Staff Picks No. 44
S A T U R N: A Revelation: j. bouey
JACK
May 10th - May 25th 2024
j. bouey is an incredible, mesmerizing dancer (don't take my word for it, their Instagram reels has so many great clips) and thinker. I'm excited for this performance and the installation surrounded it, all taking place in "the 2200s, when humanity is at the precipice of abolishing all systems of oppression".
Staffer: Travis Amiel
Rhizome forever party: Poncili Creación, Young Boy Dancing Group, Laser Days, UMFANG, Joe George
WSA 161 Water Street
Thursday, May 9th 2024
this week is going to be a lot of quotations bc time and brain space but mainly shoutout my Laser Days kings who stay freaking it and this Puerto Rican puppetry troupe which I've heard is bonkers. sure to be a scene iykyk....
"The Rhizome Forever...Traversing between sound art, improvisation, and noise by way of cross-genre manipulation...these acts are best experienced IRL and by a collective audience in their entirety."
Performance by:
Puerto Rican experimental puppetry troupe, Poncili Creación
Swiss collective Young Boy Dancing Group
Installation by Laser Days
Set by the co-founder Discwoman, UMFANG.
&&&& flash tattoos by the iconic Joe George &&&& open bar
Staffer: Lena Engelstein
NOT CALM: William Sydney
Brick Aux
May 9th May 19th 2024
Listen... I cannot get enough. William has boggled my mind and made me believe, simultaneously, for the past 5 years. He is one of those evil artists that I cannot not experience. I will be there, multiple times. And, even as the person that runs the place, I will be surprised.
Staffer: Theresa Buchheister
SPRING BREAK: BEFORE YOUR EYES: Curated by Stephanie Acosta, Laurie Berg & Christina Massey; Co-produced by Anna Adams Stark; Co-Presented by The Jo Andres Archive
OLD SCHOOL
May 3rd - May 15th 2024
This weekend is the beginning of a 1 WEEK, an all new mini-SPRING/BREAK Art Show meant to coincide with Frieze Week. Before Your Eyes is to quote the IG post: "SPRINGING on the city...a solo show of artist & downtown pioneer Jo Andres, her spooky ruminations on the divine feminine, nature, and religion..."
Curated by Stephanie Acosta, Laurie Berg, and Christina Massey, I expect this exhibit will be uncannily insightful with a liberatory bent. More quote: "comprising over 40 years of collaborations with other downtown artists like DANCENOISE, Mimi Goese, Tom Murrin, and long-time partner and actor-director Steve Buscemi—their two-week HOME in the OLD SCHOOL where Spring/Break began is a perfect homecoming."
There is another secret with the rec that may or may not have to do with me and someone else who I may or may not be able to name but I literally don't know so I'll keep chilling on vague mode.
Staffer: Lena Engelstein
DAYS EP Release Party: Ethan Philbrick & Ned Riseley
Francis Kite Club
Monday, May 6th 2024
I walked up to three people in a living room and then laughed for 45 minutes straight. Do you know what I am saying? Through the laughter, I even learned about an Italian grandfather's immigration and core beliefs around internships. That was my introduction to Ned and Ethan (with a secret third person who is just not relevant to this staff pick). THEN came to find out they have a BAND together, and that that BAND hasn't just made music in the past but is releasing A NEW ALBUM on MONDAY. THEN, I learned it was at Francis Kite Club which is, as we all know, the coolest new place to hang out on Avenue C. So, big win for me basically.
A quote for consistency: "DAYS intermingles voice and cello to deconstruct traditional art song and chamber music landscapes and these musical experiments have grown into a broader theatrical collaborative practice where they create larger, stranger, and more humorous pieces of narrative writing that surround their songs."
Staffer: Lena Engelstein
The Vicky Archives: Co-created by Nick Auer, Dan Kuan Peeples, Sam Myers, Allie Freed, Sam James, and Max Pendergast
The Tank
Closes May 22nd 2024
I love a special experience and a special tour and a special vibe that may lead me to join the cult I have always wanted to join...
Staffer: Theresa Buchheister