A friend of mine took me to a photography exhibit, Saturday, at Collective Gallery in Woodstock, which, apparently, I think, is part of D-Day Studios, but, in any event, it’s located at 60 Tinker Street. The photographer, Allan Tannenbaum, was the photo editor at The Soho Weekly News, a Village Voice alternative that published for about ten years in the 70s and early 80s, and, as such, Allan was in a position to photograph anyone who was anyone, in 1970s New York. From The Beatles and Stones to Barack and Bob Marley, Allan’s photographed them all! No one and not much escaped Allan’s lens, and I highly recommend the exhibition at Collective, which runs thru the end of June, and is called, “Punk Rock”! Featured are iconic shots of The Clash, Patti Smith, Chrissie Hynde, The Ramones, Talking Heads, Bowie, John and Yoko, Chris Stein and Debbie Harry of Blondie, and more, many of which have never been seen before, or, at least, I’ve never seen them before! There’s so many great pics, but, I think my favorite might be one of The Clash at the baggage claim in Kennedy Airport, all smoking cigarettes in the terminal while they wait for their gear! A period piece, indeed! Anyway, if you’re interested in this type of stuff, you’ve got 2 more weeks to get down there to grok these fine photographs of Rock n Roll icons at the height of their powers. And don’t forget to visit Allan’s website and also run a Google search on him and check out his other work. He’s got books and photos all over the internet and they’re all for sale. www.sohoblues.com
After you take in the Punk Rock exhibition, you might want to stop next door at 54 Tinker Street for a visit to Mike DuBois’ HappyLife Productions. Mike is one of the preeminent psychedelic artists in the country, if not the world, and, as such, has created posters, shirts, and many other items for The Grateful Dead, Allman Brothers, Levon Helm, Hot Tuna, and many other bands who wanted the best! The shop is filled with all sorts of cool stuff, and between Mike and Allan, you’re sure to see something you want to take home with you!
Fred Perry is a founding member of Alt-Country supergroup, The Brooklyn Cowboys, is from a 3rd generation musical family and lives in the Hudson Valley, where he does what he can to promote live music.
