New Summer Free Concert Series Live At The Gantries to Feature An Array Of Queens Artists
Queens, NY – Celebrating the rich musical and ethnic tapestries of Queens in boisterous style, Live at the Gantries, the borough’s newest free summer performance series, will kick off later this month in Long Island City on June 24th.
The free, outdoor performances will feature some of the borough’s most celebrated entertainers, from Afro-Brazilian jazz musicians to Japanese punk rockers, with acts for audience members of all ages. Live at the Gantries’ nine nights will take place on Tuesdays at 7 o’clock at Gantry Plaza State Park, a 2.5-acre waterside oasis between 49th and 50th Avenues along the East River. The series will run from June 24th to August 26th.
From the industrial zone-turned state park, audience members will be able to enjoy breathtaking views of the midtown Manhattan skyline, including the Empire State Building and the United Nations’ headquarters. The park boasts four piers, manicured gardens, a mist fountain and the restored, historical gantries that once loaded and unloaded railcar floats and barges.
Event Schedule:
June 24 - Corina Bartra, Afro-Brazilian Jazz
Corina Bartra is a vocalist-percussionist who has studied rhythms from around the world and incorporated various influences into her music. She is known for blending original jazz compositions with the rich, magical traditions of Afro-Peruvian and Brazilian music.
July 1 - The F# Miners, Irish Traditional Music
The F# Miners have been playing together for two years influenced by the likes of Planxty and The Bothy Band. Instrument line-up consists of uileann pipes, whistles, bodhran, banjo and guitar. They play every Thursday at Maguire's Pub in Woodside.
July 8 - Blue Pipa, Chinese Folk Music
Along with her accompanying musicians, Min Xiao-Fen of Blue Pipa is renown for her exploration of traditional and modern music from all cultures. Famed for her virtuosity and fluid style on the pipa, she has recorded and performed with Björk.
July 15 – Bliminal, Indie Rock
A self-described “band of vagabonds that gathers together to exchange thoughts of radical sound,” the Astoria-based group lists among its influences Pavement, The Darkside and Sergio Leone.
July 22 – Calpulli Mexican Dance, Traditional Mexican Dance
Calpulli celebrates the rich regional traditions of Mexico by telling stories through colorful dance pieces. Their fresh, vital repertoire honors not just Mexico's past, but also the lives of its emigrants in the United States. The performance-based program will include didactic information and interactive exercises for the young and young at heart.
July 29 - York College Summer Big Band
The student jazz ensemble performs annually at the CUNY Jazz Festival at City College and was featured in Weltreisen on the German television station ARD in April 2006. The members of the workshop perform regularly throughout the borough.
August 5 - Mahina Movement, Folk, Rock and Rhymes
Drawing on their African-American, Chicana and Tongan heritages, the members of this threesome fuse folk, blues, hip hop, poetry and dance in their performances. Through their music, they aim to address social and political injustices.
August 12- No event scheduled.
August 19 - Zikrayat, Arabic Music and Belly Dancers
This Long Island City-based ensemble considers improvisation a critical element of their performances. With a classical Takht lineup of oud, nay, violin, qanun, riqq and tabla, in addition to folk instruments like buzuq, mizmar and rababa, Zikrayat captures the original spirit of Arabic music. The group’s dancers focus on authentic Egyptian Raqs Sharqi.
August 26 - Noirceur and Uzuhi, Punk
Flushing-based Uzuhi is known as the Japanese acoustic punk rock band. Uzuhi means Sun in Japanese, a name chosen because of the band’s strong belief that music has no borders. Fellow punk rockers Noirceur describe themselves as wanting to let everyone know they’re around playing original songs and having fun.
Directions to Gantry Plaza State Park:
Via New York Water Taxi:
Take the New York Water Taxi from either the West 44th Street, Chelsea Piers, Greenwich Village, World Financial Center, Battery Park, South Street Seaport, Fulton Ferry Landing or East 34th Street piers to Hunter’s Point. Exit the Water Taxi Beach parking lot to 2nd Street. Make a left on 2nd Street. Make a left on 50th Avenue towards the city until you reach the river.
By subway, take the No. 7 train to the Vernon Blvd.-Jackson Ave. Station. Walk on 50th Avenue to the East River. The park is in front of the Citylights Building.
By car from the Queensboro Bridge or Queens Boulevard, turn south on 21st Street. Turn right on Jackson Avenue. Make another right on 48th Avenue and a left at the Citylights Building. Make a final right on 49th Avenue. (No street parking available at the park itself.)
Monday, June 23, 2008
New Summer Free Concert Series Live At The Gantries starts tomorrow!
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Dagnabbit, This is a Nice Place
The Fam has been heading over here on days That The Man Lets Me Be and we've all had a real, heckuva good time.
Swings. Sprinklers. Refreshments. Nice Ladies with Good Kids.
Though, the walk over got me to thinking that a few stop signs on Skillman Ave. would stop a lot of speeding and a lot of through traffic spillage from The Boulevard Del Muerto.
Which would be a good idea on 48th Ave. too, damn it!
It might stop women with strollers getting hit by the park, it might discourage the kidnappers who try to abduct teenage girls at gunpoint. Then again, maybe we just need more cops.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Trying to put lipstick on a pig
They're back.
The people who tried to open a strip club in Sunnyside Gardens now say they want to open a "family restaurant" that stays open until 3am. Tonight, the owners of the notorious Punto G, now known as Calibar, also presented Department of Buildings approved architectural plans that include two DJ booths, though they promise there wont be any dancing.
At a community board committee hearing Wednesday night, Emilio Rubio and his accountant Jack Chang presented plans for the corner of 48th street and Barnett Ave. Rubio's wife, Lida Barona sat silently as they tried to sell the idea of a "family restaurant" to a disbelieving board and a standing room only crowd, unified in opposition.
Chang feebly offered up a brief biography of Mr. Rubio's and Ms. Barona's experiences at the Extravaganza dance club where Rubio worked as a security guard and another place called La Fonda.
The owners want to keep this "family restaurant" open until 3am on weekends and would close up at midnight on weeknights. When asked if the owners would be open to adjusting the hours, Chang snapped, "he's allowed to be open until 4am."
The best part came when Chang described my neighborhood as a "manufacturing area" and dismissed concerns about parking because "there's plenty of parking in the area at night."
The room erupted in laughter at the suggestion that parking is easy in Sunnyside Gardens.
The floor plans submitted tonight included two DJ booths. They want to blast tropical and Colombian music and envision two flat screen TVs on the walls of the windowless warehouse. They plan to hire a firm called Forte security, where Mr. Rubio worked for 3 years.
A letter in opposition from Assemblywoman Cathy Nolan was entered in the record. No mention of the LIRR east side access project that will cause major upheaval at this location in the near future.
These people are trying to put lipstick on a pig. They obviously want to open a sleazy dance bar and don't think we can stop them. The arrogant and blatant disregard for our community was clear in their presentation. We already have two round the clock businesses across the street from this place. There are plenty of nice places to buy alcohol in the area, we don't need another. They don't know or care that there is nowhere to park in this neighborhood. I hope they spend every last cent they have on shady lawyers, accountants, and architects. We will stop them. The battle lines are drawn.
Monday, June 09, 2008
$$ SLASH TO LIBRARIES
From reader Tracy:
Had a question for you...I'm a fellow Queens resident and recently found out that the city council is proposing a nearly $7 million budget cut to Queens Libraries, and I decided to help residents petition this (this is 2nd year running for lib cuts, bringing the total to over $10 million if this cut goes thru!).
The libraries are collecting signatures at the branches, but no one had thought of the commuters, or those who get their info online, so I created an online petition.
I just gave to the Queens Library Foundation, so Let's Meet Up In Queens enthusiastically supports this campaign.
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 3, 2008
No. 58
FIFTH ANNUAL GALA TO BENEFIT FLUSHING MEADOWS CORONA PARK
Unisphere, Inc., will host The Roaring 20’s Night In The Park, at the Ederle Terrace in Flushing Meadows Corona Park on Thursday, June 19, 2008 at 6:00 p.m. and honor three distinguished members of the Queens Community. This event is open to the public.
Unisphere, Inc., is a not-for-profit public-private partnership established to support programs of and enhancements to Flushing Meadows Corona Park. The event is an integral part of its effort to provide meaningful endowments important to current and future generations of park users.
Flushing Savings Bank’s CEO John Buran, President of Anchor Contractors, Inc. Larry Guadagno and the Mattone family will be recognized for their contribution to Flushing Meadows Corona Park at the event.
“Our honorees are longstanding and generous contributors to the Queens community and we feel privileged to honor them,” said Assistant Commissioner Estelle Cooper. “We deeply appreciate their generosity and concern for our beautiful park, and we invite the community to join us in celebrating these outstanding individuals and promoting ongoing enhancements to the park.”
Unisphere, Inc. Chairman Bruce Bendell, who is also the President of Major World Auto, said, “Unisphere, Inc. was established in 2003 to help finance special projects and service enhancements at Flushing Meadows Corona Park. With the supplemental dollars we raise, the park is able to focus its own resources on local acquisition, upkeep and stewarding of capital projects.”
Sponsorships and tickets ($250 per person) are still available. Casual dress or 1920s costumes are appropriate. Please call Kathy Dallojacono at Flushing Meadows Corona Park for more information at 718-760-6565 or email: Kathy.Dallojacono@parks.nyc.gov
- 30 -
Media Contact: Jama Adams/Trish Bertuccio (212) 360-1311
Third Annual Southern Queens Gospelfest
Date: July 26, 2008
Start Time:3:00 p.m.
End Time:8:00 p.m.
Description: A festival of soulful sounds, this show will spotlight talented choirs and gospel singers from throughout the city and from as far away as Rhode Island. The event is a free family fun day filled with activities for people of all ages. Bring a folding chair or blanket.
Location: At Baisley Pond Park- On Rockaway Blvd. between Sutphin and Baisley Blvd.
Sunday, June 01, 2008
Can You See Low, Low Prices, Sunnyside?
CN Vision Care on 46th St. between Greenpoint and 48th Ave has been putting lenses in my glasses for nine years now. The same lenses with all the fixins' for $95 a pair. UV, Glare, Scratch all that, installed on premises by a really nice guy. He even has a white coat to make you feel at ease.
