The Filtered Excellence: March 13, 2014
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:
WATCH THIS:
Vice on HBO. The second season of HBO’s intense investigative series premieres Friday, March 14th at 11pm Eastern. Shane Smith and his correspondents report on Afghanistan’s reconstruction following the war against the Taliban in the premiere episode. Also, Vice will travel to Rio de Janeiro in Brazil to document how the city is trying to clean itself up in preparation for the 2016 Olympics.
The Cold Lands. The new film from director Tom Gilroy is the story of a young boy, Atticus, who must make it on his own after his mother dies unexpectedly. Atticus has led a sheltered life, being home schooled and raised off the grid in a cabin by his mother. He tries to survive on his own in the wilderness of the Catskill Mountains. He eventually comes across a drifter who may be the key to his survival. The film stars Silas Yelich, Peter Scanavino and the brilliant Lili Taylor. It opens at the IFC Center in New York City on Friday, March 14th and rolls out across the country from there.
LISTEN TO THIS:
‘Hero’ by Frank Ocean, Mick Jones, Paul Simonon and Diplo. For the past nine years, Converse has commissioned three artists of different genres to collaborate on an one-off single. Available as a free download, the ‘Three Artists, One Song’ series has included Gorillaz, Andre Benjamin of OutKast, LCD Soundsystem frontman James Murphy, Pharell Williams, Santigold, Bernard Sumner of New Order, Kimbra, and Julian Casablancas of The Strokes, among others. This year’s entry reunites Clash members Mick Jones and Paul Simonon, along with hot producer Diplo (who incorporated The Clash’s ‘Straight To Hell’ into M.I.A’s monster hit ‘Paper Planes’) R&B sensation Frank Ocean and a guest appearance by The West Los Angeles Children’s Choir for on a track that’s part ‘Sleepwalk’, part Clash circa Combat Rock era and Simonon’s recent work with Gorillaz. It’s hypnotic, strange, yet undeniably punk at its core.
Landing On A Hundred: B-Sides & Remixes by Cody Chestnutt. This companion piece to his critically acclaimed 2012 album Landing On A Hundred features four new songs and new remixes of previously released material by Questlove of The Roots, Danny Swain, Jay West & Manuel Sahagun. Highlights include the gospel-blues burning duet with Gary Clark, Jr, ‘Gunpowder On The Letter’ and ‘Let’s Go Pop (Let’s Pimp The Ghetto Lie)’, a biting look at how artists sacrifice everything – including their dignity – for mainstream success. It’s another successful release by one of the more intriguing stories in music right now.
Landing on a Hundred
: B-Sides & Remixes is available now through Amazon and all digital music outlets.
DO THIS:
All The Way Starring Bryan Cranston at The Neil Simon Theatre. Fresh off his career defining run on the show Breaking Bad, Bryan Cranston makes his Broadway debut as President Lyndon Johnson in All The Way. Written by Robert Schenkkan, the drama focuses on President Johnson’s attempt to pass a landmark civil rights bill in the midst of a heated re-election campaign. Key figures from ‘the long, hot summer’ of 1964 – among them George Wallace, Martin Luther King, Jr, and J. Edgar Hoover all make appearances as Johnson walks a political tightrope to extend his Presidency and move the nation closer to basic human rights for all of its citizens. If his work on Breaking Bad is any indication, this has all of the making of the must see show of the upcoming season. All The Way is at The Neil Simon Theatre through June 8th.
Harriet Tubman and Cassandra Wilson Present Black Sun. The BRIC Arts Media Center 3/16/14. Harriet Tubman is a band comprised of of seasoned studio/performance veterans bassist Melvin Gibbs on bassist, guitarist Brandon Ross and J.T. Lewis on drums. Cassandra Wilson is a Grammy Award winning vocalist best known for her albums Blue Light Till Dawn and New Moon Daughter. Together, they are Black Sun, a group that promises to explore the connections between Delta blues, with African rhythms as well as blurring lines between jazz, pop and rock. Be there to see an exciting new chapter for Wilson and this extraordinary group of musicians. Harriet Tubman and Cassandra Wilson will be at BRIC Arts Media Center on March 16th.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: PaleyFest. This is the ultimate TV fan festival. It’s happening now through March 28th in Los Angeles at the Paley Center for Media. The casts and people behind your favorite shows will appear on panels throughout the festival. Some of the events include Lost: The 10th Anniversary Reunion on Sunday, March 16th, the Parks and Recreation cast on Tuesday, March 18th, and the cast of Mad Men on Friday, March 21st. Also, all panels will live stream on the Paley Center website.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS: The Dyeing of the River. Chicagoans call this a St. Patrick’s miracle. It’s the annual event where the Chicago River turns green. This has been going on for over 40 years to get the Windy City ready for St. Patrick’s Day. The Chicago Journeymen Plumbers are in charge of the event. It’s an amazing thing to see as the dye starts out as an orange color and eventually transforms the river into a beautiful shade of Irish green. The dyeing of the river can be best seen from the East side of the bridge at Columbus Drive or upper and lower Wacker Drive between Columbus and Lake Shore Drive. The dyeing of the Chicago River happens Saturday morning, March 16th at 10am.
NEW YORK CITY: Bill Cunningham: Facades. This exhibit from one of New York City’s most beloved photographer features the New York Times’ Bill Cunningham’s work that he did from 1968 to 1976. During this time, Bill photographed some of New York’s greatest architecture and fashion history. He would place models in period costumes and shoot them in front of NYC’s buildings, bridges and the subway system. He’s donated 88 of these unique photographs to the New York Historical Society where they will be on exhibit now through June 15th.
