Majikthise

Darcy James Argue's Secret Society Joins NewAm Roster

Big news: Darcy James Argue's Secret Society signs with NewAm Records.

Origami Iron Man

How cool is this? Origami genius Brian Chan's summer blockbuster, Origami Iron Man, via Gizmodo. [HT: Loren]

Not your grandfather's campaign button... Elections in the age of Etsy

This is the first presidential race in the age of Etsy--an online marketplace for handmade goods.

Election memorabilia will never be the same. It's not just buttons and bumperstickers anymore.

Besides the traditional campaign paraphenalia like t-shirts and pins, Etsyphiles are offering Obama-themed doll clothes, "hope on a rope" soap, 3D fridge magnets, votive candles, and plush toys.

Suffice it to say that John McCain has an Etsy gap. A site search yields 46 hits for "McCain" compared to 534 for "Obama." You can get your very own crocheted McCain--pins not included.

[Image: Obama icon pendant, by SilverCoccon at Etsy.]

The giant concrete dinosaurs of Pablo Escobar

Everyone needs a hobby. [BBC]

Cephalopod bling

Via BoingBoing, jewelry made from cast octopus tentacles.

Traversing the Mushroom Kingdom

Inflatable DOB by Takashi Murakami at the Brooklyn Museum, originally uploaded by Lindsay Beyerstein.

More pictures of Darcy's debut at the Brooklyn Museum.

TODAY: Traversing The Mushroom Kingdom with Darcy James Argue

Darcy James Argue, originally uploaded by Lindsay Beyerstein.

 

Today at the Brooklyn Museum:

Sunday, April 27, 2008 at 2:00 PM
Brooklyn Museum, Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Auditorium
Traversing The Mushroom Kingdom

Program to include:
RANDALL WOOLF: Try to Believe
DARCY JAMES ARGUE: [Body Double] (World Premiere)

Darcy James Argue and the Brooklyn Phil meet Murakami

Darcy James Argue, originally uploaded by Lindsay Beyerstein.

 

Here's what the New Yorker magazine had to say about Darcy James Argue's upcoming debut at the Brooklyn Museum, emphasis added:

BROOKLYN PHILHARMONIC

Members of the group (joined by the toy pianist Phyllis Chen and the percussionist Svet Stoyanov) come to the Manhattan night club Drom to offer music by Randall Woolf (with video), Frederic Rzewski, and Julia Wolfe, along with a new work by the young jazz master Darcy James Argue. (85 Avenue A, between 5th and 6th Sts. April 27 at 8. For tickets, see www.dromnyc.com.)

For more information about tomorrow's performance, visit Darcy's blog, Secret Society.

Darcy's new piece, Body Double, is a composition for strings and tepan. The performance is part of the Brooklyn Museum's Music Off the Walls series.

Darcy was commissioned to write a piece inspired by the work of Japanese artist Takashi Murakami in honor of the Murakami retrospective underway at the Brooklyn Museum. The visual inspiration for the composition is Murakami's 1998 painting, Milk.

Photograph: Darcy conducting the Secret Society big band during the group's stint at the Jazz Gallery earlier this month.

Rapid Response Team's Oscar Night show at the Bowery

My friend Isaac Butler from Parabasis just emailed to let me know that he's putting on an Oscar Night performance with his political comedy group, Rapid Response Team.

RRT is offering a ticket discount through political blogs:

The Rapid Response Team creates new short plays sketches and songs based on the week's news.  We weave these pieces together into a live radio variety show which is then podcasted over the internet.  We need people for our "live studio audience" for our special OSCAR night show.

Logistics:
What: The Rapid Response Team's Oscar Nite Spectacular
When: February 24th, 2008 8PM
Where: The Bowery Poetry Club, 308 Bowery between 2nd and Bleecker)
How Much: $10, two for one tickets if you present this coupon.

You can download the coupon here: http://www.rapidresponseteam.org/offers/022408_coupon.pdf , or click on the thumbnail below.

Young goth couple wins attention sweepstakes

In the age of the Internet, something as simple as getting kicked off the bus in costume can attract global attention. Well played, kids.