Happy Ending Lounge(302 Broome St between Eldridge and Forsyth Sts; 212-334-9676, happyendinglounge.com) lives up to its euphemistic name tonight—expect things to get hot and heavy at the fourth anniversary of the “In the Flesh” reading series (8pm, free), hosted by erotic writer and cupcake connoisseur Rachel Kramer Bussel. To celebrate in style, she’ll feature some of the steamiest readers from over the years, including memoirists Lily Burana (Strip City) and Isobella Jade (Model Life), as well as the organizers of the 2010 Sex Blogger Calendar.
As its longevity suggests, the event is very popular, so it’s advisable to get there by 7:30pm to snag a seat. You’ll also want to put yourself in prime position to bogart one of the 300 cupcakes Bussel’s baking for the occasion (check out her cupcake-themed blog here). Erotic giveaways throughout the evening include a paddle and slapper from Extreme Restraints, a $100 Babeland gift card and the prize of all prizes, a 24k gold dildo from Jimmyjane.
It’s all going down in a couple hours at Hammerstein Ballroom(311 W 34th St between Eighth and Ninth Aves, 212-279-774): Sixteen of the best B-boys from around the world face off in a one-on-one, single-elimination-format competition to crown a champion of Red Bull BC One 2009. Think of it as America’s Best Dance Crew, minus the crew part and Mario Lopez. Instead, you get host KRS-One (who will lend his legendary mike skills to the proceedings throughout the evening), as well as live performances from Talib Kweli and Hi-Tek, Rock Steady Crew and the National Double Dutch League. Oh, and no Lil Mama or JC Chasez, either—winners will be chosen by B-boy godfather Crazy Legs and former Red Bull BC One winner Ronnie Abaldonado.
What else do you need to know? Check out the footage of this year’s contestants settling into NYC (with a stop at graffiti mecca 5Pointz), then backflip over to the Hammerstein stat!
If you don’t know who Henry Selick is, a quick glance at his directing credits—Coraline, The Nightmare Before Christmas,James and the Giant Peach, etc.—should give you a sense of his status as one of the premier auteurs of the animation world. Tonight at 7pm, join him at the Crosby Street Hotel (79 Crosby St between Prince and Spring Sts; 212-226-6400, crosbystreethotel.com) for an intimate discussion of his career and craft, including clips from his oeuvre ($20; go to movingimage.us or call 718-784-4520 for tickets).
If you want to do something beforehand, look no further than the hotel bar. You can order high tea until 5:30pm, or pop in for a quick cocktail before the event. Committed stop-motion geeks can also catch Selick again tomorrow night at the Director’s Guild Theater (7:30pm, $20), where he’ll chat with Museum of the Moving Image chief curator David Schwartz, following a screening of Coraline in 3-D. And, of course, you’ll eventually want to bring your newfound Nightmare Before Christmas knowledge to the new Tim Burton retrospective at MoMA.
Take a look at this image. Isn’t it just the picture of civility? Yet take away the handcrafted headpieces and the children descend into Lord of the Flies barbarity. Such is the social benefit provided by the humble milliner.
Show your support for this most ennobling profession by donning your fanciest hat and joining the ladies of the Milliners Guild on a procession from 1025 Sixth Avenue (between 38th and 39th Streets) to Haven, for an after-party, via Bryant Park and 42nd Street at Fifth Avenue. The procession starts at 5pm and nonmembers can enter a Best Hat competition at Haven, judged by guild members. Enjoy these TheNew York Times pictures from last year, and check back here tomorrow for this year’s most resplendent chapeaus.
Tired of stiff and boring readings? Head to the Yippie Museum Cafe(9 Bleecker St at Bowery; 212-677-5918, yippiemuseum.org) at 8pm tonight for an evening of literature, video and live music from a laser harp. The event is organized by online literary magazine and collective The Fiction Circus, which brings fiction to people who otherwise might not attend a reading.
Author Chavisa Woods reads “Eye of the Tiger,” a magical-realism story inspired by Survivor’s “violent disco rock” song of the same name, with a video piece featuring artwork from Finley Kipp and stop-motion animation by Brooklyn artist Itziar Barrio. Goodman Carter plays the laser harp (fittingly called “the Beamz”), which features six laser beams that trigger different notes, and can be programmed to play virtually any sound. It requires only a musician’s hand to intercept the beams to create a soundtrack. Carter shares his own literary fiction with punk undertones, and plays the laser harp in according moods, accompanied by fellow writer Xerxes Verdammt’s work.—Laura Yan
With even the big-box bookstores struggling against the tide of technology, you know it’s got to be hard out there for an independent bookseller. Bibliophiles and local business advocates alike can show their support for the small guys during Independent Bookstore Week (November 15–21), which kicks off tonight with a “preweek” party at powerHouse Arena(37 Main St at Water St; 718-666-3049, powerhousearena.com). The event is free, but a suggested $10 donation will be collected at the door.
Get there at 7pm for a wine-and-beer reception and a performance by singer-songwriter Mark Ettinger, then check out talks by authors like Kurt Andersen (who wrote a few New York Times bestsellers), Jennifer Egan (The Keep) and Sharon Zukin (Naked City). Stay for another musical break from Brooklyn Jones Street Station at 9pm and to find out winners of a raffle featuring (what else?) books and a special signed edition of a poster designed by New Yorker illustrator Bruce McCall.
If you still haven’t fulfilled your indie-bookstore cravings by the end of the evening, check out the 40-plus events scattered at 25 indie bookshops throughout this week and next.—Laura Yan
Considering we live in the “city that never sleeps,” many of us pay very little attention to the lights that keep it alive during the night. Beyond observing that Times Square is “really bright,” do you really notice the nuances of public, private and found light sources? If not, find out what you’re missing with the help of artist Leni Schwendinger, who sees an urban canvas of dancing shadows and highlighted architecture where others might just see, well, a dark street.
Tonight, Leni will be joined by urban designer Brian McGrath and architectural designer Ute Besenecker for a “LightWalk” tour exploring the light changes around St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral at night. The leaders and a group of students will stick around from dusk until dawn to appreciate the full palette of lighting possibilities, but casual light enthusiasts should show up from 8 to 9pm for a more focused talk about why we should be thinking about this. It’s free, but be sure to register here.
Oh, and if you do make some friends and find yourself sticking around Nolita until the wee hours, note that the closest 24-hour restaurant is Bereket.
While many people settle in for a quiet night of Gossip Girl and leftovers on Monday night, the hardworking bartenders and cocktail waitresses who dealt with their sloppy asses over the weekend finally get a chance to hit the town. Find them tonight at (Le) Poisson Rouge(158 Bleecker St at Thompson St, 212-505-3474) for Muddled Mondays, a free dance party that rocks from 9pm to 2am with $5 well drinks, beer and house wine all night. If you’re not a service-industry worker, you’re invited too—just don’t let anyone catch you giving a shitty tip!
While tonight’s deals don’t extend past the specials, free-drink lovers should watch this space—starting next week the event will feature gratis tastings from guest beverage companies. First up to bat is Red Bull’s new product, Red Bull Cola, which can mean only one thing: No sleep till Tuesday!
Do trivia contests leave you cold? Do you lack the will to memorize seemingly meaningless minutiae? Well, perhaps we have the question-based drinking activity for you. As a TONY reader you will have thoroughly explored the city, and that’s all the experience you need to triumph at the NYC Trivia Rumble, run by the Lower East Side History Project at the Bowery Poetry Club.
If you’re able to answer questions like “On which lower-Manhattan bridge does the bike trail run through the center?,” you could win discounts to local museums, books and, most importantly, bragging rights.
You can compete with a group or own your own, but you must be there at 6pm sharp with the minimum suggested donation of $6. If you can’t get out of work on time, you can always challenge yourself by following the quiz online. Make us proud.
Now that the detritus of Halloween has been cleared away, it’s time to gear up for the prime romantic opportunities of the holiday season. Gentlemen, begin your training today with a grand gesture in Times Square. At 4pm, anyone with a trench coat in his wardrobe and a song in his heart (preferably Peter Gabriel’s “In Your Eyes”) can show up at the red TKTS Booth’s stairs (47th St and Broadway) to re-create John Cusack’s iconic “boom box scene” from 1989’s Say Anything. The first 75 impersonators to show up will receive a free copy of the 20th anniversary DVD of the film, but it’s safe to say that all attendees have a shot at YouTube fame with a stunt like this. Just watch out for the swooning tourists—I ain’t saying she’s a visa digger, but she ain’t messing with no unnaturalized residents!
For those who don’t have time to stand around looking lovelorn in Times Square in the middle of the afternoon (where are your priorities?), there’s something for you too. It’s similarly old-school, but in a more wholesome and infinitely less sexy sort of way. At 7pm, The Bell House kicks off the first round of “The World’s Biggest Connect Four Championship” ($3 to play, free to watch), which will continue for—you guessed it—four consecutive Tuesdays this month and culminate with the crowning of Brooklyn’s Connect Four king on November 24. Themed vodka drinks are on the house from 7 to 8pm, and well drinks and select pints will be four bucks the rest of the night. E-mail connectfour@thebellhouseny.com to register.
The prospect of watching two people tweet may sound like a terrible dinner with your friends who work in PR, but context is key. Tonight at the Rubin Museum of Art, Twitter founder Jack Dorsey will tweet back and forth with Jungian psychoanalyst Dogulas G. Tompkins, who will use the technology to pry into his subject’s dreams and memories—140 characters at a time. The tweets will be projected onto a screen for the audience to read, and they’ll be mixed in with responses from other Twitter users following the conversation.
Questions abound: Will it be awkward? (Probably.) Will Tompkins draw out the inner secrets of the entrepreneurial mind? Will Dorsey momentarily forget himself and type “feeling a bit gassy—hope no one notices ;)”? And what if the dreaded “fail whale” rears its ugly head and publicly embarrasses the head Twit? The point is, anything could happen.
The event kicks off at 7pm, but get there early because the $25 ticket (students $7) includes admission to “The Red Book of C.G. Jung” and all other museum exhibitions before the tweeting begins. And if the convo begins to falter, hightail it down to Comix for more Twitter fun: Michael Ian Black, Michael Showalter, and other comedians will be on hand to celebrate the launch of new comedic-tweet aggregator WitStream ($15 plus two-drink minimum).
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Photographs 1 to 12: Jolie Ruben
Movember is almost upon us. No, that’s not lax copyediting, it’s a global campaign asking men to grow a mustache in November to raise funds for and awareness of prostate and testicular cancers. It’s pretty simple: Shave at the start of the month, grow a mustache (rules after the jump), get sponsored, have a party at the end of the month. A few brave souls sacrificed their facial hair this morning, and we were there to capture it. We’ve also tacked on some fine examples of whiskers from last year to inspire you.
Head to movember.com to sign up, and no excuses. Don’t have a razor? Get yourself down to sponsor Dermalogica in Soho (110 Grand Street between Broadway and Mercer St, 212-219-9800) between 6pm and 9pm to bag complimentary amenity kits and gift cards. Can’t grow a mustache? You can join us as contenders in the “lamest mustache” competition at the closing party. Click past the jump for the grooming rules in full. Read more »
Imagine a comedy bill featuring Jeff Foxworthy, Bernie Mac, Eddie Izzard, Steve Martin and Andrew Dice Clay. Now imagine that it was taking place in the intimate Bowery Poetry Club(308 Bowery between Bleecker and E Houston Sts; 212-614-0505, bowerypoetry.com) and tickets cost only $7, or $5 online. Sounds like the greatest show ever, right?
Tonight at 7pm, check out the second annual “Schtick or Treat” show, where all the above will come to fruition, with one slight modification: None of of those legends will actually be in attendance, but up-and-coming New York comedians will be impersonating them. In fact, there will be more 30 wanna-be kings (and queens) of comedy taking off everyone from Joan Rivers to Carrot Top. If you’re a little ADD, the format should suit you nicely–the comics get three minutes each to bring the ruckus, so they’ll barely have time to wear out their welcome.
To get a sense of what you’re in for, check out the video above for footage of last year’s event. Let’s hope “Bill Cosby” comes back. He killed!
The New York party scene can be great, but sometimes you want to scream, “Bugger this. Just give me some local farm-raised poultry, call in a massive brass band and let’s have ourselves a hoedown!”
If you find yourself in this frame of mind, get in touch with the hinterland at the Brooklyn Lyceum(227 Fourth Ave between President and Union Sts, Park Slope, Brooklyn; brooklynlyceum.com) for the Brooklyn Farmers Ball, happening tonight between 7pm and midnight. Pay what you can between $12 and $25 (”We won’t be asking for your tax return,” says organizer Jen Datka) to enjoy a feast of seasonal produce and chicken from Awesome Farm; listen to live music from Spanglish Fly and the 30-piece Rude Mechanical Orchestra; and learn about Brooklyn’s Urban Agriculture and Food Justice Community. All proceeds benefit the New York Delegation to the Growing Food and Justice Initiative in Milwaukee (learn more at growingfoodandjustice.org).
If you’re into dating foodies, we might venture a guess that a farmers ball is just the place to mix and mingle with some eligible green thumbs. Just be careful: Next thing you know you’ll be packing up a Prius and making your way to Wisconsin, fueled only by love, a dream and copious bags of organic trail mix.
It’s Monday, and if you’re like us, you’re probably looking for a rabbit hole to scurry down tonight for some campy, Halloween-flavored fun. Look no further than quirky performance space Glasslands Gallery in Williamsburg, which is hosting a “Mad Hatter tea party” and special 10pm screening of Alice in Wonderland—the classic 1951 version with Kathryn Beaumont.
What makes the screening so special? As the movie plays, Internet celebs and Logo TV stars Jeffery & Cole will be onstage offering their own cheeky commentary. If you dress up (slutty Alice, hobo-style Mad Hatter or creepy Cheshire Cat are our suggestions), you not only get in free, but you also have an open invitation to join in and humiliate yourself in front of strangers delight the crowd with your inimitable wit. (The costume-less pay $2 to get in—not a bad price for saving face.)
Tonight’s event marks the first in a weekly series of interactive film screenings, so watch this space. Next up: The NeverEnding Story!
Enjoy a slice of real New York tonight. The Bowery Mission is celebrating 130 years of serving those in need and the 100-year anniversary of its chapel (227 Bowery between Rivington and Stanton Sts; bowery.org) with a month of free arts programming on Thursdays in October from 7 to 8:30pm. There are images of the iconic street from the 1930s to the present day in “Now & Then: Photography of the Bowery,” and half-hour tours of the Bowery Mission.
Tonight only, there’s a presentation on muckracking journalist, photographer and champion of the poor Jacob Riis, as well as a performance from East Village crooner John Rainbow. Rainbow was a balladeer with a golden voice, but never made it after refusing to change his style to sound like Fats Domino. It’s just one of the stories that makes the Bowery what it is. Expect plenty more like it tonight.
Think of the poor calf who perished to make this whip.
Does the idea of a spot of flagellation tickle you? But maybe you can’t get over the image of the poor calf that died so you could get your jollies from a leather whip? That fear need restrain you no longer! Babeland in Park Slope (where else?) is offering a walk-in class tonight teaching you how to make your own flogger from recycled bike tires.
It’s only $5 for materials, and Babeland’s Leah will guide you through the process and give a nonscary introduction to experimenting with pain. It’s good for cows, it’s good for the planet, it’s great for your wallet, and it’s bad (meaning good?) for your bottom.
The corner bodega is a New York institution, but one must only look at our Greek-coffee-cup-littered streets to see that it’s not pulling its weight in the fight against climate change. Tonight, catch a glimpse of a more sustainable future at BoHo Bodega (220 Lafayette St between Kenmare and Spring Sts, bohobodega.com), a nonprofit pop-up shop offering eco-friendly versions of all the staples you’d expect from your local store (think Kiss My Face lip balm, Divine Chocolate and Sambazon Acai energy drinks). Show up between 8 and 10pm (be sure to mention TONY at the door if it’s busy)to check out the products and sample free food and drinks while local DJs spin tunes and an “urban opera” unfolds right in your midst.
The green bodega—which bills itself as the first of its kind—stays open until Saturday and has a whole slate of free events lined up, including an eco-friendly home gardening seminar (Thu 2:30–3:30pm) and Dixieland jazz over mulled Simply Organic cider (Sat 8–10pm). It all sounds like something we could get used to pretty quickly. But one question remains: How does a green bodega deal with a 3am chicken cutlet order? If they can crack that, we’re totally on board.
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When we think of crumbling urban landscapes, our minds tend to wander to Detroit, Baltimore and other cities far beyond our bustling metropolis. But needless to say, New York is not all shiny Frank Gehry buildings and perfect brownstones—vacant buildings dot the five boroughs as well, serving as reminders of industries, families and stories that have come and gone. Photographer and location scout Nathan Kensinger has spent time documenting these relics, and tonight at 7:30pm he’ll share the results in a free lecture at Pete’s Candy Store. “Pretty, Vacant: A Slideshow of Abandoned New York” is an eye-opening (and sublimely beautiful) look at a side of New York most people never see, including the abandoned mansions of Admiral’s Row at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, beached ships littering Dead Horse Bay and the ghostly interiors of the Domino’s Sugar Factory.
Making your own Halloween costume is pretty cool, but is it worth the effort? The question looming over any exertion of effort seems particularly pressing when one considers the realities of cutting fabrics, finding accessories and locating sewing machines. But what if we told you there’s a place you can go that has all of these things on hand, along with on-site experts to help your creation reach its full potential? We think you might change your tune. “Yes we can!” you might say. “Impossible is nothing!”
Tonight from 7 to 11pm, Make Fun Studios at the House of Yes(342 Maujer St between Morgan Ave and Waterbury St, Williamsburg, Brooklyn) hosts a workshop that will fulfill all your DIY Halloween needs. For $20, you’ll get access to all of the studio’s machinery, as well as pattern-making materials and free fabric and trim. Costume-making pros Kae Burke and Tara McManus will be on hand with tips and $5 bins of costume bits and wigs to spruce up your work. And if the process still feels overwhelming when you get there–or your Lady Gaga–style face mask goes horribly wrong—you can still shop for commercial costumes and original designs by Burke and 3rd Earth Designs.
Just remember: When you take your costume back to your apartment, take a good look around and be thankful you didn’t try this at home.
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Take a look at this image. Isn’t it just the picture of civility? Yet take away the handcrafted headpieces and the children descend into Lord of the Flies barbarity. Such is the social benefit provided by the humble milliner.
Do trivia contests leave you cold? Do you lack the will to memorize seemingly meaningless 
Enjoy a slice of real New York tonight. The Bowery Mission is celebrating 130 years of serving those in need and the 100-year anniversary of its chapel (227 Bowery between Rivington and Stanton Sts; 
