Thursday, September 15th, 7:00 p.m.
Chelsea author Ed Hamilton reads as part of the Drunken! Careening! Writers! series at KGB Bar. For a fine example of Hamilton’s drunken prose visit Modern Drunkard magazine. Other readers include Thaddeus Rutkowski and Kathleen Warnock.
KGB Bar
85 East 4th St., NY NY (4th at 2nd Ave.)
The L Magazine’s "Pick of the Day"
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Beloved by fashion editors, but bought by no one, or so the article says.
Zaldy is interviewed in his fashionably, shabby Hotel Chelsea, studio-apartment where he has lived from 12 – 14 years. -
In 1981, ‘Arena,’ a British TV program, ran a profile of the Chelsea Hotel which focused on place and atmosphere. In celebration of Arena’s 30th birthday, the Chelsea Hotel show was replayed last Saturday. Blogger Stephen, caught the show and provides us with highlights.
"It also featured Jobraith at a piano singing a fantastic song about New York City (why wasn’t he a bigger star?), a dancer dressed as a snake making snake-like movements in the privacy of his hotel-room and appearing to worship the sun from his window, Quentin Crisp nasally spouting some well practiced vignette, and Nico insisting that SHE made the hotel famous because ‘all the others are dead’ (and presumably not in a position to dispute) and then singing ‘Chelsea Girls’… and so on and so forth."
Here is a link to two MP3s from the documentary, which feature Jobraith.
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We get lots of film crews at the Chelsea, shooting videos, TV episodes, and even big-budget Hollywood movies. They pull up in their trailers, blocking the street so you can’t get across it, and they set up tables on the sidewalk and pile junk in front of the door, so even entering the hotel becomes something of an ordeal. They crowd the lobby and the stairwells and tie up the elevators, holding them on one floor or another while they load them up with equipment. At first it’s exciting, but after awhile it gets to be a nuisance. We have to put up with a lot for the sake of art here at the Chelsea.
But we do get to see the stars. Lately I’ve run into David Ducovney, Robert DeNiro, Julie Delpy and Randy Quaid. I can’t even begin to name all the famous people I’ve encountered in the elevator (Arthur Miller was the best, but then he’s a celebrity of a whole other order). One time I was riding it down with a girl who lives on our floor, Carla, a playwright, and when we got to the lobby, the door opened, and there stood Sean Penn, surrounded by his retainers. It was two days after he had won his Oscar for Mystic River, and Carla said, “Congratulations!” Penn just glared at her. As we walked through the lobby, Carla, a bit puzzled by his reaction, turned to me and said, “He did win, didn’t he?” Madonna shot her "Sex Book" here, in one of our more beautiful rooms, but since then she hasn’t been back. Ethan Hawke is here all the time, so who cares?
But for the most part these crews seem to be made up of kids in their twenties: trustfunders straight out of college, arrogant, thinking the world should bow down and worship them. This is probably the first job most of them have had in their lives. You can tell they all fancy themselves the next Spielberg. (Not the next Bergman or Fellini, in other words; that would be beneath them. If they were little Bergmans or Fellinis they would probably move in.) They think what they’re doing is of the utmost importance, even if it’s just running to the deli for a cup of coffee for Robert DeNiro, and they can be incredibly rude and disrespectful.One time a crew was filming a scene in front of the hotel. We were all dutifully standing by—residents and passersby alike–because we were told to, and also to see whatever star they were filming appear from his trailer. It was taking a long time, but finally they got the cameras rolling. I spotted Sean Penn waiting in the wings, waiting for his cue. At about that time, Magda, an elderly lady who lives in the hotel, came walking up on her cane, irritably calling out “Excuse me! Excuse me!” as the crowd parted to let her through.
“Could you please wait a moment?!” a trucker-hatted hipster snapped.
“No, you wait!” Magda said, and walked right through the scene they were filming, taking her own sweet time, I might add. We were all very proud of the old girl that day. Ed Hamilton
(Next Week: Dumpster Dining)
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Wednesday, September 14th, 9:00 p.m.
Tiny Ladies Extravaganza (via Lusty Lady)
Elizabeth Merrick and Rachel Kramer Bussel read along with Six Feet’s Lauren Ambrose, Molly Shannon, SNL’s Amy Poehler, Jodi Lennon and McBurney YMCA (formerly across from the Chelsea)member and comedian, Jackie Hoffman.
Mo Pitkins, 34 Avenue A, NY NYThursday, September 15th, 7:00 p.m.
Chelsea author Ed Hamilton reads as part of the Drunken! Careening! Writers! series at KGB Bar. For a fine example of Hamilton’s drunken prose visit Modern Drunkard magazine. Other readers include Thaddeus Rutkowski and Kathleen Warnock.
KGB Bar
85 East 4th St., NY NYFriday, September 16th, 8:00 p.m.
Finally, the presentation of Gwen Stefani’s collection signals that fashion week is over. Chelsea resident Zaldy, whose collection was featured last week, contributes to Stefani’s collection.
Roseland Ballroom
Saturday, September 17th, 12:00 – 6:00
The Kitchen/High Line Block Party
A West Chelsea street fair featuring local artists, musicians, and food. This year, the Kitchen’s block party will support the efforts to preserve the High Line. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the High Line will be as pedestrian friendly as it’s Parisian counterpart.
West 19th between 10th & 11th Aves. -
Dear Blog:
I’m too numb to go on very long about Arnold, at the Chelsea or anywhere. But Joan & I are so thankful he was there for these years (almost 20). Before that he was the Ludwig van Beethoven of New York, changing addresses so frequently I had to replace his Rolodex card several times over the years. And Amy and everyone watching out for him, saving his life, caring about him — we couldn’t be more happier that that’s where he was. So here goes. Joan and I have been Chelsea Hotel denizens for nearly 10 years. Arnold rented both an apartment and an efficiency right next to it, and we’d rent the efficiency from him, keeping my old funky grand piano in the apartment. We worked together there, Joan and I would rehearse there for gigs, we’d audition singers for our operas using that funky old piano, and Scott Griffin – before he got a nice piano of his own – would pound out the sections of vocal score of our operas for Arnold, Arthur Miller, and later Robert Altman, as I’d send them to Arnold by fax. A great way to work. 45 years Arnold and I worked together. Our Cabaret Songs were written expressly for Joan and are done now by all kinds of singers from cabaret to classical — not at the Chelsea though — but our operas took form at the hotel, and so much else. Long may the Hotel Chelsea endure – it’s an oasis in an increasingly cruel and uncaring world, for not only the arts but the human race. Wm Bolcom
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Everywhere you look, movies about former residents and movies featuring current residents.
Set to release on September 16th, "Lord of War," features Ethan Hawke. You can view the trailer online.
Chelsea Girls are always in fashion. Both Nico and Edie Sedgwick are the subject of two forthcoming movies.
Plus, you’ll soon be able to buy Andy Warhol inspired Levis, for about $200.00 a pair.Factory Girl — Sienna Miller would not have been my choice to play Edie, but it’s none of my concern.
Nico: The End — Tilda Swinton will star as Nico. The film, written by the creators of Bladerunner, will be shot on location in London, Paris, Munich, New York, and Manchester.
Leonard Cohen I’m Your Man includes behind-the-scenes interviews and live performances from the likes of Nick Cave, Rufus Wainwright, Kate & Anna McGarrigle, Martha Wainwright, Beth Orton, Linda Thompson, Teddy Thompson, Jarvis Cocker, The Handsome Family, Julie Christensen and Perla Battala, as well as a special performance of “Tower of Song” by Cohen and U2. Cohen himself reveals his trademark wry humor and soulful intensity, using his own artwork, poetry and personal collection of photographs to reflect upon his colorful past and his creative process.
As far as the Chelsea Hotel goes, Arnold was the sage godfather of the hotel and all its sweet little freaks and geniuses. Having been there a long time, he had seen every aspect of humanity in the raw. Little could surprise him, and though he had a bemused cynicism, he was never jaded and rarely judgmental of the people around him. (Political leaders were another matter.) As a result, his friends spanned generations and temperaments, from Arthur Miller to Dee Dee Ramone to 20-something artists just starting out. If he didn’t like someone, however, he could be very blunt. His was often the dissenting opinion about someone everyone else liked, and he always turned out to be right. He was very independent and wise in that regard.
Arnold was that rare artist who did absolutely no self-promotion and avoided outside publicity too. Instead, he put that energy into his work and into his play. He always had time to play and had a great generosity of spirit, sense of mischief, and enjoyment of the world. He seemed to know everyone on 23rd street intimately, from Harry, Larry and Jerry at the Custom Art Laundry to Carlos, senior waiter at the 24 hour “Donuts” shop on the corner where we used to go for coffee sometimes. The last time I saw him, we went for fried shad roe at the Oyster Bar under Grand Central and he told me a story about spontaneously jumping a train one day to go see his friend William Eastman out west. Then he lamented that younger artists didn’t have that spirit, things had grown too business-like and people were too scheduled. I had just come from living with young artists who had that same spirit, and he was very interested in them and cheered that gypsies could still thrive in the 21st century — outside the Chelsea Hotel, which has always been a kind of wildlife refuge for them.
He had two words taped to his computer, one an acronym of the other: Silent and Listen. He was a good listener, but thank God he only took his own advice about half the time, because he was a wonderful storyteller too. Two of his many stories can be found here.
He brought so much buoyancy, wit and optimism to the dance. It’s impossible right now to imagine the Chelsea without him."