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Geneva/Chamonix (Feb 1, 2010) We visited our friends Max and Dima in Geneva, reunited with some old friends from Bishkek, enjoyed the controversially erotic opera "Lulu", and tasted a tantalizing teaser of skiing in the French Alps with a half day up at La Flegere in Chamonix. Album was created 2 years 3 months ago and modified 2 years 3 months ago No comments 0 views 0 visitors 55 files view album | view roll | add to cart

Phish @ MSG night 3 (Dec 4, 2009) Incredible night of music in the hallowed Madison Square Garden. One for the books. Album was created 2 years 6 months ago and modified 2 years 6 months ago No comments 0 views 0 visitors 1 files view album | view roll | add to cart

Thai'ing The Knot (Apr 1, 2009) Tuya and I had a wonderful vacation in Thailand, where we got married in the traditional northern Thai Lanna style in Chiang Mai province, then enjoyed a relaxing honeymoon on the beaches of Khao Lak on the Andaman Sea side of Southern Thailand. We were also fortunate to visit with Soyoltuya, Gereltod, and their sons Chinuka and baby Turbold, Mongolian friends and former neighbors in New York who had moved to Bangkok earlier this year. Album was created 3 years ago and modified 3 years ago 4 comments 0 views 0 visitors 287 files view album | view roll | add to cart

Phish at Hampton 2009 (Mar 6, 2009) Phish roared back on the scene in a big way down in southeastern Virginia. The boys were well-rehearsed, focused yet relaxed, emotional and happy to be back giving their fans what they've come to expect from one of the greatest touring rock acts of all time. Phish was out to prove something to the world, and they left no one doubting how serious they are about returning to form and charting new territory. I only stayed for two shows of the run, but with almost eight hours of music each night, it was more like 3 shows. Beautiful weather and a relatively hassle-free weekend of good ol' phun was made all the better by the reunion of many old phriends, who came in from all parts of the country. It's always about more than just the music, but this time the music exceeded all expectations. Time for the skeptics to jump back on board this summer and see a great band finally reaching its great potential once again. Album was created 3 years 3 months ago and modified 3 years 3 months ago No comments 0 views 0 visitors 91 files view album | view roll | add to cart

Les Savy Fav Rubs Its Fat in Brooklyn's Face (Oct 12, 2008) The Brooklyn-via-RISD art rock (what is that?) juggernaut cranked it up for the hometown crowd at the Music Hall of Williamsburg Sunday night. They charged through a tight set of oldies and newer stuff from their latest album, Lets Stay Friends. Equally compelling was the over-the-top performance of lead singer Tim Harrington, who was literally climbing up into the rafters a la Eddie Vedder. Album was created 3 years 6 months ago and modified 3 years 6 months ago No comments 0 views 0 visitors 20 files view album | view roll | add to cart

Open Air Disco at the Yard, Brooklyn (Aug 3, 2008) Following my mandolin recital I danced away a balmy Sunday night at the Yard, an open lot on the Gowanus Canal in the heart of Brooklyn. DJ Danny Wang spun golden disco hits from Europe and the States, whirling a hip and happy crowd into a frenzy on the outdoor dance floor. Though the Gowanus, a tributary of the East River that flows through the heart of industrial Brooklyn, is far from a fresh mountain stream, it lent the scene an almost European feel. Cheap beer and sangria was served from a makeshift bar, and hungry hipster wolfed down humongous organic quesadillas from the owners of a beloved Red Hook taco truck. Though the forces of gentrification were encroaching ever closer on the Gowanus industrial area, it still felt like we were far from that world and we could dance to tunes as loud as we wanted. Sunday Best promoted a series of outdoor events at the Yard throughout the summer, and seem to be promoting more indoor events as the seasons turn. http://www.sundaybestnyc.com/ Album was created 3 years 8 months ago and modified 3 years 8 months ago No comments 0 views 0 visitors 17 files view album | view roll | add to cart

Recital at Jalopy Theater (Aug 3, 2008) After months and months of intensive study with my mandolin teacher Michael Daves, I finally had the chance to show Michael, fellow students and attending friends how my playing has progressed. With the illness of my performance partner, I had to perform my two songs, "Midnight on the Stormy Deep" and "Bluegrass Breakdown" with Michael. I always feel a little bit of nerves before going on stage for the first time in a long time, but I felt very comfortable right away. Adding to the fun was the honor of playing on the Jalopy Theater stage, one of my favorite live music venues in all of NYC. It's a real down-home theater in the heart of Red Hook in Brooklyn, way off the beaten path in many ways. It's a bit of a trek to get there by subway, but always worth it to check out the music and the vintage instruments for sale in the front. Anyway, it was a fine show, with many heartfelt performances by fellow students, including the first ever public performance by Michael's 10 year-old daughter, who sang a murder ballad with the gravitas of a 75 year-old bluesman. Well, almost. She definitely had the crowd by the ears. A group jam on "Rolling in My Sweet Baby's Arms" wrapped up a memorable Sunday afternoon. Next time, oh Jalopy stage, I'll be back with a band! Album was created 3 years 8 months ago and modified 3 years 8 months ago No comments 0 views 0 visitors 10 files view album | view roll | add to cart

Takashi Murakami Exhibition - Brooklyn Art Museum (Apr 13, 2008) On a brisk spring Sunday we experienced Murakami, Inc. Actually, the title of the exhibition was "© Murakami," properly reflected his philosophy on the seamless convergence of art and commerce. It was one of the most appalling yet fascinating, engaging yet enraging art exhibitions I've ever lived through. The "Superflat" movement founded by Murakami is exemplified by his dense, richly-colored paintings. Many of the larger works were painted by a team of artists under his direction at his studio in Queens (we know one; she left due to the sweatshop-like conditions). Some rooms in the exhibition were even decorated from floor to ceiling with his superflat motifs of happy flowers and other saccharine/evil images. But Murakami is not one to limit his media, using sculpture, video and even Louis Vuitton handbags to express his ideas on mass culture and society. In fact, in the middle of the exhibition you are forced to walk through what seems to be a functioning Louis Vuitton handbag store, complete with sales agents and cash register. It's a shockingly effective piece of performance art perpetuating Murakami's obsession with commerce. I found myself so enraged by such a commercial assault on the sanctity of art, I almost made a scene–I really wanted to castigate the 'sales people' for molesting our right to enjoy art free of commercial intrusion. But then I calmed down and realized it was really a clever provocation on Murakami's part, even if he was making mega-bucks on the side. In fact his ability to shock and awe greeted us at the very beginning, when we were exposed to a fiberglass statue of a "Hiropon," a buxom, half-naked woman skipping a rope of milk streaming from her massive breasts. Then we were introduced to another fiberglass sculpture of a young man with windswept, blue hair grasping his manhood while spewing a stream of "man milk" over his head. Shock, glee, confusion, outrage, sadness, understanding–Murakami's exhibit brings out all of these emotions and more. That's art doing what it's supposed to do. Album was created 3 years 8 months ago and modified 3 years 8 months ago No comments 0 views 0 visitors 4 files view album | view roll | add to cart