If the streets of Williamsburg felt a little empty the past two nights, it’s not because The Rapture struck New York’s hipster elite a few days early. The real culprit for the L-train exodus: cult favorite Fleet Foxes, which played two sold-out shows way, WAY uptown at the massive United Palace Theater venue Wednesday and Thursday night. The converted movie theater (which has been characterized as “Byzantine-Romanesque-Indo-Hindu-Sino-Moorish-Persian-Eclectic-Rococo-Deco” ) holds 3,293 people — that’s an awful lot of facial-haired, horn-rimmed glasses-wearing 20-somethings migrating to the northern tip of the city.
The six members of Fleet Foxes fit that description to a tee, but the Portland-based band’s image took a backseat to what these guys are really known for: lush, pure acapella harmonies coasting seamlessly into a neverending rotation of string instruments (which – impressingly – several members of the band often switched mid-song).
“We just randomly met Art Garfunkel,” frontman Robin Pecknold told the audience after a few opening songs. “He was like, ‘Hey there, I heard you guys have been copying my style…”
Listen all you godless heathens, your gig is up. Reverand Gage Jung, has gone and set up a church for you. A hip church. Where they hand out Hipster Church wristbands on the street, read the bible on their iphones, and mingle while listening to Arcade Fire and MGMT.
This church is in a Sheraton Hotel in Flushing, Queens.
No word yet on how the Revolution Church, that meets in Pete’s Candy Store, will react, or if we can expect a skinny-jeaned holy war to hit the ‘hood any time soon. But rest assured that, when the rapture comes on Saturday morning you’ll have not one, but two places to run to and repent your sins. Plus side? Should you not get raptured, *both* churches conveniently come with built-in bars.
Did you hear? Everyone’s favorite cat-lady band, Best Coast, jumped on the Planned Parenthood train this week, putting out a video about why the group is so important and announcing they’ll play a benefit show with country-punk group Those Darlins this summer.
As if you needed a reason aside from the fact that this is the only not-sold out (well not yet) show the band is playing in NYC this summer, tickets to the show are a direct donation to the Planned Parenthood of New York City Action Fund, which does important things like make sure we don’t have politicians in office that hate your lady parts.
Smorgasburg is launching this Saturday! There is going to be so much delicious food along the Williamsburg waterfront. The New York Times just posted a list of all the vendors confirmed to be in attendance.
Here are our goals with Smorgasburg: directly connect local/NYC purveyors with regional farmers/producers; make good, fresh, affordable food accessible to as many people as possible; provide purveyors and farmers with a platform to sustain their businesses; and create a market that makes eating and buying food fun, democratic, and easy.
Read the full list of vendors and their descriptions over at The Times. And maybe start fasting now, because you’ll be stuffing your face all day on Saturday.
The Vivian Girls played a homecoming show last night at 285 Kent Ave, the warehouse right next to Glasslands. Below is a video edit of the songs “I Have No Fun” and “Death”.
Imagine how lit up the W-burg bridge would look at night if bikers were rocking this. And with 18 bicyclists killed last year, any extra help that would likely be used (unlike, say, a helmet) is great. Where is the kickstarter? I want in.
Bagel lovers: rejoice! Bagelsmith has opened a Lorimer Street/Metropolitan Avenue location of their popular shop which offers a large variety of bagels, spreads, sandwich meats, and various types of caffeine. They’re currently open from 6am-10pm, however they tell us that in the next few weeks they’ll switch to a 24-hour operating schedule.
From the founder and core Jingle Punks member Jared Gutstadt:
It’s a simple concept… We took songs from the American Hipster songbook (MGMT, Strokes, White Stripes) and re-imagined them as arrangements for a civilized dinner party for the transitioning adult Hipster. Introducing – The Jingle Punks Hipster Orchestra which is our favorite “hipster approved” songs washed through the Mark Mothersbaugh filter.
Put in your requests in comments. We’re hoping to hear some Sleigh Bells or some LCD Soundsystem. Check them out at SOHO House NYC June 12.
This track from Bon Iver’s forthcoming self-titled record sadly features no Kanye cameos. It does, however, fit perfectly with this gloomy day we’ve been having. And it is so good!
Listen all you godless heathens, your gig is up. 
