Spaghetti and Mama’s Meatballs. Photo by Molly Tavoletti.
Echoes of the Cozy Royale catering hall can still be heard in the warm dining room in the back of the bar at Humboldt & Jackson (434 Humboldt Street). The Royale’s former owner, Joanne Perrotta, had turned down many other offers when she was looking to retire. For years, families and neighbors gathered for dinners there, and Perrotta wished to pass on that sense of community along with the space. Perrotta cared more about who was going to take the place over rather than what it was going to be.
The first time I set foot in Humboldt & Jackson was the very day it opened. I followed the renovation of the Cozy Royale into this place, a newly-titled “American Tasting Room,” step-by-step on my daily walk to the Graham Avenue L train and was thrilled to have a prospective place to call my own—my Cheers, if you will. I would cement my status by getting in right at the beginning. Over the three years since their opening I realized that the feeling of ownership and comfort that I felt is exactly what Bill Reed, the bar’s charismatic owner, wants for all his guests.Continue reading →
On May 17th & 2st, Frankie Cosmos joined Real Estate for a shoegazey and magical set at Brooklyn Steel. With hints of vaporwave fun and twee, playful melodies, it was a sweet show to dance and nod yer head to. And, both shows sold out! I could see why – the set list was on fire with plush tones and great vibes.
Have you ever gone to see a band, super pumped, and witnessed a crowd of people standing around sipping craft beer and stubbornly refusing to do little more than nod their heads in time to the music? Yeah, we’ve all been there—it’s awkward for everyone. Refreshingly, when Israeli trio Balkan Beat Box took the stage at Brooklyn Steel (319 Frost St) in late April, this was definitely not one of those moments. In fact, inside Bowery Presents’ newest place to party—specifically designed for large crowds and good visibility of the stage from virtually any vantage point—I experienced a moment of live music euphoria: a few seconds of music video-worthy bliss where literally everyone in the massive venue was off their feet, jumping in the air.
Long story short? When vocalist Tomer Yosef tells you to jump, you jump… splashing craft beer and all. Continue reading →
PJ Harvey performing at Primavera Sound 2016. You can this goddess tonight at Brooklyn Steel.
Crank. It. Up. With just a toe dipped into Spring, blossoms bursting in McCarren, and a taste of 80+ degree weather last weekend we’re already steam rock-n-rolling into Summer. Here’s our favorite North Brooklyn music picks for this weekend (and it also happens to be Record Store Day on Saturday!).
THURSDAY, APRIL 20
PJ Harvey In case you haven’t listened to PJ Harvey since the first time it was cool to wear Doc Martens, a choker and a flannel, the woman has still got it. With her witchy ways, this small lady with a big presence will rock your 2000-teen world. Brooklyn Steel | 319 Frost St. | 8pm
$59.50 tickets
Quantic (DJ set), Chrome Sparks (DJ set), Ondatropica (Celebrating Baile Bucanero LP), Adi Toohey
Soul, funk, creamy goodness—whatever you want to call Quantic, he’s sure to throw down some good grooves. Brooklyn’s own Chrome Sparks will provide the chill wavvey vibes, and Ondatropica will be keeping things tropical. Sounds like a classic pre-summer Thursday night. Good Room | 98 Meserole Ave.| 10pm
$15 ticketsContinue reading →
A crowd starting to form as the venue opened its doors on opening night (4/6)
“Unfortunately we’re not having press at these dates,” is what I was officially told when I inquired about covering the LCD Soundsystem shows at new local venue Brooklyn Steel (319 Frost Street). Additional requests to the venue and their PR firm were returned with radio silence. If Brooklyn Steel wanted to hype up their grand opening, what better way to do it than having a local band in comeback mode break in the stage with surprise performances? Might as well add a press blackout to the mix to pump up the mystique.
When the five shows were announced just a couple weeks ago, my heart fluttered. The new venue, by far the biggest in the neighborhood, is just a few blocks from my house. Plus, LCD Soundsystem is sacred to me, with James Murphy being an inspiration for me to start DJing at the ripe old age of 35. Last year, I traveled across the globe to see them play (after losing my wallet just 36 hours before, breaking out in hives due to a newly acquired shellfish allergy and leaving my laptop at the Ibiza airport), and I often reminisce about the first time I saw the band live in 2005, gracing the legendary Fillmore’s stage in San Francisco. I’ve seen the band perform live several times, and James Murphy DJ sets about the same amount. So you could call me a superfan. Continue reading →
Today at the Cooper Park Community Center Gym (76 Kingsland Ave) new music venue Brooklyn Steel is holding a job fair. They’re hiring for Box Office, Bathroom Attendants, Coat Check, Door Staff, Hospitality, Maintenance, Merch, Production, Bartenders, Barbacks & Security positions.
Interviews will be taking place from 9am-4:30pm on a first come, first serve basis. They’ll be opening in April at 319 Frost Street, with some really cool shows planned—The Decemberists, PJ Harvey, Goldfrapp, Tycho, Two Door Cinema Club, among others.
Thankfully one of our favorites, Good Room, is still rocking!
From large outdoor clubs to medium-sized rock n’ roll bars to tiny DIY venues to neighborhood staples that hosted local DJs, 2016 saw a lot of great spots disappear—and in an ultimate emo gutpunch, the closures happened right alongside the deaths of music legends David Bowie, Prince and George Michael. WTF 2016?!
Step inside the futuristic, BMW-0wned co-working space A/D/O that is slated to open in Jan. 2017. The 23,000 square-foot facility will have a Scandinavian-style restaurant, retail space and a public seating area; a membership will cost you $600/month.
The Bowery Presents newest venue is Brooklyn Steel, a 1,800 person capacity general admission concert venue near the intersection of Frost St, and Debevoise Ave., is set to open early next year with performances by the Pixies and PJ Harvey, amongst others.
NYC-based band Loose Buttons released “Milk & Roses,”a song inspired by lead singer Eric Nizgretsky’s breakup following a meal at the Manhattan Ave. restaurant. Continue reading →
