14850zine

Category: Events

  • Weighter Music Series

    Weighter Music Series

    For those of you out there in the local music scene, next Thursday, Feb. 27 is the launch of an interesting new Ithaca concert series with a bent toward the experimental. Weighter Music is excited to present the Weighter Music Series series in Ithaca with a solo performance from Weighter founder Nick Hennies. Weighter Music/Recordings is a record label founded in 2013 by percussionist and composer Nick Hennies and is focused on the release of unconventional musical compositions.

    Hennies, who very recently relocated to Ithaca from Austin, TX, has an active career as a solo artist as well as being a member of Meridian, a percussion trio with Greg Stuart and former Ithaca resident Tim Feeney. Through this new concert series venue Hennies aims to promote adventurous and artistic music outside of an academic environment. He hopes that this series will foster an open exploration of experimental music within his new community and attract both local and visiting musicians for guest performances.

    For the inagural program on Feb. 27th Hennies will perform two of his solo albums in full, Duets for Solo Snare Drum and Psalms. Duets for Solo Snare Drum opens the program, consisting of three pieces for the solo snare drum that are in “duet” with three different non-performative elements. One4, by John Cage, explores unconventional timbral possibilities of the snare drum while prominently using silence as a compositional tool. Snare Drum and FM Noise by Austrian composer Peter Ablinger pairs radio static with very soft, white-noise-like snare drum rolls. Hennies’ own piece, Cast and Work, a 23-minute continuous drum roll with sine waves, is a deeply meditative listening experience. Cast and Work will also feature guest performances by Ithaca musicians Annie Lewandowski (piano) and Chris Demetriou (percussion).

    The second half of the program is Hennies’ cycle of compositions called Psalms. Each of the five pieces are for a single percussion instrument (vibraphone, snare drum, woodblock, and triangle) and use long periods of rapid fire repetition to expose hidden depths and detail in what we normally think of as familiar sounds. Psalms is also notable in that includes Alvin Lucier’s classic piece for the solo triangle from 1987, Silver Streetcar for the Orchestra.

    The music event on Thursday, Feb. 27 will take place at 8 p.m. at the Community School of Music and Arts (330 E. State St.) in the 3rd floor performance space. Admission is on a sliding scale from $5-$10. The Weighter Music Series will continue on March 23rd with a performance by Chicago organ/electronics duo Coppice.

  • What a Riot!

    What a Riot!

    With the name of “Mid-Winter Puppet Extravaganza” presented by a puppet theater company appropriately called ‘It’s a Riot Puppet Theater’, I am (perhaps overly) excited to publish my first Wild Card post. This event certainly seems to fit the bill: This Saturday there will be a single, after-dark performance of life-sized puppets! Perfectly ‘wild card’ sounding!

    Adding to the mystery of the show, I know little about this event beyond the event announcement. Billed as an event for all ages, it will take place outside tomorrow, Saturday, Feb. 1st from 6-7 p.m. behind the Standard Art Supply shop at 308 E. Seneca Street. It is hosted by the Durland Alternative Library and is free and open to the public; donations appreciated. Following the puppet show there will be live music and a reception with warm drinks. Dress warmly and have fun!

  • Bar Argos Opens its Doors

    Bar Argos Opens its Doors

    It is always fun to report on the opening of a new bar or restaurant in town…especially if the menu involves a drink titled “The Bagpipe Mariachi.” With a delightfully curious line-up of cocktail creations, Bar Argos opened its beautiful newly renovated doors this week. Wednesday was the official opening night and this Friday, January 17th Bar Argos will celebrate with an Opening Gala, open to the public. The gala will feature an evening of food, live music by the Djangoners, art, tours of the historic inn, and of course, cocktails. I hear there will also be some entertaining surprises throughout the night as well. The soiree starts at 6 p.m. tomorrow night.

    Set on the first floor of the beautifully restored Argos Inn, the Bar is a lovely watering hole for after-work drinks. The shadowy lighting, 19th-century architecture, and historic-meets-modern details such as glass-domed terrariums and chandeliers make for a warm and intimate atmosphere. Built in 1831 the building purportedly served as a past mayoral residence and later as the birthplace of the Duncan Hines company, before opening its doors as Argos Inn and Bar Argos.

    Beyond the Opening Gala, Bar Argos will host weekly ‘Stark Nights’ with a rotating line-up of musicians and artists. Named after Michael Stark – a local musician doing an artist-in-residency program at Argos Inn – Stark Nights will take place 8 – 11 p.m. on Thursdays.

    So maybe next time when you are hankering for, say, something specifically Scottish-Mexican, head to Bar Argos for a Bagpipe Mariachi and let me know how you like it. Bar Argos / Argos Inn is located at 404 E. State Street. Phone number: 607.319.4437

  • Bon appétit!

    Bon appétit!

    By now, a few days post-Thanksgiving, you may be getting a tad tired of leftover turkey and gravy reincarnations (another turkey-cranberry sandwich, anyone?). No need to despair, put the rubbermaid back in the fridge and head out for a special prefix supper for Ithaca Restaurant Week.

    Long the preserve of larger metropolises, Restaurant Week has made it to Ithaca! From Nov. 30 – Dec. 8 a number of participating Ithaca restaurants are offering special plates, prefix dinners, and free appetizers, desserts, or drinks with an entree. This is a tasty opportunity to try a new restaurant or to enjoy a three-course dinner special at a favored spot. At some locations chefs will highlight their signature dish. There is a line-up of special events with tastings, music, and entertainment happening every night of the week at various restaurants. Around 25 Ithaca restaurants are participating this year. Specials are to be found for dinner, lunch, and brunch.

    You may have heard the often-repeated stat that Ithaca has more restaurants per capita than New York City. That’s exciting, but only if you take advantage of this fact. So get out and treat yourself to a dinner on the town. Bon appétit!

  • First Friday Gallery Night

    First Friday Gallery Night

    First Friday Gallery Night is a monthly community event hosted by galleries and art houses in downtown Ithaca. On the first Friday of every month, year round, downtown galleries, art houses, and boutiques show special screenings, new exhibitions, host receptions, uncork wine bottles, and showcase work of local, national, and international artists. It is free and open to the public and is generally an excuse to meet up with friends, have a few drinks and enjoy some colorful artwork and an evening stroll along the Commons.

    To be sure, gallery hopping on a balmy summer’s evening has its allure, but First Friday Gallery Night is also something that can be especially enjoyed on a darkened winter evening to kickstart the weekend. Sample the art, warm up with a glass of wine, grab some hors d’oeuvres and duck in and out of the galleries with quick jaunt in the frosty wintry night between each stop. Capping the evening off with a dinner at one of the downtown restaurants ain’t a bad idea either.

    First Friday Gallery Night takes place on the first Friday of every month from 5-8pm. Gallery guides with maps of participating locations and show descriptions are available at all participating venues. In all there are usually about 20 venues.

  • Cheap Reads

    Cheap Reads

    I would of course be remiss, dear readers, if I failed to mention the annual highlight of Ithaca…the autumn Friends of the Library book sale. I know several locals who consider this their not-to-be-missed, super important, highlight of the year. (Yes, we are a literary bunch here in little ole’ Ithaca). Indeed, I myself admit to lining up once or twice on the opening day with my empty Greenstar bags, dreaming of the books that will soon be mine for a mere $4.50 a pop. Once inside I try, usually unsuccessfully, to ration my purchases…I mean, why pay a whopping $4.50 when I could pay only $.25 in a few weeks! Never mind, I stuff my green bag and press onward.

    Today books will cost you $1.50, (paperbacks and children’s are cheaper). It is the second week of the sale, and next weekend – being the final – books will be sold from $.50 down to $.10. Yes, a dime. Reminds me of that CAKE song, “I’m a Dime.” Apparently that dime never made it to the Friends of the Library Booksale. (Any CAKE fans out there? Ok, never mind).

    Anyhow, go find some change underneath the sofa or behind the washer, and head downtown to the book sale. With over 250,000 books, audio books, and CDs on sale there must be something there for you!

    The book sale is located in a warehouse at 509 Esty St. Today they are open from 10am – 8:00pm. Next weekend they are open Saturday through Tuesday. Click here for the details about the hours.

  • Happy Birthday, Johnson Museum!

    Happy Birthday, Johnson Museum!

    This Friday evening the Johnson Museum celebrates its 40th anniversary as well as the opening of its five fall exhibits. A special lineup of artsy concert performances, music, and a reception get the festivities going and a and ’70s-themed dance party continues the revelry late into the night.

    Here is the evening’s schedule of events (as described on the Museum’s website):

    Opening Reception for the Fall Exhibits
    5:00–7:00 p.m.
    Throughout the Museum

    Performance by Michael Ashkin, Tim Feeney, and Annie Lewandowski
    7:00–8:00 p.m.
    Lynch Conference Room, Floor 6
    *Please arrive early, as elevator access will be restricted to avoid interrupting the performance.
    Depot/Centralia/Tiber features works filmed by Professor Michael Ashkin (CU Department of Art) at a decommissioned military depot in upstate New York, in a Central Pennsylvania mining town, and in Rome along the Tiber River. The improvised soundtrack is performed by Annie Lewandowski (lecturer, CU Department of Music) on piano/electronics and Tim Feeney (former lecturer, CU Department of Music) on percussion. This performance was made possible in part by the generous support of the Cornell Council for the Arts.

    Performance: Mother Mallard’s Portable Masterpiece Co.
    8:30–9:30 p.m.
    Lecture room, Floor 2L in the wing
    Mother Mallard returns to the Museum, where they have held performances since its opening 1973! Founded and directed by David Borden in 1969, Mother Mallard is the world’s first synthesizer ensemble. Their program will feature selections from Borden’s Earth Journeys, all variations on “Happy Birthday” and receiving their first performance tonight. Mother Mallard dedicates this performance to the memory of Tom Leavitt (1930–2010), founding director of the Johnson Museum.

    Performance: Cornell Avant Garde Ensemble
    9:30 p.m.
    Mallin Sculpture Court, Floor 2 (rain location: Appel Lobby)
    The Cornell Avant Garde Ensemble performs music inspired by Leo Villareal: Cosmos under the installation and the stars.

    ’70’s Dance Party
    10:00 p.m.–12:00 midnight
    Get up and get down with the best ’70s grooves, plus art, activities, and far-out fun. Can you dig it? Wear your sharpest ’70s threads and party hearty!

  • Porchfest

    Porchfest

    This Sunday  is the seventh annual Porchfest! If you have never been, Porchfest is an Ithaca music festival held on the porches of houses in downtown Fall Creek and Northside neighborhoods. This year music-goers can wander the neighborhood streets and hear over 100 bands playing on various porches. Maps are created to show what bands are playing, where, and when. According to the Porchfest website, music this year will range from classical to roots, rock to country to pop to reggae to punk rock, and from Appalachian to Brazilian to Irish to Swedish to Zimbabwean, and more.

    The thing I like about this festival is the community involvement and local flair. Fall Creek and Northside homeowners volunteer their porches – either to bands they know, bands they like, or even bands they know nothing about. Many of the bands are local, and it is fun when you stumble upon a porch with your normally staid co-worker playing drums for a rock band.

    The event is refreshingly simple and the only street vendors to be seen at this festival are two tasty food trucks at Thompson Park and the occasional lemonade stands manned by entrepreneurial grade-schoolers. Porchfest 2013 is sponsored by Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services, a non-profit, community development corporation whose mission is to revitalize Ithaca’s neighborhoods, encourage stability and diversity, and to help people of modest incomes obtain affordable housing on a long-term basis. The event is free, though donations toward the cost of printing the maps is appreciated.

    Porchfest 2013 takes place this Sunday, Sept. 15th from 1:00pm – 5:00pm with an open jam session to follow at 5:30pm in Thompson Park.

  • A Country Fair

    A Country Fair

    For a sweet, old-time, country fair, head to the Ellis Hollow Fair today at the Ellis Hollow Community Center. With horse drawn wagon rides for kids and a berry pie stand, there is a homespun feel to this small fair. Each year the Ellis Hollow community comes together to put on this fair to raise money for the community center. Residents donate old household items, toys, furniture, and clothes to be sold in a ‘White Elephant’ sale. Unwanted house plants are donated and sold at a plant stand. Residents man the various booths – a pie stand, a country kitchen, farm vegetables, grilled corn on the cob, baked goods, and an ice cream stand. Fairgoers picnic on makeshift picnic tables and blankets as bands perform music. Kids enjoy face painting, relay races, games, and an ever-popular dunking booth. There is even a quilt raffle. Held each year on the first weekend in September, it’s usually still warm and sunny, but with high blue skies and a crisp edge to the air heralding the change of seasons, this is a delightful way to enjoy one last summery activity in the countryside. The Ellis Hollow Community Center is located at 111 Genung Road. The fair is held today, Saturday, Sept. 7th from noon to 5:00 p.m. and is free and open to the public.

  • Life's So Sweet

    Life's So Sweet

    While sadly, I cannot attend, I wanted to share what looks to be a very delicious event: Tomorrow, Life’s So Sweet, the chocolate shop downtown, will host an evening of chocolate tasting! The event, “Chocolate After Hours,” will feature unlimited samples, and chocolate and soda fountain demonstrations. My hope is that this turns out to be a tasty evening, and that it is well attended and this becomes an annual event (this is their first such event). As an experienced chocolate taster myself, I would recommend going not on a full stomach (strategy, strategy).
    I should mention that the truffles at Life’s So Sweet are not only DELICIOUS, but they have an assortment of unusually creative flavors…cardamom, root beer, Chai tea, honeypot milk, and dark balsamic vinegar, to name but a few. So even if you don’t make it this Saturday for the tasting, do stop by at some point later to satisfy your sweet tooth.

    “Chocolate After Hours” takes place on Saturday, Sept. 7th, 2013. There are two sessions: Session 1: 6:30-8:00 p.m., and Session 2: 8:30-10:00 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at LifesSoSweet.com or by calling 607-882-9842. They are $20 in advance, or $25 at the door. VIP tickets are $35, which include reserve seating and a take-home goodie bag. Life’s So Sweet is located at 116 W. Green Street, just off the Commons.