Whether you believe the music industry to be thriving or dying, everyone can probably agree that there is no shortage of musicians in New York City. In Brooklyn alone, any night of the week offers a countless variety of live performances in all styles. Regardless of how many years these performers have been playing, their level of raw talent, or “who they know”, a single factor determines how they are received by an audience: rehearsal.
Think of the last show you saw. Did it blow your face off in awe? Put tears into your eyes? Or did it put a huge smile on your face? You feel such emotions because the musicians have practiced diligently, and are invested in their own perfection. These artists have been booking rehearsal spaces all over NYC, often traveling across hell’s half acre, hoping to find a room that sounds good. Or, with less idealism, just the most affordable option to practice regularly.
While thinking about ’90s pop groups, it seems many badass female artists have followed some intrinsic pull to become solo artists succeeding the rise of their careers. From Beyonce and Kelly Rowland, to Fergie and Gwen Stefani, there is no doubt that these decisions are a cultural paradigm of blazing American independence.
This is not just exclusive to the world of pop artists. To leave the bracketed comfort of a known name or branded identity to stand on your own is an admirable example of fearlessness and self-actualization, more than a lofty risk. Continue reading →
As a follow up to our Northside Festival preview, here is a recap of some of the shows we got to catch during the past weekend long festival. Continue reading →
Escorting your sweetie to the Brooklyn Night Bazaar is a genius Valentine’s date and here is why… First show your lover what a VIP he or she is with the Valentine’s Day SuperPass so you can skip the line in style! (Seriously no one wants to wait in line on a date…) Continue reading →
Over the past month, your fellow New York-based amateur songwriters have been crafting original songs and music videos that capture the spirit of Coney Island (many of which feature some pretty nifty archival footage). Viewers can vote for their favorite here.
So why is there a Brooklyn-centric festival so far across the pond, you may ask? In it’s second year, BROOKLYN, SWEDEN is a music, food and arts festival in Stockholm, a collaboration between Brooklyn Brewery and Sweden’s premier rock club group, Debaser.
This year’s fest, happening Aug 22nd – 25th, will include Brooklyn acts like El-P, Lydia Lunch, DJ Jonathan Toubin and Designer Drugs as well as large scale projection art from NBNY (responsible for that awesomely creepy eyeball projection at the Greenpoint waterfront in 2011). The fest will also feature food from Brooklyn Brewery House Chef, Andrew Gerson, beats and bites from FOTP’s BBQ Blowout, comedy from Found Footage Fest and photography from Slideluck.
The contestant with the most votes by 11:59pm EST Thursday, August 8th will receive airfare, hotel and passes to the fest. Additionally, they’ll perform their song live at the BROOKLYN, SWEDEN Send-Off show at the Rock Shop on August 17th with special guests from the festival lineup that, we’re told, are too top-secret to reveal just yet.
Check out last year’s winning ode to our beloved G Train by Teen Commandments, featuring the all-too-appropriate lyric, Will it ever come?
The Wild Honey Pie, a music blog based in Brooklyn, is a collective of writers, videographers, directors, photographers, and artists who promote the music they love via words, photos, original videos, and live concert events.
This year, they’re doing something new: Summer Camp! Imagine an entire day (to night) event during which they’ll be filming buzz sessions with six different bands, enjoying free food/beer/pool party/bbq/bonfire/all that good stuff at an uber (gasp!) secret location about an hour away from NYC on MetroNorth.
Summer Camp
I was able to chat with TWHP’s Christine Campbell, to tell us more about Summer Camp.
GP: What’s the concept behind the Summer Camp? Who are the Founders/ Organizers? How long has this been going for?
Christine: Summer Camp is the brainchild of Eric Weiner, founder of The Wild Honey Pie. We’re pulling it off with the help of our friends over at Consequence of Sound. Continue reading →
♦ Polish & Spanish Poetry Reading @ Greenpoint Library (107 Norman Ave) 6:30-7:30pm, FREE ♥ The Craft @ McCarren Park Summerscreen (No. 12th & Bedford Ave) 6pm, FREE, Performances by La Misma / Potty Mouth / Divorce Money ♫ Rumors / Junior Prom / Behaviors @ Union Pool (484 Union Ave) 9pm, $8 ♫ Bear Hunt Controversy @ Cameo Gallery (93 N. 6th St) 10pm, $8
THURSDAY 7/25
♦ Out Of The Sea / Into The Sea @ Picture Farm (338 Wythe Ave) 6-9pm, An evening of ocean inspired imagery from photographer Bobby Fisher spanning the globe from the Maldives to Montauk, RSVP ♫ Heliotropes / The Suzan @ Brooklyn Museum (200 Eastern Pkwy) 7pm, $12 ♦ Smashfest @ Villain (50. N.3rd St) 7pm, $15-30, a curated collection of film, art and culture about the NY surf community, ticket includes drinks & snacks, thru Sunday, more info ☺ The Cause B Show: Whistleblow Your Mind Comedy Show @ Over Eight (594 Union Ave) $5, 8:30-10:30pm, featuring some of NYC’s top comedians raising money for The Bradley Manning Defense Fund, RSVP ♫ This Frontier Needs Heros @ Manhattan Inn (632 Manhattan Ave) 9:30pm, FREE
FRIDAY 7/26
♦ Close Quarters @ Yes Gallery (147 India St.) Opening 6-10pm, Artwork by Nichole Handel & Jack Jerz ♫ Ghastly City Sleep / Ancient Sky / Don’t @ The Acheron (57 Waterbury St.) 8pm, $8 ♦ Rooftop Films Animation Blockparty @ Automotive HS Lawn (50 Bedford Ave) 8pm live music, films begin 9pm, $13, Afterparty @ Matchless, More info • U Screening @ Transmitter Park (Greenpoint Ave & East River) 8:30pm, FREE, Ages 6 & up, Mona is a princess who lives a lonely existence in a dilapidated castle by the sea. She is cruelly mistreated by a pair of rats until a unicorn named U appears to protect her…
SATURDAY 7/27
# NY State Food & Beer Expo @ East River State Park (Kent Ave & No. 8th St) 10am-7pm, $10, sample over 40 exclusive beers from over 20 NY microbreweries & farm-to-table foods from NY, More info • Ridgewood Market @ Greater Ridgewood Youth Council (59-03 Summerfield St) 11-5pm, Art, Vintage, Handmade, Food, More info ♫ Bushwick Block Party w/ Action Bronson / Pictureplane / Jamaican Queens / World’s Fair / MC Todd / Death Threat @ Moore St betw. Bogart St & White St, noon, FREE ♥ Bike Swap & BBQ @ East River Bar (97 South 6th St.) 3-7pm, FREE, Bring your bike parts, frames and bike related stuff to East River Bar and buy/sell/trade at no vendor cost or cover charge, RSVP ♫ The Due Diligence, Hippy, Journalism, Healing Stoned @ Muchmore’s (2 Havemeyer St) 8pm ♫ Hollaback Afterparty with War on Women / Shady Hawkins & Rhinestone Gorilla Burlesque@ Saint Vitus (1120 Manhattan Ave) 9pm, $10, Hollaback is a movement to end street harassment powered by a network of local activists around the world, RSVP
SUNDAY 7/28
• Ridgewood Market @ Greater Ridgewood Youth Council (59-03 Summerfield St) 11-5pm, Art, Vintage, Handmade, Food, More info ♦ Flux Fest @ Sandbox Studios (154 Morgan Ave.) 6-11:30pm, $15-20, a festival of 10 short films with time travel asan overarching theme, open bar, More info* Greenpointers’ Pick
♫ Music ♥ Pheremones likely ♦ Art Event ☺ Comedy Event # Foodie Event
WEDNESDAY 7/17 ♫ The Romney Years (Screening) @ Cantina Royal (58 No. 3rd St) 7pm, FREE, a psychedelic dark comedy centered around a shotgun wedding bachelor party in the backwoods of PA. Soundtrack by BK bands who perform before (Keith Parker / Bombs to the Eyebrows / Dead Beat Dad / Johnny Butler) and after (Public Speaking / My Love MHz / Ruben Sindo Acosta) RSVP ♫ Pee Wee’s Big Adventure plus performances by Oberhofer / Lodro / Bueno @ McCarren Park Summerscreen (Bedford & No. 12th St) 6pm, FREE ♫ Q Tip @ Output (74 Wythe Ave) 8pm, $10
THURSDAY 7/18 • “The More You Ignore Me” @ Word (126 Franklin St) 7-8pm, FREE, Travis Nichols presents his new novel inspired by his time at Poetry Foundation’s blog, which follows the exploits of user Lynksys181 as he crashes the wedding blog of complete strangers, in conversation with Emily Gould about (mis)behavior on the Internet, Q&A, signing, RSVP ♦ You Are Here @ 3rd Ward (195 Morgan Ave) Opening Reception 7-10pm, group art show that invites viewers to disconnect from mediated distractions and fully engage with their surroundings, RSVP ♫ Jacques Renault / Classixx @ House of Vans (25 Franklin St) 7pm, FREE * Tom Shillue’s Funny Story @ Brooklyn Brewery (79 North 11th St) 8pm, $10, The premise is simple: Tom and guests tell their best true stories, you drink Brooklyn beer and enjoy the show. ♫ Spirit of a Slained Eagle (Record Release) / Look, a Fang! / The Confidentials @ The Acheron (57 waterbury st) 8pm, $8 * Summer Noir @ City Reliquary (370 Metropolitan Ave) 8pm, featuring “After the Thin Man,” vintage cocktails, RSVP ♫ Sean Nicholas Savage / Jamaican Queens / Blanche Blanche Blanche / Regal Degal @ 285 Kent, 8pm, $8
FRIDAY 7/19 ♫ Maracatu – a Brazilian Percussion Ensemble @ McGolrick Park, 6-7:30pm, Free ♦ The Moon & The Sun @ AC Gallery (107A North 3rd St) 6-9pm, Japanese artist Kanae Ito solo exhibition & live performance, More info ♦ Hearts of Palm @ Acumen Project Space (37-18 Northern Blvd., LIC) Opening Reception 6-8pm, Summer Groups Show with artists: Summer Group With Artists: Matthew Craven, David Maddy, Michelle Matson, Matt James Stone, Trish Tillman, RSVP ♦ Unhinged Paperworks @ Janet Kunatowski Gallery (205 Norman Ave.) 7-9pm, a collection of paper works
SATURDAY 7/20 ♫ The So So Glos / The Moon Dudes / Las Rosas / New Cross / Greg Saunier @ Rippers (Beach 86, Rockaway) noon, FREE ♫ Gunfight / BOYTOY / Thizz Rattlers / DJ Double Head @ Union Pool (484 Union Ave) 2pm, FREE # Aguardiente Party @ Cafecito Bogota (1015 Manhattan Ave) 6pm, cocktails, shots & empanada Specials all night ♫ Beasty / Braver / Manawi Thorn / Hooks @ Saint Vitus (1120 Manhattan Ave) 8pm, $8 ♫ Soul Clap and Dance Off w/ Jonathan Toubin @ Brooklyn Bowl (61 Wythe Ave) 11:30pm, $21
SUNDAY 7/21 * Hosh Kids Yoga @ McGolrick Park, 11am, Free ♦ Other Rooms Press Poetry Reading @ t.d.b. (224 Franklin St) 1-3pm, FREE, A poetry reading in celebration of Other Rooms’ first print anthology, Ocellus Reseau, featuring poets Sapphire, Alan Gilbert, Melissa Goodrum, Susan Lewis, More info ♫ Spirit Plate / Lux Perpetua / Hippy / Friend Roulette @ Big Snow (89 Varet St) 8pm
MONDAY 7/22 ☺ Free Cable Comedy Show @ Over The Eight (594 Union Ave) 8pm # Brewed in Brooklyn Screening @ Brooklyn Brewery (79 North 11th St) 8pm, $10, The story of how Brooklyn was once the beer brewing capital of the world and could one day be again, Filmmakers Q & A, first free beer, Watch the Trailer, Buy Tix ♫ A Bunch of Dead People / Glockabelle / Hoya / Dead Beat Dad @ Glasslands Gallery (289 Kent Ave) 8:30pm, $10
* Greenpointers’ Pick ♫ Music ♥ Pheremones likely ♦ Art Event ☺ Comedy Event # Foodie Event
Try to take in too much at the Northside Festival and you’ll lose your mind; just putting together this guide was a harrowing experience! However, if you wander out into the wilds of the Brooklyn music circuit with no itinerary, you’ll find yourself in just as much of a state.
In addition to four days of music and five days of film, this year’s festival includes a tech conference called NExT (Northside Entrepreneurship + Technology). Although it’s nice to see that Northside–now in its fourth year–is expanding and going strong, this guide will focus on the music side of things.
Ava Luna. Photo c/o Joe Perez, Impose magazine (imposemagazine.com)
Thursday (6/31)
Swans, Chelsea Wolfe at Warsaw, 7pm ($32): If Iceage and A Place to Bury Strangers aren’t going to be loud enough for you, go to this. Come early for Chelsea Wolfe’s spooky folk.
Kisses, Selebrities, Rush Midnight, Chad Valley, The Ice Choir at Cameo Gallery, 7:30pm ($15): If you like your “Ice” bands a little dreamier, then this is the show for you. The hotly-tipped ‘80’s throwbackers Selebrities and the pleasing electro vibe of Chad Valley should steer the night away from being too overly-twee. Continue reading →
Whether you believe the music industry to be thriving or dying, everyone can probably agree that there is no shortage of musicians in New York City. In Brooklyn alone, any night of the week offers a countless variety of live performances in all styles. Regardless of how many years these performers have been playing, their level of raw talent, or “who they know”, a single factor determines how they are received by an audience: rehearsal.
