The Filtered Excellence: December 26, 2013
Bob Geldof once asked us, “Where is the filtered excellence!?” It’s right here. Here are 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:
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WATCH THIS:
American Masters Season Finale: Marvin Hamlisch: What He Did For Love. The American Masters series on PBS wraps up its season with a look a PEGOT (Pulitizer, Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony) winner, composer Marvin Hamlisch. The special has access to Hamlisch’s personal archives and the cooperation of his family. It also includes interviews with Barbra Streisand, Steven Soderbergh, Carly Simon, Quincy Jones and John Lithgow. “Marvin Hamlisch: What He Did For Love” airs on PBS on Friday, December 27th at 9pm Eastern. Times may vary, so check your local listings.
Live From Lincoln Center: New York Philharmonic Gala with Yo-Yo Ma. This is the PBS New Year’s Eve tradition featuring the New York City Philharmonic orchestra. Cellist Yo-Yo Ma is this year’s special guest. He joins maestro Alan Gilbert for the 2013 – 2014 theme of Latin dance inspired orchestral music. The gala begins at 8pm Eastern on Tuesday, New Year’s Eve on PBS. The time may vary in different markets. Be sure to check your local listings.
2014 NHL Winter Classic: Detroit Red Wings versus Toronto Maple Leafs. This is one of the favorite hockey games of the year that even the casual fans take time to watch. It’s the annual outdoor winter classic which has two of the NHL’s Original 6 going up against each other. The Detroit Red Wings face off against the Toronto Maple Leafs outdoors at the Big House at the University of Michigan. The game will be played in front of a crowd of over 100,000 at 1pm Eastern, January 1st on NBC.
The 125th Tournament of Roses Parade. A favorite New Year’s Day celebration across the country, the parade includes 44 floats entirely decorated in flowers and other organic materials. This year’s grand marshal is legendary broadcaster Vin Scully. The parade starts at 11am Eastern on NBC on New Year’s Day.
The 100th Tournament of Roses Rose Bowl Game. The Tournament of Roses celebration continues with the “Grand Daddy Of Them All”, the Rose Bowl game. The best of the Big 10 faces the Pac 12 champion in a match up between Michigan State and Stanford. Coverage starts at 5pm Eastern on ESPN.
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BROWSE THIS:
Nowness – www.nowness.com. This site recently got a lot of attention for posting a short film of actress Rose McGowan dancing au natural in her Cali home. But it also, as its mandate states, aims to ‘bring together the brightest minds in contemporary culture’ and does that quite successfully. Whether its acclaimed photographer/director Bruce Weber paying homage to Harlem, actor Ray Winstone revisiting his old boxing club in England, Tilda Swinton taking a road trip to Iceland to see the All Tomorrow’s Parties festival or revisiting the birthplace of Nelson Mandela on the eve of his funeral, Nowness, gives a unique look into what’s happening culturally from the viewpoint of those who are shaping it. With a rich archive of short film ranging from music, sports, fashion, travel and art, Nowness will keep you captivated for hours on end.
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DO THIS:
NEW YORK CITY: Valerie June @ The Highline Ballroom. 2013 was a breakout year for Valerie June. This outstanding singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist released her major label debut, Pushin’ Against A Stone which was co-produced and co-written by Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys and featured the legendary Booker T. Jones on several tracks. The album was lauded by critics worldwide as one of the year’s best. She also appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and did a successful tour of Europe and the States. Now she brings her blend of blues, gospel and Appalachian folk – or as she likes to call it, ‘organic moonshine roots music’ – to New York’s Highline Ballroom to wrap up the current leg of her U.S. tour. 2014 promises to ever better: She’s going on the road with Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings through March. See her now before she graduates to bigger venues. December 27.
NEW YORK CITY: Robert Randolph & The Les Paul Trio @ The Iridium. Guitarist Robert Randolph – on a brief break from touring with The Family Band – will perform with the Les Paul Trio for two very intimate sets. It will be very interesting to see how the gospel/blues/funk will clash with jazz, but the collisions promise to make a beautiful noise. It should make for quite an interesting night. Get your tickets now if you haven’t already. December 30.
- Go to www.theiridium.com for tickets and more information.
NEW YORK CITY: The Tramp 100 @ The Film Forum. In 1914, Charlie Chaplin made his first on screen appearance in Kid Auto Races At Venice. It was the beginning of a career that made him one of the most celebrated and recognized figures in film history. To celebrate the centennial of his debut, The Film Forum will be running a week long retrospective featuring such classic shorts and the full length features The Gold Rush, The Kid, City Lights, Modern Times and The Great Dictator. Fully restored to all of its cinematic glory, The Tramp 100 is an exceptional look at a cinematic master. January 1 through the 7th.
- Go to www.filmforum.org for a complete rundown and show times.
NEW YORK CITY: Living Colour @ Brooklyn Bowl. When wrestler CM Punk decided to use the 1988 hit ‘Cult Of Personality’ as his new entrance music, it introduced Living Colour to a new generation of fans. They performed the song at Wrestlemania and embarked on a successful world tour celebrating the 25th Anniversary of their debut album Vivid. Living Colour will kick off 2014 with a hometown show at Brooklyn Bowl, where they’ll perform classic material and preview songs from their yet to be titled new album due later this year. As they often do at New York City shows, expect a couple of surprise songs and special appearances. Not to be missed. January 2.
- You can go to www.brooklynbowl.com for tickets and additional info.
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