by BBG

Kanye West at The Box last night

Kanye West popped into the 200 capacity club The Box on the LES last night for a 1:30 AM surprise set:

An e-mail went out to a select group late Thursday evening, alerting recipients that West and John Legend would be holding a function. If not quite a black-tie affair, the invite asked guests to be suited and booted. No exceptions. Also noted in the message was a phone number to call to learn the address of the venue, which was Manhattan's Chrystie Street club, the Box. The stage set-up was pretty simple: a baby grand piano at which Legend sat, two microphones (one just for Auto-Tune), an 808 beat machine and a keyboard. -[MTV]

The fully-suited Mr. West crooned through favorites like "Homecoming", "Flashing Lights", "Heard 'Em Say", "Love Lockdown", "Power," "Good Life", and "Can't Tell Me Nothing" and even ventured into new territory like "Moma's Boyfriend", an unheard Billy-Joel's-"Moving Out"-sampling track viewable in the video below. Besides John Legend, who contributed with his hit "Ordinary People", Estelle was in the house (and joined him for a rendition of "American Boy") as well as A-Trak, Consequence, and his "latest signing to G.O.O.D. Music" Pusha T (of Clipse).

Some video from the show (which was also an afterparty for Rihanna's MSG show), is below...

Continue reading "Kanye West & John Legend played a swanky show @ the Box "

Lit

The Department of Health is looking to shut down five popular nightclubs for ignoring the city's smoking ban.

M2 Ultra Lounge in Chelsea, The Box on the Lower East Side, Southside Nightclub in Little Italy, The Imperial in the Flatiron District and Lit Lounge in the East Village were fined in 2009 for allowing smoking indoors.

DOH officials say patrons were caught smoking during an undercover operation.

Health officials are taking the case to a tribunal today, to ask a judge to revoke the club's food and beverage permits, which would prohibit alcohol sales.

The judge will decide whether the DOH has enough evidence to pull the permits for willful and continuous disregard of the ban. [NY1] (thx danny)

The New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU), the New York affiliate of the ACLU, is one of the nation's foremost defenders of civil liberties and civil rights. Founded in 1951, the NYCLU is a not-for-profit, nonpartisan organization with six chapters and nearly 50,000 members statewide.

In 2007, the NYCLU created a group for Young Professionals (22-40) to support the work of the NYCLU by raising funds, spreading awareness, and building a community of like-minded New Yorkers and advocates for change.

The New York Civil Liberties Union Young Professionals will host the second annual BIG GAY VARIETY SHOW at The Box in NYC on Tuesday March 3rd. Tickets HERE. More details below...

Continue reading "Nellie McKay playing Big Gay Variety Show @ the Box "

Members of Bat For Lashes, Earl Greyhound, Blonde Redhead and others modeled for today's NY Times. None of the pictures come even close to the ones Paper just published of Joanna Newsom though.

Check out the video of Kazu (Blonde Redhead) performing with Paul Banks & Samuel Fogarino of Interpol, below...

Continue reading "Kazu Makino, Natasha Khan, Earl Greyhound & other models"