On Sunday, November 15th from 4 pm – 1:00 am (Today!), WUSB 90.1 FM, Stony Brook, Long Island’s leading non-commercial community radio station will present its sixth annual Elvis Costello Marathon. The marathon, with WUSB deejays John O, Mr. Edison and others spinning, will feature music from the entire 32 year career of Mr. Costello. There will be a wide variety of music featured mirroring the eclectic output of the artist from his early post-punk period and including classical, jazz, country, rock, ballads, Americana and roots music. Other highlights include:

• An exclusive interview with Attractions drummer Pete Thomas who will talk about the 32 years he has worked with Elvis.
• Hundreds of rare and live tracks from the WUSB vaults and the personal collections of the deejays.
• Requests and dedications from around the world as Elvis Costello fans from around the globe listen via the web at www.WUSB.fm
• Lots of great Elvis Costello premiums for those pledging during WUSB’s annual Fall Radiothon fundraiser. Pledges can be made at 631-632-6901 or www.WUSB.fm.

Listen in at 90.1 FM, WUSB Stony Brook, L.I. or on our live stream at www.WUSB.fm.

In other Elvis news, the man himself will be at Barnes & Noble Tribeca on Tuesday, November 17 for a signing of the new Spectacle: Elvis Costello With… DVD box set which comes out the same day.

One of the striking things about the shows is that most scenes were filmed once without the opportunity to reshoot if things weren’t quite right. On the new set of remastered DVDs, Cleese provides a commentary that reveals him as a frustrated perfectionist. He chuckles along at classic moments — “excuse me laughing at my own jokes, but I think that was Connie’s” — but is also hypercritical. He points out where moments of slapstick weren’t spot-on, analyses how lines could have been tweaked and picks over minute editing decisions: “Could have taken the first three seconds off that shot.”

But what is striking is how quick the show still seems. “It hasn’t lost pace, that’s the great thing about it,” says Scales. “And that’s because of the talent of Connie and John and the rigour of John; how fast he played. If you couldn’t keep up with him you had to really get in there. That’s what its enduring quality is, the pace.”

The reaction of the audiences when they recorded the shows was positive, but she had no inkling that she was involved in something that would go on to top polls of the greatest British television programmes. [Times Online]

This set is truly a gem and something every comedy fan should own, that’s why I’m pleased to offer 3 copies of Fawlty Towers: The Complete Series Remastered DVD box set to three lucky readers of this site. To enter the contest, just fill out the entry form after the jump (just don’t mention the war!). Winners will be notified and selected on November 11, 2009. Contest is available to US and Canadian residents.

But wait, that’s not all, in addition to my contest, there is a “Fawlty Towers Lookalike Contest” going on right now on Facebook where you can win even bigger prizes including a signed John Cleese Photo, a John Cleese signed Fawlty Towers DVD and a bunch of other FT related items. John Cleese himself will be picking the winners of this contest!

Bumpershine contest entry form, more info about the DVD box set and the Fawlty Towers Lookalike Contest after the jump.

Fawlty Towers: The Complete Collection Remastered

Actors: John Cleese, Andrew Sachs, Connie Booth, Prunella Scales
Format: Box set, DVD, Full Screen, Original recording remastered, Special Edition, Subtitled, NTSC
Language: English (Dolby Digital 1.0)
Subtitles: English
Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Number of discs: 3
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: BBC Warner
DVD Release Date: October 20, 2009
Run Time: 374 minutes

Product Description
Coming to Special Edition DVD for the first time, it’s the complete Fawlty Towers collection with all-new commentary from John Cleese! Hot off the runaway success of Monty Python’s Flying Circus, John Cleese embarked on his now-legendary sitcom, Fawlty Towers, creating one of the most memorable and best loved characters in all of British comedy, Basil Fawlty. Basil Fawlty is a much put-upon, hard-working hotel manager whose life is plagued by dead guests, hotel inspectors, and riff-raff. Of course his biggest headache is his “little nest of vipers,” his nagging wife Sibyl. Together they run their hotel, Fawlty Towers, with a little help from the unflappable Polly and the trainee waiter from Barcelona with marginally more intelligence than a monkey, Manuel.

-Exclusive commentary by John Cleese
-2009 extended interviews, including exclusive interview with Connie Booth
-Accompanying booklet
-Interviews with John Cleese, Prunella Scales, and Andrew Sachs
-Series 1 director’s commentary by John Howard Davies
-Series 2 director’s commentary by Bob Spiers
-Artist profiles
-Outtakes
-Torquay Tourist Guide (short documentary film)
-Cheap Tatty Review

Episodes

Series 1
A Touch of Class – Basil Fawlty is in a campaign to improve the class of his clientele at Fawlty Towers. His efforts have spectacular results – in the short term.

The Builders – Sybil has picked a professional firm for the alterations to the hotel. But Basil makes an executive decision that his friend can do a better job.

The Wedding – Basil occupies himself in a losing battle against moral turpitude. His predicament is exacerbated by Manuel’s birthday celebrations.

Hotel Inspectors – One of the dreaded events in a hotel manager’s life is the inspector’s visit. One calls, and Basil has to decide which of the guests he is.

Gourmet Night – It is Gourmet Night at Fawlty Towers, and it seems that Basil’s long cherished dream will be realized. But the chef lies drunk on the floor.

The Germans – A moose head falls on Basil during a fire drill, giving him a concussion. But he must leave hospital to deal tactfully with a group of German tourists.

Series 2
Communications Problems – A nearly deaf and very difficult Mrs. Richards arrives at the hotel. When she loses a large sum of money, she demands that the police be called.

The Psychiatrist – Basil is certain one of the guests has smuggled a girl into his room and sets out to investigate. Unfortunately, he is caught in a compromising situation by Sybil.

Waldorf Salad – An American guest tips Basil to keep the kitchen open late, but chef has left for the day. Basil steps in, but he meets his Waterloo when the guest requests a Waldorf Salad.

The Kipper and the Corpse – What should a hotelier do when he serves a guest breakfast in bed and finds that guest dead? Whatever that something may be, Basil does not do it.

Anniversary – It is Basil and Sibyl’s anniversary, and Basil has actually remembered. In true Basil fashion, however, he has not told Sybil he has remembered and she is hugely upset.

Basil the Rat – Manuel has been ordered to get rid of his pet rat before the health inspector pays a visit. But the pet breaks away, leading the Major to trying to shoot the rodent in the bar.

Fawlty Towers Lookalike Contest (http://tr.im/fawltycontest)

Grand Prize
One (1) grand prize winner receives a prize pack that includes:
*Signed John Cleese Photo
*Signed Fawlty Towers DVD
*Fawlty Towers embroidered white terry-cloth bathrobe
*Fawlty Towers story of Britain’s Favorite Sitcom book
*Fawlty Towers corgi toy car

2nd Prize
One (1) second prize winner will receive:
A signed Fawlty Towers DVD and a Fawlty Towers corgi toy car.

3rd Prize
One (1) third prize winner will receive: A signed Fawlty Towers DVD.
Prize Eligibility

This contest is open to people at least 18 years old that reside in United States.

Contest Starts
October 21, 2009 @ 12:00 pm (PDT)

Contest Ends
November 15, 2009 @ 08:59 pm (PST)

Need more Details?
Read the Official Rules

The massively popular UK teen drama Skins is being remade for American television and casting for the new series is about to begin in New York and Toronto.

US cable network MTV is to create an American version of hit E4 teen drama Skins and has promised to “preserve the authenticity” of the UK version, which included graphic scenes of drug taking, drinking, swearing and casual sex.

Viacom-owned MTV landed the rights to develop the drama – which regularly pulled in more than 1 million viewers during its three series on Channel 4’s digital channel E4 – “after intense competition” over two years, according to the US broadcaster.

In a bid to maintain the original production’s successful model of bringing in new young writers, MTV will also draft in teenagers to write and star in the series, which will be set in Baltimore, Maryland. [Guardian.co.uk]

The Skins USA Open Casting Call will take place on November 15, 2009 at University Settlement (273 Bowery at Houston, New York, NY) from 10AM – 4PM. They are looking for teens aged 15-18, actors and non-actors are welcome.

Here’s a little more about the casting call from the flyer:

No acting experience necessary, we are seeking brave, charismatic, genuine, edgy teens. All ethnicities are encouraged to attend.

Skins is a comedic drama that follows a group of teenagers from Baltimore, Maryland as they grow up. Skins deals with the personal struggles, issues of race, religion, drugs, sexuality and eating disorders.

I was going to post about this when I first saw it, but then I forgot, and was only reminded about it last night. Unfortunately, tickets the first two tapings of the new Comedy Central series “John Oliver & Friends” are sold out, but there are still some left for Sunday night. (Note to the uninitiated, if you really want to see these shows, I’d just show up.) Check out the lineup below, details on how to get tickets after the jump:

Friday, Oct. 23 – 6:45 PM – NO TIX LEFT
Marc Maron, Janeane Garofalo, Maria Bamford, Hannibal Buress, Pete Holmes, Amy Schumer

Saturday, Oct. 24 – 7:45 PM – NO TIX LEFT
Paul F. Thompkins, Eugene Mirman, Maria Bamford, Greg Fitzsimmons, Chris Hardwick, Nick Kroll

Sunday, Oct. 25 – 5:45 PM
Brian Posehn, Kristen Schaal, Matt Braunger, Chris Hardwick, Hari Kondabolu, Mary Lynn Rajskub

FOR ALL SHOWS YOU MUST BE ON LINE AT LEAST 45 MINUTES IN ADVANCE

PLEASE NOTE YOU MUST LIVE IN THE NYC AREA AND BE 18 YEARS OR OLDER TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR TICKETS. As always tickets are complimentary for this event.

For tickets to this exclusive free, live COMEDY CENTRAL show, please email us at johnoliver@theblacklistnyc.com with the following information in both the subject line and body of your email:

1. Your full name
2. Your email address
One which will not put our reply to you in your junk folder. If you have your email account with big ISPs like (Yahoo.com, AOL.com, Hotmail.com, etc.) please check your spam box, or add our domain – theblacklistnyc.com – to your white list or address book.
3. Your phone number(s)
4. Which show or shows you can attend. If you can attend any of the shows put “ANY SHOW”.
PLEASE REFER TO THE SHOW SCHEDULE ABOVE. The more flexible you are about which show you can attend the more likely it is you will receive tickets.
5. 2 tickets is the maximum number we can allow per request. Thanks

Example: Chris Rock / rocksthejoke@comedy.com / (212 ) 555-1212 / ANY SHOW /2 tickets

This information is NOT shared or used for any purposes other than to accommodate your ticket requests.
Our Privacy Policy is available Here.

The show will last approximately 2 hours and you must stay with us for the entire taping.

We will contact you via email with a detailed confirmation if there are tickets available. You should hear from us within a few days of your request but at latest by 7PM on FRIDAY, OCTOBER 22nd. PLEASE DO NOT EMAIL US DUPLICATE REQUESTS. If you must email us again please put “2ND REQUEST” in the subject line of your email. Thanks.

Come join us for Comedy Central’s “STAND-UP COMEDY WITH JOHN OLIVER AND FRIENDS”. You are guaranteed a fantastic night of comedy!!

EMAIL ~ johnoliver@theblacklistnyc.com

The first episode of Season 4 of Dexter is streaming now on Sho.com and it’s also available as a free “Watch Instantly” video on Netflix.com (membership required) until October 12.

As a side note, you can also watch full episodes of Weeds, Californication, Nurse Jackie, The United States of Tara and many others over at Showtime’s site.

View the full set list from each Spectacle: Elvis Costello With… taping after the jump.

Episode 01 Bono and The Edge
Episode 02 Neko Case, Jesse Winchester, Sheryl Crow, Ron Sexsmith
Episode 03 Ray LaMontagne, Lyle Lovett, John Prine
Episode 04 Levon Helm, Allen Toussaint, Nick Lowe, Richard Thompson
Episode 05 Bruce Springsteen

I was fortunate enough to attend Thursday night’s taping of Spectacle: Elvis Costello With… and after seeing the entire thing, I really wonder how they are going to distill this jam packed show down to a brief 45 minute television epsiode (thankfully, I’m not the producer). As for the performances within the show, the full band rendition of “The Weight” (complete with 3 guitarists, 2 drummers, 2 bass players, 1 piano player, 1 keyboard player and Ray LaMontagne) was the highlight of the night for me, followed closely by Richard Thompson’s “Shoot Out The Lights” and Nick Lowe’s “The Beast In Me”. While the musical numbers were strong, unfortunately the interview portion of the suffered from an excess of Elvis talking (who seemed to be suffering from a cold) and a shortage of guests answering questions. The quick witted Thompson was the first victim of Costello’s long-winded interview style and I really can’t think of one interesting anecdote he told during his segment. The very funny Nick Lowe, who has a deep history with Elvis, was also reduced to 2 and 3 word answers for most of his allotted time and only told one significant story about how he came to write the song “The Beast In Me” for his former father-in-law Johnny Cash. Levon Helm, who was actually defying doctor’s orders to be at the show, literally didn’t talk at all (because of a severe vocal strain), so he and Elvis did a ridiculous routine where Helm answered questions via drum rolls (if there is any justice in this world, that portion of the show will be cut). Having said all of that, what I saw on Thursday night will be very different from what will actually air on the Sundance Channel, and with the magic of modern editing, surely anything is possible.

Spectacle: Elvis Costello with… Bono & The Edge
Taping Date: September 15, 2009
Taping Location: Masonic Temple, Toronto, ON
01. Please – EC & The Imposters
02. Dirty Day – EC & The Imposters
03. Mysterious Ways – EC & The Imposters
04. Stay (Faraway, So Close!) – Bono & The Edge
05. Two Shots Of Happy, One Shot Of Sad – Bono with Davey Faragher & Pete Thomas
06. Alison – EC, Bono, The Edge & The Imposters
07. Stuck In A Moment You Can’t Get Out Of – EC, Bono, The Edge & The Imposters
08. Pump It Up / Get On Your Boots – EC, Bono, The Edge & The Imposters

Spectacle: Elvis Costello with… Neko Case, Jesse Winchester, Sheryl Crow, Ron Sexsmith
Taping Date: September 21, 2009
Taping Location: Apollo Theatre, New York, NY
01. Black Dog – EC solo
02. All In Good Time – Ron Sexsmith; take 1
03. If It Makes You Happy – Sheryl Crow with EC
04. Ghost Train – EC solo
05. Margaret Vs. Pauline – Neko Case with Steve Nieve; take 1
06. Sham-A-Ling-Dong-Ding – Jesse Winchester
07. Secret Heart – Ron Sexsmith
08. Leaving Las Vegas – Sheryl Crow with EC & Steve Nieve
09. Everyday I Write The Book – EC & Ron Sexsmith; take 1
10. Everyday I Write The Book – EC & Ron Sexsmith; take 2
11. Don’t Forget Me – Neko Case with Steve Nieve; take 1
12. The Brand New Tennessee Waltz – Jesse Winchester
13. Payday – all; take 1
14. Payday – all; take 2
15. Ring Them Bells – Ron Sexsmith with EC
16. Bowling Green – Jesse Winchester with EC
17. All In Good Time – Ron Sexsmith; take 2
18. Margaret Vs. Pauline – Neko Case with Steve Nieve; take 2
19. Don’t Forget Me – Neko Case with Steve Nieve; take 2
20. Prison Girls – Neko Case with EC
21. The First Cut Is The Deepest – all; take 1
22. The First Cut Is The Deepest – all; take 2

Spectacle: Elvis Costello with… Ray LaMontagne, Lyle Lovett, John Prine
Taping Date: September 23, 2009
Taping Location: Apollo Theatre, New York, NY
01. Poison Moon – EC solo
02. Wave A White Flag – EC solo; take 1
03. Wave A White Flag – EC solo; take 2
04. That’s The Way That The World Goes Round – John Prine solo
05. Lake Marie – John Prine solo
06. Unwed Fathers – John Prine solo
07. Natural Forces – Lyle Lovett solo
08. If I Were The Man You Wanted – Lyle Lovett solo
09. Road To Ensenada – Lyle Lovett solo
10. Jolene – Ray LaMontagne solo
11. You Are The Best Thing – Ray LaMontagne solo
12. Henry Nearly Killed Me (It’s a Shame) – EC with Ray LaMontagne (harmonica) & Jay Bellerose (drums)
13. Loretta – EC, John Prine, Lyle Lovett & Ray LaMontagne
14. Angel From Montgomery – EC, John Prine, Lyle Lovett & Ray LaMontagne; take 1
15. Angel From Montgomery – EC, John Prine, Lyle Lovett & Ray LaMontagne; take 2

Spectacle: Elvis Costello with… Levon Helm, Allen Toussaint, Nick Lowe, Richard Thompson
Taping Date: September 24, 2009
Taping Location: Apollo Theatre, New York, NY
01. Blame It On Cain – EC & The Imposters
02. Rag Mama Rag – EC & The Imposter w/ Larry Campbell on fiddle
03. Shoot Out The Lights – Richard Thompson (vocals) and & EC
04. How I Wanted To – EC (vocals) & Richard Thompson
05. Big Chief – Allen Toussaint (vocals and piano)
06. Tipitina – Allen Toussaint (vocals and piano)
07. Holy Cow – Allen Toussaint (vocals and piano)
08. Ascenscion Day – EC (vocals) & Allen Toussaint
09. Lover Don’t Go – EC, Nick Lowe, Richard Thompson & Allen Toussaint
10. The Beast In Me – Nick Lowe solo
11. Fortune Teller – Levon Helm (Drums) and Whole Band
12. Tennessee Jed – Levon Helm (Drums) and Whole Band
13. The Weight – Whole Band & Ray LaMontagne guest vocal for 1 verse; take 1
14. A Certain Girl – Whole Band
15. The Weight – Whole Band & Ray LaMontagne guest vocal for 1 verse; take 2

Spectacle: Elvis Costello with… Bruce Springsteen
Taping Date: September 25, 2009
Taping Location: Apollo Theatre, New York, NY
01. Point Blank – EC & The Imposters
02. Like Rain – Nils Lofgren, EC & The Imposters
03. She’s The One – EC, Nils Lofgren & The Imposters
04. Wild Billy’s Circus Song – Bruce Springsteen, Nils Lofgren & Roy Bittan
05. The River – Bruce Springsteen solo; partial performance
06. American Skin (41 Shots) – Bruce Springsteen solo
07. Galveston Bay – Bruce Springsteen (either solo or with Roy Bittan)
08. Oh Pretty Woman – Bruce Springsteen & EC; partial performance
09. I Can’t Stand Up For Falling Down – all; followed by an intermission
10. Black Ladder – EC, Bruce Springsteen & Nils Lofgren
11. Brilliant Disguise – EC & Bruce Springsteen
12. The Rising – all
13. Seeds – all
14. Radio Nowhere / Radio, Radio – all

-via The Elvis Costello Wiki and John O

This is a scan of the set list from the September 24 taping, but it’s not accurate.

Symphony Space has some excellent concerts and events lined up for their 2009-2010 Family Season including mega kiddie acts like Ralph’s World and Brooklyn favorites such as, Randy Kaplan, Astrograss and Gustafer Yellowgold, just to name a few. The new season kicks off on Saturday, October 3 with the Woodstock based folk-rock singer Elizabeth Mitchell who will charm both children and adults alike with her renditions of songs by artists ranging from Bob Dylan to Bob Marley. In celebration of the new season, (and because I love giveaways), I’m giving away family four-pack of tickets to Elizabeth Mitchell at Symphony Space to one lucky reader who emails me at contests@bumpershine.com and tells me the name of their favorite family/kids album. A random winner will be chosen and notified on Wednesday, September 30. View the entire 2009-2010 Symphony Space season of family programming over here.

It’s officially fall now, and not only does that mean back to school, but it also means that there is a bumper crop of children’s fare available on home video, at the movie theatres and even at the record store (if they still have a record store where you live, that is). This Tuesday (September 22) marked the release of The Fine Friends Are Here, the latest DVD from venerable Brooklyn entertainer Dan Zanes (his first DVD in four years, and his first release for Razor and Tie). The new DVD, recorded live at The Jalopy Theatre in Red Hook, Brooklyn, contains 13 live tracks, 3 new videos and a four-song bonus cd of late-night (read “lullaby”) music. The songs and videos on the new disc draw from Zanes’ fine back catalog, with over half the tunes coming his most recent albums, Catch That Train and Nueva York and the rest being drawn from Family Dance, and a few of his various older releases. The new DVD is a huge step up from his previous wildly successful video release, All Around The Kitchen (which I watched until it was etched in my brain) in terms of production quality. The transitions between songs are seamless and clever, the band is well lit for the entire performance (a real fault of the first video if you ask me), the direction is well thought out, the camerawork is solid (not shaky), and the image you see on your screen just looks about 100 times better than the last DVD, in fact, it looks like the show was captured on film (though I suspect it was probably some form of HD video). Sure it’s a much slicker package this time around, but when all is said and done, it’s really the songs and the performances that make this new video a winner. Though Dan has assembled an almost completely new band since Kitchen was released (long time drummer Colin Brooks remains), the new players can still “bring the party”, and the joy and enthusiasm taken in the rendition of each song is directly reflected on the faces of the audience members at the Jalopy and should carry over to those viewing at home too. On a final note, it was nice to see that they got rid of the cookie cutter Noggin videos that were included in the last DVD and created some cute original videos for this new release. Like you might expect, Dan has a few DVD release shows lined up in the near future, he’ll be playing on Friday, September 25 (tomorrow) at the Housing Works Bookstore and Cafe and then again at the 92Y Tribeca on September 30 at 4PM. View all of Dan Zanes upcoming tour dates and the track list for the The Fine Friends Are Here over here.

In TV soundtrack news, on October 20, 2009 the gang from Yo Gabba Gabba, one of the most indie savvy kids programs on TV, will release a new album full of songs from the show as performed by some of your favorite artists including: Of Montreal, Mark Kozelek, The Shins, The Roots and many more artists you wouldn’t expect to find on the Nickelodeon Channel. In celebration of this release, the YGG stars (DJ Lance Rock, Lance Robertson; Brobee, the little green one; Foofa, the pink flower bubble; Muno, the red Cyclops; Toodee, the blue cat-dragon; and Plex) are headed out on a small three city tour which will make its way to the Beacon Theatre in NYC on November 21, 2009, tickets for that show go on sale on October 9. View the track list for Yo Gabba Gabba! Music is Awesome! over here. One last thing, YGG Live isn’t DJ Lance’s only upcoming local appearance, he’ll be appearing this Saturday, September 26 at Riverside Park as part of the RBC Race For The Kids, and then again on Sunday, October 4 at the New York Times Great Children’s Read at Columbia University.

Last but not least, Spike Jonze’s long delayed, yet much anticipated movie adaptation of Maurice Sendak’s beloved children’s book Where The Wild Things Are will be released in theaters nationwide on October 16, with the official soundtrack dropping on September 29. The soundtrack features original songs by Karen O and The Kids (”The Kids” includes Tristan Bechet, Tom Biller, Bradford Cox, Brian Chase, Dean Fertita, Aaron Hemphill, Greg Kurstin, Jack Lawrence, Oscar Michel, Imaad Wasif, Nick Zinner and an untrained children’s choir) and to celebrate the new release in style, Karen O and her other band, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs will be performing an intimate show at The Music Hall of Williamsburg on September 29, 2009.

Tons more fall and winter family events from The New York Times, 92Y Tribeca, New Victory Theatre, The Bell House, Brooklyn Center For The Performing Arts, The Jewish Museum, Symphony Space, Kidrockers and other fine NY institutions after the jump.

Housing Works Bookstore Cafe Family Events
09/25/09 at 4 pm Dan Zanes DVD Screening with Live Dan Appearance

Riverside Park (72nd St & Riverside Drive)
09/26/09 RBC Race For The Kids (4K Run/Walk) w/ Nick Cannon, DJ Lance Rock, the Cast of Degrassi Junior High, Sponge Bob, Dora The Explorer and Tiki Barber

Columbia University (Broadway & 116th Street)
10/04/09 10 am – 5 pm The NY Times Great Childrens’ Read featuring Justin Roberts & the Not Ready for Naptime Players, Peter Yarrow, Playhouse Disney’s “Choo-Choo Soul”, John Carter Cash, Hip Hop Harry, and DJ Lance and Brobee of Yo Gabba Gabba, Bernadette Peters and more

Symphony Space 2009-2010 Season
10/03/09 at 11 am Elizabeth Mitchell
10/04/09 at 1 pm Judy Blume’s The Pain and the Great One series
10/10/09 at 2 pm Bubble Do Beatles: Magical Mystery Tour
10/17/09 at 11 am Randy Kaplan
10/18/09 at 1 pm Trenton Lee Stewart’s The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner’s Dilemma
10/24/09 at 11 am Ezra Jack Keats in Story and Song
10/25/09 at 1 pm Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson’s Peter and the Sword of Mercy
11/07/09 at 11 am and 2 pm Cats Paying Dues
11/08/09 at 1 pm Scott Westerfeld’s Leviathan
11/14/09 at 2 pm National Dance Institute’s Celebration Team
11/21/09 at 11 am Brady Rymer and the Little Band that Could
12/11/09 at 8 pm The Christmas Revels
12/12/09 at 2 pm and 8 pm The Christmas Revels
12/13/09 at 3 pm The Christmas Revels
12/26/09 at 11 am and 2 pm The Muppets Christmas Carol
01/02/10 at 11 am and 2 pm The Muppets Take Manhattan
01/09/10 at 11 am and 2 pm Goodnight Moon and The Runaway Bunny
01/16/10 at 11 am The Jimmies
01/24/10 at 1 pm Jon Scieszka’s Robot Zot
01/31/10 at 1 pm Walter Dean Myers’ Riot
02/06/10 at 11 am and 2 pm Secret Agent 23 Skidoo
02/13/10 at 11 am Key Wilde and Mr. Clarke
02/20/10 at 11 am and 2 pm Ralph’s World
02/27/10 at 11 am Astrograss
02/28/10 at 1 pm Kristin Cashore’s Fire (the companion to Graceling)
03/07/10 at 1 pm Mary Pope Osborne’s Magic Tree House series
03/27/10 at 11 am The Sippy Cups
04/10/10 at 11 am and 2 pm Justin Roberts and the Not Ready for Naptime Players
04/11/10 at 1 pm David Levithan and John Green’s Will Grayson, Will Grayson
04/17/10 at 11 am The Gustafer Yellowgold Show

New Victory Theater 2009-2010 Season
09/18/09 – 09/27/09 Cinderella (Ages 4 – Adult)
10/02/09 – 10/18/09 My House (18mo – 3yrs)
10/02/09 – 10/11/09 The Man Who Planted Trees (Ages 7 – Adult)
10/15/09 – 11/01/09 Hansel and Gretel (Ages 8 – Adult)
11/13/09 – 11/29/09 Peter and the Wolf (All Ages)
12/04/09 – 01/03/10 Chestnuts Roasting On The Flaming Idiots (All Ages)
01/08/10 – 01/17/10 Once and For All We’re Gonna Tell You Who We Are So Shut Up and Listen (13 – Adult)
02/05/10 – 02/21/10 The Enchanted Pig (Ages 7 – Adult)
03/05/10 – 03/14/10 The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)
03/19/10 – 04/04/10 46 Circus Acts in 45 Minutes
04/09/10 – 04/18/10 Time Step (Ages 6 – Adult)
04/23/10 – 05/02/10 Elephant (Ages 7 – Adult)
05/07/10 – 05/23/10 Pagagnini (Ages 6 – Adult)
05/14/10 – 05/23/10 The Butterfly Garden (Ages 3 – 8)

92YTribeca B.Y.O.K. Events
09/30/09 4 pm Dan Zanes: The Fine Friends Are Here!
10/11/09 11 am Astrograss Country Bluegrass Brunch
10/18/09 11 am The Dream Jam Band
10/25/09 11 am Robbi K & Friends present Lumpy Bumpy Pumpkin Rock! A Storytelling-Dance Party
11/01/09 11 am The Suzi Shelton Band
11/08/09 11 am Shana Barry And The Fofers
11/15/09 11 am Billy Kelly & The Blahblahblahs
11/22/09 11 am Elizabeth Mitchell
12/06/09 11 am Rani Arbo and Daisy Mayhem
12/13/09 11 am Princess Katie & Racer Steve
01/10/10 11 am Asylum Street Spankers

Little Orchestra Lolli-Pops Fall Series at Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College
10/03/09 10:30am & 12 pm Peter and the Wolf
10/04/09 1 pm & 2:30 pm Peter and the Wolf
10/24/09 10:30am & 12 pm Animal Tales
10/25/09 1 pm & 2:30 pm Animal Tales
12/05/09 10:30am & 12 pm Things That Go Bang!
12/06/09 1 pm & 2:30 pm Things That Go Bang!

Little Orchestra Lolli-Pops Spring Series at The Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College
02/06/10 10:30 am & 12 pm The Orchestra A Happy Family
02/07/10 1 pm & 2:30pm The Orchestra A Happy Family
03/06/10 10:30 am & 12 pm A Musical Toy Store
03/07/10 1 pm & 2:30pm A Musical Toy Store
05/15/10 10:30am & 12 pm Music Tells a Story feat. Guest Artist Peter Reynolds
05/16/10 1 pm & 2:30pm Music Tells a Story feat. Guest Artist Peter Reynolds

Little Orchestra Happy Concerts at Avery Fisher Hall
12/19/09 11 am and 1 pm Babes in Toyland
01/30/10 11 am and 1 pm Magic, Music and Mystery feat. Guest Artist Lyn Dillies
04/17/10 11 am and 1 pm Aerialists, Athletes and Arpeggios feat. Guest Artists AntiGravity

Jewish Museum Fall Family Concerts
10/18/09 Funkey Monkeys 11:30 am and 2 pm (Ages 2 – 6)
11/15/09 Gustafer Yellowgold 2 pm (Ages 3+)
12/13/09 Chanukah Concert: Shirlala 2 pm (Ages 3 – 8)
12/25/09 Family Celebration 11:30 am – 3 pm (Ages 3+)

Brooklyn Center For The Performing Arts
10/11/09 2 pm Harold and The Purple Crayon (Ages 4+)
12/13/09 4 pm The Colonial Nutcracker (Ages 4+)
03/14/10 2 pm Sleeping Beauty (Ages 6+)
04/11/10 2 pm Dirty Sock Funtime Band (Ages 4+)
04/25/10 2 pm Tap Kids (Ages 6+)

The Bell House Family Events
10/24/09 11 am Ralph’s World (under age 2 FREE)
Sundays in Jan & Feb 2010 – The Bell House Rocks (Schedule TBA)

Kidrockers at The Living Room
10/25/09 1 pm Neon Indian and Real Estate. Hosted by Seth Herzog and Craig Baldo.

“Yo Gabba Gabba Live: There’s A Party In My City” Tour Dates
11/14/09 Yo Gabba Gabba Live, Shrine Expo Hall, Los Angeles, CA (Buy Tickets Oct 9)
11/21/09 Yo Gabba Gabba Live, Beacon Theatre, New York, NY (Buy Tickets Oct 9)
12/05/09 Yo Gabba Gabba Live, Rosemont Theatre, Chicago, IL (Buy Tickets Oct 9)

Yo Gabba Gabba!: Music Is Awesome! Track Listing:
1. Yo Gabba Gabba! Theme
2. Yo Gabba Gabba! – Party In My Tummy
3. The Shins – It’s Okay, Try Again
4. Yo Gabba Gabba! – I Like To Dance
5. Money Mark – Robo Dancing
6. Yo Gabba Gabba! – Get The Sillies Out
7. Biz MArkie – Biz’s Beat Of The Day #1
8. Chromeo – Nice ‘N’ Clean
9. Yo Gabba Gabba! – Try It, You’ll Like It
10. The Roots – Lovely, Love My Family
11. Yo Gabba Gabba! – Don’t Be Afraid
12. I’m From Barceleona – Just Because It’s Different Doesn’t Mean Scary
13. Yo Gabba Gabba! – Bubbles
14. Of Montreal – Brush Brush Brush
15. Yo Gabba Gabba! – Nice & Easy
16. The Little Ones – Hey, Won’t Somebody Come And Play
17. Weird Science – Go Crazy Remix
18. Yo Dazzlers – You Can’t Always Get What You Want
19. Mark Kozelek – Bedtime Lullaby
20. Yo Gabba Gabba! – Goodbye Song
21. Yo Gabba Gabba! Closing Theme

Dan Zanes 2009 Fall Tour Dates
09/25 new york, ny housing works bookstore cafe
09/27 des moines, ia every family rocks!
09/30 new york, ny 92y tribeca
10/03 asbury park, nj paramount theater
10/04 westbury, ny capital one bank theatre at westbury
10/10 newark, nj nj performing arts center
10/11 roanoke, va shaftman performance hall
10/23 amherst, ma umass fine arts center
10/24 boston, ma halloweentown
10/25 boston, ma halloweentown

Fine Friends Are Here Track Listing:
Let’s Shake *CTT
Fine Friends *CTT
Wabash Cannonball *HP
Water For the Elephants *FD
Jump Up (with David Alan a.k.a. Cyclone) *FD
Cape Cod Girls *SM
El Canario *NY
The Welcome Table (with Caridad de la Luz a.k.a. La Bruja) *CTT
Thrift Shop *FD
Monkey’s Wedding *FFAH
Catch That Train *CTT
Colas *NY
Walking the Dog (with David Alan a.k.a. Cyclone) *CTT

Music Videos:
Wonder Wheel *FD
Pollito Chicken (with Caridad de la Luz a.k.a. La Bruja) *NY
Night Owl *NT

The above photo was really the whole point of this post, but I while I’m giving Cougar Town some free PR, I thought I would quote from the disparaging wire story I’ve ever read:

To sum up: This is a one-note premise, with a lead character no one could want to spend five minutes with, based on a passing fad. That the show — which bows Wednesday at 9:30 p.m. — also echoes at least one other new show on the fall schedule, the less middling “Accidentally on Purpose” on CBS, doesn’t help its case.
…
“Cougar” is a mess of a place no one would want to visit, even for a half-hour. With a little luck, though, it’ll have a short shelf life — and give [Dan] Byrd a chance for a better job. [Reuters.com]

Intrepid readers may recall that Spectacle: Elvis Costello with… has been renewed for another season, and it just so happens that the Season 2 tapings start next week at the historic Apollo Theatre in Harlem, NY. Check out the information below for the first list of announced guests and details on how to get tickets.

September 21, 2009 (Monday) @ 7:00 PM
Spectacle: Elvis Costello with…
Apollo Theatre (New York, NY)
Neko Case
Jesse Winchester
Sheryl Crow
Ron Sexsmith
Get Tickets

September 23, 2009 (Wednesday) @ 7:00 PM
Spectacle: Elvis Costello with…
Apollo Theatre (New York, NY)
Ray Lamontagne
Lyle Lovett
John Prine
Get Tickets

September 24, 2009 (Thursday) @ 7:00 PM
Spectacle: Elvis Costello with…
Apollo Theatre (New York, NY)
Levon Helm
Allen Toussaint
Nick Lowe
Richard Thompson
and special appearances by Ray LaMontagne and Larry Campbell + The Imposters
Get Tickets

As I also mentioned back in April, a DVD release of Spectacle was being planned and the release date for Season 1 is now set for November 3 (it will also be available on Blu-Ray disc). Each episode has been extended for the DVD release and the 4 disc box set (or is it 5 disc?) contains over 90 minutes of special features.

Last but certainly not least, Elvis’ iconic 1978 performance at the El Mocambo in Toronto, Ontario kicks off a new series of live albums from Elvis Costello. The El Mocambo record was originally only available as a vinyl radio promo and was (and still is) extremely valuable as a collector’s item. Though bootlegs have circulated for many years, the Live at The El Mocambo performance was officially released on CD as part of the 2 1/2 Years Box Set in 1993. This disc marks the first in a series of “Costello Show” live recordings which will be comprised of “classic Costello concerts including a performance at Hollywood High in California and other shows to be announced”. It’s interesting to note that Costello has never released “a proper live album” unless you count the aforementioned El Mocambo promo record, the limited edition Costello & Nieve EP box set, the jazz inspired My Flame Burns Blue, the Deep Dead Blue EP (w/ Bill Frisell) or the various live bonus tracks that have shown up on the re-releases over the years. Live at the El Mocambo comes out on September 29 and it’s a must record to own if you don’t have it already, but as an old school fan, I’m much more interested in those “classic Costello concerts” that haven’t otherwise seen the light of day.

Check out the full press releases for the Season 1 box set of Spectacle: Elvis Costello with… and The Costello Show concert series after the jump.

Video Service Corp (VSC) of Canada has announced that November 10th will see the DVD and high-def Blu-ray Disc releases for Spectacle: Elvis Costello with… – Season 1. Each format gets a 4-disc set running 650 minutes, at a cost of CA$54.98 SRP for the DVDs, and CA$74.98 SRP for the Blu-ray version. Complete details about the show, and the contents of the home video, can be found in the studio description below. At the bottom are images of the packages for both the DVD and Blu-ray:

Elvis Costello’s aim has never been truer in thirteen up close and personal episodes of chords and conversation with superstar singers and songwriters including Elton John, The Police, James Taylor and John Mellencamp.

Shot last year at storied New York venues, Harlem’s Apollo Theatre and NBC’s 30 Rockefeller Plaza studios, Costello with his band The Imposters split each hour between colorful creative discussion and putting a new spin on classics like Purple Haze and Ballad of a Well Known Gun.

The show, conceived and produced by Canadians, is coming off terrific ratings and reviews on CTV while raising the roof on audience figures on The Sundance Channel in the U.S. The DVD will be released in both Standard and Blu Ray formats in a 5.1 mix supervised by Costello himself, and will feature over 90 minutes of special features including interviews and bonus jams the likes of which audiences have
never seen.

SPECTACLE EPISODES FEATURE THE FOLLOWING STARS, EITHER INDIVIDUALLY OR COLLECTIVELY:
Sir Elton John – The Police – Kris Kristofferson – Rosanne Cash – Norah Jones – John Mellencamp – James Taylor – Diana Krall – Bill Clinton – Rufus Wainwright – Tony Bennett – Jenny Lewis – She & Him – Jakob Dylan – Herbie Hancock – Lou Reed – Julian Schnabel – Renee Fleming – Smokey Robinson

• All episodes are extended versions with performances not seen on CTV
• Four disc set with over 90 minutes of Special Features including Behind-The-Scenes interviews with Elvis Costello and other performers, Bonus Songs, and more.
• Bonus Songs cut specifically for the DVD include: Purple
Haze, Ballad of a Well Known Gun, You Win Again, Beginning to See the
Light, No More Tear-Stained Make-Up and more
• Season Two is in pre-production and slated for appearances are the likes of Bono, Paul McCartney and others…

This is a historic TV series that is a must for all audiophiles.

The DVD and Blu-ray sets are also available for pre-ordering on amazon.com with a release date of November 3.

1978 Recording Live at the El Mocambo Kicks Off The Costello Show Series of Live Albums From Elvis Costello

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Aug. 18 /PRNewswire/ — The first edition in The Costello Show live performance series of complete concerts featuring Elvis Costello finds one of the most eclectic and acclaimed artists at the fiery start of his career. Live At The El Mocambo (Hip-O/UMe), to be released September 29, 2009, marks Volume 1 of his Elvis Costello -The Costello Show series of albums. During the next year or so, The Costello Show series will continue with the album releases of significant classic Costello concerts including a performance at Hollywood High in California and other shows to be announced.

Recorded March 6, 1978, at the sold-out El Mocambo in Toronto, Canada, and broadcast live by CHUM-FM, this Elvis Costello and The Attractions concert was released the same year on about 300-500 pressings of a Canadian promotional album that became highly collectible–and heavily bootlegged. In fact, it may have been the most bootlegged of all Costello albums. The album was officially released in 1993 as a bonus disc in the four-CD box set 2 1/2 Years, and was also made available to those who bought the other three CDs separately.

At the time of the concert, the band was touring North America in support of My Aim Is True, Costello’s 1977 debut disc, and just days before the release of This Year’s Model, the first album with The Attractions: keyboardist Steve Nieve, bassist Bruce Thomas and drummer Pete Thomas. The raw, energetic live performance in the midst of the late ’70s punk/new wave movement captured a band and an artist at their most impassioned. The concert included My Aim Is True’s “Watching The Detectives,” “Less Than Zero” (with new lyrics Costello penned for American listeners), “Mystery Dance,” “Waiting For The End Of The World,” “Welcome To The Working Week” and “Miracle Man,” and This Year’s Model’s anthemic “Pump It Up,” “The Beat,” “Lip Service,” “(I Don’t Want To Go To) Chelsea” (only on the original U.K. album), “Little Triggers,” “Radio Radio” (only on the U.S. edition), “Lipstick Vogue” and “You Belong To Me.”

In 2003, Costello was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the following year was ranked by Rolling Stone among its 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. Live At The El Mocambo flashes back to a performance when Elvis Costello was just beginning.

Oooh, I hope she gives away Metrocards!

The Oprah Winfrey Show will broadcast live from New York’s Central Park on Friday, September 18. A crowd of ticketed audience members is expected to join Oprah and special guests for the hour-long live broadcast from Central Park’s SummerStage at Rumsey Playfield. Music superstar Mariah Carey, Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa, and other special guests are expected to make appearances during the broadcast. Plus, Oprah will announce her 63rd Book Club selection before the live audience. [Summerstage.org]

Here’s a little bit more from the Oprah site on how to get tickets to this special event.

A limited number of tickets for this special live broadcast are still available at Oprah.com. Anyone interested in attending must go to http://www.oprah.com/audience to secure a reservation. Reservations are first-come, first-serve. Anyone who plans to attend the taping must have an official ticket and valid photo identification – audience walk-ups will not be permitted. All tickets are free. All guests must be 18 years of age or older.

The broadcast will begin promptly at 10:00 a.m. ET on Friday, September 18, rain or shine, and will air in New York at its regularly scheduled time, 4:00 p.m. ET on WABC. More information is available at http://www.oprah.com/audience. The all-new, one-hour episode “The Oprah Winfrey Show: Oprah Fridays—LIVE from New York” will air nationally on Friday, September 18. (Check local listings for air times.)

PS I hope she picks the new Dan Brown book, I hear he’s very good.

I’ve been meaning to post about The Bell House’s amazing upcoming schedule of events for a while now (and I still plan on doing so in the near future), but I think these two little gems merit a post of their own.

THE STATE
THU 10/1: 8pm / $15
Screening and hang session hosted by
DAVID WAIN & MICHAEL IAN BLACK.
Benefiting NEW YORK CARES.

featuring
*Previously never-before-seen footage & classic skits from the MTV show and The State’s CBS Halloween special.
Buy Tickets

OSSO QUARTET PLAYS THE BQE
SAT 11/7: 7:30pm (EARLY SHOW) / $12
Sufjan Stevens’ The BQE is a 40-minute symphonic and cinematic exploration of the infamous Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, a major traffic artery that severed neighborhoods and contoured waterways with the brute force of modern urban planning. Commissioned by the Brooklyn Academy of Music as part of their Next Wave Festival in November 2007, the film tells a quintessentially American tale through an original film by Stevens and a live soundtrack by OSSO QUARTET.
Buy Tickets

Tickets for The State screening and Q & A session and The Osso Quartet’s live performance of Sufjan Stevens‘ The BQE both go on sale Saturday, September 12 at noon.

FYI, the CD/DVD version The BQE is now available for pre-order at Asthmatic Kitty for a very reasonable $15.00.

Myself and the guy I work with are going on tour! Below are the first announced dates. There may be a few more to follow. On a scale of 1-1000, in terms of awesomeness, I think it’s going to be a 600!

Sep 19 YMCA Boulton Center, Bay Shore, NY (Black Only)
Oct 11 Royal Oak, Detroit, MI (Buy Tickets)
Oct 13 Metro, Chicago, IL (Buy Tickets)
Oct 14 Turner Hall, Milwaukee, WI (Buy Tickets)
Oct 15 Pantages, Minneapolis, MN
Oct 17 Ogden Theatre, Denver, CO (Buy Tickets)
Oct 23 Fox Theatre, Oakland, CA
Oct 27 Wellmont Theater, Montclair, NJ
Oct 28 Sixth & I Synagogue, Washington, DC
Oct 29 Trocadero, Philadelphia, PA (Buy Tickets)
[MichaelIanBlack.com]

While it may have been a little uneven at times, there were some pretty great moments in Season 1 of MMHI: Leo Allen’s unexpected line, “She wanted me to pee on her!” literally made me burst out laughing, Jon Benjamin and Rob Huebel were pitch perfect as the Michaels’ boorish rivals Jeff & Larry, and the understated, yet hilarious Kumail Nanjiani made every scene he was in worth watching. I hope they bring the show back for a second season, and if they do, I’d love to see more show behind the show and less of the sketches (in fact, they could probably even drop the skits and monologues altogether if you want my honest opinion). By all means though, I think they should keep the original product ads featuring Showalter and Black; I watched every one of those Klondike commercials, and I own a DVR.

With the fall TV season just around the corner, the networks are trotting out their new shows and screening them before the discerning masses at The Paley Center in NY starting on September 8. All previews are free and begin at 6:30 pm, with seats available on a first-come, first-served basis. To reserve a spot, send an email specialevents@paleycenter.org. Here’s what the “Fall TV Preview Party” schedule looks like:

SEPTEMBER 8, 2009
PaleyFest: Fall TV Preview Parties: FOX
Members-Only receptions at 6:00 pm
Free screenings at 6:30 pm: Glee, The Cleveland Show, and Brothers

SEPTEMBER 10, 2009
PaleyFest: Fall TV Preview Parties: NBC
Members-Only receptions at 6:00 pm
Free screenings at 6:30 pm: Community, Trauma, and Mercy

SEPTEMBER 11, 2009
PaleyFest: Fall TV Preview Parties: CBS
Members-Only receptions at 6:00 pm
Free screenings at 6:30 pm: Accidentally on Purpose, The Good Wife, NCIS Los Angeles, and Three Rivers

SEPTEMBER 14, 2009
PaleyFest: Fall TV Preview Parties: The CW
Members-Only receptions at 6:00 pm
Free screenings at 6:30 pm: Melrose Place, The Vampire Diaries, and The Beautiful Life

SEPTEMBER 16, 2009
PaleyFest: Fall TV Preview Parties: ABC
Members-Only receptions at 6:00 pm
Free screenings at 6:30 pm: Hank, The Middle, Flash Forward, Modern Family, and Cougar Town

PS I’m screening Mad Med for free at my apartment this Sunday, send me an email to reserve a spot on the couch.

PPS I am all about Cougar Town this year.

In the new season we see this ultimate self-made man of midcentury America — outwardly confident but hollow at the core — smacked, like the culture he embodies, by the earthquake of the ’60s. “I started off writing the show as a scathing analysis of what happened to the United States,” Mr. Weiner said. “But the more I got into Don, the more I realized this is an amazing place. Something really did change in those years” — the late ’50s and early ’60s. “What would it be like to go to that place?” [NYTimes.com]

Hey, folks AMC’s most successful drama is back this Sunday, August 16, and if you live in NYC, you’ve got the chance to live like a MAD MAN for one whole week! Check out the NYC Mad Men inspired events below:

ALL WEEK LONG: Monday, August 10 – Sunday, August 16

Live like a MAD MAN! Visit the Hilton New York (1335 Avenue of the Americas) and the Millenium Hilton (55 Church Street), where the bars will serve up popular 1960s era cocktails, including a Brandy Alexander, Tom Collins and other classic “MAD MEN” inspired drinks.

Wednesday, August 12 – Saturday, August 15

In anticipation of “MAD MEN” Season 3, celebrate the style of 1960s advertising. Stop by the MAD (Museum of Arts & Design) Building at 2 Columbus Circle after dark, where an animated public art piece, inspired by the era’s advertising, is projected on the Building’s façade. The projections will feature some ads of the era, as well as Sterling Cooper’s most memorable client campaigns, including Popsicle and Belle Jolie.

Friday, August 14

The New York Mets Go MAD! Celebrate the 1960s, the team’s inaugural decade, and head to Citi Field, where New York’s National League team takes on the San Francisco Giants at 7:10 PM. The stadium will dedicate a special section to “MAD MEN,” where select lucky fans will receive “MAD MEN” inspired fedora hats. Mets fans can also enjoy “MAD MEN” inspired cocktails at select Citi Field bars.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 16

Watch the “MAD MEN” Season 3 premiere live on the big screen in Manhattan’s Times Square at 10 PM. Fans can come dressed in their swankiest 1960s attire to enter a pre-screening costume contest starting at 8 PM, for a chance to take home a “MAD MEN” prize. The screening is FREE and open to the public. *Weather permitting*

For further event information, please visit www.amctv.com/newyorksgonemad

- info via DrakeLeLane

Movits! play “Fel Del Av Garden” on The Colbert Report (07/27/09)

Watch the Movits! interview with Stephen after the jump.