PAPER's own senior editor and art critic Carlo McCormick has curated a sick-sounding group show, "Détournement: Signs of the Times," that's opening tonight at Jonathan LeVine Gallery. The term "détournement," McCormick explains, which was coined in the 1950s, is the "common strategy by which to subvert consensus visual language so as to turn the expressions of capitalist culture against themselves." The artists presented in his exhibit -- AIKO, Dan Witz, David Wojnarowicz, Dylan Egon, Eine, Ilona Granet, Jack Pierson, John Law (Jack Napier), Leo Fitzpatrick, Mark Flood, Martin Wong, Max Rippon (RIPO), Mike Osterhout, Posterboy, Ron English, Shepard Fairey + Jamie Reid, Steve Powers (ESPO), TrustoCorp, Will Boone, Zevs -- have done just that. The opening goes from 7-9 p.m. [via Brooklyn Street Art]Dust & Grooves, a project/website devoted to gathering together the world's best vinyl collections, is raising money for a book project. At tonight's fundraiser, a slew of the city's best vinyl DJs -- from Mr. Finewine to Jonathan Toubin to Monk-One -- will be spinning at Botanica to make this book a reality. [via Stereophile]
At tonight's installment of "Real Characters," McNally Jackson's monthly storytelling and performance art show, 2012 PAPER Beautiful Person Mike O'Brien, SNL's newest cast-member Kate McKinnon, Daily Show writer Hallie Haglund, and champion storyteller Dawn Fraser will do their respective things, which we assume will be extremely hilarious. [McNally Jackson]
If you didn't manage to snag tickets to British dance-punkers Bloc Party (whose much-awaited new album Four is out later this month) sold-out concert with The Drums tonight Terminal 5, the show will be live-streamed at Bowery Presents' YouTube channel. [Oh My Rockness]
Speaking of block parties... Wu Tang's Ghostface Killah and Sheek Louch, aka D-Block, who are currently touring as Wu-Block, take over the Highline Ballroom for a Wu-Block Party. [Last.fm]
The 2011 Jon Favreau-directed action flick Cowboys & Aliens screens tonight in Hudson River Park as a part of the ongoing RiverFlicks series. [NYC Parks]
Los Angeles
The super-popular, Icelandic chamber-folk sextet Of Monsters and Men will play at the Observatorytonight in the wake of their newest release, My Head Is In An Animal. [The Observatory OC]Neal Stephenson, bestselling science fiction author, will read from his new collection of mostly-nonfiction essays (one of which Boing Boing called the "Moby-Dick for undersea cabling"), Some Remarks, at Skylight Books tonight. [Skylight Books]
Get your Spaghetti Western on tonight at the Egyptian Theater, where they'll be screening Tepepa (1969) and Yankee (1966), complete with English subtitles for those whose Italian is a bit rusty. [Flavorpill]
Chicago
Gillian Flynn, the author behind critically-acclaimed thrillers Sharp Objects and Dark Places, reads from her latest page-turner, Gone Girl, at Barnes & Noble tonight. [Chicago Reader] The legendary pop singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright will sing the lush tunes off his latest Mark Ronson-produced record, Out of the Game, at The Vic Theater tonight, along with fellow son-of-a-singer, Leonard Cohen's son Adam Cohen. [Time Out]
London
You lucky, lucky Londoners! As part of the Meltdown 2012 Festival, curated by Antony and the Johnson's enigmatic and wonderful frontman Antony Hegarty, Mr. Hegarty himself will be interviewed (and assume interview as well) pop icon Boy George tonight, which'll be followed by a Boy George acoustic set at the Purcell Room. [Time Out]
