Alexander Briley, born April 12, 1951, is a Harlem disco singer who was the original “G.I.” in the disco recording act Village People. Early life and education Briley was the son of a Christian minister. Raised in Harlem and later in Mount Vernon, New York, Briley sang in church from an early age and studied voice at the University of Hartford. Briley had…
Just a few days before a total solar eclipse takes over the sky above New York on April 8, General Electric Company (GE) will celebrate its own history by launching 1,000 drones from the New Jersey waterfront, producing a light show that will be visible from the west side of Manhattan.
On April 1 at 9pm, 1,000 drones will depart Weehawken Waterfront Park in Hoboken, New Jersey and reach an altitude of more than 100 feet over the Statue of Liberty. The show will take place across 500 feet—the equivalent of a football field and a half.
According to a press release, the best areas to catch the celestial event from Manhattan are:
Near Pier 84: Between 42nd–47th Streets and 11th–12th Avenues
Near Pier 66: Between 25th–29th Streets and 11th–12th Avenues
Near The High Line: Between 19th–24th Streets on 10th Avenue
GE, one of the longest-standing on the New York Stock Exchange, says it is celebrating its “transformation into three independent public companies: GE Aerospace, GE Vernova and GE Healthcare.”
In case you happen to miss the drone show, worry not: the total solar eclipse that’s set to take place just a week later might actually become one of the most stupendous celestial occurrences in recent memory. May we suggest you book one of these local campsites to take in the eclipse in all of its glory when the time comes?
Happy Music Monday! In the weeks since Beyoncé’s recent Country releases, there’s been much debate on her Country bona fides, though the sista has never been shy about voicing her Texas pride.
From Beyoncé’s history with the genre, from the song “Daddy Lessons”, from her 2016 album Lemonade, to the Stetsons worn by Destiny’s Child, many Country devotees ignore her roots and those of other Black artists.
While talking to a good friend and colleague last week, he pointed out that it’s not musicians that draw designations often based on race, it’s the so-called fans. It is also music writers and editors who act as gatekeepers.
Ray Charles, James Brown, Jerry Lee Lewis, B.B. King, Elvis Presley, Aerosmith, Love, Brittany Howard, Lola, Valerie June and so many others can’t be bothered. Music is music.
It has been a long-running theme of my playlist and missives here on GBN, that the roots and current impact of Black artists on Country Music and Rock ’n Roll is deep and continuing.
Rhiannon Giddens is present playing the banjo (an instrument whose roots go back to Africa), on “Texas Hold ‘Em”, and with The Carolina Chocolate Drops. As is Lil Nas X, who was also soundly rebuffed by Country music gatekeepers initially.
I’ve included The Black Pumas, TV On The Radio, Clarence Clemons, Tracy Chapman and of course Lenny Kravitz, who all reject rock music being the domain of white artists.
So, please enjoy this collection of artists that aren’t inclined to be labeled and defy labels.
Ume is a stunning, minimalist Japanese restaurant in Williamsburg that looks like a little cottage you’d stumble upon while exploring off the beaten path.
But it’s not your typical omakase restaurant–here, you dine on the floor (literally, there are no chairs) and build your own omakase!
When entering you’ll wash your hands and place your shoes in a cubby before walking past the chefs preparing the omakase in front and heading out to the stunning outdoor patio where you’ll sit criss-cross applesauce on a floor cushion.
And once you’re settled the fun begins!
Ume offers a $78 pre-fixe sushi set that comes with 12 different sashimi combos, seasoned sushi rice, miso soup, nori, and flavored salts, including ghost-pepper and truffle sea salt–but it all comes deconstructed on a sushi board so you can build it yourself!
The restaurant does give diners a recommended set of instructions to follow–drink the soup first, try all the sauces individually before pairing, eat the fish from left to right, and play around with the seasonings–but you do have full reign to be the curator of your own meal and create whatever combinations you’d like!
If you’ve ever wanted to try your hand at being a sushi chef, this restaurant lets you live out those dreams.
Beyond the build your own option, there’s also an à la carte menu with dishes ranging from $20 – $60, including options such as the Everything Roll, Literally Everything Don, Uni Ikura Don, and Scallop Uni Salad.
You can also opt for the traditional omakase experience, where you’ll enjoy 15 pieces of sushi for $125 while seated at the restaurant’s sushi counter.
Whether your build your own omakase that looks like something a high-end spot would actually serve, or they look, well, exactly how they would if someone with little to no experience made them, we can promise two things: they’ll taste delicious either way, and you’ll have a fun experience.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced that the city has been awarded a total of $77 million in competitive grants from the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The law is geared to expand the number of electric school buses and trucks on city streets. A $61.1 million grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s…
Chicken parm, meatball parm, eggplant parm–they’re all versions of the Italian parm sandwiches that are staples in us New Yorkers’ diets. But there’s another kind of parm sandwich familiar to Brooklynites, and though up until now an air of mystery has surrounded the hero, we’re wondering if its main character moment is on the horizon.
What we’re talking about is the artichoke parm, which can be found at Mama Louisa’s Hero Shoppe.
While the exact contents of the $9 hero remains a mystery, besides the obvious ingredients–marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese, and artichokes on toasted Italian hero bread–we’ve heard the hero also contains bits of scrambled eggs, giving the sandwich a chewy yet creamy texture.
According to Tasting Table, the tangy sandwich had actually been on the Brooklyn deli’s menu for years before it starting drawing in lines of hungry New Yorkers wanting to get one for themselves–owner Edga Luinavictoria even stated that they once sold 400 orders of the hero in one day!
And it’s easy to see why–one Instagram user stated how, after eating the sandwich cold following an 80 mile trek back to Philadelphia, it was still fantastic. “The artichokes had a little crunch to them. The cheese and eggs coated everything almost as awesome as the sauce…But my favorite part. The bread. Holy moly. The chew is literally perfect.”
The same user added in a second post about the sandwich how it was “life changing” and that they “still think about it two months later.”
Another Instagram user stated “Definitely make a special trip to [Mama Louisa’s Hero Shoppe] it is sooo worth it. We can’t wait to go back.”
While Bon Appétit writes that the artichoke parm is still a niche sandwich, “those who love it are extremely dedicated fans.” Charles Star, a fan of the sandwich who has lived near the deli since 2006, told the outlet, “The only thing really wrong with it is, you kind of want to slow down and savor, and it doesn’t really encourage that.”
If you’re interested in trying the sandwich yourself, pop on over to family-owned Mama Louisa’s Hero Shoppe in Prospect Lefferts Gardens, Brooklyn. Word on the street is that you won’t be disappointed!
Plus, the deli also offers outdoor seating, so you won’t have to waste any time before digging into the sandwich.
Mama Louisa’s Hero Shoppe – 609 New York Ave, Brooklyn
In the dynamic landscape of the modern workplace, the significance of a well-designed office table cannot be overstated. Whether you’re setting up a home office or revamping a corporate workspace in the Philippines, the right office table can enhance productivity, promote organization, and create a conducive environment for innovation. From ergonomic considerations to cultural influences,…
To celebrate the release of his third studio album Honeymind, set to drop on May 31, Broadway darling Ben Platt will take over the refurbished Palace Theatre for a three-week residency from May 28 through June 15.
All 18 performances will be directed by Tony Award winner Michael Arden, who also collaborated with Platt on the critically acclaimed revival of Parade, for which the actor earned a Tony nomination in 2023.
Just as exciting Platt’s actual act is the venue chosen for the residency. The Palace Theatre, located at 1564 Broadway near 47th Street, is a classic Broadway venue that began as a Vaudeville theater in 1913. It has been closed for a series of renovations and restorations since 2018; when it finally reopens, the landmarked venue will be 30 feet higher up than before, as the result of a raising project meant to add ground-floor retail space to the address.
The importance of the stage he’s going to occupy isn’t lost on Platt himself.
“It is far beyond my wildest imagination to play a residency of my own music in a house as storied as the Palace,” the 30-year-old actor said in an official statement. “I feel blessed to be part of the theater community, and to have the opportunity to perform as myself and from my own perspective on a Broadway stage is one of the greatest honors of my life. I can’t wait to introduce my new record on the beautifully revived stage. My hope is to bridge my musical theater roots that I hold so dear with the world of classic Americana songwriting that I’ve fallen so deeply in love with.”
Audience members can expect Platt to perform tracks from his upcoming album alongside selections from his 2021 collection Reverie and 2019’s Sing to Me Instead—”as well as a few surprises,” reads an official press release. (Dare we say…special guests?)
Tickets for Platt’s upcoming residency are currently available right here.
Charlotte Louise Johnson, known as Lottie Williams and Lottie Thompson, 1866 – March 17, 1929, was a Harlem actress, singer, and dancer. A pioneering performer in African-American musical theater, she is best remembered for starring in several stage works with her second husband, Bert Williams, both on Broadway and in vaudeville. These included several musicals created by composer Will Marion Cook, lyricist Paul Laurence…