In the heart of where the old orchard once stood is P.S. 31, an elegant old school with a gorgeous façade that is being refurbished. Previously, P.S. 31 was on Dupont Street and the present school was once a middle school.
This post marks the first in a series of posts that will recount the history of different streets in Greenpoint. Meserole Avenue is named for the Meserole family who once had a gorgeous orchard that long ago disappeared. The orchard at one time was so beautiful that it was considered one of the “garden spots” of Brooklyn. Long after the orchard was just a memory, the name garden spot survived and was used ironically by Peter McGuinness and others to describe the highly industrial neighborhood. Continue reading →
Just in time to kick off Halloweekend, Boy Harsher held a sold-out record release show last Friday at Saint Vitus (1120 Manhattan Ave) to debut their new EP, “Country Girl.”
Toronto-based goth/industrial trio, Odonis Odonis, provided a foreboding start to the evening as they played from their latest album,No Pop. Perhaps in keeping with the smartphone-dystopian themes of the record, the band maintained an aloofness from the crowd throughout their set. Lead vocalist Dean Tzenos, whose sonorous voice was processed through a vocoder, came off as very reserved during his performance, which isn’t to say Odonis Odonis was dull. No Pop’s minimalist instrumentation, comprised solely of synths and an electronic drumkit, were spellbinding live, punctuated by Tzenos’ sparse screams. The trio sonically made up for what they lacked in charisma, filling Saint Vitus’ intimate space with heady waves of synth and echoing vocals.
* Day of the Ancestors (Dead) Celebration w/ Maestro Manuel Rufino @ Golden Drum (97 Green St), 6pm, FREE, Come and make PEACE with your ancestors, heal old relationships, make peace with the ones that left before us, reprogram your DNA. Forget, forgive, let go, More info ♫ Boris w/ Mutoid Man, Endon @ Warsaw (261 Driggs Ave), 8pm, $22, Buy tix ☺ Bazaar Comedy ft. Josh Johnson, Janelle James, Mookie Thompson and more! @ Brooklyn Bazaar (150 Greenpoint Ave), 8pm, $8, Hosted by Mookie Thompson and featuring nationally recognized acts with no drink minimum and no absurd ticket price. This is the real deal, More info ☺ Parks and Recreation Bingo @ Videology (308 Bedford Ave), 9pm, FREE, Watch for things like the Snakehole lounge, breakfast food, and portraits of Hillary Clinton. Listen for mentions of “Tammy,” “Duke Silver,” and “Mouserat.” Get a BINGO and you’ll win a free drink! More info
THURSDAY 11/2
♫ Día de Los Muertos Happy Hour and Dance Party @ Cantina Royal (58 N 3rd St), 6:30pm, $50, Join Mixteca Organization for a celebration of life and the Day of the Dead. Mexican food and drinks and music by DJ Geko Jones! Proceeds will benefit Mixteca Organization’s legal and emotional health services for recently-arrived immigrants, Buy tix ♫ AVERSED/Circuitry/Dead City Crown/Animist/Suaka @ Bar Matchless (557 Manhattan Ave), 7pm, $10, Buy tix ♫ CF25: Kicking Giant, Pacific Ocean, Bridget St John, Honeybunch @ Union Pool (484 Union Ave), 8pm, $15, Buy tix Continue reading →
Sultry weather falls across the land—yet Halloween hour is close at hand. Creatures crawl in search of blood to terrorize our North Brooklyn ‘hood. And whosoever shall be found without the soul for getting down, must stand and face the shutdown of the L and rot inside Williamsburg’s shell. The foulest stench is in the air, the funk of Newtown Creek’s years. And grizzly ghouls from every tomb are closing in to share your doom. And though you fight to stay alive, your body starts to shiver; for no mere mortal can resist the evil of the thriller.
👻 🎃 👾 👹 🍂
[[[[[FRIDAY 10/27]]]]]
TIKI DISCO HALLOWEEN @ Good Room | 98 Meserole Ave | 10pm-4am $20+ tix, More info Tiki Disco started as a bi-monthly party at Roberta’s in 2009 and has transformed into a year-round happening, with popups around the globe. Eli Escobar, Lloydski and Andy Pry will hold down the floor with their deep selections of disco, funk, house and classics. Expect an evening of spooky vibes and ghostly dancing—costumes are definitely encouraged!Continue reading →
WEDNESDAY 10/11 ♦ Annie Novak’s Illustrations on Birds @ Kingsland Wildflowers (520 Kingsland Ave), 6pm, FREE, Author Annie Novak’s new work explores animal migration with history, humor, curiosity, and a vibrant visual imagination, prompting the reader to look at the skies above in a new light, More info * Sacred Song School Fundraiser for Puerto Rico @ Sacred Arts Research Foundation (107 Green St), 7pm, FREE, Class dedicated to raise funds for the purchasing & distribution of food & water. We are in direct contact with a group of people who are working to supply those in need, RSVP ♫ Moses Sumney w/ Xenia Rubinos @ Music Hall of Williamsburg (66 N 6th St), 8pm, $22, Buy tix
THURSDAY 10/12 * Hurricane Maria Relief Drive @ The Living Gallery BK (1094 Broadway), 4pm, FREE, Hey There Beautiful Inc, Queens of Abundance and The Trap are collaborating to support relief efforts in Puerto Rico, More info ♦ Labyrinth Coloring Party @ Videology (308 Bedford Ave), 6:45pm, $22, Each ticket includes a copy of Jim Henson’s Labyrinth Adult Coloring Book and a set of colored pencils so you can color along to the film! Buy tix ♫ OxenFree (Record Release), Vassals, The Royal They @ Union Pool (484 Union Ave), 8pm, $10, Buy tix ♫ BEMF Presents: DJ Marky, Reid Speed, Kellam Matthews @ Good Room (98 Meserole Ave), 10pm, $15, Buy tix Continue reading →
WEDNESDAY 10/4 ♫ Momentum-Rite of Wednesdays w/ Viviana Toscanini / Chris Cross@ TBA Brooklyn (395 Wythe Ave), 6pm, FREE, Buy tix * Trash Free NYC Waters Public Meeting @ Newtown Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant – Visitor Center (327 Greenpoint Ave), 6pm, FREE, A meeting on the City’s MS4 Program and the development of a comprehensive Stormwater Management Program (SWMP), More info ♫ RockBitchCity! Loosh/Maria Neckam/May Cheung @ Terra Firma (119 Ingraham St), 7:30pm, FREE, More info ♫ The Grateful Ball: The Travelin’ McCourys + Jeff Austin Band @ Brooklyn Bowl (61 Wythe Ave), 8pm, $15, Buy tix
THURSDAY 10/5 * Ketamine: The Musical @ House of YES (2 Wyckoff Ave), 7pm, $20, Profound and numbing, time will stand still as circus, dance, balloons, horses, clowns, sugar and music, so much music, swallow you whole. Enter the hole, Buy tix * 3rd Annual SSKCA Oktoberfest Celebration @ Brooklyn Brewery (79 N 11th St), 7:30pm, $60, Unlimited brews, German food, & prizes! Proceeds will support St. Stanislaus Kostka’s new chess curriculum! Buy tix ♫ Karma Kids Presents – Hip Hop on a School Night @ Muchmore’s (2 Havemeyer St), 9pm, $7, Cody Cody Jones (Pitt/Philly), Fuerrilla Warfare (NYC), Ialive (Philly), Blastmaster Baker (BK via Youngstown), Mic Lanny (Albany), & Duncecap, More info ♦ High Tension with a Live Score @ Videology (308 Bedford Ave), 9pm, $16, Featuring a new, electronic score performed by Adrianna “Gooddroid” Moschides! The film will be presented without sound, Buy tix Continue reading →
Greenpoint Beer & Ale has a bigger than big Oktoberfest for Sept. 23rd through Oct. 1st! Tapping 2 super rare gravity kegs from Franconia and featuring 4 guest drafts from Munich, Mahrs Saphire Weisse, Monchshof Festbier & Ayinger Oktoberfest. Mug holding contest at 5 PM each Saturday! Come dressed in an Oktoberfest costume and receive a complimentary beer. Oktoberfest food specials include Sausages with Red Cabbage and Schnitzel. (sponsored)
WEDNESDAY 9/20 * Chuffed.org Crowdfunding for Social Causes Workshop @ New Woman Space (188 Woodpoint Rd), 6pm, $65, Get an intro to Crowdfunding & learn the secrets of what it takes to run a successful campaign on Chuffed.org, Buy tix * Lunation Kundalini Shakti Transmission New Moon In Virgo @ Golden Drum (97 Green St), 7:30pm, $25, The New Moon traveling through Virgo urges us to reactivate or restore something through practicality, sensibility, and stability, Buy tix ♫ Little Gorgeous (Bee-Bop) @ Troost (1011 Manhattan Ave), 8pm, FREE, More info
THURSDAY 9/21
* Bowl Hashanah: Rosh Hashanah with Rabbi Dan Ain and The Sway Machinery’s Jeremiah Lockwood @ Brooklyn Bowl (61 Wythe Ave), 10am, $90, Morning services, Torah reading, Shofar blowing, prayer, meditation,& vegetarian/dairy lunch from Blue Ribbon, Buy tix ^ Where the Animals Go: Tracking Wildlife with Technology in 50 Maps and Graphics @ Leonard Library (81 Devoe St), 6:30pm, FREE, “Where the Animals Go” investigates and illustrates the intersection of data technology and animal migration, revealing the natural world as never before, RSVP * Green Witch: Herbs & Ritual for the Autumnal Equinox @ Root Mamma (236 Richardson St),Practice rituals in grieving what/who we have lost, in an effort to compost with love and start fresh, 7:30pm, $20, RSVP ♫ Cold Beat, War Bubble, Liberation @ The Park Church Co-op (129 Russell St), 8pm, $12, Buy tix Continue reading →
Ladies of Tom Tom—Pippa Kelmenson, Mindy Abovitz Monk and Marisa Kurk. All photos by Mitch Boyer
In the seven years since its creation by founder and publisher Mindy Abovitz Monk, Greenpoint-based lady drummer publication Tom Tom magazine has gone from being a simple music blog to a media company consisting of a quarterly print issue, digital issue, website and creative collaborations and events with contributors from around the world. In their sun-drenched office in Greenpoint’s historic Pencil Factory, a metallic drum kit takes center stage, along with an oldschool ghetto blaster, brightly colored, hand-painted drumsticks (created by Mindy’s artist mother) and usually at least one office dog.
At a time when being a female drummer in some parts of the world can still lead to death threats or imprisonment, I sat down with Abovitz, her lead designer Marisa Kurk (featured on the cover of the magazine’s current Nepotism issue) and Pippa Kelmenson who runs the Tom Tom office to chat about music, their magazine serving as a metaphor for anyone wanting to do anything they’re told they can’t do and what being based in Greenpoint brings to their work.
Greenpointers: How did Tom Tom start?
Mindy Abovitz Monk: In 2009, I was working at East Village Radio in the city and I had already been a drummer in New York for about seven years. I had volunteered at Rock Camp for Girls and I also experienced Riot grrrl as it was happening as a teenager and that had brought me to music in the first place. Around 2009 Riot grrrl was seeing a resurgence. People my age and people younger than me were becoming inspired by a movement that had already inspired me. It gave me anxiety thinking that possibly nothing had changed since I was a teenager in the effort to encourage girls and women to be the rock stars that we are.Continue reading →
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 →
His royal highness of disco soul, Nicky Siano, has been popping up in North Brooklyn recently, having just DJ-ed Good Roof at Dobbin St (64 Dobbin St) this past Sunday. He’s thrown down the funk all over the world since he was 16 years old: he was an original resident DJ at Studio 54, helped launch Grace Jones’s career, and these days he’s still killing it on the dancefloor. You can dance your ass off for six hours as he spins at Good Room (98 Meserole Ave) on Friday, August 25th. We were lucky to be able to ask him a few questions about DJing, Brooklyn and politics.
GP: How is the Brooklyn club/dance scene different from Manhattan? Is the vibe different?
Nicky: The Brooklyn club scene is more like Manhattan in the seventies, exciting and fresh. I love the vibe all over the city; unfortunately, no great clubs are opening in Manhattan, or they can’t exist there… I am loving the Brooklyn scene. After all, I live in, and was born in Brooklyn, but back then it was a dangerous, racist, prejudice place. I was mugged regularly, and constantly called faggot—it was a painful time for me. I would walk down the street afraid to exist—that’s why I moved into Manhattan at sixteen. Continue reading →
TIKI DISCO HALLOWEEN
THURSDAY 9/21
WEDNESDAY 8/9
THURSDAY 8/10
