New Years in New York 2009

It just started to snow outside, beautiful big flakes, the kind that always remind me of the snowy day 15 years ago when I got out of my parents car with my wailing kid Miles strapped to me. We were in a rush and I had to pick something up at my apartment, so I was trying to ignore the high pitch blare that was emanating from about chest level, not an easy feat. It was snowing, those big beautiful flakes, and as I fumbled with my keys at the front door, a snow flake fell on Miles' face. He blinked in surprise, took in a deep breath to let out yet another howl, and this time a snow flake fell in his mouth. This made him look up at the snow and as some more flurries fell on him, he began to laugh. All this was in the space of seconds - the kid went from a scary red-faced, snotty scream machine to happy chortles in the amount of time it took for five snowflakes to descend on him.

I'm about to run out and see if I can find some inexpensive sparkly thing to wear tonight. As usual, New York's got about a billion things to do. I always think it's crazy that some people will pay $300 for dinner and some champagne. Don't they know the best parties are the cheapest? But we're broke so I think even $30 tickets are out of the question, though Rubulad and Shanghai Mermaid both sound like they'll be great fun tonight. I think we are opting for a starving artist night out. Midnight fireworks at the Brooklyn Promenade perhaps? Some friends are coming over, so I guess we'll make some dinner and then maybe run out to catch NUTCRACKER RATED R, a dance/theater piece at Theater for the New City that mashes up the old Nutcracker ballet. Apparently in this one, Clara is a bored teenager and her uncle Drosselmeyer takes her back in time to NYC circa 1983. The choreography looks great and it sounds like a lot of fun - I am imagining a big guy in a pink tutu playing the Sugarplum Fairy doling out sweets to some wacked out club kids.

Wonder what they'll make of the 1980s in New York City? I looked at the cast list and doesn't seem like anyone was here then. The other night Matt and I went to Webster Hall for Gogol Bordello with some out-of-town friends. He took us around to show us all the new bars he's built for the place and we stumbled onto a party with a 1989 prom theme. It's wild that the 1980s are being romanticized now - hey, I was supposed to have graduated in 1989! And it was definitely not all campy fun. But I do like what a writer in the New York Times said in an article about the film RENT - he was comparing RENT with his memories of the East Village in the 1980s and he mentioned a sense of urgency that doesn't exist now. To me, that's why we all miss the 1980s, particularly the East Village of that time. Everything seemed more possible - there was such neglect in the neighborhood, it was all up to you what you would make of it - but it was also obvious that this vacuum wouldn't last. Maybe that is romantic then - this sense of something fading even as you live it.

Gogol Bordello was great fun as usual. The dance floor flexed up and down in a scary way as everyone pogoed to the music. I took one very blurry picture of Eugene Hutz saying something that no one could understand, but sounded great nevertheless.


The snow stopped now... guess I should throw the cat off my lap and get myself outside before the afternoon is over. Goodbye 2008, hello 2009!

Rubulad
The End of an Error Masquerade Ball
Rubulad Home Base
338 Flushing Avenue, at Classon, Brooklyn
B61 bus to Flushing Avenue
G train to Classon station
10p doors, 11p show; $20 before 11p, in costume, or way late, $30 otherwise

Shanghai Mermaid
1930s Weimar/Shanghai party
Galapagos
16 Main Street, Brooklyn
8p-all night; $35 advance, $40 door
galapagosartspace.com

Nutcracker Rated 'R'
closes 1/3/09
Theater for the New City
155 First Avenue
Weds-Fri 8p, Sat 3p & 8p; $20 adults, Sat matinee Pay-What-You-Can
theaterforthenewcity.net