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Syndicate Monthly Archives Skating in a Winter Slaughterland
MashUp
January 16, 2009 12:58 PM
Even in a Recession, People Want to Eat Out
Karen Newton
December 11, 2008 1:04 PM
At a recent wine dinner, I was seated with two couples from the suburbs, who, when they learned I was a city dweller, wanted recommendations for affordable places to eat. Although it’s dicey to recommend places for people one barely knows, they insisted and I offered up my humble opinion (it’s nothing more). My first and most affordable suggestion was 821, a place I tried the first month they opened and have never stopped going back to. I like the variety on the menu, I’ve bought art off the walls and I defy anyone to have a complaint about the prices. I would send an out-of-town visitor here in a heartbeat, knowing they’d have a real Richmond experience. Since I’d met my new friends at a wine event, it seemed logical to tell them about Bin 22. Lots of affordable wine choices and small plates (which is how I prefer to eat anyway). Tuesdays and Wednesdays they do a 3-course dinner for two with wine for $40. Even in a tough economic times, that seems like a good deal to me. Lastly, I suggested Six Burner, which I think has reliably good and creative food… and offers value, albeit at a higher price. Their prix-fixe menu, available Monday through Thursday, is $23 and the menu choices change often enough that you can be a semi-regular and still enjoy different options. Also, on Mondays bottles of wine (under $50) are half price, Tuesdays glasses are half off and Wednesdays, it’s carafes. What wine lover wouldn’t appreciate those kind of deals?
More Documentary Dorkiness
Karen Newton
December 10, 2008 1:09 PM
Gallery 5 is doing this new documentary and potluck series on the second Tuesday of every month and I checked out the first installment last night. They were showing “The Fourth World War” about the effect of globalization on various indigenous cultures around the world. The film was powerful and informative and left the audience with a sense of wishing there were less violent ways to stabilize economies without major chains and companies destoying the fabric of local farms, businesses and communities. Next up for the series in January will be Chicago 10: Speak Your Peace, the rotoscoped film about the 1968 Democratic convention and aftermath. That’s a film I desperately wanted to see in the theater and didn’t. Depending on your age and American history knowledge, it could be a great lesson or reminder, not to mention a further well-done experiment in rotoscoping animation, a la A Scanner Darkly. In February they’ll show DJ Spooky’s Rebirth of a Nation, a film I paid to see last spring at UR and a silent classic infinitely worth seeing remixed, mashed up and with an awesome soundtrack. Potluck starts at 6 and the films start at 7. And not everyone in the audience is a documentary dork like me. Check it out and you’ll see. A Mind Game That Bears Repeating
Karen Newton
December 08, 2008 9:26 AM
“Synecdoche” is the kind of movie you need to make sure your friends see because you’re going to want to discuss it. And you’ll want to see it a second time to pick up what you missed the first time around. And probably discuss it further then, too. And maybe even see it a third time. Just the sort of endlessly- repeating cycle on which “Synecdoche” is based. This film about a theater director spending 40 years directing a production about his life as a means of understanding his life, loves, failures and fear of dying is mesmerizing. As you watch characters recreating bits of his life as he directs them, you almost forget that he’s so busy recreating that he has precious little time to live in the present But when he does, even those few moments become fodder for the play, recreated by the actors on set shortly thereafter. I didn’t get it all the first time and I can’t imagine who could. But you need to at least see it and start trying. Your brain may be a bit worn out afterwards, but movies like this remind us of the enormous potential film holds for taking us into another realm; it’s a mind game of the highest order. “Don’t Be Too Stuck Up to Talk”
Karen Newton
December 08, 2008 9:25 AM
That’s what a stranger said to me as I walked home from First Fridays through Jackson Ward around 11:00. We were walking the same block within feet of each other and I laughed out loud because it was such a great conversation starter .Turns out she lives in nearby Carver and had had a busy evening; she started at the Grand Illumination, went to the Siegel Center to hear Bill Cosby speak and then to First Fridays.She was headed to meet friends at a nearby bar to finish up her evening. Her only complaint with the evening was how little the city had done to make moving around downtown easier. A friend had dropped her off for the Grand Illumination since parking was at a premium, so she had to trek back uptown to get to her other destinations. She pointed out that with two big events like The Illumination and First Friday, wouldn’t it have made sense for the city to run shuttles like they did for the Folk Fest? No doubt plenty of people were doing both events; parking once and partying twice would have been a great incentive for a lot of people to do both (or even all three, like she had done) without the hassle. So then we introduced ourselves, hugged and said goodnight. But my new acquaintance had raised a good point: there’s always room for improvement. As Richmond continues to offer more reasons to be downtown, we need to think of how to make it as easy and convenient as possible for everyone to take advantage of what’s being offered. Recession: The Mother of Creativity
J.C. Polk
December 04, 2008 4:05 PM
Long time no post… I hope that you will pardon my absence from the ‘confessional’. Life’s environment, economic and otherwise, has (or had) stiffled my virutal literary expression engine. However, guess who’s back? My heart and mind compel me share. Now that we have received the official “Times are tough” from the certified Board of Recession Watchers I have a relevant subject to ‘blog’. Faced with my own financial tough-comings the Bastard has found himself calling upon his ability to be industrious. For example, luckily its a cool Fall. This makes it most appropriate to enjoy soups, gumbos, stews, and the like. All of which are inexpensive but sustaining. Each of their histories dateback to the depression era when it was possible combine a corn from BobbyJo, some taters from SarahAnn, and everybody’s meat portions in a pot and add heat for a fabulous, less fanciful meal for all. (OK, to the point already…) I realized that being more frugal - yes this means less trips to the thrift oasis - is required in times such as these. However, that could mean that we are on the verge of ‘the latest greatest’ that will become staples for the world. Over at the Unviersity of the Commonwealth in Virginia (aka VCU) a fashion group by the name Strut is showing that Creativity is recession-prroof. New to me, but known by multi-stacks of people this group students use a limited budget to create a monumental fashion each year. Despite University budget constraints and student attrition, founder Kelli Lemon has set the foundation for satorial splendor. Whitney Headen, Morgan Saunders, and Ms. Washington are currently working hard to give designers like Estmel Meeks ( of Ancient Thread Empire) an opportunity to design, display, and debut their personal lines of clothing to a capacity crowd (give or take a few) in the Siegel Center for the past five years. Beyond that, they have aggressive community outreach program they are engaging in in local schools that empowers those behind them to create, model, and appreciate the original brands coming right outta the RVA. Interesting is how when centarian companies like the big 3 are soliciting funds for survival, there are those who are familiar with phrase, “to create” opposed to “exploit”. I just wanted to take the opportunity to share (or remind) the washed masses about the less known ‘goin on’s’ of the RVA. Shout to my man Justin, he is a visionary, energetic leader that has corraled a wonderful group. If you get a chance check ‘em out:Strut This is my contribution to the Awareness Stew...have some. She’s Lost Control
Karen Newton
December 01, 2008 3:12 PM
I finally saw “Control,“ the Ian Curtis biopic that detailed the formation and rise of the band Joy Division, prior to Curtis’ suicide. It was based on the book “Touching from a Distance,“ written by Curtis’ widow, Deborah and filmed entirely in black and white. I knew some of the band’s story as well as that Curtis’ depression and epilepsy had been factors in his suicide, but it was difficult not to be saddened by the realization that as recently as the late 1970s, treatment for epilepsy was really pretty hit or miss. Of course, the punk lifestyle of alcohol and late nights was exactly what Curtis’ doctor had warned him against, but it was hard not to feel that the outcome today would not necessarily have been the same. As a major fan of so many bands who try to ape Joy Division’s post-punk sound (Interpol, Editors, Bloc Party), I was completely sucked in by the story of such an influential band, who only existed for four short years. Maybe that’s how I should recommend this movie: as a music history lesson for fans of everyone from the above mentioned bands to The Cure, U2, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Moby; they all credit Joy Divison as a major influence. This film will make you understand why. Smack You in the Face Theater
Karen Newton
December 01, 2008 2:35 PM
Spit was literally flying and snot was dripping at the Firehouse Theater yesterday for “The Widow’s Blind Date,“ a play with a low-key first act that kicked into overdrive during the second. This was not theater for the faint of heart and I defy anyone to leave the theater within the first 10 minutes of the start of the second act. The plot was riveting and the actors completely inhabited the characters, three friends from high school who meet up after many years. There are childish arguments between the two men, much long-repressed sexual frustration and a lot of unresolved resentment on the woman’s part. And in addition to all the spoken and unspoken emotions, the play was extremely physical, with the actors all being violently thrown around, even fighting each other. For two hours, I was transported to a small town in Massachusetts where a cataclysmic event at the end of high school had shaped these three lives. Richmond owes nothing but respect to the Firehouse Theater for bringing a play of this caliber and this level of performance to the stage. Don’t miss “The Widow’s Blind Date”...it’s a stunning piece of theater. You Had Me at Free Movie and Music
Karen Newton
November 17, 2008 12:28 PM
Jonathan Vassar and friends provided the accompaniment to the 1926 silent film, “Menilmontant” at last night’s Silent Movie Revival. The film was unusual for a silent film in that it used no titling to further the story, which begins with a violent double murder and follows the lives of the two sisters whose parents were killed at the start. Menilmontant is a neighborhood in Paris and the shots of the neighborhood are almost a character in the movie. Not surprisingly, Jonathan Vassar and friends provided a stellar soundtrack to the eeriness and uncertainty of the characters’ lives. Occasionally using vocals, but mainly instrumentation, their music heightened the various moods of the film without ever intruding on it. No doubt it was a challenging proposition for the four musicians, who rose to it beautifully. I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating: the Silent Movie Revival is the best entertainment deal in rva. You get a classic silent movie (with a too brief intro by the amazing and talented film lover and organizer Jameson Price), live music by some of Richmond’s best musicians and a half hour of pure pleasure. Totally free (okay, you do have to pay for the beer and wine), it’s one of the few events I never miss unless I’m out of town. It’s that good. Brunch at Weezie’s Kitchen
Karen Newton
November 16, 2008 3:10 PM
The good, the bad and the ugly, that was brunch with a friend at Weezie’s in Carytown. The good: The bad: The ugly: Luckily, good company and conversation trumps all. And the crowd was lively, the food tasty and affordable, so next time we’ll sit at the bar and talk into each other’s ears. As for the air freshener fanatic, what are the chances I’ll follow her again? Problems solved. |
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