– Exclusive Event Features Performances and Sing-alongs with the Broadway Dolls –

New York. December 7, 2011 — Guests of the swanky Champagne and Caroling Black Tie event will be sure to leave with a swing in their step and a song on their lips after enjoying a private concert December 20, at Winston’s Champagne Bar.

Financiers and art patrons David Cote and Adam Sansiveri of Bernstein Global Wealth Management are hosting a benefit for The Broadway Dreams Foundation featuring the acclaimed Broadway Dolls. In this intimate setting for only 75 guests, Broadway stars, celebrities, socialites, and fellow benefactors will enjoy champagne, delectables, exclusive original performances and the opportunity to sing along with the best female singers of the Great White Way.

“What gets me excited about this intimate holiday event is that it is a return to the style and sophistication of old New York,” said Cote. “We can’t wait to have our guests enjoy their favorite holiday carols, sung by the biggest stars on Broadway. We are taking a page from the Gatsby era of elegance to provide a magical experience for our guests.”

Sansiveri, who has also produced Broadway shows, added, “This dynamic event brings together the official girl group of Broadway, The Broadway Dolls, with a cause near and dear to their hearts: supporting educational opportunities for young people to go after their dreams of gracing the Great White Way. The Broadway Dolls, all triple-threat actresses currently working on Broadway, know that making it as an actor requires intensive training, mentorship and support.”

It is sure to be a stylish scene with David Cote and Adam Sansiveri debuting the new custom Tuxedo line from Black Lapel and the Broadway Dolls styled by Engie Hassan of EngieStyle with the timeless new jewelry from The Travelers Collection.  Guests will enjoy the superior Champagne from Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte along with some memorable delectables from Winston’s and will be treated to the unforgettable desserts from Lady M Confections. Additional sponsors and partners already confirmed for this prestigious holiday event include: One Sky Jets, Accounting Management Solutions, Inc. (AMS), Christie’s Fine Art Storage Services, Marcy Clark of Yellow Sky Agency Public Relations and Engie Hassan of EngieStyle.

The Broadway Dolls are the undisputed official girl group of Broadway with five of the White Way’s most sought after triple-threats. With four full-length production shows and counting, the Dolls pull from a roster of the most fiercely talented women in the business. The Broadway Dolls hail directly from the Broadway companies of “Mamma Mia”, “Chicago”, “Spiderman: Turn off the Dark”, “Rock of Ages”, “Memphis”, “Jersey Boys”, “Million Dollar Quarter”, “Rent”, “Hairspray”, “Annie Get Your Gun”, “Legally Blonde”, “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang”, “Grease”, “The Wedding Singer”, “A Chorus Line” , “Good Vibrations”, “Jekyll & Hyde”, “Spamalot”, “Wonderland”, and more.  No other entertainment company in the theatrical community boasts such an accomplished and diverse team of working actresses.  Recent television appearances include opening for the “World Champion Boxing Match” in Quebec (HBO), and headlining the “National Vocal Championship Finals” (ABC). www.thebroadwaydolls.com

Champagne & Caroling
December 20th 7-10pm
Winston’s Champagne Bar at the Gansevoort Park Avenue, 420 Park Ave South

Hosted by:
David Cote and Adam Sansiveri of Bernstein Global Wealth Management
The famous Broadway Dolls
Marcy Clark of Yellow Sky Agency
Engie Hassan of EngieStyle

Open Bar, Appetizers and an Exclusive Performance for 75 guests
Sing along with the best female singers of the Great White Way!

Tickets available for a $125 Donation, while available.

By invitation only. Space is limited.
RSVP to Marcy@yellowskyagency.com to request an invitation.

The Broadway Dreams Foundation, a nonprofit arts-education organization, is dedicated to presenting training, mentoring and career opportunities in dancing, singing, writing, acting and performance to students and adults alike, regardless of their socioeconomic capabilities.  Intensive programs are offered nationally throughout the year, led by an exceptional faculty of high-profile and experienced Broadway professionals.  The unique programs offer highly personalized and supportive coaching, an exciting collaborative learning environment, scholarships and ongoing networking to build confidence and life skills that can only be learned through the arts. Former and current students are currently performing in Broadway shows. www.mybroadwaydreams.com

Winston’s Champagne Bar is the foremost destination for collectors and enthusiasts seeking a menu of fine and rare Champagne. The venue’s buyers have produced relationships on a global level that gives Winston’s unique and consistent access to the world’s greatest Champagnes. For less practiced guests, Winston’s is committed to offering a full range of Champagnes and wines by the glass as well as inspired sparkling cocktails. Winston’s also offers a complete schedule of private and semi private tastings and creative educational tutorials.  Winston’s Champagne Bar is located at 420 Park Ave South, right off the lobby of the Gansevoort Park Hotel. www.winstonschampagnebar.com

Accounting Management Solutions, Inc. (AMS) is the leading supplier of outsourced accounting and financial management services for the Northeast and the New York metro area.  AMS supports public, private and nonprofit organizations of all sizes with experienced industry-specific consultants, including CFOs, vice presidents of finance, controllers and senior accountants, on an outsourced part-time, interim, and project basis.  The company recently added retained search to its roster of services and has placed several nonprofit finance executives. www.amsolutions.net

OneSky Jets is one of the largest Charter Jet companies in the US and is part of Sentient Jet. Onesky jet does not own or manage their own jets. Instead, we’ve built a unique model which unites the top private jet carriers into a cohesive network, empowering our clients and Members with access to the finest, most luxurious private jets. This access comes with peace of mind through our industry leading safety due-diligence program and added comfort through the knowledge that our state of the art command center is tracking every detail of every flight. www.onesky.com

The event is by invitation only and space is limited. RSVP to request an invitation or learn about sponsorship opportunities. Email Marcy@yellowskyagency.com to RSVP and visit www.womensmafia.com to purchase tickets.

Sponsors Already Confirmed:

ASTONISH MAGAZINE & ASTONISHWORLD LAUNCH EVENT
Guests Previewed The First Print Edition of ASTONISH Magazine and New Ready-to-Wear and Couture Collections by Designer Phuong My

Featured Guests & Host Committee:
ASTONISH Publisher Ryan Chua, ASTONISH VP of Operations Brandon Leong, EngieStyle Founder Engie Hassan, Jewelry Designer J. Rudy Lewis, Financier & MyModel.com Founder David Cote, Publicist & Women’s Mafia Founder Marcy Clark, Philanthropist & Seven Bar Foundation Chairwoman Renata M. Black, Seven Bar Foundation President Kim Hoedeman, Designer Sabina Les, Yellow Sky Agency Founder Alejandro Beitler, Music Producer & Airgo Music Founder Jimmy Greco, Rock Artist Ming Vaadka, Producer Patrick Terry, R&B Artist AC Lincoln, Gossip Queen & Radio Host Flo Anthony, and Lita Asscher of Royal Asscher Diamonds, Grammy Nominated Artist Emily King, DJ Poet of The Black Eyes Peas, Jazz Legend Kim Kalesti, GenArt Founder Ian Gerard

Event Partners:
Sakiri Vodka Founder Sath Nop, Biso Wines Founder Mike Bazzini, John Sweiss of Bite Size New York, Lisa Mecray Rogers of Luxx Chocolat, DJ Jay McElfresh, DJ Von Kiss, Eric Alt Salon, Makeup Artist Valerie Vonprisk, Kett Cosmetics, Yaby Cosmetics, Pamela Quinzi Shoes, Kitty Andrews Millinery and The Gansevoort Park Avenue

New York, NY. September 2011. On September 7th, the eve of New York Fashion Week, 300 guests received a coveted invitation to the launch party for ASTONISH Magazine and ASTONISHWorld at the elegant Gansevoort Park Avenue Hotel. Press, Fashion Glitterati, the Bloggerati and celebrities of music and film were treated to a raging event and an unforgettable Fashion Show by fast-rising designer Phuong My. Guests were greeted with advanced copies of the premier issue of ASTONISH Magazine, a game-changing new high end fashion publication that features emerging photographers, stylists, designers and models. Once inside the Penthouse, fashion insiders, models, artists, press and VIP guests enjoyed hip cocktails by Sakiri Vodka, fruity Lunae Moscato by Biso Winery, Mediterranean delectable’s by Bite Size New York and gourmet confections by Luxx Chocolat, all whilst dancing to the tunes of DJ Jay McElfresh.

Backstage, Engie Hassan and the team at EngieStyle worked with designer Phuong My and her atelier to fit and finalize garments on models. Eric Altimore and the pitch-perfect team from Eric Alt Salon managed hair while key makeup artist Valerie Vonprisk worked with teams from Kett Cosmetics and Yaby Cosmetics to create a signature fresh, high-fashion face. Phuong My’s looks were finished with shoes by Pamela Quinzi and custom hats by milliner Kitty Andrews. EngieStyle provided jewelry by the Royal Asscher Diamond Company and Jewelry Sponsor J. Rudy Lewis for featured looks and VIP guests.

Super Model Lorianna Izrailova in Phuong My Couture, Runway Photos by Jodi Jones

After Yellow Sky Agency PR seated the VIP guests, DJ Von Kiss played music as Phuong My thrilled the crowd with 25 elegant, structural and inimitable ready-to-wear women’s looks and then 10 couture looks that showed off her mastery of manipulating shapes. An ovation of applause greeted designer Phuong My and ASTONISH Publisher Ryan Chua alike. Designer Phuong My embodies the magazine’s essential mission of showcasing the best emerging Fashion Artists of today.

The highly anticipated first print edition of ASTONISH Magazine hits major US newsstands on September 27, 2011. It is the answer to an industry starved for smart, unique and visually stimulating Fashion & Art content. Its goal is to inspire, reinvent and revolutionize the fading publication industry with stunning imagery, insightful social commentary and interviews with emerging artists and industry professionals. ASTONISHWorld offers a unique experience for fashion students, photographers, designers, stylists, models, makeup artists, hairstylists and bloggers to participate in the magazine and connect them with fashion industry leaders in the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Russia, Japan, China, and Korea. Become a part of the movement at www.astonishmagazine.com.

#  #  #

Guest, ASTONISH Publisher Ryan Chua, Publicist Marcy Clark, Jeweler J. Rudy Lewis, VP of Operations Brandon Leong and Model Lorianna Izrailova

ASTONISH Publisher Ryan Chua, Magic Johnson's son EJ Johnson, Doug Melville of Red Carpet Runway and VP of Operations Brandon Leong

Models with Milliner Kitty Andrews

Team ASTONISH

ASTONISH Men's Editor Kristen Irby with Designer Ninh Nguyen

Model Lorianna Izrailova, Gen Art founder Ian Gerard, Astonish Publicist Marcy Clark and Model Ash Mirza

Engie Hassan and the EngieStyle team

Grammy Nominated Singer Emily King, Trum Thuy, Event Producer Marcy Clark, R&B Artist AC Lincoln, Jeweler J. Rudy Lewis & Jazz Legend Kim Kalesti

Author and Beauty Expert Lora Condon with Montana USA, Men's Wear Designer Alexander Tedford and stylist Jaymz Crow

Event Sponsor J. Rudy Lewis and his associates at the J. Rudy Lewis Jewelry Design Atelier

Guests from Women's Wear Daily

Douglas Melville of Red Carpet Runway & VIP Guests

Gossip Queen & Radio Host Flo Anthony, with Philanthropist and Film Producer Dhonna Goodale and The Salon Guy

ASTONISH VP Ryan Colby with his model clients

The Salon Guy Stephen Marinaro Interviewing Engie Hassan

J. Rudy Lewis being interviewed by The Salon Guy

Luxx Chocolat founder Lisa Mecray Rogers with guest and Tatyana Titkova

Members of the NYC Fashion Bloggers with J. Rudy Lewis and guest

Financier and MyModel.com Founder David Cote, Philanthropist Lisa Goldman, guest Jeff Zee

Socialite Guests of Engie Hassan

Ashley Crossman, Alejandro Beitler, Mike Bazzini

Event Produced by Marcy Clark of the Women’s Mafia and Yellow Sky Agency PR. More photos and Video Links:

August Young – Photographs
http://augustyoungphotography.zenfolio.com/p874270276

The Salon Guy – pictures and video
http://www.thesalonguy.com/media/astonish-magazine-launch-party-with-designer-phuong-my-for-ny-fashion-week

Sunny Norton -  Photographs
http://sunnynorton.smugmug.com/Events/ASTONISH-MAGAZINE-Launch-Party

More coming soon at www.ASTONISHMagazine.com. Say you are with the Women’s Mafia to secure your coveted subscription to ASTONISHWorld and join the movement!

Media Contact: Marcy Clark
Yellow Sky Agency
212.729.9619
Marcy@yellowskyagency.com

Graphic Design by Dustin Drankoski

From garage-punk like The White Stripes and The Sex Pistols to the musical theater and burlesque of Kurt Weill, Kander & Ebb and Django Reinhardt. Sound like a tall order? It is. But Minq somehow manages, like a mad perfumer, to combine notes of each into an originally explosive fragrance. Last year, he crashed onto the NYC circuit with his debut album The Plastic Masquerade, and was greeting with a glowing review from The Original Hipster, a sold-out debut at Joe’s Pub, gigs at Galapagos Art Space, CSV and 3LD and a nomination (as Adam Cochran) for a Drama Desk Award for his junk-folk score to the world premiere of NAATCO and Theater Mitu’s A Play On War. On March 24, 2011 came his second release: a half-hour-long EP called Minq Vaadka Will Take Your Elektro-Küsse in Queens, Please, including six new orignal songs and a cover of a favorite Tom Waits tune. Opening on August 26th, he will unleash a brand new cabaret theater piece with all-new, original music called Minq Vaadka’s Narcischism: Un Cabaret d’Adieu, directed by Chantel Pascente and produced by Patrick Terry and Te Ilum Theatre & Arts at the Robert Moss Theatre. Click here to buy tickets now (Women’s Mafia members can enter code MINQ10 for special $10 tickets, which includes beer!) and look out for the accompanying album of the same name to be released sometime during the 2011 holiday season!

And now, enjoy an exclusive Q&A with Minq Vaadka himself and Director Chantel Pascente!

WM: Who is Minq Vaadka? Can you describe the genesis of the act and how did this collaboration with Patrick Terry and Te Ilum came about?

Photos by Bridget "B." Waterhouse

Minq: Even though he’s a very theatrical presence and might even say or portray things that are not always actually true, I’m very careful to refer to him as a persona, not a character. That’s because Minq Vaadka is actually, well… me! My alter-ego. Minq started as an identity I developed for a cabaret course at NYU (taught by Salty Brine of Pepper & Sam fame) and, after the first set of performances, I realized that not only did I enjoy letting my impulsive, manic, unfiltered side loose in front of people but it could also be a useful tool for publicly exorcising some of my personal demons. And this sort of Weimar Germany-inspired palette seemed to create a perfect aural and visual landscape for a lot of the themes I wanted to deal with: bipolarity, bisexuality, theater, glam rock, humor, anger, mimesis, honesty, trickery. So it’s been fascinating learning how to navigate those waters and really make the iconography my own. How can I nod to my inspirations but sound contemporary? How can I use some of these visual idioms but not be misinterpreted as a Cirque du Soleil clown or a screamo act (God help me)? How can the music push compositional boundaries but remain accessible to a mainstream ear?

As for Patrick Terry and Te Ilum, I actually brought them together. Patrick introduced himself to me after he saw me perform at the new Galapagos Art Space in DUMBO. PT invited me to drinks at some schwanky bar on 59th St., got me soused, did a few card tricks (he’s actually a very talented magician) and before I knew it, we realized we had to make something happen together this year. Meanwhile, I’ve been with Te Ilum from its beginning. I met Chantel Pascente (Te Ilum’s Artistic Director) at NYU and we have since collaborated on a number of projects, so once we decided to undertake a Minq Vaadka theater piece, it seemed natural that I should hook her and PT up.

WM: What makes a Minq Vaadka concert experience unique?

Minq: Theatricality and honest passion. Minq Vaadka’s Narcischism is in fact a theater piece but even when I’m playing a regular gig at a music venue, the show is still highly theatrical. You’re NOT paying to see a bunch of scruffy bros in jeans and plaid shirts lean on their amps while they make their best “I’m Kurt Cobain and I don’t care” faces. You’re going to see me working my ass off to imbue the performance with showmanship and a sense of the delightfully weird. You see, I’m not at all into creating a “scene.” I don’t care how you’re dressed when you watch my show. I don’t care if you dance or mosh or stand there with a drink. But what I do care about is that you’re engaging this room with me — I want to see your eyes lighting up. I want to see the cogs turning in your head. I want you to judge me or love me or be confused by me, whatever. I just want you to chemically react somehow with the event I’m creating in the room. First time listeners to my music will notice that there are a lot of lyrics, lots of odd chord progressions, lots of sections and lots of tempo changes. It’s not music to sit back and zone out to. It’s music to reckon with, to engage with and to actively think about. Which turns some people off. But that’s what literally turns me on. And that’s why sexuality finds its way into a lot of it. I want to light up your sexual side via your brain. If that happens, then I’ve done my job for the night. And I think the stage show reflects that.

WM: Growing up on the west coast, how do you find living and working in New York? As a writer/performer where do you get your inspiration these days?

Photos by Bridget "B." Waterhouse

Minq: I knew from an early age, somehow, that I was destined to come live in New York. It’s always called to me (even before I knew that I wanted to be in music and theater) and it’s made me feel like it would be an ideal place to flourish as an artist and as a human being. And now that I’ve been here for about seven years or so, I would say that I was absolutely correct in that assumption. New York, as this sort of benevolent-but-fearsome beast in my life, has most definitely made me who I am today. I thrive on it’s nonstop hustle and bustle. The architecture feels severe and important. The changing of the seasons provides for starkly dramatic backdrops in art and emotion and memory. And most importantly, the circle of people I work and play with here fill me with life because they challenge me as much as they support me. That being said, the city often stresses me out and causes sometimes unbearable anxiety, so I find that I really need to go somewhere warm and easy (like back to my folks’ place in Los Angeles) for a little respite and some mental health days.

Inspiration comes from everywhere. Of course there are things that I love and gravitate towards: Tom Waits and Robert Wilson collaborations, Sxip Shirey’s happenings, Trash and Vaudeville and St. Marks Place, Kander & Ebb movies, Marilyn Minter’s photography, the latest Iggy Pop album, McQueen at the Met, Jack White etc. But I think an artist isn’t really doing his job if he’s not completely open to all sources of inspiration. I’ve been drawing a lot of it from my neighborhood in Queens lately: the trifecta of the Noguchi Museum, the Museum of the Moving Image and Socrates Sculpture Park, the rambling collection of graffiti out by Ditmars, the bridge to Roosevelt Island, the Bangladeshi quarter immediately surrounding my apartment and/or Alex, the dude with no fingernails who runs the hardware store on 31st St. and 36th Ave. who sold me a bottle of industrial-strength Drano by telling me it would “melt flesh and bone.”

WM: Whats the rehearsal process been like? Is it difficult to separate yourself from the material, especially when working on something that has such autobiographical connections?

Photos by Bridget "B." Waterhouse

Minq: Absolutely, it’s difficult. Because I am the material. Events have taken place in real life since we’ve been in rehearsal that have found their way into the piece already. And, as someone with Bipolar Disorder, we’re trying to dramatize these crazy mood swings that happen to me on a daily basis. We’ve actually run into places where I’ve taken a crack at writing us some dialogue and failed miserably because, when I show it to the team they go, “uh, that’s not what it’s like at all.” And I’m like, “yes, it definitely is!” And then Carly McCollow, our dramaturg, clears her throat and says, “well maybe it’s like that for you when it’s happening to you, but to everybody on the outside it looks a little more like this other thing.” So, there are parts of the show that I’ve handed completely over to Barrie McLain (my girlfriend; she plays Horseradish) so that she can write the scene from the perspective of someone who’s not inside my head in these situations.

WM: Chantel, as a director, what are you hoping audiences take away from this production? And how is MINQ VAADKA’s Narcischism – Un Cabaret D’Adieu different from some of your companies previous work?

Chante Pascentel: I think this piece can give the audience an experience that is unique in that they are watching something that completely blurs the line between reality and theatricality. Who is Minq Vaadka? Who is he to these characters we are watching, and who is he to himself? Maybe most importantly, who is he to the performers and how does the reality of their relationships and conflicts play into the piece? I hope the audience is able to immerse themselves in this challenge with us and walk away thinking about the relationship between an artist and its art. This piece is incredibly personal to all of the performers and myself. We have allowed ourselves to work in a new way, a way that for me was risky and revealing and I believe has led to results we can be proud of. Yes this piece is incredibly autobiographical for Adam, but it for me has become a universal story not just of artist and art, but of a person who’s world looks one way through his eyes and the people who adapt to that, who find their own ways of living in his universe. How would the world look if you were to see through anyone’s lens? Minq’s may be an extreme, but I hope that by us inviting the audience to look through his lens, they are able to walk away thinking about the implications in their worlds.

Te Ilum is committed to producing new and innovative theatre that is created in non-traditional ways. We focus on creating work that uses alternate artistic frameworks, and experiential theatre that engages the senses and arrests the audience, forcing you to be present with us in the room. This piece is our first to be co-created by the performers, and my first piece with no text or album as a jumping off point for the creation. Our previous works include a radical re-imagining of Cocteau’s “The Infernal Machine” where we used dance and the music of Electric Light Orchestra in conversation with the surrealist version of the story of Oedipus, combining these elements with the physical structure of Greek Tragedy. We then embarked on a movement piece “at Sixes & Sevens,” created by choreographer/performer Chloe Kernaghan, examining the struggles of a person abandoned or left behind through the lens of the 1950s housewife. “at Sixes & Sevens” became a part of a collaboration with James Franco in his piece “Collage” at Stella Adler earlier this summer, and is now being featured in an REM music video directed by Franco. These works have all been steps for us to find our voice as a group and as individual artists working with the support of a company behind them. We are currently in development for an installation movement piece directed by Teff Nichols, “Night-Song”, based on the short stories and poetry of Melanie Jane Parker.

WM: As young artists, how do you deal with today’s media landscape? New technology makes it easier to produce and distribute music, but how can bands (and similarly, theater companies) hope to maintain a following in such a competitive and disposable market place?

Minq: I would say that that’s the biggest struggle we face as artists today. The great hope of the Internet, as it was fighting its way out of Al Gore’s birth canal, was that it would give everybody an equal chance for recognition and distribution. Kind of like an inverted version of “trickle down” economics, right? Trickle up! We now have access to everything and everybody, so the best of it should rise to the top of the heap, right? But the reality is a little different. What’s actually happened is that we’re oversaturated. Go ahead, stick your music on Reverb Nation or YouTube. See how many hits you get. Post it on Facebook or Reddit. See what kind of following you develop. And when was the last time you heard of the Internet launching any act or an album on a huge scale (without them having big record label bucks behind them, thus disqualifying OK Go, Radiohead’s In Rainbows and Justin Bieber)? The trouble is that very few people have the patience to wade through entire oceans of junk in the hopes of finding a diamond in the rough. And even when they do manage to find something worth consuming, they just pirate it. So the answer I keep coming back to is that artists these days have to find ways to fuse different disciplines together to create something that is unique, fashion forward (to co opt a scion Tim Gunn-speak) and un-pirate-able. Yes, I release music and videos but now they tie in with a piece of theater. So, even if you’ve downloaded it for free, if you really want the whole context, you’ve got to come buy a ticket, sit in my audience and let me entertain you personally, baby. That’s what makes theater more important today than it arguably ever was. You can pirate a movie. You can pirate a song. But you can’t steal an experience.

WM: What can The Women’s Mafia make happen for you?

Photo by Christopher Shea

Minq: Hopefully, to remind a cross section of smart and stylish women of the idea that your daily dose of art (and fun) does not have to come from Lady Gaga on the radio or RuPaul’s Drag Race on your TV. You can actually head out into New York City (or wherever you live) and have an incredible (not to mention original) visceral experience delivered to you by a living, breathing human being standing six feet away. Also, to remind them that skinny, bisexual boys in white face and a corset are the new George Clooney. Just saying.

AC Lincoln

Your Local Gentleman

Live At Canal Room Thursday August 18th at 8pm
Debut of new songs from the Upcoming Album “Mr. International” including: “Senorita,” “Turned On,” “Machine” and “Mr. International”

“Multi-talented” – New York Times

“Explosive… crooning… furious bursts of tap dancing” – Notes from the Underground, T Magazine

Born on the Island of St. Croix, in the middle of his parents’ tour of the US Virgin Islands, this multi dimensional R&B singer, Composer, Producer and Tap Dancer began his career at an early age. Known for sultry and smooth vocals, groove-driven rhythms and an electric, dynamic stage presence, AC Lincoln has been traveling and performing with his family of acclaimed Jazz and R&B singers his whole life. Now, prior to launching his East Coast Tour, AC Lincoln is previewing songs from his EP “Mr. International,” at Canal Room on August 18th at 8pm.

Raised in New York City, Alex or “AC” discovered at the age of 5 an affinity for moving his feet to the beat of a drum. After receiving a special gift of tap shoes from his family, this young impresario quickly became popular on the NYC tap scene sharing the stage with the original “hoofers” of the time and Tap legends such as Peg Leg Bates, Jimmy Slide, Savion Glover, Buster Brown and Henry Latang. With his definitive style and refined stage presence, AC was soon traveling the world playing festivals and concert halls all throughout his youth. He has headlined a Gala for the NAACP, the Caramoor Jazz Festival and top NY Venues such as The Jazz Standard, Smalls, The Bitter End, Rockwood Music Hall & The Cotton Club.

Currently you can find AC Lincoln captivating audiences with concerts produced by his own Entertainment label, Jive Life Ent., and collaborating with top talents of this era such as Mercedes Ellington, Marion Cowings, Emily King and Kim Kalesti. With his rich vocals and undeniably catchy energetic originals songs, it is impossible to deny this force of creativity and natural innovation. With much in store for this year, including a full length EP “Mr. International” and an East & West Coast Tour, there is much to look forward to from this multi talented entertainer and producer.

Our good friend and fellow Public Relations pro Karen Amster-Young has teamed up with educator Pam Godwin on an exciting journey leaving their comfort zones and exploring new things, facing fears and trying to get unstuck. They are also exploring new sides of the city they have known and lived in for so long.

Their fun experiences are recounted on their blog, The 52 Weeks. Keeping their audience entertained with witty, amusing and sometimes just genuine stories, the concept behind the blog is the importance of switching things up and putting yourself in new situations as a way of growth and learning, or simply to keep that “spark” alive in your life, the type of rush you get by trying interesting, recreational and sometimes ridiculous activities. Sometimes they just face fears or try to take even a baby step toward a bigger goal. They do this by setting weekly goals for themselves for one year; the goals being things they have never tried before or that are unusual, and they range from test driving sports cars to simply nurturing their relationships by taking a carriage ride in Central Park, for example.

WM: What’s the story behind the concept of the site?

KAY: Pam and I were out having drinks one night and talking about feeling a bit “stuck”.  We wanted to shake things up a bit and do new things, rediscover childhood passions or face fears.  So the52weeks.com was conceived that night. In fact, our tag line is three drinks, two friends, one year!
WM: What has been the most challenging experience so far in the list of The 52 Weeks activities?

KAY: It is not so much what we are doing but rather sticking to our promise to ourselves and each other to take even a little step each week towards one of our goals or things on our respective lists.   I have done everything from trying boxing, cleaning up my local park, taking a nude drawing class and committing to eating blueberries more often!  
WM: What plans do you have for the future of The 52 Weeks as a growing project?

KAY: The feedback from our readers and even the media has been encouraging and it seems like we are resonating with a lot of people — particularly women. Everyone has a “list” of things they want to do or change and we are inspiring and motivating people to get moving again and hopefully helping them to get a bit “unstuck”.   There is a book in progress, speaking engagements and hopefully a lot of inspiration to help others face their fears, learn new things and just get going again.

WM: Can your readers make suggestions of things to try out?
KAY: Absolutely!  They can e-mail us via the blog.

WM: Any exclusive sneak peek about future adventures for Women’s Mafia readers?

KAY: We knew this was going to be challenging but we had no idea how challenging!  Life gets in the way sometimes of our weekly plans but we are forging ahead and are about half-way through our journey.  I think the most exciting thing for Women’s Mafia readers are our dreams about the possibilities including currently developing the concept for a 52weeks app for iPhones so that users can find local deals and ideas to try new things in their own city.  In terms of our own adventures? Who knows what to tell you! It’s just really about always trying and keeping our promise to ourselves and each other!

Our good friend (and Women’s Mafia favorite DJ) Sharri Sutton, aka DJ Sharrimodel has shared her story with us in this Talent Q&A, explaining her style, influences and the differences in the industry between LA and NYC.

Enjoy the full article after the jump.

Women’s Mafia (WM): You alternate between being a model and a DJ. Which one are you doing more now? What projects are you most excited about working on?

Sharri Sutton (SS): Hey Women’s Mafia, thanks for this interview! Yes, I go back and forth and although I love both (but love modeling more), it seems as though I am doing more DJ gigs. Always ends up that way right?

The biggest project that I’m excited about working on actually is a series of short fashion/art videos I’m doing right now.

Basically, I made a short fashion/artsy video with my friend Ed who owns Ed Bennett Media Studios a few months ago. In the film I am jumping around wearing some hip artsy glasses and  a pink vinyl helmet (similar to my headphones) made by artist Kurt Bigenho from Unfinished. It came out great, I did the editing and was like, “I want to play this on projectors when I DJ!”.  I wanted to do more videos, but I don’t want them to all be of me, so now I’m shooting new videos showcasing different girls with the message “Black is beautiful”.

These new videos consist of gathering a lot of African American models that are of a middle brown tone.Today as black models trying to make it, from my experience and others I’ve met,  it seems to be really difficult for the middle tone brown skin girls. Either you have to be a really white pale European model or a really dark skinned model from Africa. So with these videos I’m showcasing that the middle is beautiful as well!  These girls will appear just being their beautiful selves and I’ll be playing them on projectors while I DJ.

WM: When DJ- ing, how would you describe your style when it comes to music selection?

SS: It’s funny because my boyfriend and I have been trying to define it in just 1 style. It’s definitely high energy and a lot of minimal techno, but then there’s also this electro mixed with electro – rock, baile – tech, dub- step sort of thing going on as well. If I were to define my style using examples of artists I enjoy playing I would have to say Buraka Som Sistema, Steve Bug, Rye Rye, MIA, Jack Beats, Crookers, Designer Drugs, balanced out with a little pop such as Rihanna.

WM: What was it like starting to model in LA before moving to NYC?

SS: LA was great because I made a lot of connections, not just for LA, but for New York. I mostly got my experience working at a series of fashion shows called Apartment-3, that was also where I got to model for Obey and if it wasn’t for working with photographer Dan Monick for the store Welcome Hunters, I wouldn’t have met Cody (Priestess NYC), which is how I met the Women’s Mafia!

WM: Is there any artist or person that has had a big influence in your life, as an artist or as a person?

SS: Besides my mom, my mentor Muhammida Eljihar, my hype girl Georgette and Kurt from Unfinished – I would have to mostly say Josephine Baker! I watched her documentary and couldn’t stop crying and I don’t cry at movies. I loved her energy and her spirit. She was an amazing entertainer, she kept searching for more and used her talents to be a humanitarian. She was free, she believed in herself, she succeeded through one of the toughest times in this country. She wouldn’t play for any crowds that were segregated. She had a long career and I admire her eclectic personality.

WM: Is the industry easier on models in NYC than it is in LA? Are they the same?

SS: It’s give and take with both, but I prefer modeling in New York because there is a since of overlap with fashion and art. I have worked with a lot of designers who are also artists which is amazing and just been exposed more to the art scene.

WM: What differentiates you as an artist?

SS: What? Besides the fact that I’m an alien? (just kidding). When I DJ I really feel like I’m on another planet and I want to take others to another planet, off this world with me.

WM: What can the Women’s Mafia make happen for you?

SS: Besides everything that Women’s Mafia has done already… I would have to say everything you’re already doing :)

I get so much energy and motivation from Womens Mafia. Everytime Womens Mafia calls me for another event I get so much positive energy and when I DJ the event I get so much support. So Womens Mafia is doing what they should be doing. They are supporting a female such as myself and many others to create and sustain a hard core mafia of “hell yeah” girls.

To read more about DJ Sharrimodel and find her contact info, visit her website by clicking here.

DJ Sharrimodel DJing for the Women's Mafia's SPA WARS book launch at Patricia Field

DJ Sharrimodel, Women's Mafia Founder Marcy Clark, Photographer Montana Vasquez

New York photographer and director Jeff Kennedy (Kennedy Etc), popular for his imaginative use of fashion models, announced the launch of his acclaimed six-page photo spread for Rolling Stone magazine including “The Great 8” unsigned bands, competing to win the chance to be on the cover of Rolling Stone.

The photographs complement a series of films directed by Jeff Kennedy, documenting each band’s musical growth and development. Kennedy’s work on the Rolling Stone cover contest comes after the Garnier Fructis Style Flies campaign, which is a video series covering some of today’s most talented musicians and their style, inspiration and influences.

“I love to collaborate with the talent, and in this case the artists were so open and eager to be creative that the approach was very effective. We truly captured each band’s personality during the shoot because they were willing to try new things”, says the artist.

Click here for more information

The Comic Book Theater Festival at the Brick Theater
and the Waverly Writers Collective Present

a Workshop Production of

REPORTER GIRL

Written by Laura Rohrman

Directed by Erica Gould

With
Julia Crockett Meghan Grady
Kate Grimes Chad Hoeppner Richard Thieriot
Amy Dickenson       Betty Hudson

Production Stage Manager: Miriam Hyfler       Producer: Lanie Zipoy

Friday, June 3rd, 8:45 pm
Sunday, June 5th, 4:00 pm
Sunday, June 12th, 8:00 pm

Tickets $10
www.bricktheater.com
866.811.4111

Wednesday June 8th
The Polar Lounge, 201 East 24th Street, New York
Pink Champagne Bar 7:30 – 9:00pm
Appetizers and Dancing till 11pm and later

Tickets and early-bird Film Festival Passes here, securely through paypal.
$30 Online, $40 at the Door (as space permits), $95 ticket and VIP Festival Pass
$30 online

Ticket with Early VIP Festival Pass $95

Press and media can RSVP to Marcy@womensmafia.com

Don’t you wanna get down like royalty?

About Lee Dagger:
Signed to Tommy Boy in New York, Happy Music (France), Ego (Italy), Stomp (Australia), with fellow band members Katherine Ellis and Marc JB. Lee has achieved UK #1 status with his co-production skills on Meck feat Leo Slayer Thunder In My Heart Again, had over 45 #1 club hits worldwide with productions and remixes for artists including Lady Gaga, The Killers, Kelis, Ke$ha, P!nk (6 times), Deep Dish, Annie Lennox, Britney Spears, Candi Staton, Keri Hilson, Kanye West and Ne-Yo.