Congrats Trent. Sorry Banksy.

Continue reading "Trent Reznor wins Oscar, 'Exit Through the Gift Shop' doesn't"

"Are we happy or sad if exit through the gift shop wins? #obeygiant" - Shepard Fairey

"Earlier [in January] I noted that Banksy had finally spoken about the artist Thierry Guetta (aka Mr. Brainwash) profiled in his now Oscar nominated film Exit Through the Gift Shop . Still, suspicions run fairly rampant that he either doesn't exist or is merely the latest prank creation by Banksy. Guetta has now given sworn statements that the artwork is his own, as he's the subject of a copyright lawsuit initiated by photographer Glen E. Friedman. The two Run DMC images above should make that fairly obvious (as well as several others after the jump).

Friedman is arguing that Guetta used, without credit or permission, his iconic photo of Run DMC on invitations, artworks, merchandise and promotional materials. The Hollywood Reporter broke this story, connected some of the dots between many of the people involved, and then suggested it's basically the same situation as the Associated Press vs. Shepard Fairey case surrounding the Obama 'Hope' image. It's not, and for number of reasons which I'll get to in a second..." [Boing Boing]

It should be noted that Glen E. Friedman has worked with Shepard Fairey (and Banksy according to articles), so who knows what's real and what isn't.

That said, the real human who is known as Mr. Brainwash made an appearance Saturday at the Independent Spirit Awards where "Exit" won best documentary, and he will be at the Oscars, but the LA Times says...

The big question as of Sunday morning remained whether Banksy himself would show up to the Oscars. On the red carpet before the [Independent Spirit Awards], Guetta engaged in some playfulness. "We'll see. This is like the movie: Can we explain the movie? No. Can we know that the movie is real or not? No. Can we know if he's going to show up? I don't know."

But then he also said that, indeed, he and the reclusive street artist could have a plan. "Maybe, maybe not. I don't know," he said, offering a coy smile.

Banksy is at least in LA.

By the way, Exit Through the Gift Shop is on Netflix on-demand.

The Washington Post talked to Thierry on the ISA red carpet too. That interview and other videos (including Exit Through The Pet Shop), below....

Continue reading "Mr. Brainwash (possibly real) being sued, was at Independent Spirit Awards, will be at the Oscars (but will Banksy?)"

Just ran into Shepard Fairey right after watching exit through the gift shop. Well planned Shepard -Wheelaa

Houston and Bowery (via)

(via)

Artist Shepard Fairey, who unlike Banksy is not afraid to show his face, started work on a mural yesterday at the corner of Houston and Bowery, just a few blocks from Landmark Sunshine Cinema where Exit Through the Gift Shop, a doc directed by Banksy and featuring Fairey, is screening. A picture of the completed mural is below.

The mural is a promotion for May Day, Fairey's upcoming show at Deitch Projects, which'll be the last exhibit ever at Deitch (which is closing).

Work on it continued into the night (and should continue today... someone that lives across the street just told me it appears to be now finished...) - you can see the progress and the completed mural in the pictures below. One of the videos reports that the mural will be up for 6 months. That video and others with more pictures and details on the exhibit are below...

Continue reading "Shepard Fairey made a mural on Houston, last-ever exhibit at Deitch Projects opens in May"

Jon Spencer Blues Explosion @ the Seaport in 2009 (more by Dominick Mastrangelo)

tonight in NYC
* Andrew WK DJ w/ live performances @ Santos
* Culture Shock @ SUNY Purchase
* GWAR CRACK-A-THON @ MF Gallery
* Aloha, Pomegranates @ Maxwell's
* Hanne Hukkelberg @ Rooftop Films
* "Exit Through the Gift Shop" opening
* Yellow Dogs, Hypernova @ 92YTribeca
* Budos Band, The Jay Vons @ Southpaw
* Cable, Slacks, Goes Cube @ Union Pool
* Kaki King, An Horse @ Bowery Ballroom
* Caveman, Arms, Quiet Lights @ The Cameo
* The Low Anthem, Timbre Timber @ The Bell House
* Natural Child, Liquor Store, Foster Care @ Lulu's
* Liturgy, White Mice, Suffering Bastard @ Shea Stadium
* Suprise Me Mr. Davis, Anne & the Beekeepers @ Union Hall
* Wussy, The Fervor, Mystery of Two, Little Big @ Cake Shop
* Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Golden Triangle @ Brooklyn Bowl
* Tao Saxo Quartet, Butchy Fuego, The Sway Machinery @ Zebulon
* The Little Death, Gordon Gano & The Ryans @ (le) Poisson Rouge
* Rykarda Parasol, Bootblacks, Little Annie & Paul Wallfisch @ Littlefield
* Claymation Velociraptor,Sigmund Droid,LookBook,Common Loon,No Place @ Pianos
* Girls & Boys presents VIKING, The Hood Internet, Telephoned (Live) @ Webster Hall
* Air Waves, Beach Fossils, Total Slacker, Eternal Summers, Beachniks @ Bruar Falls
* Alex Battles, Gabe Rothschild, Lenny Molotov, B is for Baroness @ Petes Candy Store
* Real Estate, Family Portrait, Liam the Younger, Big Troubles @ Monster Island
* Justice of the Unicorn,Untied States,Lucky Pineapple,Pet Ghost Project @ Glasslands
* Fiasco,Daniel Francis Doyle,Dinowalrus,Pterodactyl,Dana Falconberry @ DeathByAudio
* Contact! w/ NY Phil plays Nico Muhly, Sean Shepherd, Matthias Pintscher @ Symphony Space

UPDATE: Shrinebuilder have added a last minute show tonight thanks to the volcano.

More about some of tonight's shows in This Week in Indie.

Jon Spencer Blues Explosion plays Brooklyn Bowl tonight and then the Pitchfork Festival this summer. Last summer they played South Street Seaport.

South Street Seaport just announced some of the bands playing there this summer.

One of the bands playing the Seaport this summer is Golden Triangle who opens for Jon Spencer tonight and has other shows coming up too.

The Banksy documentary "Exit Through the Gift Shop" opens this weekend at Sunshine Theater and Lincoln Plaza. As everyone that was clapping at the screening we hosted on Sunday will tell you, it's a great movie. Mr. Brainwash FTW!

Speaking of movies, I haven't seen it, but No One Knows About Persian Cats (Kasi az gorbehaye irani khabar nadareh) also opens tonight...

"Recently released from prison, two young musicians decide to form a band. Together they search the underworld of contemporary Tehran for other players. Forbidden by the authorities to play in Iran, they plan to escape from their clandestine existence more », and dream of performing in Europe. But with no money and no passports, it won't be easy..."

Iranian indie rock bands Hypernova and Yellow Dogs both star in the film and then are playing its opening party at 92YTribeca.

The Iranian event is not part of the Tribeca Film Festival which starts on April 21st.

Aloha have a new album out, and play Knitting Factory tomorrow (tickets) and Maxwell's tonight (tix still available).

Culture Shock kicks off tonight with Surfer Blood and others, but without Los Campesinos, who got stranded by a volcano.

The Roadburn Festival is underway in Tilburg in the Netherlands. Stay tuned for reports from the ground.

Coachella starts today in California. You can stream it online.

Have Coachella open in one window and the Gwar Crack-A-Thon open in another (or go to the Crack-A-Thon in person).

The Cribs were supposed to be one of the streaming Coachella performances today, but not anymore.

Pavement played a US show at the Fox Theater last night. A video from the show below...

Spoon played Kimmel last night. Video below...

Kaki King plays Bowery Ballroom tonight. Last night she was at Music Hall of Williamsburg. Two nights ago she was on Fallon. Video from the TV appearance below...

Caribou's recent video for "Odessa" below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Friday?"

"Exit Through the Gift Shop, the first film by renowned graffiti artist Banksy, became the hottest ticket at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival where it made its world debut. Banksy is a graffiti artist with a global reputation whose work can be seen on walls from post--hurricane New Orleans to the separation barrier on the Palestinian West Bank. Fiercely guarding his anonymity to avoid prosecution, Banksy has so far resisted all attempts to be captured on film. Exit Through the Gift Shop tells the incredible true story of how an eccentric French shop keeper turned documentary maker attempted to locate and befriend Banksy, only to have the artist turn the camera back on its owner with spectacular results. The film contains exclusive footage of Banksy, Shepard Fairey, Invader and many of the worlds most infamous graffiti artists at work, on walls and in interview. As Banksy describes it, Its basically the story of how one man set out to film the un--filmable. And failed"

Want to check out the tongue-in-cheek documentary before it hits theaters? BrooklynVegan readers are invited to a free screening at Knitting Factory in Brooklyn this Sunday, 4/11 @ 5pm (doors at 4). No RSVP necessary. Just show up. There will be seats (125 of them) - first come, first served. Some standing room in the back if it fills. First 50 people through the door also get a poster. Check out the Richard Hawley-soundtracked trailer below...

Continue reading "Banksy's new documentary "Exit Through the Gift Shop" hits theaters soon - come see it for free in Brooklyn"