The Filtered Excellence: June 1, 2021
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 week’s 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
Pause with Sam Jay. Comedian and Saturday Night Live writer Sam Jay steps into the the weekly series arena with this new HBO Max show. With each show is framed around a gathering of real-life friends and fellow comics, Sam Jay tackles topics such as selling out (or it’s called on the show, ‘cooning’) and cancel culture. She also sits down with those who directly affected: young Black conservatives, fixers and people from the neighborhood. Not straying too far from her SNL gig, Sam Jay also performs in a couple of sketches that puts the show topic in a broader, comedic context. Everything about this show works: the sketches, the interviews and especially the party scenes, where we get to see Sam Jay ask hard questions, discuss uncomfortable truths, and offer realistic, general consensus answers, without being openly combative or searching for ‘gotcha’ moments. It’s a refreshing, fantastic new entry into the HBO Max canon. Pause With Sam Jay is available now on HBO Max.
LISTEN TO THIS
4+1 Equals 5 for May 25 by Melvin Gibbs. In the wake of George Floyd’s murder (also coincided with his birthday), acclaimed bassist Melvin Gibbs made a pilgrimage to the memorial that was made at the murder site. He immediately made a connection between George Floyd Square and other sacred sites that he’s visited during his world journeys and immediately began composing music based on these feelings. Teaming up with Grammy nominated MC and producer Kokayi, Gibbs put together a five song suite that captures the internal and external vibe he felt in Minnesota, anxiety leading up the conviction of former officer Derek Chauvin, and the paradox of what Gibbs calles trying to ‘manifest peace while facing up to cataclysm‘. Gibbs supplies pulsating, largely improvised bass lines and atmospheric soundscapes to accompany Kokayi razor sharp rhymes. ‘3’27’ is the most arresting track, using court testimony – and the two minutes and forty seven seconds Chavin’s knee remained on Floyd’s neck after he was already dead – to chilling effect. Powerful and thought provoking, Gibbs and Kokayi have created an EP that powerfully fuses art with social commentary. 4+1 Equals 5 for May 25 is available now on Bandcamp and Apple Music.
The Nightbird Companion by Conor Bracken & The Mother Leeds Band. This past fall, Conor Bracken & The Mother Leeds Band got together to record acoustic version of their critically acclaimed album, Nightbird Motel. But with the weight and toll of the pandemic still weighing heavy on everyone, the songs took on a darker, more ominous tone. ‘When The World Stops Turning’ becomes a backyard romp for the apocalypse, and ‘Read On You’ and ‘Darkness’ takes on Every Picture Tells A Story-style moments of introspection. The long term separation away from loved ones makes ‘Photographs of Johnny’ more poignant while ‘Blame On Me’ and ‘Liquorstore’ ‘Nightbird’ morph from brooding arena rockers into an Irish/Celtic inspired meditations. ‘Voice On The Radio’ moves away from it’s David Lynch roots into a straight on horror movie showstopper. The album’s closer ‘Dream Of You And Me’ becomes a reverb-drenched solo showcase, but doesn’t lose any of it’s hopeful sentiments. Bracken and the boys take full advantage of the unplugged setting, shapeshifting an album about a night full of possibilities into a song cycle about being caught up in a world of isolation. By presenting the other side of the musical coin, it shows off the strengths and versatility of one of rock’s most promising bands . The Nightbird Companion by Conor Bracken & The Mother Leeds Band is available now on all major streaming services.
STREAM THIS
DO THIS
New York City:Keith Haring: Radiant Vision. Throughout his brief but extraordinary life, Keith Haring believed that art should be experienced by everyone – especially for youth. He was also believed that artists had an obligation to be agents for change. This new exhibition at Cooperstown’s Fenimore Art Museum features over 100 lithographs, silkscreens, drawings and posters that wonderfully capture Haring’s vision. It’s a dynamic exhibit that honors his work and legacy, turning on long time fans and newbies alike. Keith Haring: Radiant Vision will be at the Fenimore Art Museum through September 6th. You can also go to www.fenimoreartmuseum.org
New York City: Chester Higgins, The Indelible Spirit. Chester Higgins 50 year plus journey into the world of photography began in 1968, when, after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, the Alabama native began to shoot photos of people within his community. The images ran counter to local press reports that portrayed Black people as criminals and thugs. Higgins’ work would be featured Life, Time, Ebony, Essence, and Black Enterprise, published several books and his work is on permanent display at The Museum Of Modern Art. In 1975, he would become a staff photographer for The New York Times and would remain with the newspaper until 2014. Now Higgins is the subject of a new retrospective at New York’s Bruce Silverstein Gallery. It features some of the best work, along with photos that he shot during his numerous trips to various African nations. It’s a dynamic look at one of the greatest to ever pick up the camera. Chester Higgins, The Indelible Spirit will be at the Bruce Silverstein Gallery through June 26th. You can also go to www.brucesilverstein.com for more information.
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