As mentioned last week, "A Conversation with David Cross" is happening at 92Y's Kaufman Center on March 20. When we posted about this originally, we didn't know, exactly, who he'd be in conversation with. Well now we do. The conversation will be moderated by Cross' Arrested Development co-star, Michael Cera. Tickets are still available.

The much-anticipated fourth season of Arrested Development will debut in May via Netflix streaming. The show will, apparently, feature episodes based around a single character instead of the "meanwhile" format of the first three seasons. Look for guest appearances from Seth Rogen, Kristen Wiig and James Lipton as well. Like they did with political drama House of Cards, Netflix will make all 14 episodes of Season 4 available on the same day.

by Klaus Kinski

In my opinion, the most prolific and iconic television character of the 21st century has got to be Ron Swanson from TV show Parks and Recreation. Mr. Swanson is played with pitch-perfect intensity and effortlessness by the great Nick Offerman and has become a towering icon of manliness, independence, self-reliance as well as an antidote to the disease of twinkish metrosexualism that has co-opted and threatens to redefine the sanctity of Red Wings, flannel shirts, and raw denim dungarees. Ron Swanson Forever, Forever Ron Swanson.

But that's just a character. Nick Offerman is a real person. And though there are some similarities between Offerman and Swanson, the character is hardly an autobiographical representation of Offerman. Nick started acting in theater companies in Chicago in the mid-90s. He was also a fight choreographer and master carpenter at the Steppenwolf Theater Company in Chicago. In the late 90s he started getting work in movies and television shows. In the decade leading up to his breakthrough role in as Ron Swanson in Parks and Recreation Nick amassed a massive CV of acting roles, including that of wannabe Wild Bill Hickock assassin Tom Mason in my favorite all-time show Deadwood. He's also a master woodworker.

In addition to all of that, it turns out that Nick is also a master song-writer and storyteller, as evidenced in his brilliant one man show American Ham. Last year Nick brought his one man show to small stages in places like Los Angeles and New York and I happened to catch one of these shows at the UCB East. Without exaggeration, that show was one of the funniest, most satisfying show-going experiences in my life. In it, Nick elucidates the 10 basic tenets for prosperity through story and song and I cannot think of any other time that I was so entertained for such a sustained amount of time. American Ham is now on a large theater tour and will make it's way to New York City's Town Hall for two shows on Saturday March 2. The 7:00pm show is just about sold out, and the 10pm show is close to a sell out as well. I urge you to get tickets now for one of his NYC shows or a show that's happening at a venue near you.

I had a quick cyber-sit-down with Nick recently where we discussed cutting your teeth in Hollywood, the genius machine behind Ron Swanson, the brilliance of people like Corn Mo and Garret Dillahunt, a day's worth of meals that will have Vegans running for the bathroom gagging, and much much more. Read it below...

Continue reading "an interview with Nick Offerman who is bringing his show 'American Ham' to NYC this weekend"

Alabama Shakes (or "Alabama Shake" as SNL host Christoph Waltz accidentally called them the first of three times he said their name last night), who played a Valentine's Day show on a boat while they were in town, were the musical guest on Saturday Night Live last night. Not a bad week for the quickly rising young band who also just showed up on the Grammys. My favorite part of SNL is hearing what my parents thought of the musical guest every Sunday. Mom loved them. Dad could only keep asking why they seemed so angry. What did you think? Watch the SNL performances below...

Continue reading "Alabama Shakes shaked (shook) SNL (video)"

Wayne Kramer

Wayne Kramer and his wife Margaret are "The Beast and the Angel," a short film from Adam McKay and Shira Piven that appears as the third segment in "Lifecasters." Kramer is best known as former lead guitarist for 1960s Detroit-based revolutionary punk rock prototypes MC5....

In Kramer's story, we see him through archival footage leading MC5 in an incendiary version of their signature song "Kick Out The Jams" juxtaposed with new footage detailing his eventual spiral into drug addiction and subsequent incarceration for selling cocaine. "Wayne hit rock bottom and then found new ways to go even lower," Gaudet says. "To see where he is now, it's amazing how he reinvented himself."

Clean and sober since 1999, much of Kramer's energy these days is directed toward going back to jail - this time with a truck full of guitars. He is one of the co-founders of Jail Guitar Doors, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing musical instruments to help rehabilitate prisoners and introduce them to a second act in life through music. - [The Main Edge]

Meanwhile, the MC5 guitarist will perform on Thursday (2/7) at Bowery Electric and it's his first solo NYC show in 10 years (not counting the Lifecasters event). He'll be performing with a full band. Tickets are still available and and show also has Threats, Faith, and Romans on the bill.

Flyer for the Bowery Electric show and Lifecasters trailer are below...

Continue reading "MC5 guitarist Wayne Kramer appearing on new PBS series 'Lifecasters,' playing NYC premiere event and Bowery Electric"

photos by Dan Bracaglia

Some of you watched Beyonce conspire with the illuminati to blow the power. Others changed the channel to watch a gang of puppies battle over a sock. But there was a whole other crew of people who took to Santos Party House last night (2/3) as part of Andrew WK's halftime celebration during Super Bowl XLVII. Photos from Andrew WK and supporting bands Aleister X and MC Todd's appearances are below.

Andrew WK keeps pretty busy and has a few things going on this week. He'll appear at Upright Citizens Brigade tomorrow (2/5) as part of a live podcast with Marnie Stern. He'll appear on Fox News' Red Eye on Feb 7 at 3AM. And last but not least, he is offering 55 Cadillac on double-LP for a reduced price for the rest of this week too. Get yours via the party maniac.

More pictures from the Santos Halftime show are below.

Continue reading "Andrew WK played the Halftime show at Santos (pics)"

Helen Mirren & Al Pacino

HBO is releasing a Phil Spector movie on March 24th, starring Al Pacino, as you can tell in the video below...

Continue reading "HBO releases video tease of Al Pacino as Phil Spector"

Alabama Shakes @ T5, Oct. 2013 (more by Tracy Allison)

What a run Alabama Shakes have had, going from playing tiny clubs in NYC to headlining Terminal 5 in less than a year. (And it couldn't have happened to a nicer band.) What's next for them? Being the musical guests on Saturday Night Live which will happen on February 16 with host Christolph Waltz (so good in Inglorious Basterds and Django Unchained).

Their tour schedule is open for a bit, maybe they'll fit in a NYC show while here? From March on, though, Alabama Shakes will stay busy on the road and updated dates are below.

No new SNL this week but Justin Bieber pulls double duty as host and musical guest on February 9.

Continue reading "Alabama Shakes playing SNL, expand tour (updated dates)"

by Bill Pearis

When I moved to NYC in the late '90s I was fairly obsessed with the weird world of cable access television, something we didn't have in the small town where I grew up. One of the most memorable shows, or at least the one that always seemed to be on when I was coming home late Friday nights, was Concrete TV that was a Cuisineart collage edit of car crashes, horror violence, erotica, explosions, old sci-fi films, you name it... all usually set to overmodulated hard rock.

Created by Ron Rocheleau, the show -- which still airs on MNN Channel 67 on Friday nights at 1:30 AM -- is celebrating its 20th Anniversary this year and there's a screening party tonight (1/28) at Videology in Williamsburg where they'll be screening two never-before-seen episodes: "Children of the Very Damned" and "Mary-Kate and Ashley go to Frogtown." (Full disclosure: I clerk occasionally at Videology.) The overstimulation starts at 8 PM and is free.

You can also buy DVD anthologies of Concrete TV's episodes. A few examples of Concrete TV's in-your-face mashup style are below.

Continue reading "cable access show 'Concrete TV' is 20 years old, celebrating with screening tonight in NYC"

From Craigslist:

Emmy Winning Reality TV Production Company - Seeking Real Life "Girls" (Manhattan/Brooklyn)
REALITY TV--SEEKING REAL LIFE "GIRLS"

Ever feel like life in the big frantic city is just too much? Are you a twenty-something young woman seeking fame, fortune, love or even a hookup with potential? How do you get from here to there when you can't even get a seat on the L train! Come to a casting call with our Emmy-winning production company and tell us your dreams and woes, your highs and lows, your tales of *** in the city and the outrageous opportunities that have come your way. Is your circle of friends bound together by not just the parties, fights, and brunches but frequent bouts of commiserating over your struggles? It isn't easy taking the road less travelled, but making it as a writer, designer, entrepreneur, actress/model or glorified dog walker never is!

The real life television show we are making follows the trials and tribulations of an ensemble of wise-beyond-their-years young ladies. We are with you living the dream in hipster Brooklyn and lower Manhattan. Only well educated and cultured extroverts need apply. Are you thinking about that show--"Girls?" Well we didn't say it but. . ..now that you mention it.

So just send us an email at blinktipcasting@gmail.com with your name, clear attached photos, a short, informal resume, cell phone, and a brief note about why you think you'd work in the show. We'll be scheduling meetings this week, which will generally take place in midtown Manhattan, but we'll get back to you with the specific time and place. So drop us an email today!

In related news, the show "Girls" recently came out with a soundtrack featuring the likes of Fleet Foxes, Lia Ices, Robyn, Santigold, and more.

"Girls" the TV show, is not to be confused with "Girls" the band whose frontman recently went solo and is in the middle of a two-night run in NYC as I type this.

Santigold @ Bowery Ballroom, 12/10/2012 (more by David Andrako)

As you may have seen last night, HBO's Girls won big at the Golden Globes, grabbing both Best Comedy series and Best Actress for creator/star Lena Dunham. At the same time Dunham was giving her acceptance speech, Season 2 of Girls (now featuring Donald Glover as Hannah's new boyfriend) was making its debut on the pay cable channel.

The soundtrack to Girls just came out last week and one of the songs exclusive to it is Santigold's "Girls." We've got the premiere of its video right here in this post. Shot here in NYC the cool little clip features girls from all walks of life (and all ages) lip-synching to the track and you can watch it below. The Girls soundtrack also features Sleigh Bells, Fleet Foxes, Robyn, Belle & Sebastian and more.

Santigold played Bowery Ballroom back in December and her only upcoming live date is at the House of Blues in Los Angeles on February 9. Video and Girls OST artwork and tracklist below...

Continue reading "Santigold sings about 'Girls' (video premiere); 'Girls' wins big at Golden Globes - soundtrack out now"