image c/o Grub Street
We’ve got the menu and more information here. Let us know what you think. From Shecky’s:

Chef Diego Gonzales is no newcomer to 152 Metropolitan Ave. in Williamsburg: he was the chef at the location’s former Spanish restaurant Zipi Zape and will be taking the helm at its newest reincarnation, Barberry (which, despite the images of tartan its name may conjure, serves Mediterranean food). Signature dishes include grilled sardines, fris√©e salad with honey-roasted walnuts, and chocolate soufl√©e–although the typical burgers, sandwiches, and steaks are also on the menu. Most importantly, the full bar is well-stocked enough to keep customers coming back.

I checked out the scene at Glasslands last night for Williamsburg Fashion Weekend. Let me just start by saying that seeing some of the fashion elite bouncing around in their 5 inch heels at this venue was thoroughly entertaining. I showed up late, flats in tow, at the fault of currently going through Brooklyn roommate search hell– which reminds me, if you want to live in a beautiful Bushwick loft, holler at this girl.
Anyway, fabulous host Arthur Arbit kicked off the night introducing the ‘Burg friendly models of Mandate of Heaven. Although an hour late, designer/model Carissa Ackerman’s grandma chic meets scandalous onesies tickled the fancy of the patient crowd. Much to my delight, I guess, I somehow managed to position myself in perfect viewing of lots ‘o sexy buns.
Next up was Nettie Tiso featuring super sleek Racecar! for men and flirty Nettie for women. Her lines seemed to race by (pun unintentional) after Mandate’s never ending hot bod parade. But a short line is what you get when everything is hand sewn. Serious good stuff.
Trisha McBride & Papusza Couture put on an unorthodox show, but isn’t that the point of hosting a fashion party at a warehouse by the East River?

Check out Day 2 of the show tonight at Glasslands– starting at 8:30pm (hopefully). See the likes of Treehouse Brooklyn’s Sirius*, Sodafine’s Erin Wekerle, and Arbit’s own King Gurvy. Oh, and Celebration is gonna be there too! 8 Bucks at the Door, y’all!
More photos after the jump…

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Who knew Adam Corolla could actually be cool?

As I procrastinate another drab trip to the USPS location on South 4th St. (seriously — why is that place the black hole of the ‘hood!?) I’m fondly reminded of the days I toted around a neon pink sticker book under my arm, glittery unicorn and all. Martha Cooper, who you may know from her efforts in 1984′s Subway Art, tells the Village Voice what we’re all thinking. Or, at least, what we wish we were cool enough to think:

“What I really like about postal stickers is the idea that the U.S. government is participating in street art,” Cooper explains from a counter stool in a 14th Street coffee shop, a knitted scarf and matching OBAMA-print hat tucked into her bag. She’s simultaneously eating a whole-wheat doughnut and examining a sticker that demands, “WHERE THE FUCK IS MY MOONCAKE?” This conveniently works as a thought bubble, but it’s actually scrawled on a page in the sleeved album she’s brought along, to show off just a few of the “couple thousand” stickers she has spotted on foot since 2003, shot digitally, then carefully detached with an adhesive remover that lives in her backpack. “It’s like a little treasure hunt, when you’re walking around, to always have your eyes out.”

So, Tonight at 7:30pm, go check out the launch of Miss Cooper’s new book Going Postal, celebrating this special kind of government funded art at Ad Hoc with FREE drinks, of course. Oh, how I love thee, broken economy.

Ohhhh Williamsburg, there’s still a whole pile of free shit out there. This week, we’ve got a stank-ass piano, brain scans, spearfishing magazines and some free records! Come, take a gander with me and smell the savings.
Free Foam!
You know things are in the shitter when people are giving away free foam. It’s in the same category as free spit, potato shavings and eye boogies. But, you know, foam makes a fantastic jacket stuffer and you could probably tell all your friends you’re having a foam party, but then when they show up just have chunks of this real foam lying around your house. Wait, that’s actually a funny idea should I email this guy?
Free Steinway Piano
Sounds awesome, but there’s a catch: “this piano is free. it has a BEAUTIFUL sound, but unfortunately, it smells.” What. the. fuck. If only Beethoven couldn’t smell, we’d have a winner here.
Free Brain Scans!
Hey, you never know. Grandpa might’ve been right all those years ago when he knocked and heard echos.
Free Spearfishing Mags
Things might get testy this summer, and yall might need to refine your spearfishing skills in the East River. These 30-some mags will get you well on your way. Also, have you ever met a spearfisher without a beard? No. Grow it.
And then, tomorrow there’s Free Records!!

LARGE VARIETY OF RECORDS & BOOKS
131 KENT STREET
SATURDAY 2/21 & SUNDAY 2/22
9 am – 5 pm From the ad:

For the boozehounds, My Open Bar’s got a few events tonight, namely free PBR starting at 9 at Rockstar Bar (349 Kent Street) and a performance art piece by Rob Andrews with artsy booze, no cover at Grace Exhibition Space (840 Broadway). Also, Brooklyn Brewery tours as free as ever and there’re poets at Pete’s.
Oh! Williamsburg is Dead just reminded me, “you can venture to the almost-but-not-quite-closed Sound Fix Cafe to see The Forms play a free show at 8pm.”
If you’re over in Bushwick, check out BushwickBk’s culture picks for the weekend, and if I missed any, or to be included in future semi-regular round-ups, email me.

img c/o gothamist
Patrick Pogan, the now FORMER cop who beefheadedly bodyslammed cyclist Christopher Long at a summer Critical Mass ride last year, was quietly dismissed from the force last week.
From the Times:

“A police officer who was videotaped knocking a man off his bicycle and onto the ground during a cycling event in Manhattan last summer has been fired, the Police Department said. Paul J. Browne, the Police Department’s chief spokesman, said the officer, Patrick Pogan, 23, was fired about 10 days ago.”

Click through the jump for that fateful video, a TImes Up! statement and a helpful frame-by-frame analysis by a YouTube user:

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Peggy Wang on vox and keys

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart are everywhere right now and honestly — although I’ve heard the name kicked around for awhile now — I didn’t listen to them until recently. They have a fuzzy, pop sensibility that recalls My Bloody Valentine, but puts me in a much nicer mood. I see visions of high school dances, sneaking Peach Schnapps under the bleachers. (OK that’s a scene from The Virgin Suicides). The music is pretty in a twee, Sofia Coppola-kinda way.

On vox and keys Peggy Wang adds an essential layer to this confectionery delight, and like so many New York dwellers doesn’t stop at just making music, she’s also an editor at BuzzFeed. Miss Wang was nice enough to answer our burning questions on skinny boys, making an album, the Internet and European dreams.

So first of all congrats on all your recent successes — especially your Pitchfork review. How does all this buzz feel?

It’s awesome! It is kind of crazy that one simple thing can open so many doors. No one had ever heard of us before the review, and now I have old high school and college friends contacting me and saying stuff like “Congrats!” and “I’m so proud of you!” It’s funny because I don’t think anyone has said “Congratulations” to me since the time I won the regional spelling bee in 5th grade. We self-released an EP and it was never reviewed on Pitchfork, and I think when we recorded the album, it didn’t even occur to us that it would even get reviewed. So yeah, it really surpassed any kind of expectations.

How important do you think the Internet is for bands these days? And why do you think you guys have had so much success on the ‘net?

The Internet has been incredibly instrumental for us. It used to be that you needed to be on a record label with distribution if you wanted to get your music out there. We were able to put out our first EP ourselves, and maybe it wasn’t available at Virgin Megastore or whatever, but we did put all our music up for download and people were able to hear us and get a bit of a buzz going. I think people lament over the old days, when you would make your friends mix tapes and tape your favorite college radio shows to find out about new music. But the way things are right now with the Internet, it’s just so much easier for indie bands.

Can you tell me a little bit about the formation of the band – when did you guys meet…that sorta thing?

Alex and Kip used to work together at Insound. Kip and I met through my friend Shirley. The three of us formed the band to play at my birthday party in March 2007. We all loved this band from Leeds called the Manhattan Love Suicides and also Titus Andronicus, both of whom played the party too. The party was in a giant warehouse on Wythe St. in Williamsburg and was by far the most epic birthday party I’ve ever had. It was so fun that we just wanted to keep doing it, and with the help of Cakeshop, we were able to book another show. We went for about 8 months playing with an ipod instead of a real drummer, until we met Kurt who came to a few of our shows and really liked the EP that we put out. Besides being a totally amazing drummer, Kurt also has amazing taste in music. I feel like we all have pretty good taste in music, so it makes for a good band situation, especially during long car rides while on tour.

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Not that I’m complaining.


NYU Local posted some pics of a couple self-proclaimed “Feminist Ninjas” challenging the administration with a threat of “Exposure til Disclosure.” And they mean it.
Pictures of half-naked, smoking college girls proving some important political point about something after the jump. (Boob alert….NSFW)
Earlier: NYU Mistakes Itself for Berkeley in the ’60s

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What are you laughing at John?
At first I felt like I had shown up to the wrong place, like at a party I wasn’t invited to. But once I had a drink or two I remembered this jazz band that came to my high school — these old dudes who had played with the likes of Billie Holiday. Every year they would come to our lecture hall and transport us to a magical land of free form fantasy that moved my soul.
Some of you may have heard of a little trio called Medeski, Martin and Wood. They’ve been around for about fifteen years and have developed an extremely loyal fan base. I don’t know if this is the norm, but there were definitely some dirty hippies in attendance. My favorite was the one with dreads who danced in front of me for the whole first set. Swarms of stoners showed up midway through the first set ( I’m sure they felt right on time) and by the second set alcohol turned some bros and hos into dancers. I guess improvisational jamband music makes people feel free? I can get into that.
This Wednesday night show at (le) Poisson Rouge was part of a 3-night NY tour taking place at small venues. Tuesday night was a seated (and possibly more civilized affair) at 92Y TriBeCa. The final show is tonight at City Winery. Jazz it up yo?!!