tagged w/ Rufus Wainwright
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Gasland director Josh Fox put in a winning appearance at Occupy Wall Street on Sunday 23rd October as he performed a banjo version of Material Girl along with Rufus Wainwright and Sean Lennon among others.
The anti-fracking campaigner turned up in support of the Occupy protest and spoke about the hydraulic fracturing developments in Delaware and New York State.
Fox urged protesters to join him at the Delaware River Basin Commission on November 21st to demonstrate their opposition to plans to allow fracking in the area.
“Make your voice known that you want to stop fracking here and now,” was his rallying cry.
Accompanied as always by his banjo, Josh Fox went on to perform Madonna’s 1985 single Material Girl to the crowd.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgwM5AkK7HEGasland director Josh Fox put in a winning appearance at Occupy Wall Street on Sunday... more
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Wainwright made the surprise announcement on his official website on Friday, revealing that Lorca Cohen had given birth to a girl in early February.
Viva Katherine Wainwright Cohen will reportedly be brought up by both of her parents, as well as Wainwright's partner, "deputy dad" Jorn Weisbrodt.
Making Canadian musical royalty Viva Katherine Wainwright Cohen was born on 2 February 2011 in Los Angeles, California, the gay musician revealed on his website, naming he, Cohen and Weisbrodt as "proud parents".
"The little angel is evidently healthy, presumably happy and certainly very, very beautiful. Daddy #1 would like to offer everyone a digital cigar and welcome the little lady in with a French phrase from his favorite folk song, À La Claire Fontaine: 'Il y a longtemps que je t'aime, jamais je ne t'oublierai.'"
Viva Catherine is named after Wainwright's mother, the folk singer Kate McGarrigle, who died in January 2010. Rufus's sister, the singer-songwriter Martha Wainwright, had her first child in London at the end of 2009.
http://www.rufuswainwright.com/news/Wainwright made the surprise announcement on his official website on Friday, revealing... more
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May 30, 2010
700-Hour Silent Opera Reaches Finale at MoMA
By HOLLAND COTTER
At 5 p.m. Monday the longest piece of performance art on record, and certainly the one with the largest audience, comes to an end. Since her retrospective opened at the Museum of Modern Art on March 14, the artist Marina Abramovic has been sitting, six days a week, seven hours a day in a plain chair, under bright klieg lights, in MoMA’s towering atrium. When she leaves that chair Monday for the last time, she will have clocked 700 hours of sitting.
During that time her routine seldom varied. Every day she took her place just before the museum doors opened and left it after they closed. Her wardrobe was consistent: a sort of concert gown with a long train, in one of three colors (red, blue and white).
Always her hair, in a braided plait, was pulled forward over her left shoulder. Always her skin was an odd pasty white, as if the blood had drained away. Her pose rarely changed: her body slightly bent forward, she stared silently and intently straight ahead.
There was one variable, a big one: her audience.
Visitors to the museum were invited, first come first served, to sit in a chair facing her and silently return her gaze. The chair has rarely, if ever, been empty. Close to 1,400 people have occupied it, some for only a minute or two, a few for an entire day.
Sitting with Ms. Abramovic has been the hot event of the spring art season. Celebrities — Bjork, Marisa Tomei, Isabella Rossellini, Lou Reed, Rufus Wainwright — did a stint. Young performance artists seized a moment in the limelight. One appeared in his own version of an Abramovic gown to propose marriage. Certain repeat sitters became mini-celebrities, though long-time waiters on line stared daggers at those who sat too long.
Thanks to the Internet many people saw all of this without being there. A daily live feed on MoMA’s Web site, moma.org, has had close to 800,000 hits. A Flickr site with head shots of every sitter has been accessed close to 600,000 times. Yet foot traffic has been heavy. By the museum’s estimate, half a million people have visited all or part of the Abramovic retrospective, “The Artist Is Present,” of which the atrium piece is a small part.
The rest of the show, installed on the museum’s sixth floor, is a problem. It is made up primarily of videos and photographs of the artist’s performances over nearly 40 years, beginning when she was a student in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, where she was born in 1946.
Her solo work from the early 1970s was hair-raisingly nervy. She stabbed herself, took knockout drugs, played with fire. For one piece she stood silent in a gallery for six hours, having announced that visitors could do anything they wanted to her physically. At one point a man held a gun to her neck. Her eyes filled with tears, but she didn’t flinch.
In 1976 she started collaborating with the German artist Uwe Laysiepen, known as Ulay. Some of their performances were punishing athletic events, as they slammed their bodies together or into walls. Others were almost aggressively passive. For a piece called “Imponderabilia” they stood facing each other, nude, in a narrow doorway in a museum. Anyone wanting to go from one gallery to another had no choice but to squeeze awkwardly and intimately between them.
Ms. Abramovic restaged “Imponderabilia,” along with some other works, for the MoMA show using actors. And although the nudity caused a buzz, the restaging fell flat. Two elements that originally defined performance art as a medium, unpredictability and ephemerality, were missing. Without them you get misrepresented history and bad theater.
Evidently Ms. Abramovic doesn’t agree. In 2005, at the Guggenheim Museum, she restaged vintage performance pieces by other artists (Vito Acconci, Joseph Beuys) with herself in the leading roles. She recently established the Marina Abramovic Institute for Preservation of Performance Art, to be housed in upstate New York.
In the near future she will be collaborating with the director Robert Wilson on a stage work based on her life. By the sound of it, this project will mark her furthest departure yet from old-school performance art and into the realm of closely scripted theater. What it will have, however, is her charismatic personal presence, and that means a lot. That presence is probably the most important ingredient missing from the restagings. It is what makes the atrium performance compelling. For better and worse, it has carried Ms. Abramovic’s career.
One of her lifelong heroes is the opera singer Maria Callas, to whom she can bear a striking physical resemblance. Callas was a disciplined, risk-oriented musician, made vulnerable by a voice that began to disintegrate early. Increasingly, as she aged, every performance became an ordeal, an invitation to failure. Her willingness to face failure became the prevailing drama of her life. It was a drama of survival, and her fans had a part in it: she needed them to need her, so they did.
That’s that classic diva dynamic. And what we’re seeing in the MoMA atrium is basically a 700-hour silent opera. Ms. Abramovic, with her extravagant costume, her bent shoulders and her mournful gaze, is the prima donna. Visitors are cast as rapt audience, commenting chorus, supporting soloists. Unpredictability is in the air: Will she make it through the day? Will she faint from pain? Will she cancel at the last minute?
When I dropped by last week, one sitter, a repeater, sat across from Ms. Abramovic with his hands clasped to his chest, like a tenor about to burst into song or a worshiper transported in prayer. Perfect. That Ms. Abramovic will be collaborating with Mr. Wilson, a once-radical creator of epic experimental works and now best known for his ritualistic productions of Puccini and Wagner, is also perfect.
Of restagings I remain an unbeliever. Of Ms. Abramovic’s recent overblown solo pieces, seen in video in the sixth-floor installation, I’m not a fan. But the atrium performance works because she is simply, persistently, uncomfortably there. As of 5 p.m., she won’t be, though. The klieg lights will dim. The audience will move on. Something big will be gone, and being gone will be part of the bigness.
Photo Caption: Marina Abramovic in the MoMA atrium. In her performance piece “The Artist Is Present,” visitors sit in a chair silently facing her. More Photos: Click on Link.May 30, 2010
700-Hour Silent Opera Reaches Finale at MoMA
By HOLLAND COTTER
At 5... more
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“Kisses from Paris” is a dreamily sexy three-minute short film by the French filmmaker Yvan Attal, a tribute to Paris, its young lovers and its street life. The film’s a journey off the beaten track, taking in sights tourists tend to miss: there’s a rock concert in the Château de Vincennes, as well as footage shot around the Bibliothèque Nationale, the Palais du Tokyo and the flea market at Saint Ouen.
It shows the multi-cultural side of Paris, its art and music scenes, and the actors are young, beautiful and appealingly scruffy. They meet, fall for each other, and spend the day wandering around with their hormones raging, while Rufus Wainwright sings a melancholy tune in the background. “I don’t want to leave Paris,” moans the young woman in between passionate kisses.
This piece includes a number of high-resolution photographs, as well as the sexy short film, “Kisses from Paris.”
Please visit my website to view the photographs, and to watch this very engaging short film:
http://disembedded.wordpress.com/2010/02/28/kisses-from-paris-two-young-lovers-kiss-their-way-around-paris/“Kisses from Paris” is a dreamily sexy three-minute short film by the... more
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Rufus Wainwright has revealed a few details about his forthcoming album, ‘All Days Are Nights: Songs For Lulu‘. Wainwright is set to release his sixth studio album on April 5.Rufus Wainwright has revealed a few details about his forthcoming album, ‘All... more
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Here are the greatest versions of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah," plus some others of merit: Jeff Buckley, kd lang, Rufus Wainwright, Alexandra Burke, Imogen Heap, Justin Timberlake, Kurt Nilsen, Allison Crowe, John Cale and more...Here are the greatest versions of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah," plus... more
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January 19, 2010, 1:41 pm
Kate McGarrigle, Singer and Songwriter, Has Died
By BEN SISARIO - The New York Times
Kate McGarriglePeter Kramer/Associated Press Kate McGarrigle
Kate McGarrigle, a Canadian singer and songwriter who, with her sister Anna, had a repertory of intimate songs about love and family in good times and bad, died of liver cancer on Monday. She was 63 and died at her home in Montreal, her brother-in-law, Dane Lanken, told The Associated Press.
The McGarrigle Sisters were praised by critics for the warmth of their harmonies and for their approach to folk music, which was neither academic nor commercial. Born in Montreal and raised in St.-Saveur-des-Monts, a village about 50 miles to the north, the sisters learned music from nuns and from their family’s regular singalongs at home, which drew from wide sources in folk and traditional pop. The eldest McGarrigle sister, Jane, was a church organist.
Kate McGarrigle, who was once married to the singer Loudon Wainwright III, and her survivors include her sisters and two children who have become well-known singers, Rufus and Martha.
A full obituary will follow.January 19, 2010, 1:41 pm
Kate McGarrigle, Singer and Songwriter, Has Died
By... more
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http://therfw.com/2010/01/kate-mcgarrigle-dies-at-63/
With sadness I share Kate McGarrigle passed away today. Known for her work with sister Anna, more contemporary music fans would know her best as the mother of Rufus and Martha Wainwright. I was able to see her live a couple times, most recently in Ann Arbor, MI at the Folk Festival a couple years back as she shared t...he stage with her two talented children. It was a joy to witness the love and energy the family possessed that gave weight to countless contributions to the music community. May you rest peacefully. - Rashon M. for TheRFW.comhttp://therfw.com/2010/01/kate-mcgarrigle-dies-at-63/
With sadness I share Kate... more
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Check out the entire new album of the pop singer, titled 'Milwaukee At Last!!!' which has hit the stores on September 22, at AceShowbiz.com.Check out the entire new album of the pop singer, titled 'Milwaukee At... more
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The Chelsea Hotel on West 23d Street in Manhattan has long been known for its storied past as an elegantly shabby Victorian-Gothic hotel, which is now registered as a national historic landmark. Long a mecca for bohemian artists and eccentrics, one resident once fondly described the hotel’s surreal atmosphere as ”a cross between the Plaza Hotel and the Port Authority Bus Terminal.” The Chelsea has a long history of serving as a sanctuary for the the avant-garde.
Through the years, those who lived at the Chelsea have included Jack Kerouac, Arthur Miller, Sam Shepard, Tennessee Williams, Edith Piaf, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Leonard Cohen, Willem de Kooning, Jane Fonda, Janis Joplin, Milos Forman, Jimi Hendrix, Dennis Hopper, Robert Mapplethorpe and Patti Smith, Vladimir Nabokov and Wes Klein. Dylan Thomas drank 18 straight whiskies there...sadly, his very last. Arthur C. Clarke wrote "2001: A Space Odyssey" while living there.
After Andy Warhol’s film "Chelsea Girls" was released upon the world, the hotel’s reputation became the stuff of urban mythology, attracting artists from all over the world. Edie Sedgewick, Andy Warhol’s patroness and advisor, the Factory artists and other pop art figures were all there. Bob Dylan produced both a record and a son there. Sid Vicious stabbed his girlfriend in Room 100.
This very detailed article includes a number of wonderful photographs and a music video (Rufus Wainwright's "Chelsea Hotel#2"), as well as a remarkable photo-essay video (accompanied by Lou Reed's "Walk on the Wild Side").The Chelsea Hotel on West 23d Street in Manhattan has long been known for its storied... more
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Chelsea on the Rocks, a new documentary about New York City's famous Chelsea Hotel, has premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. The documentary includes archival footage and interviews with many of the artists, writers and actors who have lived there. The Chelsea has been a mecca for bohemian artists for decades. At the present time, many fear that it will be lost to the corporate owners wanting to convert it into a fancy Manhattan boutique hotel.
Photographs, music, videos and a photo-gallery are included.Chelsea on the Rocks, a new documentary about New York City's famous Chelsea... more
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Jeff Buckley and Rufus Wainwright: The Musical Sounds of Lament. This piece includes the full-length documentary of Jeff Buckley's life, Everybody Here Wants You. In addition, it presents photographs and two amazing music videos by Jeff Buckley and Rufus Wainwright , each singing his own version of Hallelujah.Jeff Buckley and Rufus Wainwright: The Musical Sounds of Lament. This piece includes... more
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In just a little over a quarter century on this earth, Nico Muhly has collaborated with the lofty likes of Philip Glass, Björk, Antony, Will Oldham, the National, Rufus Wainwright, and many others. Which, of course, makes the rest of us mid-twenty-somethings feel both lazy and mildly angry.
In just a little over a quarter century on this earth, Nico Muhly has collaborated... more
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Rufus is proposing a simple way to help stop global warming on summer solstice, live in quiet darkness for the day. He won't be doing the same though - you can catch him in Berlin that night!Rufus is proposing a simple way to help stop global warming on summer solstice, live... more
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This is a great idea, It basically takes the Black Out back in 2003 and makes something good of it.This is a great idea, It basically takes the Black Out back in 2003 and makes... more
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Rufus Wainwright has been nominated for best International Male Solo Artist of the year at the Brit Music Awards to be held in London on Wednesday night, February 20, 2008. He was selected for the single,"Going to a Town," from his album "Release the Stars" (2007).
Earlier in his musical career, a flamboyant extravagance and narcissistic self-absorption pushed Wainwright to the edge of self-destruction. After his harrowing past experiences, Wainwright is desperate not to waste his chances all over again.
Photographs, a great photo-gallery and music videos are included with this article. The music videos include "Going to a Town" and the wonderfully elegant 2005 version of "Hallelujah" recorded live at the Sydney Opera House in Australia with his sister Martha Wainwright and friend, Joan Wasser.Rufus Wainwright has been nominated for best International Male Solo Artist of the... more
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"Recognizing Our Changing World." Recognizing what is in front of one's nose is a constant struggle. This piece presents stunning photographs and two videos (including Rufus Wainwright's Across the Universe")."Recognizing Our Changing World." Recognizing what is in front of... more
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