Nam June Paik and Otto Piene. Untitled. 1968. Manipulated television set and plastic pearls, 9 x 13 x 10" (22.9 x 33 x 25.4 cm). Gift of The Junior Associates of The Museum of Modern Art, New York, The Greenwich Collection Ltd. Fund, and gift of Margot Ernst. © 2003 The Museum of Modern Art. Photo: Thomas Griesel

Location: Midtown West, NYC
Art: Looking at Music
Show time: Sat – Mon, Wed & Thurs: 10:30 AM – 5:30 PM, Fri: 10:30 AM – 8 PM, Tuesday closed; Through January 5, 2009
Venue: Museum of Modern Art
Food: Sullivan Street Bakery
Drink: Rudy’s Bar & Grill
Miscellaneous: The Shops at Columbus Circle

While it’s Christmas for many, us Jews also tend to spend this time going to the movies and eating Chinese food. Thankfully NYC has plenty going on, like the MoMA's exhibit Looking at Music. Here, MoMA takes a look at the early days of video art from the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s with early media works by Nam June Paik, Bruce Nauman, Steve Reich, Joan Jonas, Yoko Ono, Laurie Anderson, and David Bowie. Also featured are related drawings, prints, and photographs by John Cage, Jack Smith, Ray Johnson, and others. Arguably one of the top bread makers on the east coast, and good to get gourmet pizza’s and sandwiches, Sullivan Street Bakery makes exquisite food using ingredients you’d see on the Food Network! More bar than grill, Rudy’s is like going back to college, minus the books. The beer is cheap and by “grill,” they mean free popcorn and hot dogs. If you have trouble finding the bar, just look for the 6 foot tall fiberglass pig standing outside! To get out of the cold and see what an upper-class mall is like, stop by The Shops at Columbus Circle. Expensive restaurants like MASA and shops like Williams Sonoma are fun to browse through to see how the other half lives.

Art. Future. Ferocity.



When I was a little girl, I watched my father dress for work. He discussed (in great detail) why he chose a yellow pocket square versus a blue one. He laid possible outfits on the bed and described how the print of a certain tie accented the fine grey stripe in his suit. It was from him that I first heard the Coco Chanel quote about taking one accessory off before leaving the house. Had my father been born in another time he may have been a fashion stylist, not a financial advisor.
Around the time I was under my father’s tutelage, a young boy in Bridgeport, CT was pulling from his first closet (his grandmothers) and reconstructing the vintage garments in an attempt to stand out from his middle school crowd. Years later, he’s found a way to get paid for his efforts and styles for runway shows, hi-fashion editorials and regular folks like you and me. With a number of reality shows about fashion stylists, a tabloid frenzy about a certain underfed celebrity stylist and the unfortunate lack of fashion “don’ts” on the red carpet nowadays (save for Cher) it seems fair to say this young man was born at exactly the right time. I asked Jlamar some questions.

What were you like as a boy?

An imaginative introvert with a great attraction to space and otherworldly things. I was very much into science fiction and the arts as a kid. I started out reconstructing old things I found around mine and my grandmother's house. I have a 'thing' about seeing the same stuff that I have on other people, so I started designing to make my wardrobe a bit more exclusive.

What do you do as a fashion stylist?

Being knowledgeable of designers and collections is a must. You do everything from researching inspiration for shoots and setting up appointments with showrooms to dressing models & creating/styling looks. Even the small things like steaming garments, setting up racks and taking inventory of loaned items. You do it all, and it's definitely to your advantage to know how.

How would you describe your personal style?

Hmm... I love to wear neutrals, especially black. Particularly, pieces that are strong and defined. I usually get dressed with a specific item in mind, and build a look from that. It's pretty entertaining to watch.

Who/what are your influences?

Art. Future. Ferocity.

Who are some of the designers you've styled for?

Marc Jacobs, Imitation of Christ, Vogue Italia, Womens Wear Daily.

You also design clothes, what's the name of your line and what’s the aesthetic?

I had a line out called Junk by Jlamar a while ago. It was a small line of shirts and accessories that were made with re-used fabrics and materials. I'm working on some really fun and interesting new stuff right now. It's all still in my head, and I need a good chunk of time to get it out and execute. You can email me at jlamar.w@gmail.com. Website coming soon!

What are three items of clothing that you’re really into right now?

1. Neon Yellow Patent dress shoes
2. Black Dior Homme pleated front trousers
3. An Ivory fencing uniform.

What trend would you like to see die?

Girls: I despise Ugg boots with all of my being.
Guys: Sagging pants. I mean... really?

What music are you listening to right now?

Kelis (always), punctuated by some 80's to mid 90's hip hop and r&b, classic/northern soul, doo wop, and depressing love songs.

What kind of sunglasses are you wearing these days?

Most of what I own is vintage, but I recently bought a pair of black/grey gradient wayfarers in Soho that I really love. I'm on the prowl for some Horn - Rimmed frames, though.

If you could style/design for anyone who would it be?

Bjork. She's insanely creative and uninhibited when it comes to fashion, and music. The closet for that project would be AMAZING.

Sheehan McGuirk


Jlamar has styled for (left) Marc Jacobs and (right) Imitation of Christ.

Location: Midtown West, NYC
Bands: Wu Tang Clan Get Tickets Here
Show time: 7 PM
Venue: Hammerstein Ballroom
Food: Island Burgers and Shakes
Drink: Smith’s Bar
Miscellaneous: Colony Music

Christmas comes early as the remaining Wu Tang Clan members: RZA, GZA, Raekwon, U-God, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, Method Man, and Masta Killa gather to perform at Hammerstein Ballroom, bringing more than 15 years of music, together and solo material, to the stage. For a kickass burger or chicken sandwich, Island Burgers and Shakes specializes in making great burgers like the Bourbon Street Burger that’s blackened, with bacon, Jack, bayou mayo, and onion on sourdough. One cheap bar in midtown, Smith’s is a dive bar with cheap booze, friendly locals, and live music daily in the next room. Though the place is way expensive, Colony Music is a fun music store that sells albums and sheet music. You can walk around and check out the entertainment memorabilia. Whether you’re looking for an autographed guitar signed by the Rolling Stones or an autographed 8x10 of Linda Carter, they’ve got it.

A fiunky design is just the start with this lipstick




Urban Decay’s lipstick packaging makes for an easy “I spy!” moment in the cosmetics drawer or handbag. Urban Decay reinvents lipstick tubes by creating a bulky, violet metal package with a gunmetal dagger at the end. Is it more about the presentation or the product? Urban Decay has continuously been the vanguard when it comes to their color palates, particularly with names like Gash and Jailbait. The application is creamy and rich, but its claims of extended wear fall short (much like the majority of lip product claims). Extended wear is virtually impossible for lip products as you are constantly moving your mouth through the day).

In tradition with Urban Decay philosophies, the lipsticks have one ingredient over other similar products: hyaluronic acids. Hyaluronic acids or spheres are the latest technology in dermal fillers. This lipstick not only colors your lips kissable, but also hydrates and temporarily fills in any wrinkles or lines.

Ashkan

Location: West Village, NYC
Bands: Gloria Cheng
Show time: 10:30 PM
Venue: (Le) Poisson Rouge
Food: Koo Sushi
Drink: Blind Tiger Ale House
Miscellaneous: Peanut Butter & Co.

Pianist Gloria Cheng stops by (Le) Poisson Rouge, one of the better of the new music venues that have opened in NYC lately, to perform compositions off her Grammy-nominated CD Piano Music by Salonen, Stucky & Lutoslawski, putting her own spin on three of contemporary music’s best composer’s. A feat that Cheng can no doubt do with eloquence and virtuosity. A little known sushi joint, Koo Sushi offers affordable and fantastic fish with an impressive number of specialty rolls. For a bar that looks like any other, Blind Tiger Ale House offers an impressive number of beers including draught, bottled, cask and one called Louise’s Bloody Beer. Try it if you dare! If you’re in the mood for some comfort food, Peanut Butter & Co., offers some PB heavy hitters like the Elvis, a PB, banana, and bacon sandwich that tastes better than it sounds.

Get Smart: The Complete Series
(HBO Home Video)






If you’re a fan of innovative, hilarious 60’s television, crave Mel Brooks or Buck Henry’s writing more then you can say, or even remember seeing these satirical spy stories when they originally aired, then you owe it to yourself to pick up the hefty box set Get Smart: The Complete Series.

Besides offering all 5 seasons of this groundbreaking comedy sitcom, 138 episodes on 25 discs, in a super nifty case, this box set is chock-full of goodies. First of all, like most any DVD you buy these days, commentary abounds here, from Mel Brooks and Buck Henry, to various episode directors and even Get Smart’s female lead, the alluring and smart Barbara Felton, Agent 99. In fact, Feldon handles a lot of the commentary duty plus introducing mostly every extra. Then there are plenty of ‘bloopers’ and interviews with the show’s creators (an especially high point is the one with Buck Henry) and Get Smart guest stars, show promos and snippets of appearances of Don Adams (agent Maxwell Smart himself) on various TV shows of the day.

Just a for instance of what you can find littered through this set:
- The ‘featurette’: “Barbara Feldon” Real Model to Role Model.”
- 1967 Emmy Broadcast snippet of the show winning two awards
- Don Adam’s 75th Birthday Celebration
- 1969 Rose Parade clip with Don Adams and Barbara Feldon
- Interactive “Max’s Apartment”
- Commercials of the day featuring the stars.
- Interview with Bernie Kopell (he played the Nazi commander of Maxwell Smart’s enemy “Chaos.”)
-And more, more, more.

What’s apparent beyond how wonderful the Get Smart shows are-and they are wonderful and wacky, sending up all manner of spy movies as well as taking broad shots at social dilemmas of the day (some Buck Henry is surprised they got away with!)-is how great Don Adams really was. The man was a superb mimic (anyone who knows Get Smart, immediately recalls Don Adams’ exaggerated “would you believe” smarmy voice), a master of double-takes and such a friend to comedians of the day that Get Smart, like Batman, was riddled with guest star appearances, even if it was for brief cameos. All one has to do is watch the show to spot people like Don Rickles (who has some hilarious bloopers himself), Phyllis Diller, Steve Allen, Milton Berle and many many others.

Digitally remastered, 5 DVD boxes with 5 DVD’s apiece, the Get Smart: The Complete Series is another of those great releases from HBO, chock-full of just about everything and anything a fan of this series would want and enough material to introduce the uninitiated. This major milestone on marketing memorabilia is a must to marshal your memory or create news ones.

Ralph Greco, Jr.

Michael Showalter, David Wain and Michael Ian Black are Stella Photo by Eric M. Townsend

STELLA!!! Stella, made up of Michael Showalter, David Wain and Michael Ian Black, have been making me laugh since my high school days when my friends and I would quote the funniest lines or skits from the MTV show The State, the show they got their start on. These days--instead of MTV--their act was being performed at the Nokia Theater in Times Square, but the result was the same--hysterics.

Eugene Mirman opened with a short but very funny set, poking fun at the odd multiple-choice options offered by Russian news polls and classmate.com surveys. Mirman showed a video of a hotel room he stayed at in Fargo, ND, highlighting all the objects and amenities you would expect to find in a roadside motel including his lovely view of a first floor conference room.

Showalter, Wain and Black then take the stage welcoming us with their excitement to be back in "New York Shitty," went thru long self introductions then urged audience participation in a dance they made up called the "NY Stomp"--which kind of resembles that wedding favorite, the Alley Cat. I think I would laugh at these guys if they just stood there--the chemistry between them is so on and genuine, most likely due to their many years of friendship and partnership--but they don't just stand there. They interact with hecklers in the audience, sing, dance, read poems, and rhyme with each other.

Their humor is off the wall and at one point each has the tech guy play their all-time favorite party jams. Showalter busts a little soft shoe like shuffle across the stage to "Celebration" by Kool and the Gang. Black does this childlike dance, waving his arms in the air wildly to "Who Let the Dogs Out," while Wain’s party jam, "Tears in Heaven" sees him dancing and playing heavy metal air guitar before the guys fill him in that the song is about the death of Eric Clapton's son by falling out a window--of which Wain replies, "..and into a party." You know you shouldn’t laugh, though when put with that visual--it's really hard not to.

At one point, David Wain calls on an understudy so he can use the bathroom and after the audience gives the stand-in an enormous round of applause, I realized it was Paul Rudd, (who was in White Hot American Summer and The Baxter with them) who fit right in, rewinding the current skit and doing Wain's part.

The show ends with them singing Billy Joel’s “Moving Out” but they didn't know the words and make them up as a cartoon visual on a screen behind them depicts the mistakes they are singing. It was the best rendition of a Billy Joel song I’ve ever heard.

Leslie Torre