Lebowski Fest In NYC This Week

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Parent Category: Other Festivals

Category: Music

Published on Wednesday, 23 September 2009 11:40

Written by fftraveler staff

The Dude would most definitely abide. The annual Lebowski Fest comes to New York City September 22-24, 2009, attracting fans from all over town. Lebowski Fest is a celebration of all things related to the 1998 Coen brothers cult comedy, The Big Lebowski. Fans of the film (aka "Achievers") come from far and wide to drink white Russians, throw some rocks and party with an array of Dudes, Walters and Maudes (not to mention a nihilist or two).

The three-day festival returns with the Movie Party at Terminal 5 on September 22nd and two nights of bowling on September 23rd at Lucky Strike Lanes and September 24th at Brooklyn Bowl.

For devoted Lebowski fans (commonly known as Achievers) the movie is not just an eclectic Coen brothers (Joel and Ethan) comedy, it is a way of life. Full of witty, highly quotable dialogue the film has very quickly taken a life of its own. Although the film was a sleeper when it was first released in 1998 it quickly blossomed into a cult movie.

The story of Lebowski Fest begins in 2002 during a rather dull tattoo expo in Louisville, Kentucky. Under the mistaken belief that it would be a great place to sell T-shirts from Scott's shop (Mothership Connection, R.I.P.), the “founding dudes”, as Scott and Will are now known, were manning a booth but were so bored by the lack of activity that they took to quoting The Big Lebowski for amusement. No matter how many times a line was said, it was undeniably funny. As the other vendors joined in they very quickly realized they had tapped into a pop culture phenomenon which had not yet been recognized. 

In creating a sense of bonding and camaraderie between complete strangers came a revelation amidst this swirl of neck tattoos and piercing enthusiasts: "If they can have conventions for tattoos and God knows what else, why not a convention for people who love The Big Lebowski? As a famous dude once said "If you will it, it is no dream."

A date was set, a bowling alley was rented and flyers were printed. And people flocked from La Jolla to Leo Carrillo and Pismo to take part in the shenanigans. The First Annual Lebowski Fest went so well that Scott and Will decided to host another one, and another, and another.

The “founding dudes” discovered that Lebowski fans were everywhere and took the movie very seriously. Thus, the first Lebowski Fest was born. Crowds poured in from all over the country to celebrate the movie and bask in its eclectic goodness. Sensing the universal potential of the venture they decided to continue the festival touring America each year.

 It's a multi-day party that typically opens with live performances and screening of the film the first night and concludes with a raucous bowling party the following night. The First Annual Lebowski Fest was in 2002 in Louisville, but subsequent fests have been held in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Las Vegas, Austin, Seattle, London and Edinburgh. While the Coen brothers continue to maintain a safe distance from the madness they created, the fest has earned the blessing of the Dude himself, Jeff Bridges, who attended the fest in L.A. and even stuck around to sing a few songs

For more information visit www.lebowskifest.com or call 502-583-9290.  

Tues, Sep 22nd
Lebowski Fest New York Movie Party - Music by Black Diamond Heavies + special appearance by the Pin Heads. Followed by a screening of the movie. Doors at 7:30. @ Terminal 5 - 610 West 56th St, 10019
$20 Advance / $25 Day Of

Weds, Sep 23th
Lebowski Fest New York Bowling Party - Night 1 - Bowling, costume, trivia and other contests. Ticket includes bowling* and shoe rental. Ages 21 and over. 7pm @ Lucky Strike Lanes - 660 W 42nd St, 10036.
$28 Advance / $32 Day of

*Bowling is general admission and not guaranteed. Bowling shoes not required with any non-dark soled shoe.

Thur, Sep 24th
Lebowski Fest New York Bowling Party - Night 2 - Bowling, costume, trivia and other contests. Ages 21 and over. 8pm @ Brooklyn Bowl - 61 Wythe Ave, 11211.

Two differet tickets for Night 2: Bowling Ticket $30 (1 game of bowling + shoes) / Non-bowling ticket $22

Lebowski Fest Speed of Sound Tour Dates:

Lebowski Fest has packed up its dirty undies and giant bowling pin costumes and has hit the road for a North American tour Tickets are on sale now!
Lebowski Fest Philly: Sept 25-26

Lebowski Fest DC: Sept 28-29

Lebowski Fest Austin: Oct. 9-10

CMJ Music Marathon & Film Festival 2009

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Parent Category: Other Festivals

Category: Music

Published on Monday, 21 September 2009 11:13

Written by Brad Balfour

CMJ Music Marathon & Film Festival 2009 will hit New York City from October 20-24, 2009. For five days and nights, over 1,200 artists and 120,000 fans will take over more than 75 of the city's greatest nightclubs and theaters. Headquartered once again at New York University's Greenwich Village campus, participate in New York City's largest music festival.

CMJ '09 will feature exclusive nighttime parties, daytime exhibit areas, registrant lounges, a technology fair, artist and press lounges, meet and greets, panels, seminars, mentoring sessions, community initiatives, networking events, Q&As and special events.

The CMJ Marathon 2009 initial lineup includes:

• Broadcast
• School of Seven Bells (at Webster Hall)
• Zac Brown Band
• Múm (at Le Poisson Rouge with Iceland's Sin Fang Bous)
• Atlas Sound
• Japandroids
• Margaret Cho
• The Budos Band
• Pitbull
• The Very Best
• The Temper Trap
• Crystal Antlers
• Portugal The Man (at Bowery Ballroom)
• Cymbals Eat Guitars
• Malajube,
• Local Natives
• Wild Light
• The Antlers
• Das Racist
• Suckers
• Pissed Jeans
• Screaming Females
• Atlas Sound,
• Broadcast
• The Selmanaires
  
• The Drums at Santos

 CMJ Music Marathon General badges are $475 and student badges are $285 until midnight Tuesday, September 22 2009. Don't miss the chance for group discounts.

In conjunction with the CMJ Music Marathon, the 2009 CMJ Film Festival, runs from Tuesday, October 20 through Saturday, October 24 at various locations in New York City.

Newly invigorated, the 15th year of the film festival marks the first under the aegis of Artistic Director Alex Steyermark and Festival Manager Frances Wallace. Over the years, the festival has appealed to hordes of music industry folk and Marathon registrants, but this year Steyermark and Wallace aim at diversify their selections and expand the outreach to the film industry and the general movie-going public.

This refocusing includes an expanded program of 31 films, with screenings split between the Norwood Club on 14th St. and Clearview Cinemas on Chelsea's W. 23rd St.

Selections range from larger-scale productions like The Men Who Stare At Goats, and the festival's closing film, director Oren Moverman's The Messenger, to first-time features such as the Terror Twins' dark comedy The Invisible Life of Thomas Lynch and hard-hitting docs like the controversial exposé of Dole Food's farming practices, Bananas!

This is the first year the festival has attempted to bridge the gap between music and film festival attendees through the Music Doc showcase. All films in the series -- including Searching for Elliott Smith (a post-mortem biopic), and Mellodrama, (a history of the mellotron) -- will screen in five-hour blocks during the daytime at the Norwood (where the festival's opening and closing parties - RSVP only - will also be held).

Friday night, the Clearview will hold a "Downtown Doc Double-Bill" featuring Pardon Us for Living But the Graveyard is Full (about the prolific if under-recognized band The Fleshtones) and Kid Creole and My Coconuts (a memoir of collected footage shot by Adriana Kaegi, the lead Coconut in an '80s world-fusion band that was ahead of its time).

The music-to-film connection is also reflected in the film festival's two panel contributions. The first, on "Breaking into Film Scoring," features Nathan Larson, music supervisor for Moverman's closing-night film, The Messenger, as well as Sue Devine, senior director of Film and Television Music at ASCAP, and will be moderated by Steyermark, an impressive music supervisor in his own right (Malcolm X, The Ice Storm).

The second panel, entitled "Déjà Vu All Over Again," explores the reality of the new film distribution model as it relates to changes already observed in the music industry. The panel, moderated by The New Yorker's John Seabrook, will showcase authorities from both the film and music industries, including Ira Deutchman of Emerging Pictures, Matt Dentler of Cinetic Rights Management and music industry attorney Nick Gordon.

To access the full schedule of festival films or purchase advance tickets or passes, visit the CMJ Film Festival website: www.CMJ.com/marathon

Broadway Cabaret Festival Returns

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Parent Category: Other Festivals

Category: Music

Published on Friday, 18 September 2009 22:59

Written by fftraveler staff

Broadway’s landmark concert venue, The Town Hall, presents its fifth annual Broadway Cabaret Festival this Fall, on October 16th – 18th, 2009. The festival showcases the talents of award-winning Broadway veterans and rising stars in a celebration of the Great White Way.

The Festival kicks off on Friday, October 16th at 8 pm with A Tribute to David Merrick featuring an all-star cast including Tony Award nominees Robert Cuccioli (Jekyll & Hyde), Stephen Bogardus (Love! Valour! Compassion!), Lee Roy Reams (42nd Street) and MAC Award winner Jim Caruso (Liza’s at the Palace) and more. The evening celebrates the fabled showman whose prolific, six-decade career gave Broadway the original productions of Gypsy, Oliver!, Hello Dolly!, 42nd Street, Mack & Mabel and I Do! I Do!, yielding a songbook of popular standards by Jule Styne, Betty Comden, Adolph Green, Jerry Herman, Stephen Sondheim, Tom Jones, Harvey Schmidt, Harold Rome, John Kander and Fred Ebb.

On Saturday, October 17th at 8 pm, Linda Eder returns to The Town Hall with her new show Linda Eder: All of Me.  One of the greatest contemporary solo voices of our time, Eder will be backed by a seven-piece orchestra led by Billy Stein. 

In addition to new arrangements to her signature songs like Vienna and Someone Like You, Eder’s eclectic program will treat audiences to unique covers of popular classics, as well as performances of original material from her new CD, Soundtrack, covering classic movie songs.

On Sunday, October 18th at 3 pm, Broadway Originals features Michael Rupert, Stephen Bogardus, Barbara Walsh, Chip Zien and Jonathan Kaplan—the five original Broadway stars of William Finn’s Falsettos—in a special tribute to that famous show. The show-stopping Stephanie J. Block (9 to 5, Wicked) and Tony nominee Celia Keenan-Bolger (Les Miserables, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee) join the original cast of Falsettos and previously announced stars Julia Murney (Wicked, Lennon), Kerry O’Malley (Iriving Berlin’s White Christmas, Into the Woods) and Sharon McNight (Tony nominee for Starmites) where they will revisit the songs they made famous on the Broadway stage. A must-see for any Broadway aficionado, the program features favorites by Stephen Sondheim, Stephen Schwartz, Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg and more of the theater’s greatest songwriters.

Tickets are $55 and $50
Subscriptions are available now by mail order.
Single tickets are available at Ticketmaster.com, 212-307-4100 or The Town Hall Box Office between noon and 6 pm (except Sundays), 212-840-2824.

For more information visit: www.the-townhall-nyc.org

The Fifth Annual Broadway Cabaret Festival
October 16th – 18th, 2009
The Town Hall
123 West 43rd Street
New York
212-840-2824