by Andrew Marinaccio

The Tribeca Film Festival is readying itself for another week-long celebration of cinema next month. Screening from Thursday, April 18-29, the event will continue its customary beats, including a variety of talks ranging from a chronicle of Universal Studios with Robert De Niro, Meryl Streep, and Judd Apatow to modern efforts in Avant-Garde film preservation, a gallery installation at New York Academy featuring winning artwork from the festival's jury competition, and family events including an ESPN-sponsored sports day and street fair. Or, if you're feeling limber, you even can attend a showing of "The Goonies" where you can compete in a no-holds-barred "Truffle Shuffle" dance contest. A full list of events can be found here.

Of course, there will also be a host of movies being screened across the city, including a number of music-oriented films, many of which you can watch the trailers for at the end of this post.

Documenting the 150-year history of the Brooklyn Academy of Music, director Michael Sládek (Con Artist) compiles footage from the landmark venue's illustrious past performers in Bam150, including recent interviews with Laurie Anderson and performing arts authority Robert Wilson. The film turns to art history in articulating BAM's role in legitimzing Brooklyn as a modern "cultural Mecca."

Don't Stop Believin': Everyman's Journey tells the story of 2006 Internet curio Arnel Pineda, a Manila native who rose to postmodern stardom via Youtube videos of his cover band's performances. While exposure launched him to ubiquity, it also brought him closer to the bands he emulated than most music video hit-mongers, landing him a singing gig as the successor to Steve Perry in Journey. The documentary follows Pineda from slum squalor to world-tour escapades, studying how he's dealt with the "demands of his newfound fame."

First Winter, the feature-length directorial debut of NYU film graduate Benjamin Dickinson (who's directed music videos for Q-Tip, LCD Soundsystem, and The Rapture) dares to ask what happens to a group of isolated Brooklyn hipsters during a stark blackout when the "sex, drugs, and acoustic guitars" grow dull and give way to tension that threatens their ability to survive the "apocalyptic" outage. Self-proclaimed hipster context aside, the film seems scant on ironic snark as the clan ernestly attempts to rough it in the frigid sticks.

Brooklyn rapper and producer John Forte, most known for his Grammy-winning record work with The Fugees' on The Score, is followed on his "From Brooklyn to Russia With Love Tour!" the first major undertaking of his multimedia company Le Castle in Russian Winter. Petter Ringbom's documentary captures one of the greater creative shifts of a musician reclaiming momentum after serving an 8-year prison prison sentence in the last decade, immersing himself in the sounds of distant culture as he remains dedicated to continuing the art fate gave him a second chance at publically making.

the PS22 Chorus (photo by Bao Nguyen)

Another Youtube phenomenon, the often-seen-on-BV PS22 Chorus, have their viral stardom explained in Once in a Lullaby: The PS22 Chorus Story. Focusing on their days leading up to their performance at the 2011 Academy Awards, chorus teacher Gregg Breinberg attempts to organize his students amid adolescent insecurities like homesickness, feeling left out, and the intevitable disorientation of instant fame. There will be a Q&A with Breinberg and director Jonathan Kalafer after the screening (which is also the film's world premiere).

Editors's note: Not only in the name of full disclosure, we're also proud to point out that BrooklynVegan contributed to the PS22 documentary in small ways whenever possible, including introducing the director (an old friend who happened to decide to take this project on) to BrooklynVegan photographer Bao Nguyen who you will notice is listed as one of the film's producers and Director of Photography. Go Bao!

The Zen of Bennett documents legendary crooner and all-around class-act Tony Bennett as he recorded his latest Duests compilation with the likes of Lady Gaga, Aretha Franklin, and Amy Winehouse. Aside from a short monologue on the obscelence found in modern consumer culture that'll leave you "broke" (stating to have come from an era when "everything was made with quality") he riffs on that topic by simply saying that he hopes to bring that old-world standard of quality to his performances, which Bennett believes is ultimately what the public notices. If Zen gives him the chance to wax philsophic, modern cool should probably pay heed to the teachings from the Book of Bennett and learn a thing or two.

What do you want to see? What else is worth noting? What did we miss?

Ticket packages are available now, with single tickets on sale to the general public on April 16 and on sale to AmEx card holders as of today. Check here for a full list of ticket options and single ticket sale dates for downtown residents (and try their Facebook ticketing thing if you're having trouble figuring it all out like we are).

Trailers and other links below...

Continue reading "Tribeca Film Fest 2012 (April 18-29) -- tix on sale now (PS22 Chorus documentary, BAM150 & The Zen of Bennett included)"

Knitting Factory (by LarimdaME)

Just when you thought you attended the final show at Knitting Factory's Manhattan location...

THE MASTER MUSICIANS OF JAJOUKA W/ BACHIR ATTAR AND VERY SPECIAL GUESTS - SATURDAY, FEB 28th

FLOWER TRAVELIN' BAND (FIRST EVER US PERFORMANCE) - FRIDAY, MARCH 13th

YA HO WHA 13 (CURATES A FULL CLUB EVENT) - SATURDAY, MARCH 28th

Those three shows are not in Brooklyn, and they're not at the Studio at Webster Hall where KF has been promoting shows since their own space closed on New Years Eve. Those three shows are at 74 Leonard St., the very space that's apparently just been sitting there empty, but still fully functional, since they chose to close on December 31st even though their lease isn't up until July. Knitting Factory's new president Morgan Margolis realized the silliness of that, and has decided to reopen the club on select dates for special shows.

Six shows total are now on sale.

photos by Kyle Dean Reinford

(CLL) PHN-LCKN 09

Some time has passed since the original experiment and cell phones are more dangerous than initially anticipated. We invite you to test a new solution to protect from SMC at (CLL) PHN-LCKN '09 in Tribeca. This time you get to keep your phone, enjoy complimentary beverages and jam out to tunes by a top secret dance party engineer.

Bring your phone. And no, there are no points for style.

Please select the appropriate ticket based on your height and weight to participate in this experiment to protect against SMC.

Admission includes a full-body protective device, open bar provided by Dewar's and Sapporo, entertainment engineered by our friends over at 5th Finger and a secret performance by someone that will make your friends jealous.

This is a private event and you must be 21+ to enter.

(CLL) PHN LCKN 06

In 2006, we told the world about Severe Micro-Cellulotamination (SMC), a disease which effects cell phone users, and conducted a cellular deprivation experiment to stop the spread of SMC at MoMA. In short, it failed, but that had no effect on the open bar or Les Savvy Fav's art smashing performance.

This event is TONIGHT (Monday, January 26th, in Tribeca (NYC). Yacht is also touring with Chairlift in March and April. More previously-unpublished photos from Yacht's 2008 performance at Austin's Fun Fun Fun Fest, below...

Continue reading "Yacht - 'secret cell phone experiment' show in Tribeca Monday/tonight + Fun Fun Fun Fest pics"

Akron/Family played the final song at the Knitting Factory (Josh Haner/The NY Times)

"It was a particularly cacophonous performance of "Auld Lang Syne." But for the Knitting Factory's last night in Manhattan, it was appropriate, as the shaggy avant-folk group Akron/Family led a version of the Scots New Year's hymn on Wednesday night that mutated from a simple singalong to screeching feedback to a meditative one-note drone." [NY TIMES]

The NYC club is closed, but that's not the last of "Knitting Factory". In addition to the locations in Hollywood, Boise and Spokane that are still open, Knitting Factory Brooklyn is supposedly opening in March. Knitting Factory is also currently promoting/presenting some shows at The Studio @ Webster Hall - two at least:

• Jan 09 - Bear Hands, Holy Hail, Atarah Valentine & Statehood
• Jan 24 - Oxford Collapse, Suckers & Real Estate

They are also presenting tours.

Leonard Street, 3-floor location, RIP.

Browse the archives for memories. Leave yours in the comments.

Video from the Cro-Mags show there on Sunday, below...

Continue reading "Knitting Factory (Tribeca), RIP"

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!

Just when you thought I wouldn't post another Eugene Mirman performance date.... all upcoming shows at 92Yribeca, below...

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