Albert Maysles is about as humble and earnest a man you will find anywhere in the world, which makes the fact that he’s a filmmaking legend all the more amazing. He and his brother David pioneered “direct cinema” in the 1960’s, revolutionizing documentary filmmaking, and are responsible for the great films Salesman, Grey Gardens and Gimme Shelter. On 8.26 Albert regaled a rapt crowd at the Rogan store on the Bowery in NYC with stories from his improbable and fascinating career, interspersing never-before-seen clips from his extensive film catalog. Criterion will soon be releasing extended versions of these gems on DVD, including a buzzed and slaphappy Marlon Brando trying to get through a press junket, The Rolling Stones listening to the mixdowns of Wild Horses for the first time, a wigged Salvador Dali speaking jibberish to a bikini-clad Raquel Welch and Muhammad Ali shadow boxing the camera on a deserted road in Africa.

Above, that’s Al and Fred [gripped tight in his right] giving an interview to Vanity Fair after the show. For a little guy, Fred is a huge fan.

Michael Stipe and designer Rogan Gregory [checkout http://rogannyc.com] launched their collaborative art exhibit at Rogan’s studio on Bowery in NYC on June 26, 08 for a month. Bronzed cassette tapes above, by Michael, represent the power of media as a blank canvas for art, retro-style. Fred was cold chillin’ at the studio in about the most humid environment of his career [a sweaty night it was]. Other interesting folk at the event included ColdPlay’s Chris Martin, brother-in-law Jake Paltrow [ NYPD Blue, Director and brother of Gwyneth ], Mike D of Beastie Boys and artists Jeff Koons, Michael Halsband and Terrence Koh. As the consummate blackbelt in hanging out, take Fred’s word for it when he says: “Checkout Rogan Jeans.” They must be Fred-friendly…