Event Listings May 28th - June 10th

Saturday June 2nd
The Porchistas The Baby Album CD Release Show 10:30pm
with Special Guests:
Thomas Wesley Stern 9:00pm
The One & Nines 11:40pm
Tierney's Tavern
136-138 Valley Road
Montclair, NJ

Saturday June 2nd
The Amboys
Elevator Art
Love Assassin
9:00pm
The Press Room
610 Bangs Avenue
Asbury Park, NJ

Thursday June 7th
The George and Katie Show
6:00pm
Winegasm Bar & Eatery
31-86 37 Street
Astoria, NY

Friday June 8th
Southern Culture On The Skids
Labretta Suede & The Motel 6
9:00pm
Maxwell's
1039 Washington Street
Hoboken, NJ

Friday June 8th
Los Straitjackets
Eilen Jewell
8:00pm
City Winery
155 Varick Street
New York, NY

Saturday June 9th
Accidental Seabirds
Rock the LUP Benefit Show
many other bands performing
11:00am (Accidental Seabirds play later in the evening)
The Sand Witch
3rd Avenue (on the Boardwalk)
Asbury Park, NJ

Online Book Clubs - three to consider

I recently read about the 1book140 online book club and it sounded interesting. I did some research and found there are many book clubs which operate online or are publicized online (and held at offline locations). Actually, there are too many and I don't wish the task of wading through these on anyone, but here are three of the better ones I found.

1book140 Online Book Club
This is a book club hosted by Jeff Howe, an assistant professor of Journalism at Northeastern University, in conjunction with The Atlantic magazine. Each month the club picks a genre and members submit nominations to read. The staff at 1book140 narrows the list down to about 5 books and then the 5 books are put up for a vote to come up with each month's selection.

The discussions are held by chapters.  If you happen to be behind, you need to make sure you enter the correct chapter discussions to avoid any spoiler information.

1book140 via Twitter


San Jose Library Online Book Club
The San Jose Library selects a book a month and there are 4 separate weekly discussion topics covered throughout the month.  Membership currently looks to be on the low side but the interface of the web page looks great with links to the author's bio and a video of the author discussing the book in it's May 2012 edition.

Most library book clubs I came across send a chapter daily of the current book and you can read via email the book each day.  The San Jose Library is not of this variety.  More similar to a book club where you find the book on your own and interact as you can. 

San Jose Library Online Book Club April 2012
(note: the web page naming convention is a bit odd, to navigate to the current month,
change the date in the web address accordingly)


Yahoo Nonfiction Reading Group
This book club is of the Yahoo Groups variety.  I found this one and it seems to have a decent amount of people participating, about 200 - 1000 posts a month.  Their May 2012 book is The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2011.  In June 2012 they will be reading Washington: A Life by Ron Chernow.

Yahoo All_Nonfiction Reading Group Homepage

Portlandia - Shooting Star Preschool

It's a wild, wild world.  Be vigilant parents.

From the Portlandia pilot episode, in case you missed it.

Event Listings May 14th - May 27th

Friday May 18th
Accidental Seabirds
9:00pm
Bamboozle Afterparty at Langosta Lounge
1000 Ocean Avenue
Asbury Park, NJ

Friday May 18th
The "The Band" Band
9:00pm
The Turning Point
468 Piermont Avenue
Piermont, NY

Wednesday May 23rd
The Porchistas
6:00pm (Porchistas at 8pm)
Groove on Grove
Grove PATH Plaza
Jersey City, NJ

Thursday May 24th
Hello Radio
6:30pm
Woody Gutherie Centenial Tribute Concert
Sinatra Park
Frank Sinatra Drive between 4th and 5th Streets
Hoboken, NJ

Friday May 25th
Flemtones
10:00pm
Tierney's
136-138 Valley Road
Montclair, NJ

Saturday May 26th
The Amboys
9:00pm
Maxwell's
1039 Washington Street
Hoboken, NJ

The Metropolitan Opera - Live in HD

The Metropolitan Opera presents their performances in the United States, Canada and Internationally via their Live in HD program.  Operas are shown at theatres, in full length, usually starting at 12:55pm EST on Saturdays during their concert season which runs from late September to early May.  Encore performances are also in theatres, generally on Wednesdays at 7pm throughout the year.

Another alternative to the Live and Encore programs in theatres, is the subscription based Met Opera on Demand where you watch past performances via your computer.  I tried a few of their sample feeds and they were very good, coming from someone who has not attended many (perhaps any) operas.  There is a 7 day free trial to view all operas in their library, then a subscription costs $15 per month.  Individual operas can be purchased at $4 and $5.

There is one presenting theatre in New Jersey at Monmouth College. The Live concert season is now over but there will be Encore presentations until the new seaon begins. Tickets at Monmouth College are $18.

The Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD

The best sample video I've seen on the Met Opera's website are the 3 samples at this link:

Met Opera on Demand

Wagner's Dream Trailer



Event Listings Apr 30th - May 13th

Thursday May 3rd
Hello Radio 
9:00pm
Northern Soul
557 First Street
Hoboken, NJ

Friday May 4th
Red Molly
Carsie Blanton
8:00pm
Outpost in the Burbs
Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Montclair
67 Church Street
Montclair, NJ

Friday May 4th
Jimmy Webb
7:30pm
Brennan Coffee House
583 Newark Avenue
Jersey City, NJ

Saturday May 5th
We Were Promised Jetpacks
8:30pm
Union Transfer
1026 Spring Garden Street
Philadelphia, PA

Thursday May 10th
Mike Pinto Band
7:00pm
The Saint
601 Main Street
Asbury Park

Saturday May 12th
The Amboys
5:30pm (doors)
The Musician's Cave
Methodist Church
203 Lacey Road
Forked River, NJ

Saturday May 12th
7Mornings
10:30pm
Tin Angel
20 South 2nd Street
Philadelphia, PA