Not so Obscure

I meant to blog about the amazing Camera Obscura gig last month at Bell House in Brooklyn. It was the first time I’d been to Bell House, and was very impressed with the sound, the sightlines (important for a short gal) and the grown up, non-Williamsburg crowd. Yes, Gowanus isn’t the most convenient place but this venue is definitely worth a visit. They've got a great lineup.

I was in perfect company -- Neil was over from London and then we ran into the Bauer Sisters (the three of us share such a love of Scottish pop that we trekked to the Bowlie Weekender together and then stalked B&S around Glasgow in 1999).

I always thought of Camera Obscura as something of a downer band but the live show was less downer than expected. And the new album is half happiness, half heartbreak (just like real life?). Plus I have to mention that at the Brooklyn show they had some amazing screenprinted posters, customized with the date and venue, for free for the fans. What a nice idea.

Their new album My Maudlin Career is out this week and highlights of it so far include Swans and French Navy. Or check out If Looks Could Kill from the last album. Go stream some songs at MySpace.

And on a tangent, I’ll also mention that this summer Neil and I visited the world’s largest Camera Obscura in Aberystwyth, Wales. One of those faded-glory seaside attractions -- rundown in a lovely way that typifies British seaside towns. Worth a visit if you are in the neighborhood (not likely in most cases).

And while I’m finally blogging, just a quick word to recommend State Of Play -- a very sharp thriller. Someone start lobbying for Jason Bateman for the Best Supporting Actor Oscar (highly unlikely but he was a scene stealer even with other great cast).

Manhattans. in Brooklyns.

The old Siberia stalwarts gathered on Friday night for the opening of Tracy Westmoreland's new bar Manhattans (NYmag blogged about it here). It's in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn despite the name. Had a very red-light vibe full of interesting folks drinking heavily. So in that respect, it was like Siberia. I went with Andy and Eamon and caught up with old Siberians like Gurley, Christian, Carla and Jim. Did Fallon show up in the very wee hours?

Anyway, it was a great night out and funny to bartend for about 5 mins. I know Prospect Heights has gotten trendy since my old Vanderbilt Avenue days at the Hot Bird, but this bar might come in handy for locals or Tracy's many fans. Check it out - 769 Washington Ave.

Pics on Facebook.

Siberia Flashbacks

Siberia wasn't just a bar, it was a way of life (go buy my book to read the details) but I've probably been better behaved now that it's closed. I saw Tracy soon after I moved back and he told had some Brooklyn plans cooking. And it sounds like his new bar is taking shape. I am bracing myself for opening night.

"Moms Are Good"

So I’ve been taking a blog break for real life but I'm getting back to New York now. Today’s cheerfulness comes because I was able to return from North Carolina breathing a sigh of relief. My mom had unexpected open heart surgery about two weeks ago and she’s doing remarkably well. It seems icky blogging about family health issues but I’ll just say she’s well on the road to recovery, which is the best news possible. As one colleague of mine said when I told him to cover my work, “Moms are more important. Moms are good.” Amen to that.

In addition to being a tough lady, she’s also popular. It seemed like mom & dad’s house was filled with flowers, cards and several casseroles a day thanks to her golf buddies, gin rummy partners, neighbors, church friends, knitting partners, old friends from Winston Salem, Stitch & Bitch ladies, my aunts and cousins and so on and on and on and on. I’m endlessly amazed that Southern women seem to have never met an animal, vegetable or fruit that couldn’t be enhanced with the addition of some combination of Ritz crackers, butter, cheese and/or cream of chicken soup. Seriously -- someone brought a casserole comprised of pineapple, Ritz crackers, butter and cheese. I generally think that pineapple is amazingly delicious on its own -- foodie friends look away now -- yet this concoction actually tasted pretty good. So did the frozen tub of Cool Whip and cherry pie filling. Just re-reading that makes my insides hurt. Now I’m determined to eat nothing but miso soup for a few days.

Anyway, thanks to my friends and mom’s friends for all the well wishes. Mom if you’re reading this get off the computer and go rest and watch your Netflix DVDs!

The Fisher Landau Center For Art

Yesterday, Andy and Eamon and I took an impromptu driving tour of Queens, including such non-scenic vistas as Costco and the car wash in Long Island City. But the focal point of the trip was a visit to The Fisher Landau Center for Art, in LIC. I'd never even heard of it but it was a very cool space (a former parachute harness factory) with an impressive collection and a particularly impressive exhibit running through March 31, Imagination Noir, including works by Nan Goldin, Robert Mapplethorpe, and my personal favorites - prints by Gregory Crewdson.
There was also an entire floor of Jasper Johns work.

The place is worth a look if you are in Long Island City. Or even for a special trip because it's very close several subway lines.

We capped the evening off with some very good Indian food from Five Star, a favorite of both local cabbies and Saveur magazine.

Finding Lost

I've been obsessed by the TV show Lost since it started. I happened to be visiting a film festival (thank you Sergio and Chris at Cinema Paradise!) in Honolulu the night in September 2004 when the TV show premiered.

The festival was over (I think) and so I had taken a scenic driving tour around the island (gorgeous) that day and passed by where the most expensive TV pilot in history had been filmed. The local media was obsessed with how this show could create an Hawaiian boom. Getting caught up in the local hype myself, I made sure I was home at my hotel room -- eating a probably non-authentic Hawaiian pizza -- to catch the pilot. From then, I was hooked.

When I moved to England in early 2005 I had to wait for the series to start there but was soon back on track. The only hiccup was when Channel 4 lost the broadcast rights to Sky (boo!) and I had to buy DVD sets off eBay. I think that DVD set of Season 4 I watched almost in a single weekend it was so good (and it took my mind off a bad breakup).

So now for season five, living again back in the US of A, I've been glued to the set. I have to say this season hasn't blown me away completely -- of course things are confusing and I am about sick of the flashes of light/time travel blips. But last night's episode was probably the best hour of TV I've seen all year (sorry Don Draper) and proves that this smart, confounding, amazing show is worth sticking with. Here's one obsessive fan's analysis of what happened last night. I can't wait to see where the journey takes us next. The only thing that could make it better is if somehow Chuck Bass is revealed as the secret founder of the Dharma Initiative.

A Movie and A Singer

Two things to enthuse about today:

The first is a singer that I discovered at the Friday night music series at the American Folk Art Museum. Her name is Alexa Woodward and she's a banjo player/singer/songwriter. She has a new CD coming out soon and is hosting a CD release party on April 18 in NYC. See her website for details.

And the second recommendation is the documentary Dear Zachary. I had missed it over at Cinema Village but kept hearing great things, but then my friends at Oscilloscope are now releasing it on DVD later this week. Not sure what the release status is in the UK for my British friends but look into it.

Dear Zachary really is one of the strongest stories I've seen on film all year -- the filmmaker, Kurt Kuenne, attempts to pay tribute to the life of his murdered longtime friend Andrew Bagby. And then it turns out his murderer ex-girlfriend is having Bagby's baby. The film takes some expected twists and turns -- it will break your heart and maybe change your life. Simply amazing. I turned off the DVD player and immediately started thinking who I could lend it to first -- it feels like every one I know would be moved by this piece of work. Seek it out.