Tebowing
Forget planking.
Forget owling.
Now there’s Tebowing.
It’s an homage to former Heisman trophy winner quarterback at the University of Florida and starting QB at the Denver Broncos, Tim Tebow.
According the the website, Tebowing.com, the act is defined as: to get down on a knee and start praying, even if everyone around you is doing something completely different. You can see more user-submitted photos on their site.
Tebow is well-known for his Christian beliefs. His book THROUGH MY EYES was a New York Times bestseller.
Exclusive Offer if You Pre-order Harry Potter Page to Screen!
Attention Harry Potter fans! You already know that we’ll be publishing a brand new book Harry Potter Page to Screen, which tells the complete story of how all eight films were made. It goes on sale October 25, but right now we have a special perk for anyone who’s already pre-ordered the book: through the link below, enter your proof of purchase from the store, and you’ll get exclusive access to never-before-seen 20 pages from the book. In addition, once you’re on the entry site, there’s one more bonus for you (maybe this?), so get going, already!
Click here to get access to the brand-new set of 20 pages:
I pre-ordered Harry Potter Page to Screen, now show me the exclusive excerpt!
And we don’t want to leave out anyone who may be waiting to get Page to Screen as a gift, so feast your eyes on and enjoy these additional 2 excerpts:
The Making of Harry Potter & The Goblet of Fire
The Art of Harry Potter
Enjoy these sneak peeks, and we promise you, the full book is worth the wait!
Countdown to Uniqlo in midtown!
In a short 24 hours, New York Fashion Week (excuse me, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week) will begin and Lincoln Center will be abuzz with fashion editors, designers, models, and other artists. However, I believe the less couture-oriented among us will appreciate this other fashion tidbit: Uniqlo’s coming to midtown!
Uniqlo flagship store to come, 5th Ave at 53rd St.
Opening on Friday, October 14, the Fifth Avenue location (at the southwest corner of 53rd St.) will be the Japanese retailer’s largest global flagship store. Yes, Fifth Avenue has plenty of flagship stores, but Uniqlo will be a great addition to It Books’s little stretch of the avenue, saving us from Hollister/Gap/H&M fatigue. Come the holidays, tourists will no doubt choke up the sidewalks even more, but I for one am happy to have another mid-market shop. And it’s always nice to see an empty store front find a new store to call it “home”!
Hillary Duff is Pregnant!
Not sure where and when Hillary Duff (aka Lizzie McGuire aka Wendy from Casper Meets Wendy) grew up, but it looks like she has. Duff, 23, announced yesterday that she and her hockey-playing husband of one year, Mike Comrie, are expecting their first child. OH EM GEE.
Is it just me or does it seem like she was just feuding over Aaron Carter with Lindsay Lohan? I guess that was all “So Yesterday“ since apparently now the two girls are totes over it. Ah, young love.
But enough of Hillz’s dark past. She is an icon and Lizzie McGuire was an inspiration. I mean, don’t even tell me that the Lizzie McGuire Movie didn’t win an Oscar; It did in my heart. Mistaken for half an Italian pop duo Paolo & Isabella, Lizzie galavants around Rome posing as Isabella and eventually uncovers the not-so-nice truth about Paolo, and of course, falls in love.
Her cartoon inner-psyche would bounce around the screen telling us all what Lizzie was REALLY thinking, usually something profound like, “Nooooo” or “Ethan Craft just said ‘hi’ to me!!!” But more important than her profound declarations in cartoon form is the fact that Lizzie is and was a trendsetter. Perhaps Lizzie’s unmatching clothes weren’t understood at the time, but today, most likely due to Lizzie McGuire’s forward thinking fashion, mixing patterns are a fashion do.
Lizzie tackled the tough issues of the day like, eating disorders, hanging out with the wrong crowd, sneaking into R-rated movies, family issues, and growing up.
Now that Nick has brought back its 90’s classics – All That, Kenan & Kel, Clarissa Explains It All, and Doug – what about Disney? Bring back Lizzie McGuire!!! Oh, and maybe even throw in a little Even Stevens, The Famous Jett Jackson, So Weird, and Kim Possible.
I miss you, Lizzie. I really do. XOXO
Once More, With Feeling
It’s a question we’ve all asked ourselves at one point or another: if I were trapped on a desert island that magically had electricity and a television, but could only bring one TV series to watch, what would it be? I decided to take it a step further: what if I could only bring a single episode of a TV show?
In addition to being awesome, it would need to possess certain qualities:
- Satisfying to watch repeatedly
- Enough of a relationship to the rest of the show that hours of entertainment could be had by discussing (with yourself or your volleyball) the larger significance of the episode
- Not a cliffhanger. How evil would that be?
For me, the answer is, hands down, the Buffy musical episode, “Once More, With Feeling.”
For those of you who have seen it, I know that you know what I’m talking about. This is clearly the right choice.
For everyone else: First off, I can tell that you’re thinking, “A musical episode of a show about high school students who fight demons? How could that be good?”* Well, I’m not the only one who thinks so. It was nominated for an Emmy, and received rave reviews, like “‘Once More, with Feeling’ is rhapsodic, original, deeply affecting, and ultimately, transcendental. Quite simply, television at its best.” (The Toronto Star) Also, if you’re a fan of Glee, just think: wouldn’t Glee be even better with a few vampires and Joss Whedon’s writing?**
The basic premise is that a demon (a dancing demon…no, something isn’t right there) shows up in Sunnydale, and suddenly everyone is singing and dancing about anything and everything: dry cleaning, parking tickets, the difficulty of feeling connected to life when you’ve been brought back from the dead by your well-intentioned friends, secret plans for leaving town, bunny conspiracy theories. You know, the usual. It doesn’t sound too demonic until you realize that A) some people are dancing until they burst into flames and B) nobody has any control over what they’re singing, so they end up spilling their innermost secrets.
In terms of desert island appeal:
- Think of the weeks of entertainment that could be gained by learning all of the songs (if, um, one didn’t already know them) and the corresponding dance moves.
- The execution is brilliant; hours could be spent marveling over how well the songs move the action forward. The songs are a realistic (within the Buffyverse) way of having secrets come into the open all at once–how cool a premise is that?
- Because of that, there are many major plot points happening within this episode, so there’s tons of stuff to analyze. (To be fair, this would only be helpful if you had seen, at a minimum, the first part of the season.)
There are a number of jokes that are easy to miss the first time or five around, so it only gets better the more you watch.- Spike. (Swoon.)
- Perhaps most importantly, if you are stuck on an island watching a single episode of anything over and over again, you need an episode that will motivate you to get your butt in gear, build a raft and/or signal fire, and figure out how to get off the island already.*** Buffy’s struggle to reconnect with her own life should resonate with you and motivate you in your time of need.
So–if you had to pick only one hour of TV to bring to your island, what would it be?
*Technically, because this episode is in the 6th season, only Dawn is still a high school student. The others graduated in epic Sunnydale style at the end of Season 3. Speaking of which–Alyssa Rosenberg has an excellent post about graduation & after here.
**Yes.
***It seems like Lost or Survivor might also have episodes that would be good for this particular purpose. But do they have singing and dancing? No. No, they do not.
Clear Eyes, Full Hearts.
“Gone too soon. Appreciated too little. Treasured by those who followed it. That was Friday Night Lights.” – Robert Mays, Grantland
I’ll admit that I didn’t start watching ‘Friday Night Lights’ until I found out it was cancelled, which seems to be a general theme with my TV show-watching experiences (Arrested Development, I miss you). After being snubbed for the past four years at the Emmys (the New York Times called it “their most egregious wrong of the last four years”) the show was finally given a few nominations, including best drama, best actor Kyle Chandler (Coach Eric Taylor), and best actress Connie Britton (Tami Taylor). Chandler and Britton were also both nominated in 2010.
Based on the book by H.G. “Buzz” Bissinger Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream and the movie based on it, Friday Night Lights, the show just wrapped up its fifth and final season. Peter Berg, the second cousin of Bissinger, directed the movie version but wanted to do more exploration of the deep interpersonal topics from the book that he didn’t have time for in the film. So, he turned to television.
Berg envisioned a rather revolutionary way of TV filmmaking: They never rehearsed, the camera operators were trained to follow the actors rather than have them stand in one spot and have the cameras around them, the show used hundreds of local people as extras, everything was done in one shot at once (no cutting, little blocking) to keep an authentic feel, and the actors were allowed to change things that they thought weren’t true to their characters.
Critically acclaimed for its honest potrayl of middle America and exploration of its central characters, it’s definitely a show worth watching. It’s not just a show about football – it’s a show centered around a family and their life in a small Texas town. The show tackled contemporary issues, such as lack of economic opportunities, racism, drugs, and abortion. In addition to the recent Emmy nods, the show was awarded a Peabody Award, a Humanitas Prize, and a Television Critics Association Award, as well as several technical Primetime Emmy Awards.
The show overcame some hefty odds and low numbers. After airtime on NBC, the show struck a deal with DirecTV to offset some of the production costs. After season 3, they thought the show was for sure over, but they managed to push through to get two more seasons. You can catch Friday Night Lights seasons 1 through 4 on Netflix streaming and season 5 on Hulu Plus.
And as the lights turned off for ‘Friday Night Lights,’ Vulture prepared an homage to the many words of wisdom by Coach Taylor.
Clear eyes, full hearts. Texas Forever.
Colbert Attempts to Get Single on Music Chart
Friday wrapped up Stephen Colbert’s summer concert series, playfully dubbed “StePhest Colbchella ’011.” Musical guests included Florence Welch of Florence and the Machine, rapper Talib Kweli, and Justin Vernon of Bon Iver. Jack White, repping his label Third Man Records, was featured on a series of segments that played all week in which Colbert was enlisting his help to create a hit song.
Jack White is best known for being part of The White Stripes. He was ranked 17 on Rolling Stone’s list of the “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time,” and is also part of the bands The Raconteurs and The Dead Weather. (As an interesting side note, White was an upholsterer before he became a rock star. He loves upholstery so much that he named one of his many side projects “The Upholsterers.” You can listen to his 6-minute spiel about upholstery on NPR.)
Before he was a fake newsman, Colbert claims to have been in an 80’s power-ballad called Stephen and the Colberts. One of those power-ballad love-songs was the Pet Shop Boys-inspired “Charlene (I’m Right Behind You).” With White’s help, Colbert is attempting to get on the charts with a follow-up single called “Charlene II (I’m Over You).”With the help of the Black Belles, a mysterious band on White’s label Third Man Records, Colbert performed the song on his show Thursday. He also performed the song live over the weekend at New York City’s Highline Park.
Colbert won a Grammy in 2010 for his record “Stephen Colbert’s A Colbert Christmans.”
Baby, It’s Cold Outside
Did anyone on the East Coast watch the news last night? There was an interesting tidbit that got a little bit of coverage here in New York City…
IT’S HOT! Really hot.
Like the sun is exploding hot.
AHHHHH! RUN, don’t walk, to your nearest “cooling center”!! Buy an air conditioner! Have one? Buy another!! We’re in a heat wave baby.
You would think that in a major metropolis coverage of weather related matters would, perhaps, follow politics, crime, major national news stories, stories about dangerous teenage trends…but no. We LOVE complaining about the weather. As soon as the mercury starts rising out comes the steaming b-roll: Children frolicking in fire hydrants! Really sweaty men and women running on hot pavement! Old guys playing checkers in the Bronx looking, well, hot!
Summer Concerts to Keep You “Cool” This Summer
The mercury rising on the thermometer means many sweaty days ahead, but the good news is that it also means that summer concert season is heating up. Check out some of our top picks for artists touring the country this summer.
Ellie Goulding
The adorable British songstress fit for royalty.
In case you needed more reason to love Princess Kate Middleton with her perfect hair and her perfect clothes and her perfect life, she also has some pretty legit music taste. After she and Prince William watched one of Ellie Goulding’s performances (from backstage, of course), they asked her to perform her beautiful rendition of Elton John’s “Your Song” for their first dance as a married couple. The song catapulted Goulding to the top of the UK charts in November 2010. And, after appearing on SNL with Tina Fey hosting, her album reached the U.S. charts as well. Ellie Goulding’s rise to stardom has only just begun. Check out her catchy singles: “Starry Eyed” and “The Writer”
Goulding will be performing in New York City on July 29 at Terminal 5 and throughout the country. Check out her other U.S. tour dates.
Childish Gambino
Ain’t Nothing Childish About This Guy.
About a month ago, The Village Voice, posted an article titled “Donald Glover is More Talented Than You,” and in today’s world of musicians, writers, “singers” (lookin’ at you, Ke$ha), and reality fame whores, I’d have to say this is entirely true. He really is one talented dude; he is a stand-up comedian, an actor on NBC’s Community, a former Emmy-winning writer for 30 Rock (which he started while still an RA at NYU), AND a witty rapper under the moniker Childish Gambino. Although his IAMDONALD half stand-up comedy, half rap tour is over, he did strongly suggest on his Twitter @donaldglover (which used to be @donglover, but he ultimately decided that it looked too much like “dong lover”) that he’d be back to Brooklyn to play his new album before it’s released. He’ll for sure be back in NYC playing at Rock the Bells on Sept. 3 on Governor’s Island and there’s no doubt he’ll be back touring the U.S. before long.
Check out his breakout single, “Freaks and Geeks,” which was also recently featured on a Dwight Howard Adidas commercial. (Dwight, don’t ever leave Orlando!) Best of all, you can download all of Childish Gambino’s music free and legally. And if you’re opposed to semi-graphic language…well, he’s a rapper. Deal with it.
The Weepies
Get weepy for The Weepies.
I am in love this this pop-folk duo. Like King Midas, everything they touch is pure gold. Okay, fine, they did have a brief stint where they co-wrote a few tracks on Mandy Moore’s album, Wild Hope, but they at least turned Mandy Moore’s usual sugary pop songs to a respectable pop album. Don’t be fooled by their sad name, not all of their songs are sad and weepy — “All This Beauty,” “Be My Thrill,” and “I Was Made for Sunny Days” are all upbeat folk tunes. The most famous songs by this husband-and-wife duo are probably, “World Spins Madly On” and “Gotta Have You.” The Weepies’ music has been featured on countless commercials and TV shows, so if you haven’t heard of them you probably have and just didn’t know it. They’re touring around the country with all acoustic sets and they’ll be at Irving Plaza September 3 in New York.
The Naked & Famous
New Zealand indie rock group.
Aside from providing the backdrop of Lord of the Rings, I didn’t know that New Zealand had much to offer, especially in terms of pop culture. (I think I just lost some major cool points for referencing LOTR). But as I learned this year, it has produced some pretty cool musicians: Brooke Fraser (on tour in Europe this summer), Natasha Bedingfield, Flight of the Conchords, Keith Urban (get off my back; I like country sometimes), and also a rock group called The Naked & The Famous. Check out their upbeat tunes like Young Blood, Girls Like You, and Punching in a Dream. They’ll be playing in Central Park for FREE on August and around the U.S. and Europe this summer.
Happy 85th Birthday, Marilyn Monroe
If Marilyn Monroe were still alive, she would be 85 years old today. In honor of this, this Fall, It Books will be publishing Marilyn Monroe: Metamorphosis by David Wills–a dazzling portfolio of images from every period in Marilyn Monroe’s life, from her earliest sittings in 1942 until just weeks before her death, two decades later.
With more than two hundred first-generation photos – including countless luminous, unseen color photos from the very start of her career – “Marilyn Monroe: Metamorphosis” chronicles her meteoric rise from a humble catalog model to one of the most recognized faces in history.
So with that, from It Books, Happy Birthday Marilyn!
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Australian-born curator and preservationist David Wills has accrued one of the world’s largest independent archives of original Marilyn Monroe photographs. The book will feature images by Richard Avedon, Cecil Beaton, Philippe Halsman, Milton Greene, Andre De Dienes, George Barris, Alfred Eisenstaedt, and others.
Feel the Heat
Memorial Day weekend is almost upon us and with it the unofficial start of summer, which also brings the unofficial start of summer movie season. Looking forward to this year’s big blockbusters has also gotten me nostalgic for favorite summer films of the past. What follows is a highly idiosyncratic list of movies to watch during the coming lazy days:
The—ahem—Coming of Age Movie
The Graduate: A young Dustin Hoffman and a smokin’ hot Anne Bancroft demonstrate the sexy side of angst.
Wet Hot American Summer: Amy Poehler, Paul Rudd, David Hyde Pierce, Janeane Garofalo, Michael Ian Black, and a renegade piece of Skylab add up to comedy genius. Plus it’s yet another movie to look back on and go, “Really? Bradley Cooper was in that?” He’s quickly replacing Kevin Bacon as everyone’s favorite parlor game.
American Pie: Two words—band camp.
The Scary Movie
Jaws: Arguably the grandfather of all summer blockbusters, not to mention of giant shark movies.
Friday the 13th: It might have been created to cash in on the success of Halloween, but it quickly became one of the great slasher films of all time.
The Goofy Movie (not this Goofy Movie)
Meatballs: Say it with me, “It Just Doesn’t Matter. It Just Doesn’t Matter . . . ”
Dazed and Confused: Schools out for summer…
The Requisite Surf Movie
Blue Crush: Did you know this was based on an article by Susan Orlean? Yeah, me neither. Somehow I don’t think my boyfriend cares…
Point Break: Surfing! Sky diving! Bank Robbing! How can you go wrong?
And, The Classic
Breakfast at Tiffany’s: Not technically a summer film per se but when I was young and broke and couldn’t afford an air conditioner the only way I could deal with the heat was to make the largest pitcher of frozen daiquiris I could and bask in Audrey Hepburn’s effortless cool.
So, what are your favorite films to beat the heat?
I’m OK, You’re OK
Does OK Magazine not have the best goddamn website in the whole hell-blasted world? I’ve spent a lot of time not reading OK Magazine, but I can tell you that part of my life is over. I had thirty seconds to kill in between yoga and massage (all in our new conference rooms!) and asked a bearded colleague to recommend some fun reading. After a languorous, somehow disapproving exhale, that same bearded colleague told me that if I wasn’t reading OK Magazine, I was probably not reading anything at all—because what else is there? I told him to cover himself and thanks. I think I literally said, “You’re a great dude who gives great advice. Thanks a million. You’re in my top 10.”
So what’s go me so excited? Well, before I tell you, I should say that I do not have television. The moving pictures do not greet me when I plunk my ass down on the couch after work. (I just stare at the curtains, like a big cat in clothes.) So I have no idea what happens anywhere ever. But now with OK Magazine, I have this discerning and disembodied sensibility to guide me to work of quality, to humans doing amazing things, to the best words spoken and the best thoughts thunk. For example, there is a show called Dancing for the Stars. Seeing pictures from this show make me wish I was both dancing and a star. Slow-slow-fast-fast, slow-slow-fast-fast, box turn, promenade, and spin. Wee! But for reals, the outfits! Who are these lucky people who get to wear such glittery stuff? Oh yeah, stars. Damn.
You know who’s great? Taylor Swift. That’s all I’m going to say. I don’t want to ruin my chances. But she should know that I inspire people all the time. I could inspire some of her songs. They might be like, “He Wouldn’t Stop,” “Like He Was Deaf,” “Run Run Run.” For your fans, Taylor, think about it.
But, really, how many sit-ups does a guy have to do to make it in OK Magazine? For every comment this post gets, I will do a thousand sit-ups.
And, finally, OK Magazine, who is Kim Kardashian and what does she do?
Sammy Hagar Rocks the House with his New Book Red
Last night (March 15), Sammy Hagar’s die hard fans came out in droves in New York City to hear the rock legend speak about his new book Red. Interviewed by author and journalist Neil Strauss, whose book Everyone Loves You When You’re Dead also came out yesterday, Hagar touched on his relationship with his Van Halen bandmates, the possibility of an upcoming reunion, his relationship with his parents, and much much more! For those who couldnt attend the book launch, check out this short video clip:
And here are some photos from the event:
(Sammy posing for cameras)
(Neil Strauss interviewing Sammy)
(Sammy signing copies for fans)
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Rock out with your own copies of Sammy Hagar’s Red and Neil Strauss’ Everyone Loves You When You’re Dead, available everywhere.
Grammy Awards 2011: Best & Worst Dressed Recap
The Grammy Award’s red carpet looks are much more eclectic than the other award shows. Rockers and pop princess, rappers and jazz singers, all share the red carpet, creating a very different fashion palette Here’s our take a look at the best & worst (& other) dressed of the 2011 Grammy Awards.
BEST
Jennifer Lopez — Because who doesn’t love a hot Latina mama dressed as a disco ball? Seriously, she is too hot not to include. Damn, girl! (Wearing Emilio Pucci)
Selena Gomez — Nice to see the Disney crew all grown up. She looks impeccable without being overdone. (Wearing J. Mendel)
Lea Michelle — As much as her bubbly personality, immense talents, and unimaginable successes rub me the wrong way, Lea Michelle looks fab. (Wearing Romona Keveza)
Julianna Hough — Great pattern and a very flattering cut for her. She looks young and fun! (Wearing Malandrino)
WORST
Ciara – Just no. It looks like she’s auditioning for the role of Wonder Woman. (Wearing Pucci)
Hayley Williams — I love Paramore and this alterna girl’s look. But last night? Something went wrong, very wrong… (Wearing Jeremy Scott)
Natasha Bedingfield — There’s a lot going on with this dress: floral pattern, beading, and sheer. Too much, in fact. And her pinned up ’20s hairstyle doesn’t help. (Wearing Abed Mahfouz)
Jordin Sparks — She’s young and beautiful So why does she look stiff and dowdy in all that satin? Plus, its wrinkled! (Wearing Zang To)
OTHER
Rihanna — She’s beautiful, and often on the cutting edge of style. And yet, here we are looking at what appears to be a toothpase Halloween costume. (Wearing Jean Paul Gaultier)
All About Animals
Animals are also trotting their way onto bathing suits, as evidenced by the “We Are Handsome” one-pieces worn by Diane Kruger and Rihanna recently. Both ladies rocked the Amazon panther-print, but you can also chose from the Arabia horse-print and Yosemite eagle-print styles. All available at Net-A-Porter for about $375. I would personally love to hit the beach with these festive suits.
- arabia horse print
What do you think – will you say “yay” or “neigh” to this animal trend???
Our Favor!te Things 2010: Kevin Callahan
Favor!te Book:
“Who can know the heart of youth but youth itself?”
Favor!te Movie:
A bit different from last year’s pick. But incredible. Claustrophobic. Heart breaking. Amazing. Don’t see if it you have any doubts about your current relationship.
Favor!te TV show:
Totally missed out on this show while it was on the air, but it is definately something to fill the time in between Law & Order: SVUs.
Favor!te Blog/Website:
Favor!te YouTube Video:
I enjoyed learning about Alfred Hitchock’s films.
Metal: The Hardest Rock of All
Following Grunge, Alternative, and Hip Hop Your It List and Rolling Stone now bring you back to The ’90s and into the hardest rock of all: Metal.
The metal chapter kicks off with an introduction by the one, the only, the legendary Slash of Guns’n'Roses fame and the chapter includes articles from David Fricke about Metallica, Kim Neely on Guns’n'Roses, the man himself Neil Strauss chronicles Marilyn Manson and ends with a return from David Fricke this time writing against Rage Against the Machine.
Buy your copy of The ’90s today.
Enter for a chance to win a spectacular IMAX Harry Potter Experience
*****Contest is closed; all winners have been chosen*****
YourItList.com and IMAX have teamed up to offer you the chance to enjoy a spectacular Harry Potter film experience.
Read in Harry Potter Film Wizardry how the Warner Bros. creative team brought these beloved stories to life, and marvel at their concept art, behind-the scenes photos, and removable printed prop replicas from the movies themselves. Then experience Harry Potter’s world for yourself with passes to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1: The IMAX Experience, and bring the excitement home with the movie poster.
To enter for a chance to win, just send an email to filmwizardry@harpercollins.com with your mailing address before 1:00PM (EST) on Thursday, November 18th. We will randomly select 1 First Prize winner, 3 Second Prize winners, and 6 Third Prize winners from the emails received. No purchase necessary. The last entry will be accepted at 1:00 PM (EST) on November 18th, 2010.
1st Prize (1): 1 copy of Harry Potter Film Wizardry, 4 IMAX tickets, 1 IMAX poster (approx. retail value $125.99)
2nd Prize (3): 1 copy of Harry Potter Film Wizardry, 2 IMAX tickets, 1 IMAX poster (approx. retail value $87.99)
3rd Prize (6): 1 copy of Harry Potter Film Wizardry, 1 IMAX poster (approx. retail value $49.99)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1: The IMAX Experience has been digitally re-mastered into the unparalleled image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience® through proprietary IMAX DMR® technology. With crystal clear images, laser-aligned digital sound and maximized field of view, IMAX provides the world’s most immersive movie experience. Visit www.IMAX.com for more information and to find a theater near you!
Click here to view the official rules. Open to U.S. residents only.
Dangerous Curves Ahead
Do you want to get rid of something in your wardrobe? Do you like free jeans? Are you one of 54% of women who try on an average of 10 pairs of jeans before finding one that fits? Do you like free jeans? If you said yes to any of the above, you should definitely find yourself in NYC’s Bryant Park at 10 am this Friday, August 27th for the Levi’s Wear What Fits event!
Just bring an unwanted garment to the event, and in exchange Levi’s will donate the item to Goodwill and hand you a FREE pair of their new Curve ID jeans. The Wear What Fits event will also feature a live performance by singer Janelle Monáe and a meet and greet with style guide Bobbie Thomas.
Touting Curve ID as a line of custom fit jeans that focus on shape instead of size, Levi’s says the three fits are based on their analysis of over 60,000 3D body scans and 1-on-1 conversations with real women. This entertaining video on their website explains the options:
If your jeans are too tight at the waist – you need the slight curve
If the waist fits but doesn’t flatter - you need the demi curve
If the waist fits but gaps at the back – you need the bold curve
All of these descriptions seem like a thinly-veiled way to ask: how big is your butt??? but we’ll let it go. Free jeans for everyone!
An Empire State of Heels
I was walking along 34th street this weekend when I was literally stopped in my tracks by the sequined heels on display in the Geox store window. I thought to myself: “Are those heels in the shape of the Empire State Building???” Indeed they were! Check out the window display below:
I simply had to find out more! After some sleuthing online, I found out I had been looking at the Geox limited edition Empire State Building heels, conveniently for sale right next to the iconic skyscraper itself.
Available in gold or silver, the 5-inch heels are covered with rhinestones to represent the skyscraper windows. The body of the shoe comes in leopard print, purple and blue sequins, or black sequins, and a choice of open or closed-toe.
With a price tag of $230, tourists may not wish to forsake their standard I <3 NY t-shirts for the heels, but they are certainly the most fashionable New York City keepsake I have seen in a while.
Don’t they just put you in an “Empire State of Mind“?
She & Him Rock Out on the Tambourine and Triangle
She & Him at the Bowery last March. (www.brooklynvegan.com) Photos weren't allowed at last night's show.
Last night, the folk/indie band She & Him put on a wonderful, sold out show at Terminal 5. The large, barren room was packed with fans, the room swelteringly hot. But, showing dedication to the band, very few left before the end of the encore.
The opening act, strangely enough, was not musical but comedic – comedian Eugene Mirman, a Brooklyn resident and author of The Will To Whatevs, a humorous guide to modern life (HarperCollins, 2009). His topics ranged from the Tea Party and Obama to a twelve-year-old with Asperger’s to those stupid security questions credit card websites ask you. While the question is generally something along the lines of “What is your mother’s maiden name?” Eugene took the liberty of changing the question to “What are you wearing?” so that he can respond, “I don’t think that’s appropriate!” to whomever is asking on the line. He was well received by the fans.
The room only got more packed and the crowd more eager as the night wore on. When She & Him came on, the room erupted. As effortlessly glowing as she was in 500 Days of Summer, Zooey DesChanel nonchalantly asked how the crowd was doing and jumped into “Change is Hard,” a sleepy, soulful ballad, while the crowd loudly sang along. During her more fast-paced songs, she jumped up and down while playing the tambourine, her long brown hair flailing around her. The show, with Zooey’s twangy voice and retro songs, had a 60’s vibe to it. Zooey, very at ease on stage, did not hesitate to stop a song a few seconds in to change the octave. Lead guitarist M. Ward sang along in a few memorable duets. The two back up singers sang and rocked out on their tambourines, while occasionally playing the triangle, a subtle touch to the alt-country songs.
In addition to girls in dark-rimmed glasses and long boho dresses, I was surprised to see a fair amount of male fans singing along merrily. The burly man behind me sang both the guy and girl parts to “You Really Got a Hold on Me” and got really into the chorus, which goes, “Hold me, hold me, hold me….”
The band played three covers for the encore. Certainly one of the highlights of the show, the band closed with Nina Simone’s “I Put a Spell on You,” featuring just M. Ward on a few vocals and guitar and Zooey on vocals. The song featured her impressive range, as she wailed, “No, I ain’t lyin!!” The memorable show left the fans begging for more.
Why Pearl Jam matters
Its taken a week to wrap my head around Pearl Jam’s show at Madison Square Garden on May 21st - and to get my voice back to normal. Without a doubt, Pearl Jam always puts on an amazing show. Though not seeing them for several years (after seeing them a dozen times in a few short years with the exception of Eddier Veder’s solo acoustic show), maybe I forgot how incredible a group they are.
So…my thoughts on why Pearl Jam matters….
- Ed’s ever-present bottle of wine on stage to, you know, keep his throat from getting dry
- Tribute song, “I’m Open,” dedicated to Howard Zinn, author of A People’s History of the United States
- How Eddie still acts amazed when he stands on stage and lets the crowd sing “Better Man” to him
- The crowd clears out for bathroom breaks during a “popular radio song,” (ie “Daughter”) but no one moves when he stands on stage and talks to the crowd
- No matter how massive a Pearl Jam fan you are, you will hear at least one, possibly two, songs you don’t know
- No matter how massive a Pearl Jam fan you are, and how many times you’ve seen them in concert, you will hear at least one song performed that you have never heard them perform live before
- After doing this for twenty years, the band still brings it like its their first concert and keeps it going like it might be their last
- Because even though they will forever be linked by time and place, Pearl Jam is not Nirvana, which is a good thing for both bands
As incredible as the show was as a whole (I would have paid just to hear Eddie belt out “Neverman”), the show was stolen when Eddie invited Ben Bridwell (Band of Horses) out to accompany him on “Hunger Strike.” Watch that performance and sometime around 45 seconds into it Bridwell seems to realize what he is singing and who he is singing with. The only thing better than the look of awe on his face is the look of pride on Ed’s face.
Pearl Jam, Madison Square Garden, May 21, 2010
Main Set:
Corduroy, Hail Hail, Do the Evolution, Worldwide Suicide, Got Some, Breath, Nothingman, I’m Open (Dedicated to Howard Zinn), Unthought Known, Grievance, Amongst the Waves, Present Tense, Not For You/Modern Girl, Push Me Pull Me, Rats, Daughter/WMA, The Fixer, Why Go
Encore 1:
The End (w/ string quartet), Just Breathe (w/ string quartet), Slow Lukin (w/ strings), Black Red Yellow, Sweet Lew, Given to Fly, Spin the Black Circle, Rearviewmirror
Encore 2:
Wasted Reprise, Betterman, Black/We Belong Together, The Real Me, Hunger Strike, Alive, Kick Out the Jams, Yellow Ledbetter/Star Spangled Banner
The Kid
Read it
Dan Savage writes the sex column, “Savage Love,” that appears in newspapers across the country. It’s a wonderful forum on politics and relationships (a recurring joke throughout the show) but Savage is at his best in his two books that document the relationship between he and his partner lover boyfriend husband and their decision to adopt a child, their son D.J.
In the off-Broadway show Savage’s story (adapted for the stage by Michael Zam) is strong but the music (by Andy Monroe) falls so very flat. I don’t remember a single song from the show, and there were many. In fact, I left The Kid singing songs from another show. The cast, however is really delightful and more importantly brings Jill Eikenberry to the stage. Remember her? From LA Law?
Jill!!!
She plays Savage’s mother and has the one song in the show that could be memorable. But it’s not. She’s still amazing. Give her an award.
Bottom line: read his books. Both The Kid and his follow-up The Commitment. And, what the hell. See the show too. And watch the New York Times video of it. And spay and neuter your pets.
Fit to be bow tied
Garden Party season is upon us. Even if you’re not likely to receive an embossed invite from Kennebunkport or Hyannis Port, you’re bound to have a summer wedding or sophisticated backyard fete to attend. When that moment arrives, you’ll want to be the guy with the best bow tie on the lawn–a neckwear choice that says, “I know how to mix a proper gimlet, but I’m not above dominating a game of bocce if the occasion should arise.”
Lucky for you, I’ve been scouting the summer bow tie scene in preparation for my upcoming wedding. Being that this is a once-in-a-lifetime event, I’m not taking the decision lightly. I can assure you that any and all of the following will suit your needs.
Fledgling plaid-centric men’s shop Gilbert & Lewis (via Urban Daddy) offers three slim options at an affordable $30. The blue and white would pair particularly well with a seersucker suit.
If your really take your gimlet-mixing skills seriously, Brooks Brothers has the lime-bedecked tie for you ($49.50)
J. Press, clothier to the Ivy League, offers a huge range of options, from the achingly preppy squash racket motif, to seasonally-appropriate madras ($49.50-$59.50).
