MTV LABS: NYC vs. LA. Guess who wins?

New York:

Thursday 11/30
Blip Festival
Varied
$5-$35

Digital composers tweak their old game consoles to make electronic music that is creating a huge buzz, so to speak, in the new chiptune scene. This weekend, the first ever Blip Festival dedicates itself to this innovative form with workshops, performances, and film screenings.

The Tank
15 Nassau St.
Manhattan, NY
(212)563-6269
http://www.blipfestival.org/

Woyzeck
8 PM
$35

After it's sold out run in London, newbie director Daniel Kramer takes his rock-n-roll interpretation of the oft-interpreted German play to Brooklyn. The play, most famous for not being finished before the death of the playwright, Georg Buchner, chronicles a man's descent into madness and murder, this time with a hot soundtrack.

St Ann's Warehouse
38 Water St.
DUMBO, Brooklyn
(718)254-8779
http://www.artsatstanns.org/index2.html

Saturday 12/2
Live at the Lyceum
9 PM
$8

Spike TV Research's Teresa Lee and her sexy punk-pop band Paperdoll headline this monthly music series, while Brooklyn artist Lance Rautzhan projects his abstract expressionist paintings.

Brooklyn Lyceum
227 4th Ave, corner of President St.
Brooklyn, NY
http://www.myspace.com/paperdoll

Brenda Hutchinson
8 PM
$15

Sound artist Brenda Hutchinson performs short improvisations using her Long Tube, a vocal manipulator she created herself, and a laptop. She will also show clips from her Bell Project, a cross-country social and sound experiment involving a large bell and passerbys.

Roulette
20 Greene Street between Canal and Grand Sts.
Manhattan, NY
http://thebellproject.blogspot.com/
http://www.roulette.org/

Monday 12/4
Matt & Katina: We Didn't Start The Fire
9:30 PM
$5

Funny faux weatherman Matt McCarthy of the 2004 Labs' Safe Place to Suck Talent Show joins fellow comic Katina Corrao for a half hour of flame-worthy sketch madness.

UCB Theatre
307 w26th Street
Manhattan, NY
(212)366-9176
http://www.ucbtheatre.com/schedule/showdetails.php?showid=178

Wednesday 12/6
Dance without Bodies
8 PM
$12

Bessie-award-winning choreographer Koosil-ja presents this experimental dance and video piece that uses a performing method called "live processing," a fusion of improvisation and choreography.

The Kitchen
512 West 19th Street, between 9th and 10th Ave
Manhattan, NY
(212) 255-5793
http://www.thekitchen.org/

Still Life with Commentator
7:30 PM
$20-$45

Jazz composer Vijay Iyer teams up with hip hop poet Michael Ladd and conceptual artist Ibrahim Quraishi to present this stunning multimedia performance, with music by electronic bigs Pamela Z, Guillermo E. Brown, Okkyung Lee and others. As part of the BAM Next Wave Festival.

Brooklyn Academy of Music
30 Lafayette Avenue
Brooklyn, NY
http://www.bam.org/events/07STIL/07STIL.aspx

Los Angeles:

Thursday 11/30
DWP Light Festival
5 – 10 PM
Free

Let there be light on Griffith Park! Over a million lights adorn the entrance and walk-way of the park in signature Hollywood style: flashy, bright, and totally LA.-centric. A holiday gift from the city's Department of Water and Power.

Griffith Park
4370 Crystal Springs Dr.
Los Angeles, CA
(323) 913-4688 ext. 9

Friday 12/1
Los Angeles Nights
7 PM
Free

The Michael Dawson Gallery presents San Diego photographer Scott Davis' first solo exhibit with photographs taken by a 16x20 inch view camera he built himself.

Michael Dawson Gallery
535 North Larchmont Blvd
Los Angeles, CA
(323)469-2186
http://www.dawsonbooks.com/index.php

Sunday 12/3
Gospel Brunch
10 AM or 1 PM
$32 - $40

Break bread and praise the Lord at this all-you-can-eat southern style buffet and gospel stage show. Every week different gospel groups from around the region perform.

House of Blues on Sunset Strip
8430 Sunset Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA
(323)848-5100
http://www.hob.com/tickets/eventdetail.asp?eventid=42422

Monday 12/4
L.A. Auto Show
11 AM – 10:30 PM
$10

Come check out the luxury rides, celebrity wheels, pimped-out concept cars and pimped-out celebrities.

LA Convention Center
1201 S Figueroa St.
Los Angeles, CA
(213)741-1151

Wednesday 12/6
Holiday Slide Show
8 PM
$30

Cultural slideshow anthropologist Charles Phoenix presents his heart warming and comical collection of photos which hearken back to the simpler times of the 40’s through the 60’s. The photographs are shown in slide show format with a narration by the artist.

Egyptian Theater/American Cinematheque
6712 Hollywood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA
(323)466-3456
http://www.godblessamericana.com/

Enjoy the ride.

Barbara
With West Coast correspondent Monika Zielinska