Compiled by sarah norris
Art
Photo by Steve Bates
16th St. and 6th Ave., 2001 (oil on canvas)
NIGHT PAINTINGS
For nearly twenty years, NYC resident Tom Keough has focused on painting urban and country landscapes set in the hours after sundown. “Tom Keough: Night Paintings” is an exhibition of his recent works. Focusing on quiet NYC settings, Keough’s ominous yet melancholy vision of urban alienation will seem both familiar and strange to anyone who calls this densely populated city home. Mysteriously empty streets, dark alleys and overlooked corners are transformed by the effects of man-made light and heaven-sent snow. Frozen in time and devoid of activity, they convey a sense of solitude normally achieved only in empty movie backlot visions of Gotham. Through July 31, at Hal Bromm Gallery; 90 West Broadway (at Chambers Street); 212-732-6196.
Film
Photo by Jeremy Carr
Kevin Maher: flashing a sign of peace or surrender?
ROBOT Night!
If the Terminator movies have taught us anything, it’s that mankind is destined to be ruled by robot overlords. Kevin Maher and Victor Varnado hammer home that fine point as hosts of the Sci Fi Screening Room. It’s a rowdy, bawdy, monthly showcase of obscure and offbeat videos (nicely augmented by cheap beer, free snacks and trivia prizes). This month’s theme, ROBOT Night!, reveals the dark side of man-made, man-like machines. Get a sneak peek at inevitable things to come, with clips from 1976’s “Futureworld” and a Gilligan’s Island movie in which the Harlem Globetrotters square off against a team of athletic androids — plus, a selection of scenes where robots battle apes. Why aren’t you on your way already? Go! $7; Wednesday, May 20, 7:00p.m. at UNDER St. Marks, 94 St. Marks Place (btwn. 1st Ave & Ave. A). Visit www.horsetrade.info and www.ThisKevin.Blogspot.com.
Multimedia
Photo courtesy of SVA Theatre
From left: Florin Penisoara, Francis Oberle, Antholy Laforgia
HUSBANDS
Developed by the School of Visual Arts with the cooperation of Gena Rowlands, this multimedia comedy about life, death and freedom is an adaptation of John Cassavetes’ 1970 film “Husbands.” The ensemble piece, which charts the lives of three middle class men in the throes of a midlife crisis, tells that tale through a series of laughing, drinking, smoking and revelations of deep, inner pain. Let’s hope they stay true to the core of Cassavetes’ work — which managed to shed rays of hope and wonder upon such dismal subject matter. May 19th through 22nd, 7:30p.m. at the SVA Theater (333 W. 23rd St., btwn. 8th & 9th Aves). Tickets, $10 (students & seniors $5). Call (212) 724-5004.
Music
Photo by Nina Roberts
Festival programmer Joe Rubenstein
KEYS TO THE FUTURE
That this is the city’s only contemporary solo piano festival makes Keys to the Future a rare event indeed; that it runs only three nights makes it a time-sensitive must-see happening. Village mainstay and festival programmer Joe Rubenstein presents an amazingly dense one-hour, no-intermission roster of selections encompassing composers from uptown, downtown, and points beyond the continental United States. The nine featured pianists include Amy Briggs and Manon Hutton-DeWys (winner of the 2nd Annual Keys to the Future Young Artists Competition). May 19th, 20th, 21st, 8:00p.m. at Renee Weiler Concert Hall, 46 Barrow Street. Tickets are $15 ($10 for seniors/students ). Call 212-242-4770 or visit www.keystothefuture.org.
Photo by Shira Peltzman
Brave new bossa boy Avi Wisnia
AVI WISNIA
From the late 1950s through the early 1960s, bossa nova music was wildly popular here in the states. Return to those thrilling days of yesteryear and find out what you’ve been missing — namely, the cool fusion of samba and jazz. Singer/songwriter Avi Wisnia is your guide on this free musical tour. His singular style combines classic Brazilian Bossa Nova with bossa originals and “bossa bastards” which put a sunique spin on pop tunes from the likes of Bjork and the Cure. Wisnia is joined in this acoustic set by four equally forward-thinking musicians on guitar, bass, cello and violin. Free; Thursday, May 14, 8:00p.m., at The Cafe at 92Y Tribeca, 200 Hudson Street. Call 212-601-1000 or visit www.92ytribeca.org and www.aviwisnia.com.
