February at Symphony Space Features NIGHT OUT WITH RICHARD HELL, THE LOVE SHOW, and More

February at Symphony Space brings a lively + eclectic trio of music shows in the intimate Leonard Nimoy Thalia: Night Out with Richard Hell, featuring Donald Cumming (lately of The Virgins) on February 12; The Love Show withHelga Davis, a Valentine's Day celebration with boozy benefits on February 13; and the multi-lingual, multi-media grooves of The Shanghai Restoration Project on February 26. Spanning indie rock, R&B, Chinese hip-hop, and much more, these shows embody the imaginative programming that has made Symphony Space a top destination for music on the Upper West Side. Tickets for all events are $25, $20 for those under 30, available atwww.symphonyspace.org.

Night Out with Richard Hell: Donald Cumming
?Thursday, February 12 (7:30 pm), Leonard Nimoy Thalia
In Night Out with Richard Hell, the progenitive NYC punk icon takes up residence in the Thalia to set the stage for artists that interest him today. Each evening in the series features an interview by Richard with an artist chosen by him, followed by the artist's performance - five events you will not forget.

For this evening's installment, Hell welcomes musician Donald Cumming. Born in Manhattan in 1981, Donald Cumming was 16 when he left home to make his own way on the city streets. Nearly two decades later he is still intimately involved in the music/ art scene of downtown NYC. Photographed as a teen by some of today's leading art and fashion photographers, he was most notably featured on the cover of Ryan McGinley's first book of photos in 2002. What followed was a brief foray into independent film: acting in 2006's Sundance short prize winner Bugcrush, and serving as director of photography for critically acclaimed documentary Billy the Kid. ?It was around this time that he began distributing home recordings of his music throughout the city. Prompted by the positive reception, he soon formed his band The Virgins. Before the lineup was even complete, or they had played a single live show, they signed a deal with Atlantic Records. Following the critical and commercial success of their '07 EP and self titled début in 2008, the band toured extensively around the world, but due to an inner conflict, it would be five years before they released another album.

With an all-new line up, The Virgins reformed in 2013 and released their sophomore effort, Strike Gently, this time on Julian Casablancas' fledgling indie label, Cult Records. After the long silence, things were looking up for the band. But after just one album cycle, which saw them tour much of the US and Europe, return to late-night TV on the Jimmy Fallon Show, and play two arena tours opening for The Killers, the group mysteriously disbanded, this time for good. ?In 2015, Donald Cumming will release his début solo album on Washington Square Records. He still lives and works in New York's East Village, and earlier this year played his first solo show at the Bonnaroo festival in Tennessee.

Sounds & Spirits Valentine's Day Special: The Love Show
With classic romantic cocktails by Small Batch America
Friday, February 13 (7:30 pm), Leonard Nimoy Thalia

Part concert and part performance piece, The Love Show features internationally acclaimed singer and WNYC/WQXR/Q2 radio host Helga Davis and a collection of New York's most powerful and soulful vocalists reinterpreting classic love songs - from Cole Porter to Marvin Gaye to Bill Withers - so beautifully you'll never hear them the same way again. It's a riveting and sublime celebration of love in honor of the most lovely of holidays, Valentine's Day. Davis sings and hosts, joined by vocalists Carla Cook, Tomás Cruz, Marcelle Davies-Lashley, Josette Newsam-Marchak, and James Staten, with Music Director and keyboardist Adam Klipple.

Says Davis, "Messy, colorful, layered, beautiful... This is what love looks like. If you've Never Known What Love Was All About, gone screaming and Searchin' into the night at love's insistence, proclaimed, Use me Up, cried, I'll Do Anything Just to Keep You Satisfied, been 'Buked and Scorned or covered in Golden Stardust, you'll be in just the right place! In a country where an estimated 17-21 million people suffer from triskaidekaphobia, I hope you'll join me and some of my favorite singers and musicians for The Love Show on Friday the 13th. It's a most improbable night for a most important question: What is this thing called love?"

REscored: The Shanghai Restoration Project
With special guests Zhang Le and Ray Lei
Thursday, February 26 (7:30 pm), Leonard Nimoy Thalia
The Shanghai Restoration Project blends Chinese culture, hip-hop, and electronic music with stunning visuals to create a wholly unique multi-media performance. Emmy-winning producer Dave Liang and collaborator Jamahl Richardson take listeners on a sonic journey through the city, evoking its infectious energy with a beat-driven, interactive show that draws its creative inspiration from old 1930s Shanghai jazz bands. The set showcases a diverse repertoire of music accompanied by projected visuals from leading Chinese visual artists.

This performance will also feature the renowned Shanghai singer Zhang Le, described by Oscar winning composer Tan Dun as "a rising young star with a remarkable gift," and a special guest appearance by the acclaimed Chinese animator/rapper Ray Lei. Writes Popmatters, "Liang . . . treats us to a delicious and lush blend of traditional Chinese instruments with hip-hop and electronica to make something truly unique and fun to listen to. "

A B O U T S Y M P H O N Y S P A C E

Symphony Space traces its beginnings to a free marathon concert, Wall to Wall Bach, held in 1978 and organized by co-founders Isaiah Sheffer and Allan Miller. The music marathon then drew thousands of visitors and has since become one of the organization's signature events. Today Symphony Space presents more than 600 events each season, including music, dance, theater, film, and literary readings. Some of its best known programs include Selected Shorts, a reading of short stories by stars of stage and screen, and one of the most popular series on public radio; Thalia Docs, screening groundbreaking documentaries on Sundays; National Theatre Live, broadcasting the best of British theatre to cinemas around the world; and Just Kidding, one of the most talked about family entertainment series around town. A new offering this season is REscored, in which some of the most innovative musicians on the scene play live original scores to accompany cinematic gems, from Charlie Chaplin's The Kid to Kung Fu classic Enter the Dragon. Uptown Showdown has been called "New York's best comedy series" by New York magazine. For more information, visit symphonyspace.org.

Symphony Space is located at 2537 Broadway at 95th Street. Box office hours are Tuesday through Sunday, 1 pm - 6 pm, open two hours prior to performances and events. Tickets can also be purchased through www.symphonyspace.org, or by calling 212/864-5400.

Photo Credit © ' Inez & Vinoodh