LAUGH | JENNY SLATE - STAGE FRIGHT
They tell her, “Just be yourself!” Her response is, “You should see how many selves are in my psyche.” Darling, sweet, cute, crazy, loud, rambunctious: welcome Jenny Slate to the stage for her first stand-up comedy special. You might know her from Parks & Recreation or maybe one of her smaller indie films, but you definitely know her voice in everything from Zootopia, The Secret Life of Pets, and even the Simpsons. She’s hilarious and all over the place on stage, and more intimate as the camera follows her to her childhood home where she recounts stories with her family. We especially love how touching the old homemade video clips are of her as a child. A Jewish girl attending Catholic Mass, ghosts that haunted her house, and a peek into her life and frantic mind - Stage Fright is worth the risk of sharing in her slight anxiety.
ATTEND | LEVITATION FEST AUSTIN, TX // NOV 7-10
LEVITATION returns to Austin, Texas, this weekend November 7-10, and we always promote it as much as possible because it’s a sweet alternative to the giant commercial explosion of festivals that are often held in the city. It’s refreshing to rock out with an eclectic massive lineup of Angle Olson, The Flaming Lips, Mercury Rev, John Cale, The Black Angels, Kurt Vile, Dinosaur Jr. and so much more. The shows will be held in the Red River Cultural District in downtown Austin, TX, in some of the city’s best venues including Stubb’s, The Mohawk, Barracuda, Empire Control Room, Cheer Up Charlie’s and more. You can listen to the mix here, and then go buy some tix and get out there. Long live LEVITATION!
SEE | MOTHERLESS BROOKYLN
Edward Norton first encountered the source material for his new film, Motherless Brooklyn, while making Fight Club. Decades later, he brought the 90’s novel to the big screen with an inimitable ensemble cast that includes Bruce Willis, Alec Baldwin (totally slays in this role), Willem DeFoe, Leslie Mann, Bobby Cannavale, and Gugu Mbatha-Raw. What a cast! In addition to his role as director and producer, Norton himself plays the lead. The film set in 1950s Brooklyn (a departure from the novel) is a bit of a big swing, and was shot in 46 days with a production budget of only $26 million. Consider the fact that an average movie budget these days is $100-150 million. We think it more than delivers on the promise of a neo-noir crime drama in the tradition of Chinatown (Jack Nicholson + Fay Dunway = so good!) Motherless Brooklyn posits an unassuming gumshoe with Tourette’s Syndrome as the story’s hero in lieu of the super-slick cool guy we’re used to seeing at the helm of such pictures (Bogart, Nicholson, heck...Willis). Norton is easily among the best actors of his generation. We’re rushing out to see him infuse a classic tough-guy genre with a suture voice steeped in vulnerability and inclusion. For a period piece, it doesn’t get more modern. Not to mention the soundtrack is over the moon, featuring Thom Yorke and Wynton Marsalis. When actors and musicians of this caliber are part of a project with such a low budget, you know it’s a good sign.
SUPPORT | OSD BENEFIT WITH PROGRESS COFFEE AND FORTITUDE/STRIVE
Amazing coffee and an amazing cause? We’re in! Progress Coffee has a Veteran’s Day November Feature benefiting one of our favorite charities OSD. Progress Coffee has partnered with Fortitude Strength and Conditioning and CrossFit Strive to raise funds and awareness for OSD. Fortitude and Strive are veteran-owned gyms focused on building up the whole person through community and fitness. OSD is a Veteran Support Ecosystem™ enhancing lives through community engagement. Since 2010, OSD has enabled over 1,000,000 veterans, active-military and their family members to thrive through award-winning programs emphasizing Social Connectivity, Professional Development and Community Service. Veteran’s Day is November 11th, so what better time to join us in supporting this great cause, and get an awesome coffee at the same time!
VIEW | HERE NOR THERE AT DEN // HALLIE BREWER SOLO ART EXHIBITION - TUES NOV 19
We’ve been fans of Hallie Brewer for years now, even long before her show at HELM, and we can’t wait to see her new work at this upcoming show. Her work is simple and powerful, captivating and peaceful, and we have a feeling that this last year of her focus will bring a new level of excitement. If you haven’t been to the DEN Gallery before then you’re also in for a surprise - a perfect backdrop to host Brewer’s beautiful pieces which, if you ask us, can bring beauty to any space. You can see some of her available past prints here, and even more amazing work at the show, so don’t miss it.
MIX | WESTERN GRACE MULLED WINE RECIPE
We love a good warm mixed bev, and our buddies at Western Grace Brandy know how it’s done, especially when it gets cold outside. (Rumor has it they’ll be serving these up at the HELM Store during the EAST Studio Tour.)