offManhattan

Peck away at blackberry. Listen to music (a little too loudly). Sleep. All things we see people doing on the morning commute. But the number one subway pastime? Reading: The Times, a magazine, a book, an e-reader. . .Wednesday, September 8, add literary magazine to that list. From 7:30-9:00am that morning, at subway stations throughout Brooklyn, One Story (the brilliant Brooklyn-based mag on a mission to return the short story to its rightful place of glory) and the Brooklyn Book Festival will brighten the morning commute by handing out issues of One Story, along with invitations to a reading during the festival on Sunday, September 12 (12pm). It that doesn’t beat staring off into space, we can’t help you (we’ll be busy reading).

What: The 6th Annual Provincetown Jazz Festival

Where: 212 Commercial St., Provincetown, MA

When: August 13th-14th

Why: To celebrate and strengthen the presence of jazz music and the New Orleans culture in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Both days feature a stellar lineup of venerated jazz musicians, including saxaphonist Greg Abate, vocalist Dane Vannatter, pianist Janice Friedman, and the Berklee Rising Stars, a talented compilation of students and professors from the Berklee College of Music in Boston. Whether you plan to visit all the shows or just one, a stroll through the artsy, eclectic, and classically beautiful port town is a must. For information on whale watching, boating and fishing, golf, tennis, beaches and places to stay, visit the town’s web site at provincetown.com.

What: Queens Theatre in the Park: Latino Cultural Festival

Where: Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Queens

When: Friday, July 29 – Sunday, August 8th

Why: Queens stays true to the international character of its borough with the return of Queens Theatre in the Park‘s 14th annual Latino Cultural Festival. From inception, QTP’s tradition of transporting locals to global countries with a program of dance, film, music and spoken word has made it the cultural conduit for New Yorkers. There’ll be traditional dance (tango, milongo, urban) and legendary voices (Susana Baca, Yomo Toro,) interlaced throughout the performances. Don’t miss Leon Geico who is hailed as a pop-folk Bob Dylan, and Columbian folk artist Jorge Velosa who’ll introduce carranguero music. Representing countries include Argentina, Chile, Cuba, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, the U.S. and Venezuela. Whether your mode of transport to this celebration of Latin roots is by bike, bus, or train, you’ll feel like you’ve seen the world in nine days.

Four free cultural events are coming to the central green lawn at Roosevelt Island Riverwalk Commons this summer. Just off the F stop on the island, Roosevelt Live (or L!ve) starts the series on Saturday, July 10 with a marathon record fair and musical celebration honoring influential avant-garde jazz tenor saxophonist and composer, Albert Ayler. A contemporary of John Coltrane and Ornette Coleman, Ayler further explored and advanced the possibilities in the abstract realms of sound and atmosphere with an emphasis on timbre. His aggressive approach to the saxophone unlocked a new way of thinking about the instrument and its potential.

Disappearing in New York on November 5, 1970, Ayler was found dead in the East River on November 25. Mystery still surrounds his cause of death as either potentially a victim of murder or suicide. 40 years after his death, this all day festival brings together over 30 musicians and 20 record vendors to commemorate his memory and artistic contributions to jazz.

It’s likely there will always be women who worry about the cost of their human labor, while others, the comfort of their evening gowns. This dichotomy can be explored in Jean Kwok’s new “Girl in Translation” novel and in the “American in High Style” exhibit on display at the Brooklyn Museum until August 1. For those with any interest in fashion, literature, or history, this is a doubly enjoyable summer experience not to be missed. 

What: Second Annual Northside Music, Art and Film Festival

When: Thursday, June 24th  – Sunday, June 27th

Where: 25+ venues in various locations in Williamsburg and Greenpoint

Why: Since L Magazine’s first announcement of the return of last year’s instant-indie hit—The Northside Festival—we’ve stayed poised for its four-day lineup jam-packed with bands, art walks, and film screenings. Thanks to the new Northside Radio stream at Radio23.org, we were able to sample some of the 300 and counting bands to present our highlights for the best authentic sounds to look out for at the fest this year. Grab your badges and come join us.  

What: Queens Art Express Festival

Where: Along the No. 7 Subway Line

When: June 10-13th

Why: Queens is seeking to take over the reign as Borough of Arts with the second installment of its annual arts festival, Queens Art Express (QAX). With nearly half of Queens’ population being foreign born, there is no better borough to showcase the diversity of culture than this four-day program sampling 38 venues and 80 local merchants along the No.7 train.

The clock on summer’s unofficial countdown will end tonight when the 32nd season of Celebrate Brooklyn! opens the gates for its annual performing arts festival. Their 30 days of programming—organized by BRIC Arts Media—will take festival goers on an international journey from the circumference of its local stage.