SCREEN: Ride With The Devil + Ang Lee live @ Lincoln Center 8/10

Tonight (8/10) @ Lincoln Center: Following the 7:30 p.m. screening of Ang Lee's Civil War epic Ride With The Devil, will be director Ang Lee, longtime collaborator James Schamus, actor Jeffrey Wright, producer Ted Hope and novelist Daniel Woodrell. Tickets: $15 public, $13 senior (62+), $12 member/student/child. Limited ticket availability.

Lee’s Western sensibilities flourish in this vibrant and underappreciated look at a small corner of Civil War history: the brutal guerilla fighting between pro-Union Jayhawkers and pro-slavery Bushwhackers along the Kansas/Missouri border. Despite family objections, friends Jack Bull Chiles (Skeet Ulrich) and Jake Roedel (The Ice Storm-veteran Tobey Maguire) join a group of Southern renegades, only to be overcome by the chaos of battle, a surprising romance, and the deadly range of personalities within their ranks. Geoff Andrews of Time Out London described the film as "truly epic in scale yet full of beautifully observed details. [It] benefits hugely from sturdy yet exquisite performances."

Tobey Maguire headlines a cast of future stars that includes Skeet Ulrich, James Caviezel, Jonathan Rhys Myers, Simon Baker, Jeffrey Wright, Mark Ruffalo, Tom Wilkinson, and Jewel, in her film debut. (source)

SCREEN: Beeswax + director @ Film Forum this weekend

Director Andrew Bujalski (Funny Ha Ha, Mutual Appreciation) comes to NYC this weekend with his new film, Beeswax.

Beeswax revolves around the personal and professional entanglements of twin sisters Jeannie and Lauren – played by newcomers Tilly and Maggie Hatcher – living in Austin, Texas. Jeannie co-owns a vintage clothing store with Amanda, a semi-estranged friend who she fears is trying to end their partnership. Lauren leads a looser, less tethered existence and is considering getting out of the country altogether. When Jeannie receives an email from Amanda threatening a lawsuit, she calls her law student ex-boyfriend Merrill for help. Eager for distraction from his own problems, he begins helping the sisters with theirs. "Beeswax" is a story about families, friends, lovers and those awkward moments that bring all of them together. (source)

See ANDREW BUJALSKI IN PERSON at Film Forum on Fri (8/7) & Sat (8/8) at the 7:50 & 10pm shows, and Sunday (8/9) at the 3:15 show.

SOUNDS: Cat Power plays Summerstage this Sunday (8/10)

Cat Power and Juliette Lewis join the Pretenders this Sunday, August 10 at Central Park Summerstage (Rumsey Field). The performance is pegged as the 2009 Summerstage Gala which raises funds for City Parks Foundation’s free year-round arts performances in parks citywide. Click here for more info.

ART: GA Alum Laura Loving tonight...RSVP by noon today

*** NYC DAWGS ART EVENT ***
Laura Loving at the New York Mercantile Exchange

When: Thursday, August 6 5pm-8pm
Where: One North End Avenue New York, NY

Join the NYC Dawgs for a night of culture to celebrate the art of a UGA Alumna and fellow New Yorker, Laura Loving. Laura will have her art on display and for sale at the New York Mercantile Exchange downtown. She is known for her Pop Art works on New York landmarks and people. She has now also created a special collection on Athens and UGA. All will be displayed at this reception.

Because of security at the NYMEX, you must RSVP to this event so your name can be passed along. Please RSVP on the Facebook page for the event (log in first and then enter the address).
You can also navigate there from the "New York City Dawgs" group page under events. If you are not a member of Facebook, you can register through the University Alumni New York page.

RSVP Deadline is 12-Noon August 6th, 2009

SOUNDS: Justin Townes Earle @ Beacon Theatre 8/6

Justin Townes Earle, son of Steve Earle, stepson of Allison Moorer, and named for songwriter Townes Van Zandt, comes to NYC's Beacon Theatre tomorrow night (8/6) with Old Crow Medicine Show for the Big Surprise Tour.

SOUNDS: Jason Isbell TONIGHT

Former Drive-By Trucker Jason Isbell performs in NYC tonight!

First, a free concert @ 5PM at The 1st Annual Hudson Square Music & Wine Festival, an after-work NYC backyard BBQ put together by Great Performances and City Winery.

At 9PM they head inside City Winery for an acoustic set. "Hailing from Alabama, Jason Isbell is a continuation in the lineage of the area's other native songwriting legends. Cut from the same cloth as other masters such as Arthur Alexander, Donnie Fritts, Eddie Hinton, just to name a few, Isbell crafts sultry, soulful tunes that pen 'the perfect soundtrack for a night alone with a bottle of Makers.' After a stint with The Drive-By Truckers, Jason Isbell is now on his own creating the songs that have some predicting that he's on course to become one of the best songwriters of his generation. With the help of his band, The 400 Unit, Jason Isbell has recorded his second solo album, Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit. With critical acclaim coming in from all around, it promises to be his strongest offering to date. Tonight, Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit come to The City Winery and in the same words that Rolling Stone uses to describe his newest album, it will surely be an event 'not to be missed.'

"This show's special guests are The Truckstop Allstars featuring Kevn Kinney (Drivin' n' Cryin') Aaron Lee Tasjan (The Madison Square Gardeners) Chris Masterson (Son Volt) and Eleanor Whitmore (Eleanor Whitmore Band)." (source)

STAGE: Vanities (the musical)

Yeah, I'm pretty much a sucker for anything having to do with Texas cheerleaders...

"Vanities, A New Musical, spans the turbulent ’60s through the late ’80s and explores how important friends are as one faces life’s defining moments: growing up, getting older and getting over it. Vanities is a funny and poignant look at three women who discover that, even in 30 years of rapidly changing times, the one thing they can rely on is each other.

Based on the smash hit that ran for 5 years, Jack Heifner adapts his time-honored play, David Kirshenbaum writes the tunefully evocative score and two time Tony Award winner Judith Ivey directs. Bob Verini of Variety says 'May well outshine the three-decade prominence of Heifner‘s original.'" (source)

Playing thru August 9 @ Second Stage Theatre.