Tonight kicks off NY Design Week and there are tons of events happening all over the City. The celebration centers around the 20th annual International Contemporary Furniture Fair at the Javits Center (May 17-19). Over 50 design firms, magazines, and retailers — including Vitra, ID, Surface, and Kartell — host parties around Manhattan and Brooklyn. Events are open to the public unless otherwise noted. Core 77 has put together an easy to use list of exhibits and parties. Bring on the free drinks!

Coan Nichols and Rick Charnoski have been amassing some serious footage and pictures for the past three years and are ready to release the highly anticipated film, Deathbowl to Downtown a history of skateboarding in NYC. Their nostalgic style has produced two of my all-time favorite skate documentaries, Fruit of the Vine and Northwest. Known for their incisive and artful exploration of skateboarding and its culture, this looks to be an epic film that is long overdue. NYC is arguably one of the biggest and most diverse street skate cities in the world. Having been immersed in the skate culture since the 90s, local star Chloë Sevigny narrates.

I missed the premiere last night (saw the amazing Lykke Li at Bowery), but there will be another reception at Etnies Showroom in SoHo tonight. The Moving Image, “A photographic history of skateboarding in NYC” will have its opening party in celebration with the film from 7-midnight. I expect a fun party with free drinks and good music.

RSVP to RSVP@deathbowltodowntown.com
No need to RSVP, just show up.

Etnies Showroom
29 Grand St.
New York, NY
(212) 604-9988

Skate season is in full swing and the parks are open and events are happening all over the City. I kicked things off with a new setup. My Girl deck was inspired by the groundbreaking video from Spike Jonze (Being John Malkovich, Jackass), Fully Flared. The intro above is just a taste of the style and beauty of this work.

The video was four years in the making, and is not suprising, considering the amount of footage and dangerous work. The intro ends with a “Switch Napalm Flip”, followed by a staircase being blown up with napalm. The soundtrack is equally impressive, complimenting the different skaters’ personalities. Here’s the list by skater/feature:

Intro: M83 “Lower Your Eyelids to Die With the Sun”
Mike Mo Capaldi: Arcade Fire “No Cars Go”
Anthony Pappalardo: Bad Brains “Don’t Bother Me”

Jesus Fernandez: Calexico “Alone Again Or”
The Royal Family: The Charlatans “The Only One I Know”
The French Connection #1: David Bowie “I Wish You Would”

The French Connection #2: Mannie Fresh “Real Big”

Cairo Foster: The Flaming Lips “The W.A.N.D.”

Jeff Lenoce, Scott Johnston, Rob Welsh: The D.O.C. “Lend Me An Ear”

Alex Olson stress: Hot Butter “Popcorn”

Alex Olson: King Diamond “One Down Two To Go”

Rick Howard: Echo & The Bunnymen “The Cutter”

Mike Carroll #1: Judas Priest “Riding On The Wind”

Mike Carroll #2: Three 6 Mafia “Triple Six Club House”

Brandon Biebel: Young Jeezy “I Love It”
Eric Koston #1: Public Enemy “Night Of The Living Baseheads”

Eric Koston #2: Public Enemy “Harder Than You Think”

Guy Mariano #1: Band Of Horses “The Funeral”

Guy Mariano #2: Band Of Horses “Is There A Ghost”

Marc Johnson #1: Q Lazzarus “Goodbye Horses”

Marc Johnson #2: Fischerspooner “All We Are”

Marc Johnson #3: She Wants Revenge “Us”

Credits #1: Unkle ‘Heaven”

Credits #2: Franz Ferdinand “All My Friends”

Full video (poor quality) here.

The Brooklyn Botanic Garden created an impressive timelapse of the famed Cherry Walk from over 3,000 photos. It’s peak bloom people so get out there before the weekend rain washes them away.

Chris Glass and the folks from Wire and Twine put together this impressive list of things you can do to help the planet. I would change 39 to “Bike Don’t Drive” since I bike to work everyday (although it’s only about 2 miles each way). The City has done an amazing job with adding tons of bike lines to make commuting safer. Plus it saves you $81 a month!

If you want to celebrate tonight, Earth Day New York and Green Drinks are sponsoring an event at The Park with music, art, and even an eco-fashion show.

It seems like everybody is trying to be green these days, and although those “green” Wal Mart ads can be annoying, I think it’s a good sign. I know Justin, Pat, and I can appreciate it, being environmental engineers and all. This is what I call job security!

I was one of the lucky few to see the sold out Dodos show at Mercury Lounge last night. I’ve been working like a dog so I didn’t catch the opening acts. The San Francisco duo of Meric Long and Logan Kroeber were joined by a third percussion/vibes/organist for this show. Coming off their recent and highly regarded album, Visiter, The Dodos presented their acoustic freak folk to an energetic, collegiate crowd.

Lead vocalist and guitarist Long, plays at breakneck speeds, strumming vigorously while switching between two mics for lead and harmony vocals. His fingerpicking and blues riffs were beautifully executed on his quiver of big-body vintage guitars (using acrylic, flamenco-style nails!). It’s no wonder why he sits down for the entire show. The Dodos layered, rich sound comes from not only Long’s impressive guitar playing and Kroeber’s steady tribal drumming, but the use of loops during their performance.

I dare not call them a jam band, but at the and of their set, going from Jody to The Season, I looked around to see the crowd in a trance, bobbing and weaving together in a cult-like state.

More pics over at Ear Farm’s flickr site.

Download “Ashley” [Frenchkiss Records]

The Dodos live performance videos on NPR

I loved Indiana Jones when I was a kid, but when I heard another sequel was coming out after 18 years, I was skeptical. Well most of that went away when I saw the teaser trailer that just came out. It looks just as adventurous and action-packed as the originals, but with better resolution and effects. I’m glad they did an older, wiser version on Indy that pokes fun at his age. Lets face it, Harrison is 65 now and ain’t no spring chicken.

Oh brother, here we go again. another cop flips on a 14-yr old kid for “talking back” to him (basically calling him ‘dude’) and throws the kid to the ground. I just can’t believe how angry this man is at a bunch of kids. He’s a city (Baltimore) cop for christ’s sake! the officer is currently being suspended WITH pay.

Being from the midwest, I actually find it nostalgic to indulge myself in a little Chili’s or Outback sometimes. Pure kitsch. You can’t tell me that you didn’t have a good time at the Time’s Square Olive Garden or Red Lobster. There’s something about being so bad, it’s actually good. But looking at this recent analysis from Men’s Health, I might think twice about getting the bloomin’ onion. Some of these appetizers have 2900 calories! 200g of fat! I must admit, I would have thought the Chipotle Grilled Chicken Burrito would be relatively healthy. Anyone have favorites on this list? Suprised by the numbers?

For skateboarding, I’ve always stayed away from Nike’s and gone with the more “core” skate shoes, like Emerica or Etnies. But it’s hard to ignore impact the giant is having on the skateboarding industry. They revamped the staple ‘Dunk’ with a thicker tongue and elastic straps, an ollie guard, and more cushioning to create the Dunk SB. They do have other styles, but the Dunk remains the most popular. It transcends other skateboarding shoes and creates a cult classic with its limited supply and varation in colorways. Some of the colors make my stomach turn, but Nike did one thing right: SB’s are only available at participating skate shops. KCDC in Williamsburg is one local place or check out online shops, like Active Mail Order. I’m not ready to get on the wagon just yet, but these dunks with the plush pink lining look perfect for that cold weather session.