The Filtered Excellence: May 21, 2014

Actor and race car driver Paul Newman waits in the driver's seat of his Nissan 300ZX Turbo before the start of qualifying race at Riverside International Raceway in Los Angeles, Ca., Saturday, Oct. 6, 1984.  The qualifying round is for Sunday's Budweiser Trans Am race.  (AP Photo/Robert Gabriel)

Bob Geldof once asked us, “Where is the filtered excellence!?” It’s right here. Once a week we take a break from comedy to bring you this weeks picks of the best things to watch, the most interesting things to do, great things to try, the best picks to read, our favorite things to listen to and more:


WATCH THIS:

Gueros. Existing somewhere between the aimless hilarity of Wes Anderson’s first film Bottle Rocket and the youthful rebellion of Two-Lane Blacktop is the film debut of Mexican director Alonso Ruizpalacios (which won best first feature at the 2014 Berlin film festival). Filmed in stunning black and white photography, the move is the perfect refresher for box-office fatigue. Teenager Tomas (Sebastian Aguirre) moves in with his college brother Sombra (Tenoch Huerta), who has become a static, purposeless young man since the National University strike out began. Lacking an all important air conditioner to beat the unbearable heat in their apartment, Tomas, Sombra, and his roommate Santos decide to take an impromptu roadtrip to find the folk-rock singer the brothers once idealized, and stop by the protests to pick up Sombra’s stunning girlfriend Ana (Ilse Salas) who leads the student protests. Ruizpalacios captures this moment in history with honesty and levity, while connecting the roadtrippers youthful exuberance with the idealism of the university protestors. Mexico City is shot as a beautiful and dangerous beast for the adventurers to conquer, and the music by Tomás Barreiro is memorably rhythmic and melodic.

Sunshine Superman. ‘If there are mountains, let’s climb them. If there are buildings, let’s jump off them’. Those were the words of the late Carl Boenish, a cinematographer who became the father of the BASE jumping movement. Director Marah Strauch using Boenish’s 16mm archive footage, re-enactments, state of the art aerial photography and remembrances from his wife Jean, collaborators and friends to create this beautiful and moving portrait of a man who refuse to be hampered by limitations, man made or otherwise. The archival footage will inspire you and the scenes of the actual jumps will totally blow your mind. One of the best docs – and films – of the year. Sunshine Superman opens in New York and L.A. this weekend and nationwide on May 29th.

You can also go to www.magpictures.com for more info.

Winning: The Racing Life Of Paul Newman. While preparing to do work on the 1969 film, Winning, Paul Newman fell in love with motorsports – in particularly racing. He fell in love with the sport so much that acting became secondary. Over the next 35 years, Newman would become a skilled driver, winning four national championships as a driver and eight championships as an owner – despite not beginning his racing career until he was 47. Adam Carolla, who has been restoring and racing vintage cars since 2003, became fascinated with Newman’s career after acquiring seven cars that Newman used during that span. Carolla, along with Nate Adams, co-directed this new documentary that covers a side of the legendary actor’s career that, until now, has only been touched upon. Using interviews featuring his widow, Joanne Woodward, Robert Redford, Patrick Dempsey, Robert Wagner, Jay Leno, Mario Andretti and Michael Andretti, Carolla and Adams have put together an entirely new look at one of Hollywood’s most beloved screen idols. Winning: The Racing Life Of Paul Newman opens in select theaters on May 22nd and will also be available on demand.

Order Winning: The Racing Life of Paul Newman [HD] on Demand at Amazon.com
You can also go to www.newmanracingfilm.com for more information.


READ THIS:

The Journey Home: My Life In Pinstripes by Jorge Posada. The New York Yankees have always had a long line of great catchers: Bill Dickey, Yogi Berra, Elton Howard and Thurman Munson. When Jorge Posada retired in 2011, he added his name to the legacy. For 17 years, he was part of ‘The Core Four’, that led the Yankees to five world championships, two pennants, and 13 playoff appearances from 1996 to 2011. Now Posada tells the story of how he went from the sandlots in Puerto Rico to playing in The House That Ruth Built. Posada also gives us an insider’s view of some of the greatest moments of those championship years, how his team became his family away from home and how his relationship with Joe Torre got him through challenges on and off the field. Posada also reveals how his family – particularly his father, Jorge, Sr – helped instill the work ethic and devotion to family that made him a leader on the field and at home. Posada was always known for speaking his mind and he does not mince words about his rivalry with Pedro Martinez, his relationships with Yankees GM Brian Cashman and manager Joe Girardi and his bittersweet final years in pinstripes. Yankee fans know all too well that Posada shoots it straight with no filter and this book stays on that path. It’s also a beautiful tribute to his family, the Yankees and the game of baseball.

The Journey Home: My Life in Pinstripes is available now through Amazon, Barnes & Noble and all major book retailers.


LISTEN TO THIS:

Live + by Jeff Beck. Jeff Beck is still working on his next studio album, but has released this snapshot of his 2014 tour. It was during this tour that he unveiled a new band, which includes Rhonda Smith (bass), Jonathan Joseph (drums), Nicolas Meier (guitar) and Jimmy Hall of Wet Willie on vocals. The material touches upon every aspect of his career from Truth (‘Morning Dew’), through 2010’s Emotion & Commotion (‘Hammerhead’). There’s also some choice covers (‘A Change Is Gonna Come’, ‘Little Wing’) guest appearances by Imelda May (‘Danny Boy’) and Sophia Delila (‘Why Give It Away) and plenty of Beck’s otherworldly guitar fireworks. The two new studio tracks – Tribal (featuring Ruth Lorenzo) and ‘My Tiled White Floor’ (featuring Vernonica Bellino) seem to be pointing towards yet another new musical direction for the always shape shifting guitarist. Live + is a great collection for those who saw the last tour and for those looking forward to the current leg of touring, which will feature the same lineup.

Live + is available now through Amazon, Itunes and all major music retailers.
You can also go to www.jeffbeck.com for tour dates and more information.

At Your Service (Live) by Sammy Hagar & The Circle. Anchored by The Circle, which features former Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony, Jason Bonham (Led Zeppelin, Bonham, Foreigner and UFO) on drums and guitarist Vic Johnson (Bus Boys, Sammy Hagar) Sammy Hagar has put together a killer live album that covers every facet of his 40 plus year career. Whether its classic Montrose (‘Rock Candy’), solo material (‘There’s Only One Way To Rock’, ‘I Can’t Drive 55’), rarities (‘Heavy Metal’), covers of vintage Led Zeppelin (‘Good Times Bad Times, ‘Whole Lotta Love’, ‘Rock and Roll’, ‘When The Levee Breaks’) and, of course, tons of Van Hagar songs (‘Poundcake’, ‘When It’s Love’, ‘Why Can’t This Be Love’, ‘Finish What Ya Started’, ‘Right Now’, ‘Best Of Both Worlds’), Hagar & The Circle crush it. Hagar might be in his late 60s, but can still belt it out with the best of them – he’s a rock n roll freak of nature. A stripped down, re-arranged version of VH’s ‘Dreams’ closes out the set and hints at a new direction for The Red Rocker. Let’s hope the schedules mesh long enough for them to do a full on studio album of new material, because this band has talent to burn. Until then, enjoy this outstanding live set.

At Your Service (2 CD Set) is available now through Amazon, Itunes and all major music retailers.
You can also go to www.sammyhagar.com for more info.


DO THIS:

NEW YORK CITY: Yoko Ono: One Woman Show 1960-1971 at MoMa. In 1971, Yoko Ono put together an unauthorized one woman show at The Museum Of Modern Art in New York. Titled Museum of Modern [F]art, the show consisted of a sign outside the museum’s entrance which stated that Ono had released flies on the Museum grounds, and the public was invited to track them as they dispersed across the city. Now, nearly 45 years later, Ono and MoMa have officially teamed up to present a retrospective that covers the 10 years that led up to her 1971 art invasion. The exhibit will include 125 of her early objects, works on paper, installations, performances, audio recordings, and films, alongside rarely seen archival materials. The retrospective will also include her early collaborations with John Lennon including Bed-In and the WAR IS OVER! if you want it both of which promoted world peace. This is a great opportunity to look at Ono’s creative output in the avant garde world and how her work found its way into the mainstream. One Woman Show will be at MoMa through September 27th. You can go to www.moma.org for tickets and additional information.

NEW YORK: The Pixies. Before heading out for a series of shows with Robert Plant, The Pixies will wrapping this current leg of the tour with a series of shows at The Beacon Theater and the recently reopened Kings Theatre in Brooklyn. Whereas previous tours heavily relied on material from such classic albums as Surfer Rosa and Doolittle, recent dates have begun to incorporate more songs from Indie Cindy, their first new album since 1991 and the first without founding member Kim Deal. The Pixies’ influence on the music scene is undeniable and it’s great to see them get a much deserved victory lap. Come out and see one of the best do their thing.

Go to www.pixiesmusic.com for tickets and more information.

TRI STATE AREA: George Thorogood & Brian Setzer’s Rockabilly Riot Tour. Two guitar legends kick off their co-headlining tour next week with a pair of Tri-State area shows. Thorogood is the eternal rock n roll road dog, still logging in over 100 shows a year with his spin on the Great American Rock n Roll Songbook. Setzer – after fronting a highly successfully 17-piece orchestra – has gone back to his rockabilly roots, releasing an album of all new material (Rockabilly Riot) in 2014. Both will bring high energy to each performance and it’s always a good time.

Go to www.georgethorogood.com or www.briansetzer.com for tickets, tour dates and more information.

LOS ANGELES: Shuggie Otis at Troubadour. Shuggie Otis is the true definition of a rock n roll enigma. The son of the legendary bandleader, talent scout and all around musical everyman Johnny Otis, Shuggie picked up a guitar at 2, and was a featured player in his father’s band when he was just 15. He recorded and performed with such artists as Frank Zappa, Etta James and Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland before turning 20. B.B. King called him his favorite new guitarist. Shuggie wrote ‘Strawberry Letter 23’, which later became a monster hit for The Brothers Johnson. Shuggie was asked to replace Mick Taylor in The Rolling Stones, but turned it down. His solo album Inspiration Information – in which he played nearly all of the instruments – is now considered a classic, inspiring future funk rockers such as Prince and Lenny Kravitz and heavily sampled by several hip hop artists (including the OutKast hit, ‘Ms. Jackson’). Then, Shuggie Otis all but disappeared, opting to work behind the scenes with his father, studio work and the occasional live shows. Then, Quentin Tarentino’s use of ‘Strawberry Letter 23’ in his film Jackie Brown and a 2001 reissue of Inspiration Information put Shuggie’s name back in the limelight. In 2013, Shuggie signed a deal with Sony to reissue Inspiration Information along with a new CD called Wings Of Love, which featured never before released material he’s recorded since 1975, along with live tracks. He also been gone back on the road with a band that features his sons Eric and Nick. Shuggie Otis will be performing at the legendary Troubadour in support of the reissue as well as the new live album, Live In Williamsburg. Reviews of the tour have been outstanding, so come out and see a true living legend at work.

Go to www.troubadour.com or www.shuggieotismusic.com or more info.

 


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Earl Douglas is a writer/photographer based in New York City. A frequent contributor to The Interrobang, Earl is also Executive Director for the New York chapter of The Black Rock Coalition. Earl worked in radio for nearly two decades at WNEW-FM and XM Satellite Radio, which included being the on-air producer for Carol Miller, Scott Muni and Ron & Fez, and a contributor to Opie & Anthony. Earl has also independently published a number of books including Black Rock Volume 1, Urban Abyss, Mobile Uploads, and For Shimmy. His latest project is the photojournalism magazine PRAXIS, which is available exclusively through Blurb.com.
Earl Douglas
Earl Douglas
Earl Douglas is a writer/photographer based in New York City. A frequent contributor to The Interrobang, Earl is also Executive Director for the New York chapter of The Black Rock Coalition. Earl worked in radio for nearly two decades at WNEW-FM and XM Satellite Radio, which included being the on-air producer for Carol Miller, Scott Muni and Ron & Fez, and a contributor to Opie & Anthony. Earl has also independently published a number of books including Black Rock Volume 1, Urban Abyss, Mobile Uploads, and For Shimmy. His latest project is the photojournalism magazine PRAXIS, which is available exclusively through Blurb.com.