"GET WELL MCA" (more by Tim Griffin)

hey all,

hope you are doing well.

so i'm about a week and a half out of surgery now and rapidly recovering from it. i haven't taken any of the pain meds, which supposedly speeds along the healing process, or should i say, taking them slows it down. anyway, i spent 1 night at the hospital after the surgery. the hospital was too crazy to get any rest so i headed home to relax, have home cooked food and hang out with the family.

i'm pretty well detoxed from the anesthesia that they pumped me up with to keep me under for all that time. that took several days to get out of my system. my neck and jaw are still pretty stiff from the surgery, but it gets better everyday. had the stitches out this past monday... so things are moving along.

but no sooner am i on the mend from this first torture than are they lining up the next one. the next line of treatment will be radiation. that involves blasting you with some kind of beam for a few minutes a day, 5 days a week, for about 7 weeks. that will start in a few weeks...

saw the jay-z cover of no sleep, and the coldplay one of fight for your right from APW on youtube. good shit. and i heard karen o a "get well MCA" armband, and that q-tip gave a shout out too..... very kind of them.

just wanted to thank them and everyone else who sent positive thoughts my way. i do think that all of the well wishes have contributed to the fact that my treatment and recovery are going well.

much love back at all of you!

adam

Continue reading "a letter from MCA (had surgery, about to start radiation)"

Jay-Z @ APW in Liberty State Park, Jersey City, NJ - 7/31/09 (photo by Tim Griffin)

Brooklyn's own Jay-Z opened up his headlining set at All Points West on Friday night with a cover of the Beastie Boys classic "No Sleep Till Brooklyn". Was it a fitting tribute to the group that he replaced on the lineup (due to MCA's diagnosis of cancer) or was it Jay-Z's way of reminding New Jersey what he plans on doing with the Nets? OK, I'll go with the former, and it was our own great Jay-Z festival moment (at his first-ever US festival appearance). The UK's Glastonbury got the (less sincere) tribute to Oasis in 2008.

Speaking of Glastonbury, All Points West got its mud... which came from the rain that miraculously cleared up before Hova took the stage (at which point he covered "No Sleep" with the "Beastie Boys at the Garden" line in the first verse changed to "Jay-Z at All Points West.", and then...)

Immediately after that, he performed his own "Brooklyn (Go Hard)."

Later, he dedicated his entire set to Beastie Boy Adam Yauch. It was Yauch's illness -- he has been diagnosed with a cancerous tumor in a salivary gland -- that forced the group's cancellation, last week.

In his 80-minute day-closing set, Jay-Z also performed hits like "99 Problems," "Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)," "Big Pimpin'" and "Dirt Off Your Shoulder," as well as his recent single "D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)." [NJ.com]

Continue reading "Jay-Z closes out rainy Day 1 of All Points West (pic, video)"

APW mud by Chris La Putt

As the Yeah Yeah Yeahs tore into hits like "Zero" and "Runaway" at the All Points West Music and Arts Festival in Liberty State Park, Jersey City, Danielle Pukala, 24, from New York City and Kate Pluta, 24, from Boston, danced away happily in the mud.

"We're just having fun with it!," said Danielle.

And with the Yeah Yeah Yeah's high-energy performance, it was hard to keep still. The band ripped through songs from their latest album, "It's Blitz!" and well as older hits from their previous album "Show Your Bones."

And though it was only visible on the big-screen, lead singer Karen O wore an armband that read "Get well MCA," a tribute to Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys, who had to cancel All Points West when he announced that he was diagnosed with cancer. [NJ.com]

Continue reading "muddy feet @ All Points WEsT"

BEASTIE BOYS TOUR DATES CANCELED, ALBUM RELEASE POSTPONED
ADAM YAUCH DIAGNOSED WITH PAROTID GLAND TUMOR

Adam "MCA" Yauch of Beastie Boys was diagnosed last week as having a cancerous tumor in his left parotid (salivary) gland. Luckily it was caught early and is localized in one area, and as such is considered very treatable. It will however require surgery and several weeks of additional treatment. Fortunately the cancer is not in a location that will affect Yauch's vocal chords.

Beastie Boys have canceled all upcoming concert appearances to allow time for Yauch's surgery and recovery. The release of the band's forthcoming album Hot Sauce Committee Part 1 will also be pushed back.

Paraphrasing from a video statement on Beastieboys.com [below], Yauch said, "I just need to take a little time to get this in check, and then we'll release the record and play some shows. It's a pain in the neck (sorry had to say it) because i was really looking forward to playing these shows, but the doctors have made it clear that this is not the kind of thing that can be put aside to deal with later."

Beastie Boys were scheduled to play many festivals this summer including All Points West on Friday, July 31st.

The video message is below...

Continue reading "Adam Yauch has cancer, Beastie Boys cancel all dates"

Out with the old, in with new...

On October 18th, the 92nd Street Y is thrilled to celebrate the official opening of its amazing new downtown venue 92YTribeca, with a stream of outstanding programming and events including a special programming lineup we're calling 18 Nights of Inspiration. The 18 Nights will represent a mix of awesome live experiences including music, comedy, film, theater, food and more, and featuring some of entertainment's hottest talent and thought-provoking performers and presenters.

Why 18 Nights? 18 represents Chai, meaning life in Hebrew, and also signifying the number 18. You can also find the 18 dots represented in our logo.

92YTribeca is committed to fueling your life with experiences that inspire you. We welcome and serve a diverse community of young people from New York City and beyond, including musicians, artists, filmmakers, performers, writers, educators, humorists, directors, speakers, sports enthusiasts, and many others.

So come visit us at 92YTribeca this fall!

Continue reading "92YTribeca opening in Tribeca - John Vanderslice, Adam Yauch, Zach Galifianakis & other shows already on sale"

info @ Apple's site.