vip in the city

Riverside Park performances

After a hearty lunch, I dragged my full belly (and leftover chilaquiles) through the Upper East Side. Out of habit, I peeked across at 94th Street, to check in on the old high school.

AC’s friend SC called while I was inside the East 86th Street Barnes and Noble. After exiting the store – because I know how it irks me when people persist in holding long, loud telephone conversations in a bookstore. And yes, I realize that a bookstore is not a library, but can we show some consideration? – we started comparing notes on books we’d read recently. Naturally, “The Da Vinci Code” came up. I explained — again — that no, I hadn’t read it, but that I was meaning to very soon. (And really, I am: current inertia to the contrary.) SC suggested that to better appreciate The Code, I should first read “Angels & Demons.”

What? There’s a prerequisite for this thing? Is this true? I’m even further behind than I thought.

By the way, I just learned that author Dan Brown made over $88M in 2005, earning him a top ten slot in Forbes’s Annual Celebrity 100. I’d like say that I learned this from a studious reading Forbes magazine, but the information was actually gleaned through my random viewing of VH1’s “Forbes Celebrity 100: Who Made Bank.”

Passed by Central Park’s Summerstage on the way home, where Maldita Vecindad, Konono No. 1, Daara J were performing to a raucous and appreciative crowd. I’m seeing Konono No. 1 in concert at S.O.B.’s on Monday, so more on them tomorrow.

At Red Shade Plaza in Riverside Park South, Chashama, the not-for-profit NYC arts organization, presented the last of their “Site Specific Sundays” performances this summer.

This interpretive dance piece — accompanied by zither and harp — was titled “Three Elements”. I think this was the “Air” segment…

…but I may not have been the only one the “interpretation” eluded.

The dance performances that followed were more mainstream, and accompanied by piped in Brazilian music.

About half a mile North, on Pier I, The talented Howard Fishman Quartet (plus two) performed two jamming sets, fresh off their three night stint at Joe’s Pub earlier in the summer.

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