SXSW Music is like Mardi Gras without the parades and beads. All the bars have live music and several blocks of East 6th Street are blocked off to car traffic. The crowd for SXSW music is more international than the interactive.  Today, I saw two Canadian bands play, Born Ruffians and Plants and Animals.  I really dug Born Ruffians immediately after hearing the first song.

To me, they sound like Echo and The Bunnymen with a little bit of rockabilly and Celtic. Coincidentally,  the film I saw today that featured another Canadian band, Broken Social Scene. I went to see “This Movie is Broken“. It was a great film.  If you liked “Before Sunrise” or the more recent “Medicine for Melancholy“, then you will like this movie. I am not familiar with Broken Social Scene’s music other than one song I heard on a episode of “Grey’s Anatomy”, so it was cool to get a taste of the band and watch a love story unravel.

I’m back in New York City and the calendar is high octane until the middle of December.

Thursday November 12. Is it Obsolete?  Debate about it at Word in Greenpoint.  Anna Jane Grossman’s book about Obsolete objects is sparking a fun debate. Faye Penn from Brokelyn moderates. 7:30PM FREE

Friday November 13. Erin and Her Cello begins her residency  at Rockwood Music Hall. New Songs. Special Guests. 7PM FREE

Playing until Thursday 19.   The classic movie, The Red Shoes, is playing at The Film Forum.

Tuesday, I stopped by the “I Heart PV” solar awareness party at Sycamore Bar. I met some cool people from Solar One and made a solar-powered toy car. It was also my first time getting off the Cortelyou subway station.
Volunteered at the 99% Conference.
Listened to great stories at In The Flesh.
Won a ticket to the Go Green Expo and stopped by on Friday afternoon.
Met fellow entrepreneurs at Biznik’s Happy Hour.
I ate cake!
Watched “Burn After Reading” on Saturday. [I need more Netflix recommendations.]
Stopped by Ivy Bakery on Sunday and got a yummy cinnamon roll.

4th of july hat-nichelle, originally uploaded by nichellest.

I survived three 4th of July parties with only a few bruises from the plastic chair debacle.

Saturday was hangover brunch followed by a nap and then one 5th of July party where I learned a lot about allergies from a doctor who golfs and takes lots of cabs.

Today, I made a small batch of strawberry chicken salad.  This afternoon, I may go see The Wackness. I hope it is not wack.

Financial District Art, originally uploaded by nichellest.

Yesterday I had a blast.  To beat the heat, I went to a matinee showing of Sex and The City down at Battery Park.  Despite what the critics have said, I really enjoyed it.  It was great to see a cameo by Bridget Everett of At Least It’s Pink.

Later, I went to see another movie, “The Edge of Heaven“.  It was a foreign film with no happy ending.  It was the opposite of “Sex and The City” but one of the actors looked like “Berger”.

Even later, I went to see Brown Girls Burlesque tribute to Prince.  It was phenomenal. All of the performers are great dancers and very sexy. Plus the crowd sang along to almost every Prince song.