is ultimately addictive. And take a listen to “Pop Art Blue,” a fantastically sexy, crazy, cool track that is this band at its best. It’s a good listen that unfortunately gets a little dreary on the second half of the album… B+
7. FOOD Keste
What is the deal with expensive little pizzas popping up all around the city? This West Village eatery is serving up absolutely delicious delights that cost too much and will never fill you up. Made with the finest ingredients, like thin sliced cured meats, fresh arugula and Parmesan cheese or the best mozzarella you can find. And all these wonderful ingredients make for interesting combinations on top of very flat brick oven baked dough, but still, it’s a whole lot of the other kind of dough for a meal that kinda makes no sense… C+
8. MOVIE Pleasantville (1998)
I’m never disappointed when I revisit this contemporary classic that so deftly uses color to discuss the awakening of a small town from its 1950s nostalgia. Thanks to the simplicity of the effects (in style, not necessarily in execution) such magic is created, with emotions running high as what at first seems a lark becomes a beautiful interpretation of the Civil Rights movement, discrimination and Nazism. And the performances by Joan Allen, Jeff Daniels and before they were stars, Tobey Maguire and Reese Witherspoon, are beyond winning. Well worth another look… A
9. MUSICAL Dreamgirls
Currently on a national tour, this production could be screaming its way into your city any moment now. More than anything, this production is loud, never more clearly heard than in the inclusion of “Listen” from the feature film, now done as a duet in which Effie and Deena have competing melismas that could make any eardrum bleed. This production is well paced, enough glitz and glamour to keep the eye attentive and strong enough performances that the tale of the Supremes does come to life to some extent. For an added bonus in the NYC version, the show was staged at the historic Apollo Theater, where the musical actually begins and ends. Worth a visit, just bring some earplugs…B
10. WEBSITE What Type Are You?
You always wondered what font you’d be based on your personality, right? Well wait no longer. Click the link, answer four simple questions and you’ll be given a surprisingly insightful explanation as to why you’re a particular typeface. This might seem lame at first, but the results were accurate to a point of being scary, especially for anyone in the arts, it really nails the aesthetic decisions one makes during the creative process… B
