From: "Jeff Stark" <jstark@nonsensenyc.com>
Subject: nonsensenyc: 4.9 to 4.15
Date: April 9th 2010

Friday, April 9
* The Best Party of All Time Ever Plus Infinity, Brooklyn * Cinema 16, Brooklyn
* Fireside Puppet Chats, Manhattan
* The 90s Sing-Along Part Deux, Williamsburg * ABC No Rio's Ides of March the Seventh Biennial Building-Wide Exhibition, Manhattan * Congress of Curious Peoples, Brooklyn * Horned Ball No. 6, Paleolithikk, Brooklyn * Mutek 11 Brooklyn Preview, Williamsburg * No Shame Theatre, Manhattan
* Fuck the MTA, Brooklyn
* Pillow Talk, Williamsburg
* Free the Robots Party, Williamsburg
* Bushwick Local, Brooklyn

Saturday, April 10
* Ray Cross Benefit, Brooklyn
* Muskrat Husk Part 3: The Raccoon Slough, Staten Island * The Secret Museum Exhibition Opening Party, Williamsburg * Balkan Shout Out, Manhattan
* Dr. Sketchy's Anti-Art School, Manhattan * Tour of the Millwood Water Treatment Plant, Yonkers * The BCAT and CTOWN Variety Show, Brooklyn * Amateur Mind Reading and Pirate Dance Party, Manhattan * Hoarding Skin, Williamsburg
* Dances of Vice, Shanghai Foxtrot, Manhattan

Sunday, April 11
* Cook-off Fundraiser for Hot Bread Kitchen, Manhattan * Farmers Market Sweep, Brooklyn
* Potluck Meet and Greet, Brooklyn

Thursday, April 15
* The Vanishing Icons of Metropolitan Avenue: A History of Williamsburg’s Handmade Shop Signs, Williamsburg * Warehouse Thursdays at the House of Yes, Brooklyn

Wishlist
* Trombonist

Spectre
* The Stirling Age

Learning
* Digital Media Connect

Help
* Donate Your Old Band Instruments

NOTE: For some navigation help, or an explanation for what this is all about, scroll all the way down to NONSENSE. You'll find snarky editorial comments and little bits of praise littered throughout this list. These nuggets are marked with all caps, like this: NOTE. Also, we make a lot of mistakes, especially with dates; you should always double check our work. And you can donate to this project at nonsensenyc.com/special.

XXXXX COVER ART XXXXX

Inky portraits.

XXXXX FRIDAY, APRIL 9 XXXXX

The Best Party of All Time Ever Plus Infinity

Our arrogance goes not unfounded. With DJ Dirty Finger, 9 Lives the Cat (of the Death Set, live p.a. set), Hiro Tha Jap, and DJ Spanky.

Copies of the magazine the event will be helping to print will be available at the event. Additionally...other information on where money from these parties has gone will be available for free at the event as well. There will be a coat check.

Shea Stadium
20 Meadow Street, between Bogart and Waterbury, Brooklyn L train to Montrose station
10p-4a; $6 before midnight, $8 after midnight 18 and up
firetotheprisons.com

***** Also on FRIDAY *****

Cinema 16

Cinema 16 revives the experience of the silent film era in which live music would accompany black and white 16mm projections. In an era when film has been reduced to the tiny screens of our laptops and ipods, oftentimes viewed alone, Cinema 16 resurrects communal performance experience. Busy Ganges of Telepathe and Maya Andersen are xCross+, a Brooklyn-based music duo who combine their influences of live performance, choreography, and the moving image to make dark, heavy dance music. They will be scoring three transfixing shorts: Oramunde by Emlen Etting, Standish Lawder's Corridor, and Rachel Blackwell's Rituals.

Galapagos
16 Main Street, Williamsburg, Brooklyn
10p doors, 10:30p show; $10
310 766 8048
mollysurno.com
cinemasixteen.com

***** Also on FRIDAY *****

Fireside Puppet Chats

An informal discussion series from the puppet perspective. We will discuss tonight: Outer Space and Puppets with Jessica Grindstaff and Erik Sanko.

Tomorrow: Amusement Parks and Puppets with John Bell.

New Dixon Place
161A Chrystie Street, between Rivington and Delancey, Manhattan 7p; $free (followed by Puppet Blok at 8p for $12) imnotlost.net
dixonplace.org

***** Also on FRIDAY *****

The 90s Sing-Along Part Deux

The last 90s Sing-Along was such a big hit I'm doing a new one packed full of new 90s videos. We're going to celebrate that wonderful, mixed up, angst filled decade by singing along to some of the great hits of an era that brought us greasy haired alt rockers, spanish language hits, boy bands and girl groups, white rappers, people who are too sexy for anything that comes into contact with their skin, Canadian singer-song writers, multiple songs with Mmm as lyrics and lots of plaid.

90s costume contest with prizes. Hammer dance instruction and dance off. DJs in two rooms after including a Music Video Dance Party and a 90s set by DJ Full Time Fun.

Legion
790 Metropolitan Avenue, at Humboldt Street, Williamsburg, Brooklyn L train to Graham station
9p; $free
21 and over
legionsingalongs@gmail.com

***** Also on FRIDAY *****

ABC No Rio's Ides of March the Seventh Biennial Building-Wide Exhibition

Over 50 artists on four floors. Participating artists: Cesar Arredondo, Fabian Berenbaum, Doris Cacoilo, Kevin Caplicki, Christopher Cardinale, Michael Cataldi, Chris Clary, Barrie Cline, Peggy Cyphers, Michael De Pasquale, Nanna Debois Buhl, Charlotte Doglio, Ian Dolton-Thornton, Jade Doskow, Es Muss Sein Quartet, Mike Estabrook, Lambert Fernando, Fred Fleisher, Flux Factory, Julie Hair, Suckzoo Han, Joann Harrah, Rebecca Howland, Akiko Ichikawa, it/EQ Community Arts Collaborative, Vandana Jain, Darren Jones & Ryan Roa, Christina Kelly, Sarah Kipp & Phyllis Kipp, Ben Knight, Vikki Law, Emilie Lemakis, Liz N Val, RTST, Jens Maier-Rothe, Julie McCabe, Judith Modrak, Alan Moore, Nsumi Collective, Jann Nunn, Olek, Angela Organ, Douglas Einar Olsen, Perfect 8, Dave Powell, Dave Pugh, Ed Radford & Rob Shepperson, Michelle Rollman, Scott Seaboldt, Chanika Svetvilas, Subject to Change, Three Wise Goats, Cat Tyc, Vydavy Sindikat, Carol Warner, Jen Zarkzewski & Kristen Rhea van Liew, and Z Collective with Insurgent Theatre

ABC No Rio
156 Rivington Street, Manhattan
7-10p; $free
abcnorio.org

***** Also on FRIDAY *****

Congress of Curious Peoples

Opening night party with cheap beer and drinking game. You come, you vote. Also, the Cosmic Bicycle Theatre presents A Puppet FreakShow. Plus Freak Hall of Fame Nominations with Drinking Game.

The nominees are: Working Acts: Brooklyn Strongmen Mighty Atom vs. Joe Rollino; Attractions: Blade Box vs. Electric Chair; Self Inflicted: Jolly Irene vs. Mortado; Born Different: Prince Randi vs. Otis Jordan; Show Folk: David Rosen vs. Fred Sindel; hosted by Dick Zigun. Please join us to select five inductees in a drunken celebration of Coney Island madness.

1208 Surf Avenue, Brooklyn
6:30p film, 8p party; $10
718 372 5159
infoconeyisland.com

***** Also on FRIDAY *****

Kostume Kult presents:

Horned Ball No. 6, Paleolithikk

Kostume Kult's annual Spring ritual, featuring tribal beats, all night dancing, interactive art, games, and prehystorical absurdity.

DJs spinning house, breaks, dubstep, and ethnotek in two rooms including Tektite, Morphous, Hellfire Machina, Lee Mayjahs?, the Bass, Nigel Richards, and Fabian Alsultany.

Artists/performances: A collaboration amongst some of NYC's most colorful people with Flora art by Greg Skolozdra, flying, glowing Pterodactyls by Brooklyn Airdrome, prehystoric visuals by Metal Tiger, VJ Lenka, Jason Weston and Max Nova, cave painting by Kritta and Jimsu, Faux-Flames by Mike Guyver, woodland photobooth by Joe Che and Page Not Found, Mastadonia by Costume Jim, Pygmalion and Galatea by Faux Maux and Big Mike, Evolving Ema: Extinction by ShiZaru.Zoe, Smilodon Fatailis Aerialis by Kimmy Dudek, LED Hula-Hooping by Sandhi Ferreira, Yabba-Dabba-Hoop by Soyboy and whatever you contribute to this participatory arts event.

Dress: Horns, tusks, woolly mammal, dinosaur, urban kaveman or anything extinct (with horns!). An annual spring bacchanal - the idea for Horned Ball is to wear horns of any type whether you want to play along with this year's sub-theme (paleolithikk) or not. Springtime arrives and the animals are stirring. A Burning Man project fundraiser.

Warsaw
261 Driggs Avenue, at Eckford, Williamsburg, Brooklyn 8p-5a; $15 presale, $20 door with costume, $25 door with street clothes 21 and over
kostumekult.com/events/hornedball/

***** Also on FRIDAY *****

Mutek 11 Brooklyn Preview

This Friday the Gamelatron (the World’s First Fully Robotic Gamelan Orchestra) returns to Brooklyn for a special midnight show at Beyond’s (the people that bring you the Bunker: NYC premier electronic music monthly)..

This is the first Gamelatron showing in New York since last fall. The event is a showcase for the Montreal based electronic music festival Mutek. The Gamelatron will play an hour continuous improvisational set without narration featuring suites of new music and deeper rhythmic SpaceHaus textures than you have heard before in other presentations.

The lineup is outstanding back room: Akufen, Cheap & Deep, Stephen Beaupré, Vincent Lemieux. Front room: Efdemin, Gamelatron, Derek Plaslaiko, Borne.

Public Assembly
70 North 6th Street, Williamsburg, Brooklyn 10p-6a; $10 before midnight, $20 after 21 and over
gamelatron.com
zemi17.net

***** Also on FRIDAY *****

No Shame Theatre

Dare to be brilliant, dare to fail. Audience, arm yourself. A performance evening unlike any open mic in New York, No Shame grants performers five minutes to blast beyond the normal duties of pleasing, amusing, and entertaining -- in fact, performers are encouraged to risk their audience's displeasure, alienation, boredom, confusion, and rage. You, No Shame participant, are invited to read somber fiction onstage, to take a nap, to take off your clothes, to make a sandwich, to describe graphic sexual acts. You can do Q&A, play a game with the audience, stage a fight so realistic that it leaves everyone horrified (real No Shame occurrence). You can even claim five minutes to force us to watch an empty stage. No Shame both includes and reaches beyond the meat and potatoes of sketch and standup to re-electrify audience attention, create a night that is rude, weird, surreal, and transcendent, and bring back the urgency of wondering "what happens next?"

We welcome comedy and laffs, but are in especial need of performers willing to take emotional risks onstage and help our audience experience the fullest range of emotions. We'd like to them to nod, sigh, tremble, clutch each other in fear, point and laugh, remember past traumas, lose control of their bowels, and (on a very good night) be inspired to riot.

There are only three rules:

1. Pieces must be no longer than 5 minutes. At the end of your five minutes, you will be blacked out.
2. Pieces must be original. We are open to disputing the definition of "original."
3. You cannot break anything - the audience, the theater, the law. The only things you are allowed to break are hearts and spirits.

The Tank
354 West 45th Street, between 8th and 9th avenues, Manhattan Midnight-1:30a; $5, free if you are performing thetanknyc.org

***** Also on FRIDAY *****

Fuck the MTA

Let's party like our metrocards just ran out. This is a benefit show for students arrested at the MTA budget meeting and March 4 day of action. Our lawyers are hungry and our friend posted our bail and cant pay rent. DJs Wc Kids, Ice Age Crew, and live bands.

13-1 Thames Street
L train to Morgan station
10p; $5

***** Also on FRIDAY *****

Pillow Talk

Brought to you by Ariel's Guide to Successful Living, Pillow Talk is a live, variety talk show, hosted by Ariel Carson, where the most vivacious comics and artists in New York City perform. They are then interviewed over homebaked vegan cookies and almond milk. Guests are Baron Vaughn from the Awkward Comedy Show, Elizabeth Darcy Buck performing an excerpt from her one woman show Jane of America, and Cocoon Central Dance Team.

Kingdom
170 North 4th Street, between Bedford and Driggs, Williamsburg, Brooklyn 9p; $free

***** Also on FRIDAY *****

Free the Robots Party

Much has changed since the last time Free the Robots graced our lovely city. But that doesn't change the fact that they're still one of the grimiest elements of the forever expanding Los Angeles beat scene that spawned Flying Lotus, Gaslamp Killer, etc. etc. Come of for an old fashioned party replete with visuals, vibe, volume. Supporting bumps from DJs Still Life and Burt Fox.

Public Assembly
66 North 6th Street, Williamsburg, Brooklyn 11p-late; $5 with RSVP, $10 without
rsvp@thetastecrew.com

***** Also on FRIDAY *****

Bushwick Local

Bushwick Local is an exhibition that pays tribute to the local artist. It samples from the following eight, who are tuned to immediate change, broad cultural trends, and transcendent human desires. With Jon Michael Anzalone, Reiko Hamano, Allan Bailey, Andrew Hunt, Daniel Derwelis, Christopher Sachs, Chris Georgalas, and Gustabo Velazquez.

Bushwick Local, set in the pristine space of a contemporary residential building, encourages viewers to interact with the artworks, and suggests that they think of their own lives as art.

The opening reception will feature performances by Backspace Performance Ensemble; DJ Lois Lame; refreshments, and beginning at 9:30p, live music curated by el diabl’ productions.

369 Harman Street, Brooklyn
L train to DeKalb station
6p-midnight
917 494 4511
EventaCo.Bushwickgmail.com

XXXXX SATURDAY, APRIL 10 XXXXX

The Addtract Consortium and Page Not Found join forces to host:

Ray Cross Benefit

Ray was robbed not once but twice after suffering a brain injury in a serious bike accident. Join us this Saturday as we bring you a good time for a great cause, complete with specialty cocktails, homebrewed booze, live music, booty-bumping beats, and a cash-and carry art sale courtesy of local artists and some choice pieces from Ray's private collection. One-of-a-kind canvases and prints start at $15.

Also: 1,000 square foot patio open until 1a. Performances by Super Duck and the Suite Unraveling, plus special. 10-disc-only pre-sale of new Suite EP. Shake your booty to some choice drops from Verbal Graffiti. DJ MC David Powers. Mingle with beautiful Brooklynites and dress to express your own beautimous self. Photobooth by PNF Members. Face painting by Abby Weg. And, of course, Ray and the Bushwick Print Lab crew will be there to add some custom-printed flavor to your boring old tees.

We've all been there for the good times, so let's support each other through the bad. Let's make this one a night to remember. All proceeds go to benefit Ray and the Lab. Page Not Found is a 2000 square foot apartment, with a garden, used as a space to encourage strong social interaction by experimenting with collaboration, art, food, film and music.

Page Not Found
76 Jefferson, Brooklyn
L train to Morgan station
10p-4a; $5-$15 suggested donation.

***** Also on SATURDAY *****

Muskrat Husk Part 3: The Raccoon Slough

Hi, my name is Steve and I have an event I'd like to submit for consideration. It's part of a larger art event called Second Saturdays, which takes place on Staten Island.

The event is: Animal skinning, alcohol, burgers and dogs and live music by Steve Green and the Feeling . Part of the Second Saturdays Art Festival on Staten Island (google assembly room on Staten Island for more info/links). All animals used in the skinning were killed in the course of nature by the artist's dog.

Richie's Lot, at the corner of Richmond Terrace and Van Pelt Avenue, Staten Island (look for a hand-made sign pointing the way at the corner) 3p; $free

***** Also on SATURDAY *****

The Secret Museum Exhibition Opening Party

The Secret Museum -- an exhibition on view at sister-institution Observatory's Gowanus-based gallery -- will host a free opening party. The exhibiton explores the poetics of hidden, untouched and curious collections from around the world and features photographs from Joanna Ebenstein of Morbid Anatomy and Observatory's travels to collections private, public, and backstage.

Observatory
543 Union Street, at Nevins, Brooklyn
7-10p; $free

***** Also on SATURDAY *****

Sarah Alden and Geneviève Leloup are proud to present the highly anticipated:

Balkan Shout Out

This year we will be featuring the Bhangra Brass Funk music of Red Baraat a NYC-based indian brass band. Zlatne Uste who is celebrating 25 years together as a band will grace us with their exuberant Balkan brass dance music. AE, a powerful and enchanting vocal duo singing songs from the Balkans, Republic of Georgia and Appalachia will open the evening. Our evening is led by the dazzling and charming Tanya Solomon as Master of Ceremonies. Don't miss your chance to win a bottle of Slivovitz and other special prizes in our famous Balkan Shout Out raffle.

The Balkan Shout Out is a fundraising event to benefit the EEFC (East European Folklife Center). The EEFC has been a home to Balkan music, dance and culture in United States for the past 25 years. The Balkan Shout Out, has been conceived to do just that: give a shout of thanks out to those who have helped in nurturing New York's thriving Balkan cultural community.

Ukrainian National Home
140 2nd Avenue, Manhattan
8p-midnight; $15-20 suggested admission myspace.com/thebalkanshoutout

***** Also on SATURDAY *****

Dr. Sketchy's Anti-Art School

With acrobats Rudi Macaggi and Lea, sponsored by Baby Tattoo Books and Squishables. Dr. Sketchy's is a life drawing class turned cabaret extravaganza. Artists draw glamorous underground performers, compete in contests, and win booze and prizes. From its humble Brooklyn beginnings, it's spread to 100 cities on five continents- including London, Rome, Tokyo, Paris, Sao Paulo and Melbourne.

On April 10, Dr. Sketchy's presents a tribute to the Grand Guignol, with amazing acrobats Rudi Macaggi and Lea as the puppet master and his puppet. Plus, prizes from Boyd and Blair Vodka, Squishables, and Baby Tattoo Books.

Slipper Room
167 Orchard Street, corner of Stanton, Manhattan 4-7p; $10 advance, $15 at the door
21 and over
drsketchy.com

***** Also on SATURDAY *****

Tour of the Millwood Water Treatment Plant

Come see how drinking water gets filtered on a municipal level. The Millwood Water Treatment Plant draws its water from the Catskill Aqueduct, the same pipe that feeds NYC from its pristine reservoirs in the Catskill mountains. The plant uses a four-step process to treat its water. Come witness this modern facility for yourself and get a preview of the kind of filtration plant that NYC is constructing to treat water from the Croton Reservoir. A copy of a photo ID is required to register. Preference is given to educators and ecology workers.

New Castle
RSVP for info
10a; $?
mm1566 nyu.edu for information.
917 656 2984

***** Also on SATURDAY *****

The BCAT and CTOWN Variety Show

A night of comedy, music, booze, dancing, and chaos with skinny bitch jesus meeting -- the finest whores in sketch comedy. With Doppelganger, Jeff Seal, with music from the toys and tiny instruments orchestra plus the mayor just might make an appearance. What is not to love? Dancing and boozery to follow with DJs Perfect Pich.

The Petri Space
114 Forrest Street, buzzer No. 15, apartment 4C, Brooklyn 9p; $free

***** Also on SATURDAY *****

Amateur Mind Reading and Pirate Dance Party

Bring your plastic sword, your billowy white shirt, your tight vest, the poofy pants you wear to yoga, and your three-cornered hat, because tonight at HiChristina, you're a pirate! (And an amateur mind reader). That's right, we did just say that. Join Blue beard, Red Beard, Long John Silver, and all their pirate booty as they take you prisoner and transport you across the high seas. Will you be marooned on cupcake island? Or will you join the mutiny and give the captain the black spot. What starts as a series of Amateur Mind Reading Exercises, quickly becomes a dance-in-the-dark choreographed pirate battle. Yo ho ho. Walk the plank as you test your psychic abilities on your swash-buckling companions. Enjoy the Pirates of Penzanz dance mix by DJ Davey Jones McDaniel. Come dressed as a parrot, a peg leg, a pirate ship, a buried treasure or just come to read minds (pretending) and Dance the night away. Christina is your Siren and Fritz is your school of sharks. Aye. Eyepach prov ided for all.

163 Eldridge Street, Manhattan
9p; $10 (in costume) $20 (no costume), BYOB fritzandchristina (at) gmail (dot) com
hichristina.com

***** Also on SATURDAY *****

Hoarding Skin

Seripop a Canadian Screenprinting shop will creates a giant printed installation. We see the street poster as the skin of a city , growing and shedding organically, in constant flux, allowing citizens to make their temporary mark. With Hoarding Skin we seek to engage in playful discussion about both the individual and community's role vis-a-vis freedom of expression within the urban landscape, via the colloquial and/or the monumental.

Secret Project Robot Art Space
210 Kent Avenue, Williamsburg, Brooklyn 8-10p; $free
seripop.com/

***** Also on SATURDAY *****

Dances of Vice, Shanghai Foxtrot

Shien Lee and Grandpa Musselman and His Syncopators present the Shanghai Foxtrot band, performing live Chinese jazz, swing and blues from 1920-50s at China1 in a monthly series of vintage dinner parties. Enjoy delicious dim sum and cocktails in a gorgeous setting reminiscent of 1920s Shanghai.

China1 Antique Restaurant and Lounge
50 Avenue B, Manhattan
8:30-10:30p band; $free for guests with dining reservation between 7-8:30p, $5 without dancesofvice.com

XXXXX SUNDAY, APRIL 11 XXXXX

TastebudsNYC presents:

Cook-off Fundraiser for Hot Bread Kitchen

Please join TastebudsNYC for an exciting cook-off fundraiser in support of Hot Bread Kitchen. Hot Bread Kitchen is an amazing non-profit, social enterprise that enhances the future for immigrant women and preserves baking traditions.

Chefs from Blue Hill, located in New York City, as well as foodies from around the five boroughs, will be making dishes to accompany Hot Bread Kitchen's Organic, Non-GMO Corn Tortillas or their wonderful Nutty Granola. Cook-off chefs will go head to head to compete for bragging rights and a great cause. Guests will get the opportunity to sample the chefs' exciting creations.

What is TastebudsNYC? It is a community for those of us in the food biz and those of us who just love food. Whether you work behind the scenes on food security issues, toil at the sauce station, are planning the next Farm to Table, or regularly use grassy to describe your favorite cheese, this is your opportunity to expand your network and community. For more information visit our website: tastebudsnyc.com/.

Jimmy's No. 43
43 East 7th Street, Manhattan
4-7p; $20
heidi(at)tastebudsnyc.com.
nycharities.org/events/EventLevels.aspx?ETID=1298

***** Also on SUNDAY *****

Farmers Market Sweep

Brooklyn's first food-themed game show. Loco for the locavore food movement? Psyched for seasonal sustenance? Happy for heirloom tomatoes? If your answer is yes to all these questions, then come on down to Littlefield for Farmers Market Sweep, Brooklyn's first food-themed game show.

Join us for three rounds of delicious farm and food-political trivia as four teams of omnivorous contestants go head-to-head in the battle for the title of Champion Locavore.

Starring Aaron Zueck and Robert DuBois of Bikeloc, Louisa Shafia author of Lucid Food, Ave Chin of the New York Times, Joanna Shaw Flamm, editor of spoonandtrowel.com, folks from Just Food, People's Garden NYC, Flatbush Farm Share, and more.

The game show will be followed by the savory sounds of Smoothe Moose Laboratories featuring Brooklyn based cellist and electronic musician Cosmo D who will be serving it up with beat master DJ Saucy Crotch. Don't be afraid to dance up an appetite as fresh homemade snacks will be available.

Littlefield
622 Degraw Street, Brooklyn
6:30p doors, 7p game show; $12 advance, $15 door, all proceeds will go to benefit the Bikeloc project bit.ly/bikeloc

***** Also on SUNDAY *****

Potluck Meet and Greet

If you hate delicious produce or friendly potluck gatherings, you can stop reading now. We at the Brooklyn Bridge CSA are getting ready to start our first season delivering great, farm-fresh produce from Sang Lee Farms to Brooklyn Heights and the greater Brooklyn Community. Registration is open on our website, and we're hosting a potluck/party/info session for anyone who's interested on Sunday. If you want to learn more about our CSA, CSAs in general, or just want an excuse to cook and hang out, drop on by. Bring: Yourself, any questions you've got about the CSA, a festive spring dish.

RSVP for address, Brooklyn
3p; $free
brooklynbridgecsa.org
tinyurl.com/bkbridge-csa-potluck

XXXXX THURSDAY, APRIL 15 XXXXX

The Vanishing Icons of Metropolitan Avenue: A History of Williamsburg’s Handmade Shop Signs

Not so long ago, a number of retro, sculptural shop signs lent a distinctive flavor to the area just east of the BQE in Williamsburg, among them a giant paintbrush, a diamond ring and the hammer that’s still outside Crest Hardware on Metropolitan Avenue. Neighborhood resident and writer Karen Hudes looks into the story behind the signs, about 75 of which were crafted 30 years ago by an artist named Stanley Wisniewolski.

At the exhibit, photos from the city’s Municipal Archives bring to light Williamsburg’s streetscape in the 80s, which was rich in oversized coffee cups, handbags and cows’ heads made out of Styrofoam marking each storefront. See a collection of Wisniewolski’s original signs on display, find out why the smoke shop installation caused such a stir, and take in the vision of one of the neighborhood’s pioneering graphic designers (who certainly wouldn’t be the last).

City Reliquary
370 Metropolitan Avenue, Williamsburg, Brooklyn 7-10p; $free, with cheap beers
Exhibit runs through mid-July.

***** Also on THURSDAY *****

Warehouse Thursdays at the House of Yes

With Tecla (the rocktronica black cinderella), the Peeps (fun dance punk with enough Oi! for em all), Tayisha Busay (dirty 80s electronic dancey smut music), and DJ Lucas Walters (spinning that electro glam surf shit).

And for those that are just broke it's also BYOB if you just really need a 40oz. VJ 3000 A.D behind the projector and ambiance all night.

House of Yes
342 Maujer Street, at Morgan Avenue, Brooklyn L train to Grand Street station
9p; $5 at the door or $15 for the open bar all night

XXXXX UPCOMING XXXXX

• Rubulad Presents Loose Mother Goose, April 16
• Anarchist Book Fair, April 16-18
• Gemini and Scorpio's Swing House Two-Year Anniversary, April 24
• Opt-In presents Zero Day Exploits, May 15
• Underground Rebel Bingo Club, May 21
• RE/Mixed Media Festival 2010, May 30

XXXXX ONGOING XXXXX

Nonsense is too long. The great thing about the internet is that it doesn't really cost much to run long listings and exhaustive descriptions. It turns out that's ... exhausting. After several complaints and a little deliberation, we're trying a new format: On the first Friday of the month we will run updated ongoing listings in each section: events, learning, and help. Other weeks we're going for leaner, meaner sections. If you're desperate for something to do on an off-Tuesday night we suggest you either look back a few issues ago in your inbox, or poke through our online archives, which you can find under the subscribe page.

Also, a note about better rock shows. Nonsense does not straight list rock shows in New York unless they occur in tandem with puppet shows or jump rope tournaments or in subway tunnels or in graveyards. For listings of good shows, especially shows that feature independent bands at quality venues like Death by Audio and those booked by hard-working promoters like Todd P or Sleep When Dead, consult resources like ohmyrockness.com, brooklynvegan.com/, sleepwhendeadnyc.com/calendar/, or the lively New York Happenings listserve on Yahoo groups launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/nyhappenings/. For the most exhaustive list of underground shows at unusual venues, track down a copy of the extremely useful -- and handsome -- Showpaper.

XXXXX WISHLIST XXXXX

What have you been wishing for? Collaborators, grant monies, a new home? Please send brief listings to Alita at alitanonsensenyc.com. We only list available apartments, lofts, studios, and one-off rentals -- not spaces wanted.

***** ARTY STUFF *****

• Seeking Trombonist: Apocalypse Five and Dime, a band with a banjo, violin, tuba, saxophone, a bass drum, and multiple singers, needs a trombonist. We are a little bit folky, a little bit brassy, a little bit punk/ragtime, a little bit queer, and a little bit like if Billy Bragg joined Fugazi and gave them horns and fiddles. And if he wasn't British. Nearly all the parts are written and arranged with improvisation encouraged and some solos. We have about 10 songs down and more new ones to come. Parts aren't that difficult but are really fun. For the near future we aren't really looking at paying gigs, but more playing for fun and for our friends (eventually, of course, this will make us all rich). We practice once a week on Thursday evenings and have been playing about two gigs per month. Ability to read music and memorize a necessity, solo skills a big plus. Contact Rebecca.heinegg@gmail.com
• Musicians, Instrument and Costume Makers Wanted: I'm part of a small collaborative group that has been organizing small projects at that explore ideas of social participation, collaboration, intervention, and fun. We're planning on recording a one-song album on May Day/May 1 at Build It Green, Astoria's famous, amazing, and wonderful environmental nonprofit / reuse warehouse. The afternoon would be something like this: a bicycle parade collects everyone (we're thinking, like, 200 people!) Arrive at Build It Green, everyone quickly makes an instrument / finds something to bang on / learns a few dance moves. Record the album / film music video. Drinks and barbecue and party. We need you to infuse a little extra style and wonder into the mix - perhaps make some more involved instruments, or just help connect us to some musicians/costume makers/people that would think this is a lot of fun. Contact Doug, doug(at)douglaspaulson.com.
• My name is Ari Kalinowski. I am a visual-poet. I run a weblog on the intersection between poetry and contemporary art. I've done a lot of things (poems in stained glass, calligraphy-poems, etc.), but I am currently working on a visual-mathematical poem-book about the golden ratio. I'm interested in developing a forum for feedback on this type of work; basically, I want to create a workshop with poets that incorporate the traditions of visual-poetry, text-art, concrete-poetry, calligraphy, book-art, diagram-poetry, poem/image-juxtaposition, etc. Do you want to participate? Do you know any poet-artists that might be interested in participating? Contact arikalinowski(at)gmail.com.

*****SPACES*****

• I'm currently in the early stages of fixing up a three-story industrial building in Crown Heights to serve as artist studios and a possible venue in the basement. I want to begin gauging interest, so I'm asking you if you're an artist living in the under-served central Brooklyn area or just want more space for less money. There's a lot of possibility right now in terms of how much square footage you might want and thus what kind of rent you're looking to pay. It could range as low as $150-200 bucks a month for something small or ya know, more if you want a whole floor. There's areas with natural light and also dark seclusion. There will be an enlarger and photo chemicals for use, free to those who rent space and cheap for others. It's not ventilated enough for serious chemicals, but oil paints and the like are no problem. I do installation stuff with videos and dirt and stuff so I'm open to any kind of use. The basement could easily suit performances or temporary gallery sh ows. It's cool if you just want space and solitude, but there's also a chance for participating in the community, doing workshops with some of the local schools if you're into it. So email me and I can send you some pics of what it looks like now. Moving in would probably begin in two or three months. Contact Noah, nofuller(at)gmail.com.
• I have a room available for rent in a two-bedroom apartment starting May 1. The room itself is about nine by 13 feet, with a closet, high ceiling, hardwood floors and huge windows. It can fit a queen bed, a small desk, and a dresser. As for the rest of the apartment, there is a small living room area connected with the kitchen. The apartment is at Flushing and Nostrand Avenues, one block from the G train and about a 10-minute walk to the JMZ at Lorimer. Pratt is a 15-minute walk, as is Associated Grocery. I'm looking for someone to take over the rest of the lease from my old roommate, three months (til July 31) and hopefully stay longer if it works out. The place might be a bit small for pets, unless it's a cat, small dog or something that lives a terrarium, but I'm pretty flexible. I work 9-5 (just trying to make a living) and go out a lot, so I'm looking for someone rather neat (as in clean) and neat (as in cool) to move in. The rent is $700 a month and I would need $700 security deposit on moving in. Heat and hot water are included, so we pay electricity, wifi and cooking gas. Feel free to email me with any questions, or for pictures. Contact Carrissa, cpfest(at)yahoo.com.
• $675, huge, studio-sized room in huge apartment, ten minutes to Brooklyn College, thirty to Manhattan, for a quiet, calm, peaceful female roommate. Very safe area (walk-around-at-4a-with-no-issue, backed up by statistics)! Available now, or perhaps if you want to move in by May 1 or so, that would be ok too). I prefer as soon as possible. Five-month minimum stay. The room is 200 square foot, a large rectangle, with five windows. Ceiling fan and light, plus air conditioner. Furnished if wanted with a queen bed and modern, tasteful computer desk. There is also an extra studio/office/sewing room you can use ... I am never in there anyway. Plus-sized living room/dining room/kitchen. I have one cat, and cannot take in any more cats. I am a (rare) occasional smoker. I'm an introverted, stable, kind, artsy/bohemian 30-year-old woman employed in a creative field and have a similar 29-year-old roommate (have lived with many younger people too). Apartment is a five bedroom, but there are only three people total who live here. Four blocks to Kings Highway station stop on Q/B express train. Full kitchen with dishwasher and two fridges, free laundry in building basement, newly renovated full bathroom. Utilities only about $35 per month. Email me back with a note about yourself- your lifestyle/work/job/school/interests/past living situations/personality/expectations/guest habits/daily schedule of work/school/sleep, etc. Contact E, thevolutionoflove(at)live.com.
• Room Available in the Beast House Ever: $750/month includes all utilities (electricity, heat, hot water and wifi) -- one month security deposit. April 15 or May 1 in beautiful Northside Greenpoint just few blocks from the East River, close to transportation and shopping. We are two ladies and two gentlemen in our thirties, plus three cats in a large and lovely 1100 square foot loft. And we're very happy. Room is nine feet by 12 feet, can fit queen bed, desk, chair, night table, dresser and shelves. Natural light comes from large skylight outside door, no external window in room. Five foot by seven foot closet and six foot six inch ceiling -- sorry, really tall people but this won't be for you. Nooks in the rafters of the bedroom ceiling, great for books and bits, luscious hardwood floors. The loft features lots of light, fresh air and room for everyone, 750 square foot common area with seventeen-foot ceilings. You are an ideal roommate with a job. More about us: we're frien dly and clean and doing our own things. Sorry - we're not looking for more cats. Freeman Street at Manhattan Avenue. Contact Heather, Michael, Michelle and Brent, hkktz(at)yahoo.com.

XXXXX SPECTRE PRIORITY XXXXX

Before we had a name, the Spectre Event Horizon Group used to meet at a bar to commiserate and trade what our business friends like to call best practices. The group has expanded since then, but it remains focused on smartening the crowd mind. There are no subject limits; our favorite is the incredible sci-fi present, or anything that goes toward a better understanding of human behavior and our universe's ecology. Our simple intent is to connect good minds with as much quality mind-blowing information as we can freely locate and create a space for the informal trade of specialized investigative research, presented for the non-specialist.

The Spectre email list, which is a separate group from this column, is a moderated open forum. People are encouraged to join and to post. The list is compiled for Nonsense by J. Sinopoli. Contact us at spectre.event.horizon.group gmail com or spectregroup.org. Here's some of what came in this week:

***** The Stirling Age *****

spectregroup.wordpress.com/2010/04/09/the-stirling-age/

Solar Powered Engines
earth2tech.com/2010/03/30/solar-patent-king-boeing-teams-up-with-stirling-energy-systems/ earth2tech.com/2010/01/14/stirling-energy-to-kick-off-its-first-plant/ "A little known fact about Boeing: It’s got more solar patents than anyone else in the U.S. (14 solar thermal patents since 2002). Boeing has teamed up with solar thermal company Stirling Energy Systems to develop Boeing’s high-concentration photovoltaic solar power technology. Founded in 1996, Phoenix, Ariz.-based Stirling Energy has developed a 25 KW electric solar dish that focuses the sun rays directly onto a stirling engine. Most solar thermal technologies, by contrast, concentrate the sun’s rays onto liquid, which powers a turbine. Boeing isn’t the only company turning to Stirling engines for solar power. One example is Infinia, which is backed by a gaggle of A-list Silicon Valley-ers, including Bill Gross’ Idealab and Paul Allen’s Vulcan Capital."

Trial Run
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stirling_engine
scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=are-engines-the-future-of-solar-power "Nearly 200 years after their invention, and decades after first being proposed as a method of harnessing solar energy, 60 sun-powered Stirling engines began generating electricity outside Phoenix, Arizona, for the first time. Such engines, which harness heat to expand a gas and drive pistons, are not used widely today other than in pacemakers and long-distance robotic spacecraft. In 1996, SES bought solar Stirling design and engineering patents from companies such as McDonnell-Douglas and Boeing. SES then partnered with Sandia National Laboratories, and over the next decade tweaked and refined the technology. Stirling engines are significantly more efficient at converting sunlight into energy than most photovoltaic panels or concentrating solar power plants. Proponents of the technology point to the advantages it has over other forms of solar power -- particularly concentrating solar power (CSP), which requires significant amounts of water, a challenge in desert regions of t he U.S. where solar power is most attractive -- while Stirling engines require none other than small amounts for cleaning the mirrors. In addition, if one engine goes down, it has minimal impact on overall production.

SES faced a manufacturing challenge in preparing its SunCatchers for mass production though. "The systems at Sandia were basically hand-built," says Charles Andraka, a Sandia engineer. For the Phoenix site, he notes, Sandia and SES engineers built 60 units in three months. "We have to do that many in a day for the larger plants." In order to do this, SES turned to the experts in rapid production of engines and related parts: the automotive industry. In partnership with automotive companies such as Tower Automotive and Linamar Corporation, SES managed to reduce the parts in the PCU by 60 percent (to about 650) and slash the weight of the entire system by roughly 2,250 kilograms. The new systems have been running on test sites for more than 100,000 hours. Maricopa Solar also represents just one scalable module; each multi-megawatt field will be grouped first in 60-engine units that come together to generate 1.5 MW, then those larger units are linked to each other to produce up to 9 MW. Explains Coates, "With the large 750 MW commissions, we won’t have to wait until we have 750 MW of dishes before we start producing power. This means that the utility can get the power prior to the full build-out, which can take years to complete." This is in comparison to parabolic trough or tower CSP technology, which doesn’t generate electricity until the entire system is complete.

Combined Heat and Power
howstuffworks.com/stirling-engine.htm
guardian.co.uk/environment/2000/sep/02/energy.renewableenergy "Householders could one day be producing as much electricity as all the country's nuclear power stations combined, thanks to the revolutionary application of a device developed in the early 19th century. A new version of the device, the Stirling engine, is set to turn ordinary domestic gas boilers into miniature power stations, generating electricity whenever you switch on the central heating or hot water. It won't make electricity meters run backwards. But for an estimated £500 extra on the price of a new boiler, the machine will generate electricity for the home for nothing, using excess heat that would otherwise escape out the flue. In Britain, a confidential report prepared for electricity companies by energy consultants EA Technology estimates that by 2025, 13m of the country's 23m households could have their own little power station humming away in the boiler cupboard. In existing domestic gas boilers, about a third of the heat is wasted. With the latest make of Stirli ng engine fitted, that spare heat is used to drive a small generator. The idea of turning homes into power stations is known as "micro chp" (combined heat and power). EA Technology is championing a Stirling engine made by WhisperTech, a New Zealand company, which can generate a kilowatt of electricity -- enough to power three fridges."

Stirling Engine Powered Canoe
youtube.com/watch#!v=osNluWPOpJ0

XXXXX LEARNING XXXXX

We look for the sort of classes you circled in college course catalogs but never managed to fit into your schedule. And we also look for the kind of things that no college could teach. Cheap and eclectic is the rule, though all rules get broken occasionally, and we especially love workshops, round-tables, and teachers who won't take your work out of your hands and show you how to do it right. One-time listings are categorized, with general recurring classes at the end. We thrive on your suggestions, so make sure to tell us about upcoming classes that you think are nifty-keen.

Learning is compiled and edited weekly by Libby Sentz. Send listing suggestions, announcements, and corrections to her at libby(at)nonsensenyc.com.

***** LEARNING: SATURDAY *****

Edibles in Small Spaces: Growing Food on a Roof, Windowsill, or Stoop

Tailored especially for urban dwellers, this class focuses on growing edibles in small spaces. Students will learn all the basics: choosing the correct containers, selecting the best plants, making the perfect soil mix, starting seedlings, transplanting, fertilizing, simple irrigation systems, and home composting. Each student will leave this hands-on workshop with a container, seeds, seed plugs, and a soil-mix sample.

Brooklyn Botanic Garden
1000 Washington Avenue, Brooklyn
10:30a–1p or 2-4:30p
$41 member, $46 nonmember (includes materials) Registration required: bbg.org/edu/adult/

***** LEARNING: Also on SATURDAY *****

Soft Circuits

Learn to make soft, flexible, and washable electronic circuits embedded right into common textiles. We'll cover conductive thread, waterproof circuitry, embedded sensors, and tactile feedback. Everyone leaves with enough basic knowlege to level-up any outfit, and a handful of the parts they need to make it happen. No previous sewing skills or electronics knowlege required. Taught by Raphael Abrams.

NYC Resistor (new space)
87 3rd Avenue, fourth floor, Brooklyn
4-5:30p; $30
nycresistor.com

***** LEARNING: Also on SATURDAY *****

Smart Art: Making Digital Media Connect

Working with free tools, with an emphasis on Processing and Pure Data (the free cousin of Max/MSP), see how OSC can make control messages human-readable, intelligent, interactive, and precise. Connect software in different media, devices from computers to smartphones, and users in the same room or across the globe. Learn how network standards can make connecting easy -- no system administrators required. And see how open, free development makes collaboration easier. Whether you want to collaborate with another artist or simply make music and visual software talk to one another for a performance, we'll give you the basic tools to get started. Led by Joshue Ott and Peter Kirn.

Devotion Gallery in Willamsburg
$75, $30 (reduced/student)
Register: areyoudevoted.com/classes/smart-art-making-digital-media-connect-by-joshue-ott-and-pet.html

***** LEARNING: SATURDAY *****

Embroidered Portraits

In this four-session course, each student will create a portrait of a loved one, a friend, a pet, etc. The instructor will teach a vocabulary of basic stitches as well as techniques on transferring images onto fabric. In addition students will learn basics about fabric, fiber, and threads, and will be encouraged to experiment with them. Each class will include formal instruction as well as studio time during which students will work on their individual portraits with one-on-one guidance. Students should bring a photo to the first class for their portrait. No experience in embroidery or drawing necessary. All other materials needed will be supplied. Led by Iviva Olenick.

Textile Arts Center
320 Second Avenue, Brooklyn
April 10, 17, 24, and May 1
11a-2p; $150, plus $25 materials fee
textileartscenter.com
Register: 718 369 0222

***** LEARNING: Also on SATURDAY *****

Garden Planning 101

Get more from your garden by planting seasonally. Succession planting is the most important tool for maximizing a garden’s yield. Come to this workshop with a rough map of your growing space and leave with a garden plan for spring, summer and fall and seeds for early season crops. Take home a trowel, gloves, and seeds. This is part of NYRP's new series of Neighborhood Gardening Institute workshops throughout the city. E-mail the center for other times, locations, and workshops.

Target Bronx Community Garden
1025 Anderson Avenue, Bronx
2p; $10 (scholarship or package discounts available) Preregistration required: e-mail creynoso(at)nyrp.org or call 212 333 2552

***** LEARNING: SATURDAY and SUNDAY *****

Electrochemical Etching with Household Ingredients

This two-session class will teach you to transform flimsy paper images into indelible metal, using easily available materials and the magic of electrical ion transfer. Make authoritative brass plaques to commemorate historical events, street art that won't wash away, or letters guaranteed to make your steampunk sweetheart swoon. The class will cover theory, materials sourcing, prep, and process, and everyone will leave with a finished etch and the knowledge to do it again and again. Taught by Hackett, who says, "The process is slightly toxic, but no worse than living in a big city. Dress to impress (me)."

Madagascar Institute
217 Butler Street, Brooklyn
Saturday, Noon-3p: Theory and prep
Sunday, Noon-4p: Etching
$60 members, $100 nonmembers
Register: madagascarinstitute.com

***** LEARNING: SUNDAY *****

A Rhythm and Prana Flow Plus Trance Dance

World-renowned yogini Shiva Rea leads this yoga and dance class featuring live musicians and global music including bhangra, traditional Indian rhythms, African grooves, dub, funk, and blues. Class begins with a Feldenkrais warmup with Frederick Schjang.

Bedford-Stuyvesant YMCA
1121 Bedford Avenue
7:30-11p; $20; $free kids under age 10 (one child per adult); $10 for adults over 65 917 439 8849; 347 204 9759

***** LEARNING: Also on SUNDAY *****

Urban Farming

Boswyck Farms and Bugs Labs presen a hydroponics workshop led by Lee Mandell, Boswyck Farms' Chief Hydroponicist. The workshop will include a brief history of hydroponics, an overview of a variety of hydroponic growing techniques, and hands-on demonstration for building a basic drip system to take home. The system you construct will support one large plant, such as tomatoes or peppers. The cost of the workshop is . The cost of the kit for the hydroponic system is $50. Bugs Labs

598 Broadway, fourth floor, Manhattan
$30, 1-4p
info(at)bosywckfarms.org
Register: boswyck.eventbrite.com

***** LEARNING: Also on MONDAY *****

Free Balloon Twisting

Learn how to use balloons as an artistic medium in this fun class, which will occur the second Monday of every month. We will cover the basics of balloon twisting, including simple animals and hats. Led by Todd Neufeld. Appropriate for ages 7 to 107. If you do not have your own balloons to follow along, you may purchase them at a discount during the class.

Fantasma Magic
421 7th Ave, second floor, Manhattan
4-6p, $free
freeballoonclasses.com
fantasmamagic.com/shopping/store.php.
RSVP: todd(at)balloonshow.com; 212 244 3633

***** LEARNING: Also on MONDAY *****

A Musician's Legal Toolkit

Brush up on basic legal concepts and practical considerations in such areas as contracts, copyrights, licensing, business structures, and visas for foreign artists. Brian Taylor Goldstein, Esq. -- an expert in arts and entertainment law -- will take questions and lead the discussion. R.S.V.P. required

Saint Peter's Church
619 Lexington Avenue, Manhattan
3-5p; $free
RSVP required: 212-242-2022, ext. 14, or mgiosi(at)chamber-music.org

***** LEARNING: TUESDAY *****

Trace Your Roots With DNA

DNA is the latest in a growing number of tools to find your family origins and connections. Learn how DNA testing may help advance your own research. Lecture by Megan Smolenyak, chief genealogist for Ancestry.com. Part of an ongoing lecture series co-sponsored by the New York Public Library and The New York Genealogical & Biographical Society.

Stephen A. Schwarzman Building
South Court Auditorium
Fifth Avenue at 42nd Street, Manhattan
5:30-6:30p; $free
917 275 6975

***** LEARNING: Also on TUESDAY *****

MIG Welding

The class that made Madagascar Institute famous. Impress your friends, your older brother, and that cute bartender with your tough new skill. This three-hour introductory welding class will teach you the very basics of MIG welding and familiarize you with the tools you’ll need to finish a project–the grinder, the chop saw, etc. Bring leather gloves and eye protection, and wear heavy-duty all natural fibers–in other words, jeans and a long-sleeve shirt. And no open toed shoes -- boots are ideal. Polyester and nylon will melt onto your skin if hot molten metal drops onto them and ouch that hurts. You will get dirty.

Madagascar Institute
217 Butler Street, Brooklyn
7-10p; $35 members, $60 nonmembers
Register: madagascarinstitute.com

***** LEARNING: WEDNESDAY ****

Free Lunchtime Workouts: Yoga Blend

Inspired by a mix of Hatha yoga traditions, this is a unique approach to integrating the teachings of different yogic lineages that creates an eclectic and integrative experience.

Green Up Shop at Port Authority Bus Terminal 641 8th Avenue, first floor, Manhattan
Noon-1p; $free
347 546 4868
greenupshop.terracycle.net./
workouts.htm

***** LEARNING: THURSDAY *****

Patinas: Metal as Canvas

Often one of most intimidating aspects for metal workers is the finishing process. Frequently passed over with minimal consideration, a piece can fail or thrive based on how well you understand the material and its potential. In this course, you will become familiar with what different metals are capable of and what is the best method to achieve your vision. You'll learn a wide range of patina techniques beginning with surface preparation methods on steel and copper alloys. Various patina treatments will be introduced, ranging from basic cold applications (applying corrosives and letting them evaporate and oxidize), to complex acidic formulas applied with heat. Finally we will examine the best ways to preserve the finish. Open to students of all levels. Bring in your own projects or use the provide sheet metal. Led by Harry Gold. NOTE: Mention Nonsense NYC when you register (deadline April 12) for a 10 percent discount.

Third Ward
195 Morgan Avenue, Brooklyn
Thursdays April 15, 22, 29, 7-10p
$180 members, $225 nonmembers, $50 materials 3rdward.com/calendar

***** LEARNING: Also on THURSDAY *****

Tribal Bellydance

Magical dancer and teacher Fayzah breaks down the layers of tribal bellydance in a class that is satisfying yet challenging for all levels.

Champions Studio
257 West 39th Street, 14th floor, Manhattan 6-7:30p; $20
dancespiral.com

***** LEARNING: UPCOMING *****

• Forage and Feast (a foraging field trip deep inside a Yonkers public park plus a cooking class in Brooklyn). April 17; noon-10p; $35. Must register in advance: lab247.ning.com/events/forage-feast-1

XXXXX HELP XXXXX

It is a wonderful thing, to help. Helping strengthens communities and allows you to meet new friends. With that in mind, we look for one-day volunteer opportunities with no long-term commitment required. We want to be open to fresh ideas and think of help in a broad way. These listings could include anything from a large-scale day-long service project to a local theatre company that needs volunteers for load-in; from an artist looking for film extras to a community garden that needs a few extra hands. Our goal is simply to help groups or individuals that serve the greater good in small but significant ways. Unique and interesting job opportunities are acceptable fare for this section as well. Looking for ways to help out? Need volunteers to get your own community project off the ground? Know of any existing opportunities? Send your requests to Rob Voigt at robpastyvoigt(at)gmail.com.

**** HELP: REGISTER by FRIDAY *****

Bark for Life

The American Cancer Society is looking for volunteers for the 19th annual Bark For Life, a canine event to fight cancer, taking place on Sunday, May 2, 2010 at Riverside Park, NYC, located at West 108th Street and Riverside Drive. The American Cancer Society’s Bark for Life event is a noncompetitive walk for dogs and their owners to raise funds and awareness in the fight against cancer. Bark For Life is a fun and exciting event featuring demonstrations, contests, activities and a relay-styled 5K walk.

This fundraising event celebrates the care giving qualities of our canine "best friends" and honors their contribution to helping people stay well and get well. By supporting Bark for Life, you help the American Cancer Society save lives, and that helps us move closer to our ultimate goal of creating a world with less cancer and more birthdays. Volunteers must be confirmed by April 9, 2010.

RelayForLife.org/NYCBark
bit.ly/cY7JFc

***** HELP: SATURDAY *****

Ray Cross Art Party Benefit

The Addtract Consortium and Page Not Found are joining forces to host a benefit for Bushwick Print Lab owner Ray Cross, who was robbed not once but twice after a horrific bike accident. Incidents like this should remind us of how blessed we are as a community: we create with total freedom, make lavish performance spaces out of dingy warehouses, and parade costumed through the streets with bacchanalian abandon. We're there for the good times, so let's support each other through the bad.

Want to help out? Here's how: Artists: Donate your work. Page Not Found will be holding a silent auction, so if you've got a piece (or two) you'd like to see go to a good cause, look no further. Performers/Make-Up Artists/Oddballs/Carnies/People Dressed as Robots/Robots Dressed as People/DIY Weirdos of Every Persuasion: Donate your antics. Ya'll know what to do. Good Folks Everywhere: Donate your time. Volunteers to work the door, do a little crowd control and help out with set-up and tear-down will receive serious karma points. Let's get together on this one, people!

Lily, addtract.ncc(at)gmail.com

***** HELP: SATURDAY *****

TogetherGreen Volunteer Day

Join us in Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx to help forest restoration in the park by planting trees, shrubs and woody plants beneath the canopy. Meet at the corner of Broadway and Moshulu Avenue. To get there on public transit take the 1 train to the last stop, then transfer to the Bx9 bus heading north for one mile.

10a-2p
Leslie Chase, lchase(at)nycaudubon.org, 212 691 7483

***** HELP-FULL SPRING CLEANING *****

Donate Your Old Band Instruments!

We know you have an old trumpet or clarinet or ocarina or crumhorn or tromboon or shakalute sitting in your closet that you never play any more. Well, there are kids in the Bronx who would love to have the chance to learn music, and you can give them that opportunity by donating instruments you no longer need. The Mount Hope Housing Company, a non-profit that rehabilitates and manages affordable housing, is opening a community center, and they’re planning to start a music and dance program for youths in their community. Kids will learn music history, how to read and write music, and more. One big hitch remains – they have no funds for instruments. You can be assured that your instruments will be well-used and going to a very worthy cause, so please do give them a call.

mounthopehousing.org
Ms. Cornell, 718 299 7177 ext 610
Mr. Khalid, 718 299 7177 ext 611

Donate Your Old Cameras!

I am trying to secure some cameras for a workshop that I will be teaching at a homeless shelter in Manhattan next month. If you have a camera (digital or film) that you are not using please consider donating it to this project. That way the small budget for the workshop will not all be spent on getting cameras. I am happy to arrange to pick up the cameras from you. Many thanks for your help.

bit.ly/9hOdXv

***** HELP: JOBS *****

The Center for Urban Pedagogy

CUP is a nonprofit organization that uses art, design, and visual culture to improve the quality of public participation in urban planning and community design. We bring together art and design professionals with community-based organizers, advocates, researchers, and policy-makers to create projects that demystify the city and how it works.

For the Brownfields Opportunity Area (BOA) planning project, CUP is seeking a short-term researcher to conduct policy and planning research, and a graphic designer to collaborate with us on the development of an outreach tool. BOA is a state program that provides funds to community organizations to develop revitalization plans and implementation strategies for areas affected by brownfields.

CUP is also seeking another graphic designer to collaborate with us on our next Envisioning Development Toolkit. The toolkits are used by community organizations to educate their constituents on important and complex topics related to land use and development in New York City.

We also need a short-term, part-time outreach coordinator to work on several aspects of CUP’s communications on current projects, including phone calls to community orgs, topic research, coordinating evaluation processes, updating news on our websites, and so on.

Finally, we need a summer intern to assist with several current projects, including image editing and preparation for CUP’s web site, general project support, assembly and final product preparation work, and so on.

The full descriptions are not online and were far too long to post here. If any of these are interesting to you please contact me at robpastyvoigt(at)gmail.com and I will forward you the full original e-mail with all job descriptions and application information.

***** HELP: UPCOMING ******

• April 16-19. WET’s LOVE Benefit. Non-profit production company WET Productions is looking for volunteers for our annual LOVE Benefit. The evening includes a one-night-only performance of the best short plays on LOVE by some of the hottest women writers performed by celebrated actors; an awards presentation to honorees; and WET's notorious and wildly gorgeous fete, with dancing, open bar, hors d'oeuvres, and super stuffed gift bags. We’re seeking volunteers to assist in all aspects of pre-production and production including: event design, event preparation, box office, coat check, bartending, cocktail serving, and more. WET is looking for volunteers for the benefit in two shifts; daytime (8:30a-5:30p) and evening (3:30p-12:00a). We are also looking for volunteers to assist the weekend before, April 16-18. If interested, please email a cover letter and resume to Ashley at assistant(at)wetproductions.org and specify any previous experience related to special events; includ ing catering, serving, bartending, check-in, etc. Include what shift you prefer and your availability for Monday, April 19 as well as for the weekend of April 16-18. bit.ly/bqaijh
• Likely last week of April, but soon. Domes for Haiti. The following positions will be needed. Assistant Project Manager: Someone with a good amount of free time and a keen ability to be organized and stay on task. Book Keeper: Someone who can keep track of the funds we take in and spend. This person would also write out a detailed budget for grantwriting. Grant Writer: Self explanatory. Truck Driver: We need someone with a truck to go on runs to pick up donated goods, vinyl, and so on. Assistant Project Manager for phase two in Haiti: Must speak Creole fluently and be willing to get muddy. Familiarity with Haiti is key, connections, family members and friends in the local community there are needed. Haitian-Americans or Haitians especially sought. Travel expenses will be paid. Documentarian - needed for both phases of project, in Haiti as well as Brooklyn. Someone to be shooting video and taking photos during work. I also need someone to make a short video for the website and kickstarter. Fundraiser: A person to create benefit shows to raise money - this could happen anywhere in the country. Phone person: A person good on the phone to cold call as many local businesses as possible to get donated materials. Media person: Call, email and write to newspapers, TV and radio. Write blurbs. Builder Consultant: We could really use some expert advice. If you could fill any of these roles, please contact us. domesforhaiti.org, domesforhaiti.blogspot.com, 917 648 7220, info(at)domesforhaiti.org

XXXXX NONSENSE XXXXX

nonsense nyc is a discriminating resource for independent art, weird events, strange happenings, unique parties, and senseless culture in new york city.

please remember that you are always free to pass nonsense nyc along to anyone who needs to see it, but you do not have permission to use any of the listings for your commercial publication. if you are receiving this list as a forward from someone else you can sign up for yourself at nonsensenyc.com/subscribe.

we now accept donations to cover the costs of producing this list, and suggest $5 a year from individual readers or $20 a year if we list your events. to be clear, this is not a traditional subscription, but a donation because you believe that independent artists should support other independent artists. if you've ever paid for a ticket to see your friend's band you know what we mean. you can make donations here: nonsensenyc.com/special/. and thank you.

XXXXX END XXXXX

Pages and pages.