How ‘Bout You?

What I love about summer in the NYC – other than the subway saunas and aromatic garbage troughs, of course – is all the free stuff.  While the weakerthans and betterthanthous harrumph out to the Hamptons, the rest of us are treated to a half-empty city and pro bono perks.

Last night there were fireworks and a free showing (on a sort-of-nifty double-sided digital screen) of the tampered-with Star Wars (IV) in Prospect Park as part of something called Brooklyn Best.  Starting 6/15 (when you’ll be at Southpaw enjoying Local H) , Celebrate Brooklyn brings “suggested donation” shows to the park’s bandshell.  Yet to be announced are the schedules for the Seaside & MLK Jr. Concert Series.

At Coney Island there’s the Village Voice Siren concert on 7/16 (not a very impressive list of performers, this year; Pitchfork’s Chi-based Intonation Festival  did a pretty good job of locking up talent that weekend ), the Mermaid Parade on 6/25, and a cult film series that’s not free ($5), but the popcorn is.

Central Park has Summerstage shows and Shakespeare in the Park.  Downtown has the River to River Festival (which has a lousy website; Brooklyn Vegan has collected some highlights). 

Maybe there’s a convenient central database for all the events, but I don’t know of one (this one isn’t a bad jumping off point, at least for concerts).  But it’s nice to know that sometimes a city that seems so intent of sucking everything out of you gives back, a bit.

Back in March, I mentioned that a planned live performance of Brad Neely’s Wizard People, Dear Reader at Anthology Film was shut down by Warner Brothers.  I neglected to mention a Stay Free!-sponsored screening that was held at Southpaw more than a week ago, mostly because Neely wasn’t going to be doing it live.  You can still download the soundtrack and enjoy it yourself.  And here is a Reuters article about the hubbub, ‘bub.

Funny, that kid don't look so lucky.

How sad is it that MTV's Schillfest Movie Awards is giving its Lifetime Achievement nod to Cruise?  Remember when they gave it to cool folks, like Godzilla, Jackie Chan and Clint Howard?  Why not just call themselves E! and get it over with?

(Apparently the network has changed the name of the category to the "MTV Generation Award."  Cruise qualifies because he's pretending to date someone in the MTV Generation.)

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