These really are the days of lasers in the jungle: on the eve of his 70th birthday, Paul Simon has announced a new box set and tour for the 25th anniversary of his landmark album, Graceland. Simon says he intends to reunite with the musicians who played with him on the album 25 years ago for the tour, including South African vocal group Ladysmith Black Mambazo. more ›

Special Paul Simon concerts in New York City usually happen in massive spaces like Central Park, but last night the musician took the more intimate Webster Hall, where his pal David Byrne joined him on stage for "You Can Call Me Al," and "Road To Nowhere" (see Byrne take a graceful tumble in the former): more ›

The NJ Nets have been fined $50,000 by the NBA for minority owner Jay-Z's ill-timed visit to the locker room of the Kentucky Wildcats. Jay-Z, newly minted lifestyle guru and chicken wing enthusiast, was videotaped March 31 in the locker room at Newark's Prudential Center with the Wildcats players, moments after they had beaten North Carolina to clinch a berth in the Final Four. more ›

This story would be a lot cooler if our protagonist actually attempted to look anything at all like Paul Simon, and had Chevy Chase lip-syncing next to him. As it is, the NY Post reports a man over 6-feet-tall tried to steal the (5'3") singer's identity and withdraw money from his bank account. 54-year-old Rafael Ramos attempted to take out $4,300 from a Citibank on Broadway and West 86th Street using Simon's name, account and Social Security number, but the teller was suspicious since, you know, he looked nothing like one of the most famous musicians of our time. Ramos tried to escape the scene of his foiled caper but cops busted him. He was charged with attempted larceny and taken to the hospital after telling the officers he was depressed. more ›

Bold faced names showed up for the re-opening of the gloriously renovated Beacon Theatre last night. With Paul Simon performing, Fox News' Roger Friedman spotted celebrities like Paul McCartney with girlfriend (and MTA board member) Nancy Shevell, Jon Bon Jovi with wife Dorothea, Harvey Weinstein and Georgina Chapman, Rosie O’Donnell and Kelli Carpenter, Whoopi Goldberg, James Gandolfini and his wife, Jimmy Fallon with wife Nancy Juvnonen— plus Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Ray Kelly. Friedman wrote:

he night was billed just as a Paul Simon, and that would have been enough. Simon played for over two hours with a twenty minute intermission, and covered all parts of his solo career from “You Can Call Me Al,” “Graceland,” and “Boy in the Bubble” to earlier hits like :”Me and Julio,” “Loves Me Like A Rock,” “Late in the Evening,” and “Slip Slidin’ Away.” For very old Simon fanatics, he threw in “Duncan” from his first solo album. more ›

New York City was amply represented during last night's National Design Awards at the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum. more ›

A look at some noteworthy television this week: more ›

Brooklyn Vegan (via Reuters) reports that New York's Hit Factory studio will be turned into condos. The building, which is on West 54th Street between Ninth and 10th, closed in 2005. Prior to that musicians like John Lennon, Stevie Wonder, Madonna and U2 recorded there. This place should be a museum, not someone's $1 million bachelor pad. more ›

Paul Simon and Billy Joel's former tour manager was fatally stabbed by his girlfriend in his Upper East Side apartment yesterday. And it was his 57th birthday! Police arrested Kathleen Connors, who was neighbors say was covered in blood from a vicious fight with Danny Harrison, who had been producing shows for the Food Network recently. Harrison lived at 530 East 89th Street, right near Gracie Mansion. A neighbor had called the police to report that there was a "violent dispute," and tells the Times that "it sounded as if Ms. Connors was being assaulted by Mr. Harrison." more ›

Jaymay more ›

Jenny Oh, Documentary Filmmaker more ›

Oscar Commentary
Oscar is celebrating its 75th anniversary, I'm celebrating my 25th anniversary of watching Oscar. more ›

The evening is over, while Gothamist will be following up with extensive commentary about the actual Oscar telecast, here are the winners and some post-game analysis: more ›