Paradise Lost: New York City 1970s

I only now saw this on Matt's site, who also "just" found it. But suffice to say I wish I'd been able to attend this exhibition of disco-era NYC photos by Meryl Meisler that was recently at the Carole Lambert gallery in Paris. You can almost smell the poppers just looking below!

More HERE. 

That Was Then, but This Is Now

See what the locations of vintage postcards look like today HERE.

Teen Beat

All of these were taken by a teenage fanboy in the 1970s! Meet the photographer and see more classic photos HERE.

And in other music news, Webster Hall (formerly The Ritz) has been sold and will close soon -- to return as Spectrum Hall in 2020. (Sigh.)

Relive some of the venue's most memorable moments HERE.

Eric Papa's 'Walking Man' Photo Exhibit Opens June 7 at Bob Bar NYC Gallery

Excited to check out my friend Eric Papa's "I"m Walking Here, Scenes While Wandering NYC" photo exhibit opening next week at bOb Bar. (Photos are already on display now through the end of the month.) Hard to believe I've known this kid since we worked together in the late '90s -- been a pleasure watching him grow up and make so many of his dreams come true.

Info HERE.

The Schlong and the Short of It

Read what inspired the artist behind "Bare Men: A Male Nude Photo Series by Abigail Ekue Photography" HERE.

Order HERE.

Enjoying the 'High' Life

Everybody wants SOME.

A Higher Love

Pre-order HERE.

If your friends looked like Kevin McDermott's, you'd have photographed them buck naked on the High Line, too! See HERE.

Gentlemen Takes Polaroids

Via Boy Culture: Richard Corman sheds more light on those 66 new/old Madonna Polaroids of his that he recently unearthed. They were shot in 1983 as part of a movie in which his mom, Cis Corman, wanted Madonna to star. Read HERE.

Mapplethorpe Pop-Up Installation in NYC This Friday and Saturday

To celebrate the upcoming release of HBO's "Mapplethorpe: Look at the Pictures," a pop-up exhibition of his work will be launched this weekend in New York City that looks like it's going to be really cool. Details HERE. : 

Playboy to Publish Nude Madonna Photos From 1979

Good lord: If these photos were any more "lost," they'd be on the dollar bill ...

The Daily News writes:

Several nude photos of Madonna from a 1979 photo session will published in the May issue of Playboy as a feature called “Madonna: The Lost Nudes.” The never-before-seen images were taken more than 35 years ago by photographer Martin H.M. Schreiber at his Manhattan studio. After she became a pop star, Schreiber photographed her a second time for the September 1985 issue of Playboy. 

The rare photos of the Material Girl are featured in Schreiber’s new book, “A Retrospective 1966-2014,” which is scheduled to be released in June.

Photographer Jeff Eason Is 'Unfocused' at G Lounge

Congrats to my pal and fellow Michigander Jeff Eason -- aka Wilsonmodels -- whose "Unfocused" photo exhibition on display now at G Lounge was worth going out in the freezing rain to see!

Unintentionally Fabulous

Noticed by a Photoshop-equipped friend on Facebook: Madonna and I do both love New York. (My rave-ish review of "Rebel Heart" TK.)

Object Permanence

Learn about the limited-edition visual diary of Venfield 8 HERE.

The Way She Were

Just a few of the wonderful never-before-published photos of Babs from the new, limited-edition book called “Barbra: Streisand’s Early Years in Hollywood 1968 – 1976.” (And let's be honest, those were the Golden Years of Barbra -- "The Way We Were," "For Pete's Sake," "What's Up, Doc?") Read about the history of the images HERE. 

Order HERE.

Debbie Does London

Debbie Harry borrowed a line from Cher and turned back time -- she'll be 70 in less than a year! -- at the soiree at Somerset House in London for the release of Chris Stein's photography book, "Negative: Me, Blondie and the Advent of Punk." See everyone at the star-studded gala HERE.

Have Your 'Cake' and Eat It, Too?

A teaser from photographer Edwin Pabon's upcoming "CAKE" solo show at G Lounge on Dec. 9. in Chelsea. More work-unfriendlyish shots HERE and HERE.

Blondie Photo Exhibit at Chelsea Hotel Held Over Until Oct. 6

Great news, Blondies. By popular demand the 40th anniversary exhibition of Blondie photos at the Chelsea Hotel Storefront Gallery has been extended until Oct. 6. I wrote about it HERE -- and now the friend I visited the show with has written a wonderful piece about it for The Daily Beast HERE. 

You're welcome!

A Visit to the Blondie Exhibit at Chelsea Hotel

My favorite photo -- so candid, and so not seen before!

Felt like Christmas morning -- getting an import 12" single of  "(I'm Always Touched by Your) Presence Dear" from my mom -- attending the Blondie exhibition at the Chelsea Hotel Storefront Gallery Saturday night with my friend Tim Teeman. While as a superfan I could complain about a few things -- if Chris Stein really shot so many photos of  Debbie and the band back in the day, why are so many of the images in his new book ones we've seen so many times? (even the cover image of his NEW BOOK is rehashed! -- it was arguably the perfect presentation for medium to casual fans who may have missed some of these gems the first few (hundred) times around. Photos by Bob Gruen, Annie Leibovitz, Roberta Bayley, Robert Mapplethorpe, Bobby Grossman, Mick Rock, David Godlis, as well as Stein, plus vintage T-shirts and a display case filled with ephemera, made for a fascinating visit. And sure, the videos they had playing on a loop started to replay while we were there -- and we weren't there THAT long: this is a band that released the first-ever VIDEO ALBUM, so why not include all of their videos?! -- but I hadn't been in a room that was covered from wall to wall in Blondie memorabilia since I was a teenage boy in Arizona, so what's not to love?

Best of Blondie dress

I've been to a foam party at the Palladium back in the day, but can you imagine this?!

  

Debbie meets Duckie Dale

This must be from when Deb and Chris appeared on Glenn O'Brien's cable-access show, "TV Party." He's The Style Guy for GQ now

Always the hottest Blondie boy, who knew Clem could be so coquettish? 

Was she on E?

Remember what Debbie said about insuring her Warhol?

Tab Hunter was still dreamy when he shot "Polyester," for which Debbie and Chris provided the soundtrack. This was, like many, in "Making Tracks" though

There was a back room dedicated to "fan art," which apparently includes fans of Bea Arthur

My friend Tim had never seen the "Island of Lost Souls" video -- one of the handful they selected to play -- and probably wishes he never did. (OMG!)

I was so swept up on the moment that I broke down and bought the band's new double LP, which is one disc of re-recorded classics (yuck) and one disc of new stuff (mostly yuck), but includes a bonus DVD of a classic 1977 performance at CBGB during which Debbie rocked a pair of Coca-Cola pants!