Living with Legends: Hotel Chelsea Blog

All Tomorrow's Parties: March 5 - 11, 2007

Wednesday, March 7, 12:00 - 8:00 p.m.
"She's Like a Rainbow: Colors in Fashion," the current exhibit at the Fashion Institute of Technology includes three designs by Charles James.  (Thanks to Judith Childs for the tip.)
Fashion Institute of Technology, 27th St at 7th Ave., NY NY

Thursday, March 8, 10:00p.m.
Charles Bukowski Praise Night #3.  Bring your favorite Bukowski poem to share and commemorate the writer's death.  In his book, Women, Bukowski mentions his stay at the Chelsea. Featured readers will include downtown favorites: Steve Cannon, Gary Glasner, Bob Holman, David Huberman, Tsaurah Litzky, Big Mike, Thad Rutkowski, Moonshine Shorey, Danny Shot, Marjorie Tesser, Mike Topp, Deanna Zandt, Matthew Cummings, short open and More!
Bowery Poetry Club, 308 The Bowery. Probably free.

Thursday, March 8, 10:30 p.m.
Susanne Bartsch and Kenny Kenny say goodbye to Tuesday and hello to Thursday with Kino 41. Kino 41 starlets: Amanda Leopore, Lady Fag, Moondust, Furey and Andre J. Cine Sounds: Alexander Technique, Show: Velvet Code. Life is Like a Movie. Stop by every Thursday for your close up.
135 West 41st, NY NY

Thursday, March 8, 8:00 pm.
Singer/songwriter Libby Johnson takes to the stage to show off her considerable talents.
The Living Room, 154 Ludlow St., NY NY

Friday, March 9, 11:00 - 6:00 p.m.
If you survive Thursday, check out Devendra Banhart's work in "A Cloudy Day's Epiphany". The Banhart video below was filmed at Coney Island and the Chelsea Hotel.  What's happening to Coney Island these days totally sucks. By the way, the rock video was shot by a Hotel Chelsea resident.
DINTER FINE ART, 547 West 27th Street, Third Floor, NY NY

Saturday, March 10, 7:30 p.m.
Howard Fishman's take on Bob Dylan and The Band's The Basement Tapes is a quirky avante guarde trip through the Invisible Republic. Definitely worth checking out.  ($15.00)
Joe's Pub, 425 Lafayette St., NY NY

1980s Downtown Diva Christina

A number of Nelson Sullivan's videos of Christina, a artist/punk/transvestite and a celebrity of sorts in the Downtown NYC scene of the 1980s, have been added to youtube.com.  "Christina at the Chelsea" hasn't made it on to youtube yet, but you can still view it online.

BBC4 Tops Off New York Week

The 1981 Chelsea Hotel documentary by Nigel Finch will air today on BBC4.  Too bad that the clip of Jobraith playing his piano on the roof, which was featured in Finch's documentary, has been removed from youtube.com.

Hypnotic Lights of Chelsea Draw Photographer Back

Because photographer Keith Green found the hotel to be a peaceful retreat in 1988, he vowed to return.  And return he did—to photograph Dee Dee Ramone for his book jacket (Chelsea Horror Hotel) and to witness the tail end of superstar Viva’s eviction:

During the latter part of the 1980s, I worked as a photo assistant for photographer, Jean Kallina who photographed assignments, primarily, for Vogue as well as producing her fine art photographic interiors at Versailles. During the Fall of 1988, she left for a month-long assignment in Europe with Julian Schnabel of whom she was close friends and a collaborative partner on several art projects. Jean sublet her studio loft, on 18th Street and Broadway, during the time she was away. Upon her return from Europe three days earlier than the contracted date, she found herself in a pinch for a place to stay so, Julian arranged for her to spend the three days in his, very large, room at the Chelsea Hotel. Jean took one look at the place, decided she didn't like it and refused to stay. Julian immediately offered Jean refuge in the incredibly spacious bohemian apartment above his equally spacious studio in Greenwich Village. Since the room at the Chelsea was paid in advance, Jean offered it to me for the entire three-day period. The hotel's iconic neon sign beamed intensely as it bathed the white stucco walls in hypnotic flashes of red light; providing me a brief, yet peaceful sanctuary from the chaos that frequented the lower east side apartment that I shared with two roommates. I vowed, then, that I would someday return to the Chelsea Hotel with the purpose of encapsulating that bohemian spirit on film. 

One other brief anecdote: Immediately after finishing the roll of film for this portrait of Dee Dee, he motioned for me to look over the balcony on to the street and said, "See that U-Haul van down there?" "Yes", I replied. "That's Viva's stuff they're moving...They finally kicked her out".

A Decent Crackhouse

Check out this review of the Chelsea in The Connected Traveler.  According to the author, Russ Johnson, the Chelsea is "more Crackhaus than Bauhaus" and it apparently reminds him of a "Soviet era mental ward."   Fortunately, in the video interview, our beloved benefactor steps up to the plate to defend our building's honor, correctly pointing out that the Chelsea is perhaps "The last vestiage of decency."   And Sid was a decent guy too, though it's probably just as well that Stanley didn't let him move back to the Chelsea after the Nancy fiasco.  Hey Stanley, can I get my place repainted to look like the Jackson Pollock room?