SHOW UP: A SPONTANEOUS COMEDY ABOUT YOU | Last seen by this publication in the basement performance space of Triple Crown Ale House — where his chipper but talent-challenged character Lance soldiered through a one-man show to which a bevy of invited megastars failed to attend — comedy coach (and skilled practitioner) Peter Michael Marino moves read more here »

BY PUMA PERL | From the act itself to the passing down of techniques and tools, tattooing is an intimate endeavor — so it is fitting that the South Street Seaport Museum’s new exhibition should bear such distinct marks of artistry, legacy, and collaboration. “The Original Gus Wagner: The Maritime Roots of the Modern Tattoo” read more here »

  BY GERALD BUSBY | At a recent concert featuring the serial music of Aaron Copland (1900-1990), Adam Tendler played “Piano Fantasy” — a piece I first heard 60 years ago. William Masselos was the pianist on that occasion, and he hammered home the stiff angularity of the music as if force-feeding the audience something read more here »

BY DUSICA SUE MALESEVIC | If recent presidential executive orders are causing hyperventilation, the Rubin Museum of Art — which celebrates the art and culture of the Himalayas and neighboring regions — is offering a way to slow down, take a deep breath, and say “Om.” “It’s a very important concept for our time right now,” read more here »

BY REV. JEN MILLER | On December 14, 2016, Reverend Jen Junior, my beloved Chihuahua of nearly 15 years, died in my arms. She was a celebrated Art Star, the most photographed dog in NYC, a Page 6 girl, and the star of 22 episodes of “The Adventures of Electra Elf” along with countless films. read more here »

BY SCOTT STIFFLER | It wasn’t that kind of Inaugural Ball. Nobody looked past trans theatre artist Maybe Burke’s talent, caring only about who designed the clothes; and eyes didn’t dart when Natalie Douglas declared, “I’m a woman, so bleeding is political” before nailing a song about meeting Jesus in a Christopher Street gay bar; read more here »

BY MAX BURBANK FRIDAY: JANUARY 20, 2017 12:00 p.m. | Donald John Trump takes the oath of office, becoming the 45th President of the United States of America. Kellyanne Conway sports respectful attire for American Democracy’s funeral, cosplaying as a sexy Revolutionary War soldier. In a secret room deep below Trump International Hotel DC (the read more here »

BY SEAN EGAN | “When I got into music, honestly, everyone was doing the Monk contest — so many, it was basically like the NBA finals for us,” recalled jazz pianist Orrin Evans of his experience as a finalist at the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition. In the years following that 1999 edition of the read more here »

BY PUMA PERL | On November 9, 2016, I woke up numb. Then I wrote a poem. Social media exploded with rage and argument. My Texas poet buddy Justin Booth and I made a pact to post poems, lyrics, and quotes. Diane di Prima. Amiri Baraka. Bad Brains. I sought to commune with other artists. read more here »

BY SCOTT STIFFLER | Between the time when a hissing plume of sulfur smoke greets the placement of his wee little hand on the Lincoln Bible and the opening moments of his inevitable impeachment hearing, local voters whose candidate came up short will just have to find a way to cope with, and respond to, read more here »