The Filtered Excellence: August 8, 2013

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Bob Geldof once asked us, “Where is the filtered excellence!?” It’s right here. Here are this weeks picks of what to WATCH, what to DO what to TRY what to READ what to LISTEN TO and more:

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WATCH THIS:

Clear History. HBO, Saturday August 10th at 9PM. Larry David is Nathan Flomm in Clear History, this new HBO comedy. A marketing executive at a start-up electric car company, he gives up his 10 percent of the shares after a seemingly minor disagreement with his boss, played by Jon Hamm. Of course as luck, or lack of luck, would have it, the company blows up. Billions of dollars are made and Nathan is publicly disgraced. After he is rocked by this embarrassment, Nathan changes his identity and his locale. A decade passes and he lives a new life far away from it all on Martha’s Vineyard. All seems to be going well until his past humiliation catches up with him. Clear history was written by Larry David along with Alec Berg, David Mandel, and Jeff Schaffer, and is directed by Greg Mottola. Star studded cast also includes: Bill Hader, Kate Hudson, Michael Keaton, Danny McBride, J.B. Smoove, Eva Mendes, Philip Baker Hall, and Amy Ryan.

Girl Rising. An inspirational and yet heartbreaking movie on the importance of educating girls. It is the “true” story (true accounts that are somewhat dramatized) of nine young girls from impoverished countries and their fight to go to school. There are astounding statistics in this movie on how important it is to educate girls – not just for the girl, or for her family, but that educating even 1 girl dramatically increases the prosperity of her village, her community, her country. This film came out in March, but there are still screenings being hosted all over the country.

Magic City, Series Finale. One of the most beautifully filmed period dramas on television comes to an end with the Season 2 finale. The fate of Ben and Ike’s futures hang on the whether the gambling bill passes or not. The amazing ensemble put together by creator Mitch Glazer includes Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Danny Huston, Kelly Lynch and James Caan. The series finale of “Magic City” is Friday, August 9th at 9pm Eastern on Starz.

Breaking Bad. The saga of Walter White comes to an end with the final 8 episodes starting Sunday, August 11th at 9pm Eastern on AMC. With his meth business bigger than ever, Walt tries to continue to stay ahead of the DEA and rival drug dealers. What does the final half-season hold for Walter, Skylar, Jesse, Hank and everyone else involved in “Breaking Bad”?

The 67th Little League World Series. This baseball classic from Williamsport, Pennsylvania is one of the most entertaining sports events of the year. Tournament play starts this week as little league teams from across the country and across the world all come together to see who will meet in the finals. Friday’s international games include Asia-Pacific versus Canada, Japan versus Europe-Africa, while the U.S.A Pool match ups include the West versus the Great Lakes and the Mid-Atlantic versus the Midwest. All games will be televised on ESPN, ESPN 2 and ABC.

READ THIS:

Turn Around Bright Eyes: The Rituals of Love and Karaoke by Rob Sheffield. Sheffield’s third book is as charming, bittersweet and engaging as his first two books, “Love is a Mix Tape” and “Talking to Girls About Duran Duran.”   The book is about how a night in a karaoke bar changed his life, and opened him up to come back to life after the death of his first wife left him devastated. The ‘forgiving accepting community’ of the karaoke world helped draw him out and the book talks about how the music helped him to move on and find love again.  In an age of cynicism and harsh criticism, Sheffield has a rare and sincere love music, and the artists who perform it that is uplifting and fun and a sheer pleasure to read.

LISTEN TO THIS:

Behold, A Pale Horse by Ebony Bones. Ebony Bones is a British born singer-songwriter, record producer and actress best known for explosive and colorful stage shows. Her debut album Bone Of My Bones had a successful release throughout Europe and Japan in 2009, thanks in part to having two of her songs featured in car commericials. Her stateside appearances at Central Park Summerstage and SXSW in 2010, put her on the U.S. radar as someone to watch out for in the future. That future arrives in the form of her second album, Behold, A Pale Horse, a two-part, twelve song cycle loaded with punked out tribal beats, orchestral flourishes, buzzed out guitars, lush, soulful harmonies (including an assist from The New London Children’s Choir) and even a rarity found in pop music these days, a full on instrumental. Ambitious, experimental, yet genre-bending, this album’s aim is looking past American audiences – it’s shooting for global stardom.

Didn’t It Rain by Hugh Laurie. You know him as Dr. House, and he’s a great actor, but he’s already a really accomplished musician. If you love the New Orleans sound, (and doesn’t everyone?) Laurie will surprise you with some great jazz and blues and boogie woogie that explores the roots music of the south. Some great guest musicians appear on the album, like Taj Mahal, Gaby Moreno and Jean McClain, and of course the Copper Bottom Band. Start with the title track and you won’t want to stop.

BROWSE THIS:

Roger Corman’s Drive In. Roger Corman has produced and directed over 450 films. His movies have become cult classics, and he’s also had a major influence in the careers of people like Ron Howard, Martin Scorsese, Peter Bogdanovich, Peter Fonda, Jack Nicholson, some of whom claim that they wouldn’t have had their careers at all if it hadn’t been for Roger. You can watch Roger’s cult classic films by joining his YouTube channel. Every Thursday, Roger and some of the directors he’s influenced give advice to filmmakers as well. Your chance to get to know the full catalog of a man who has had incredible influence on all the films you know and love.

DO THIS:

EVERYWHERE: The annual Perseid meteor shower. Peaking Aug. 11-12 — could produce pretty, poignant and plentiful points of light. Early morning hours will give the best shows. Let’s hope for clear skies.

NEW YORK CITY: Freedom ’63 Remixed: Legacies Of The March On Washington @ The Schomburg Center 8/16. Noted Civil Rights Movement veterans Dick Gregory, Dorothy Zellner and Gwendolyn Zoharah Simmons will sit down with next gen activists Boots Riley, Hari Konablou and Jeanne Theoharis to give their recollections on the the legendary March On Washington For Jobs And Freedom – which produced Martin Luther King’s landmark ‘I Have A Dream’ speech. 50 years later, the struggle of human rights here in the United States is still in the forefront, more pressing and vital than ever. Freedom ’63 Remixed will take place at The Schomburg Center on Friday, August 16th.

NEW YORK CITY: The 30th Annual Roots Of American Music Series @ Lincoln Center Out Of Doors 8/10 – 8/11. The Roots of American Music is one of the summer’s best outdoor series and this year’s lineup doesn’t disappoint. Saturday’s afternoon lineup at Heart Plaza features Trixie Whitley, Martha Redbone’s Roots Project (featuring lyrics by William Blake) and New Orleans roots rockers Hurray For The Riff Raff; The evening lineup at The Damrosch Park Bandshell will feature Nick Lowe, fomer Drive By Trucker Jason Isbell and the Rockin’ Rockabilly Revue featuring former Elvis and Ricky Nelson guitarist James Burton, Sleepy LaBeef, Charlie Gracie, Johnny Powers and Gene Summers. Sunday’s bill will kick off with an afternoon symposium at The David Rubenstein Atrium, which will screen a rare, recently discovered Fats Domino concert from 1962, conversations with blues/R&B great Bobby Rush and the gospel group Como Mamas and Nona Hendryx interviewing New Orleans musical giant Allen Toussaint. For the evening session at The Damrosch Park Bandshell, Rush, Como Mamas, and Toussaint will all perform live. If that wasn’t enough, Brian & Eddie Holland – two-thirds of the famed Holland-Dozier-Holland songwriting team – will talk with producer Harry Weinger about the craft of songwriting and perform stripped down versions of the songs that put Motown on the cultural map. The best part of these shows is that they are all FREE. A must see weekend for anyone who loves music or wants to learn more about it.

PHILADELPHIA: Pennsylvania Dutch Festival (Started Thurs 8/8- Sunday 8/10) At Reading Terminal Market. There’s always a good reason to go check out the Reading Terminal Market; always full of good eatin’ there, This weekend it’s recommended that you seize the opportunity to enjoy and celebrate the foods, crafts, and traditions of the Pennsylvania Dutch at the 24th annual Pennsylvania Dutch Festival at Reading Terminal Market’s Center Court. The festival will also spread outdoors to Arch Street on Saturday. It will be a veritable country fair in the city complete with live bluegrass music, Amish buggy rides and horse drawn wagon rides around the Market. Eat some pie and buy some hex signs! ($4 parking is available at the Hilton Garden Inn garage at 11th & Arch Streets and the Parkway Garage at 12th & Filbert Streets.)

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA: Cheech & Chong with special guest WAR. The iconic comedy team of Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong who helped define counterculture in America, come to San Francisco which was a home for the movement. Cheech & Chong are performing outdoors at the America’s Cup Pavilion with special guest, WAR – the great funk band known for hits like “Low Rider”, “The Cisco Kid” and “Why Can’t We Be Friends?”. The show is Saturday, August 10th at 7:30, rain or shine.

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS: Examining David Fincher. The Gene Siskel Film Center in Chicago, is presenting its special program “Examining David Fincher” now through September 5th. The Center will be showing all 9 films from American director David Fincher. This weekend and next week, “Fight Club” and “The Game” are the featured Fincher films.

Interrobang Staff

Interrobang Staff