CRUEL SUMMER: 80S + 90S DANCE PARTY takes over 2 rooms of The Bell House, Friday, August 11th at 8pm, with 10-piece cover band The Engagements, Party Like It’s 1999’s DJ Steve Reynolds, music videos and a sing-along with SecretFormula and Music Video Time Machine More info and discounted tix [sponsored]
WEDNESDAY 8/9 ♦ SummerScreen: Beetlejuice @ McCarren Park, 6pm, FREE, Join us for an ~audience choice~ selection: BEETLEJUICE! Gates open at 6pm, Sad13 performs at 7:30pm, and the film starts at sundown, More info * FWTP General Meeting @ McCarren Play Center (776 Lorimer St), 7pm, FREE, Friends of WNYC Transmitter Park is holding a general meeting to converge and discuss all things Transmitter Park, More info ♫ ¡Candela! feat. Talacha @ Bembe (81 South 6th St), 10pm, FREE, ¡CANDELA! is back with resident mami, DJ BEMBONA! AFRO. LATINX. CARIBBEAN. FUEGO!, More info
THURSDAY 8/10 ♦ Grants Info Session: Williamsburg @ Spaceworks Williamsburgh Library (240 Division Ave), 11am, FREE, Brooklyn Arts Council’s Community Arts Grants (up to $5,000) are available to support arts and cultural projects taking place across Brooklyn in 2018, More info * Unpacking the Major Arcana; Part 1 @ Catland (987 Flushing Ave), 7pm, $20, Join Catland and the Book Unbound explore the hidden meanings contained within the Smith-Waite tarot card deck, RSVP ♫ Bowie Bowl with The Band from Mars! @ Brooklyn Bowl (61 Wythe Ave), 8pm, $10, The Band from Mars! plays Ziggy Stardust in its entirety, plus hits from all other eras of Bowie, Buy tix ♫ Blaze Bayley (Wolfsbane/Iron Maiden), RESISTANCE, Psychoprism @ Saint Vitus (1120 Manhattan Ave), 8pm, $20, Former IRON MAIDEN and WOLFSBANE vocalist BLAZE BAYLEY with very special guests RESISTANCE from California, Buy tix Continue reading →
We’re once again joining in on all the Northside Festival fun with our own official showcase happening tomorrow, June 8th at Bar Matchless (557 Manhattan Ave) starting at 8PM. RSVP here!
* Fight the Feed @ Legion Bar (790 Metropolitan Ave) 8pm, $10, How do you really affect change? Does marching in the street actually reach the offices of power, or do you need to get a meeting in those offices before they’ll really listen. We break down the protest memes, and get to what really makes a difference, Buy tix ♫ Bad History Month, Dust from 1000 Yrs, Yazan @ Park Church Co-Op (129 Russell St) 8pm, An intimate show of solo performances, More info ♫ Deep Space Brooklyn @ Output (74 Wythe Ave) 10pm, $10, Known as an adventure into future dub, spacey vibes, and abstract grooves, Deep Space features dj’s, musicians, dancers and poets who represent a breathtaking range of styles celebrating dub’s impact on so many forms of art, Buy tixContinue reading →
* Starting Your Intimacy Revolution with Christine Long @ New Women Space (188 Woodpoint Rd) 7pm, $20, Find intimacy in new ways by cultivating closeness and connection through your work, community and self, Buy tix ♦ Olio at Idio: On Civil Disobedience, Resisting the Machine @ IDIO Gallery (976 Gran St) 7pm, $12, When a government becomes a machine that churns out injustice, it is the right and the duty of the citizen to resist the actions of that machine, to throw a spanner in its works. Talk led by Professors Michael Haltenberger and Michael Prettyman, RSVP
THURSDAY 1/19
* Fundraiser for Oakland Ghost Ship Fire Victims @ Bar Matchless (557 Manhattan Ave) 6pm, $10-25, Film screenings of MLK JR. WAY and Remember You’re Special. All proceeds go to benefit victims of the Oakland Ghost Ship Fire, More info * Trump, Keep Out: A Planned Parenthood Benefit @ Broken Land (105 Franklin St) 7pm, FREE, Celebrate the last day of Obama’s presidency with an Inauguration Eve party. ALL PROCEEDS from bar and raffle sales during the event will be donated to Planned Parenthood, RSVP * Celebrate the End of the World @ Northern Territory (12 Franklin St) 7pm, FREE, Drink, dance & celebrate the last night of the Obama administration #comewhatmay. Here’s to 8 years of progress and growth- you’re gonna feel like shit on Friday anyways. #thankyouobama, More info Continue reading →
For all you Halloweeners out there, here are our top picks for some fine spine chillin’ in North Brooklyn. Whether you’re in the mood to dance the night away with DJs, see rad costumed cover bands, freak out at scary movies, compete in a costume contest, take a zombie terrarium class or participate in a basement seance, our neighborhood has truly an abundance of choice this year.
⟫⌇⧘⧚⧛⧙⌇⟫ WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26 ⟪⌇⧘⧚⧛⧙⌇⟪
GIF-O-Ween at Brooklyn Bazaar Sponsored by GIPHY and presented by Animation Block Party, GIFOWEEN is a Halloween-themed animation loop contest!
This party will feature the official launch of GIPHY PRESENTS: GIF DANCE PARTY, a fully immersive dance environment that allows you to finally become dance partners with all your favorite online characters at once! Brooklyn Bazaar | 150 Greenpoint Ave.
8pm-12am, FREE, Costumes highly encouraged RSVP on Facebook
An Urban Spookfest is coming to the Greenpointers Fall Market this Sunday (10/30, 1-7PM)!! Spiced Hot Cider with Sailor Jerry’s and Crimson & Clove spices, craft beer by Greenpoint Beer & Ale, henna tattoos, massages by [email protected], tarot card readings, nail art, face painting, live music, 50+ vendors & more!!! RSVP
WEDNESDAY 10/26 * Scary Pumpkin Carving @ The Diamond (43 Franklin St) 5pm, FREE, Pumpkins, tools, and candles provided, RSVP ^ Meals & Spiels @ Our Lady of Mt Carmel Church (275 North 8th St) 6pm, $50, Support the City Reliquary and enjoy a feast from local culinary rockstars and fascinating tales from everyday NYC heroes, Buy tix
* GIFoween @ Brooklyn Bazaar (150 Greenpoint Ave) 7pm, FREE, a screening of the winners of Giphy’s Halloween-themed animation loop contest, RSVP
THURSDAY 10/27
* The Pumpkin Patch Playground @ Greenpoint Playground (Franklin St & Dupont St) 3pm, FREE, Pumpkin decorating, face painting, activities, music, tricks, and treats, More info
* Suspiria @ Dobbin Street (64 Dobbin St) 6:30pm, FREE, A projected screening of the film within a site-specific installation inspired by Dario Argento’s colorful vision and cinematography, RSVP ♫ Skeletonwitch @ Saint Vitus (1120 Manhattan Ave) 7pm, $16, With Iron Reagan / Oathbreaker / Homewrecker, Buy tix
BKCF Founders (Julian Kiani, Chris Nester and Ashleigh Walker) headliner, Reggie Watts. Photo by: Rafe Baron
Last week the Brooklyn Comedy Festival filled Greenpoint and Williamsburg’s bars and music venues with top names in both local and big-time comedy. It was the festival’s third year to take over our hilarious borough, and we caught up with one of the founders, Chris Nester, to see how things went and what goes into making the fest a success.
Greenpointers: So, the festival is over! How’d it go?
Chris Nester: Oh my god it’s over? Really?! How did it go? JUST KIDDING…We’re really happy with how this year’s festival went. We were trying to pull off a lot, and I think we did it without letting anyone know how tired we were.
GP: I don’t know about that. You look pretty awful.
CN: They sent a comic to do the interview. Perfect.
GP: (Sorry). What made you decide to start the Brooklyn Comedy Festival in the first place?
CN: Julian [Kiani] and I were performing and going to shows in Brooklyn every night. We saw that something special was happening in NYC comedy, and that it was happening in Brooklyn. One night after a show, we had a candid conversation that basically went, “Is there a Brooklyn comedy festival?” “No, I don’t think there is…” “That’s crazy. We should start that.” Then we pitched it to Ashleigh [Walker], our producer, and less than a year later we had the first Brooklyn Comedy Festival.
GP: How long have you been in Brooklyn?
CN: I’ve lived in Brooklyn for six years. Moved here Sept. 10, 2010.
GP: Have you seen a change in the Brooklyn comedy scene since you moved here?
CN: Mostly, I’ve just seen it grow – not only in the amount of performers getting up every night in BK, but also in the number of shows happening and the number of people coming to watch those shows. In many ways, the festival has grown with the scene and the borough, and I think that has helped us a lot.
GP: Your team works out of the Pencil Factory in Greenpoint. What made you choose that space as a home base?
CN: Free coffee.
GP: Sounds about right. What’s your favorite place to watch comedy in Greenpoint?
CN: I am a huge fan of the show Broken Comedy that happens at Bar Matchless every Monday night. They’ve tapped into something there – there’s always a good crowd and a full room, and the line-ups are always killer. It’s FREE. It’s become a great Monday night spot for comics to hit before they run off to Whiplash or wherever, and also for comics to hang if they’re done for the night.
GP: What’s Whiplash?
CN: It’s a great showcase at UCB’s mainstage every Monday night. Also free.
GP: Back to the festival: What venues were added this year that weren’t a part last year?
Crowd at Music Hall of Williamsburg on the last night of the fest. Photo by: Rafe Baron
CN: We had a few this year… Bell House, Threes Brewing, Dizzy’s Backroom, Music Hall of Williamsburg… As the scene continues evolving, with certain weekly [and] monthly shows ending and new shows always popping up, I think we’ll have new venues every year. A lot of our new venues are for shows that already exist and we attach to the festival.
GP: Did you notice a difference in the turnout this year?
CN: Every year we add more shows and bigger venues…it’s amazing that every year people continue to pack out almost every single show. It blows my mind, every single year.
GP: There were some big names on the roster like Reggie Watts and Vanessa Bayer, to name a couple. How do you get the larger acts on the lineup?
CN: I’ll just say that we have a lot of friends doing amazing things in comedy, and sometimes the stars align and we get to work together.
GP: Can we be friends?
CN: I sent you a friend request like five min before this interview even started, soooooo ball’s in your court.
GP: Score. What would you say is the biggest factor in the success of the festival?
CN: One huge factor in our festival’s success is the growth of its namesake borough. There are so many more people in Brooklyn now, and that mixed with the comedy boom we’re currently living in… I think people wanted this type of festival and they’re responding to it. We also work our asses off year-in and year-out to put on a good festival.
GP: Reggie is magic. So, what are your plans for the future of the festival?
CN: 1.) To make sure Trump doesn’t get elected….not sure how but we’re really working hard on that.
2.) That’s a tough question, and we try to make changes every year based on what we’ve seen and learned from the year before so we’re kind of just starting to look at next year. Our main goal has always been to lift up our scene, its fans and performers however we can, so we’re going to try and continue to do that as best we can.
Check out the Brooklyn Comedy Festival on places like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for highlights from this year and info on the next!
McGolrick Park Neighborhood Alliance invites you to spend August in McGolrick! To celebrate the park’s 125 anniversary, the Alliance is hosting five events, kicking off with a classical music concert in the Park Pavilion on Thursday, August 11, 2016, at 7 pm. A local musical group, the Church Park Quintet, will perform works by Haydn, Boccherini and others. Please join us tomorrow in McGolrick Park! [sponsored]
WEDNESDAY 8/10 * SummerScreen @ McCarren Park, 6pm, FREE, This year’s audience choice selection will be Almost Famous, More info * Coloring Club Drink & Draw @ New York Distilling Co (79 Richardson St) 7:30pm, $5, An unlimited supply of coloring pages are available, as well as colored pencils, crayons, and markers, plus cocktail specials, Buy tix
THURSDAY 8/11 # Kreung Cambodian Pop-Up Dinner @ The Diamond (43 Franklin St) 6pm, FREE, Chef Chakriya Un will be preparing a delectable spread of delights, RSVP ♫ Classical Music in the Park @ McGolrick Park, 7pm, FREE, A concert by the Park Church Quintet, More info ^ Bad Advice from Bad Women @ Word (126 Franklin St) 7pm, FREE, Emily Books presents Niina Pollari, Ruth Curry, Jade Sharma, Chloe Caldwell, Melissa Gira Grant, and Natasha Stagg, More info
Thinking of heading up to the mountains this summer?
Some music festivals take a journey to see. For this weekend, here’s a suggestion for the Catskills but also a nice outdoor band line-up in Bushwick for those who prefer to stay close to the L train.
WEDNESDAY 6/22 * Himapan: Lotus Leaf Painting @ Brooklyn Art Library (28 Frost St) 3pm, $95, Flex your creative muscle and paint a lotus masterpiece; get 30% off with code PAINT, More info ♫ James Brown vs. Prince @ The Hall at MP (470 Driggs Ave) 8pm, $18, Featuring members of the Trey Anastasio Band, Lettuce, Turkuaz, Kung Fu, Rubblebucket, Jazz Is PHSH, and more, Buy tix
THURSDAY 6/23 * Craft Party @ Brooklyn Craft Co (61 Greenpoint Ave) 7pm, $55, Make five different DIY projects, from macrame to mini-bookbinding to glass etching, More info ♫ The Wild Honey Pie Presents @ Rough Trade (64 North 9th St) 8pm, $15, With Soak and Overcoats, Buy tix * Puppet Playlist #21: Dolly Parton @ Triskelion Arts (106 Calyer St) 8:30pm, $13, A group of puppeteers and musicians create original works of puppetry and music based on a musical theme, Buy tix
