Carmine's Pizzeria on Graham Avenue is opening a second location which they have creatively named "Carmine's II" at 436 Union Avenue. New York Shitty reports that there will be "garden seating just in time for spring". We're not sure it's entirely necessary to open a second location within a five minute walk of the original, but the garden seating sounds appealing.
[Image via Brownstoner]
And according to Animal, he's being courted by TV producers. (God help us)
Nate Hill, the magically strange NYC-based artist who has developed more alter egos than a schizophrenic may be getting a reality show centered around his bad memory-extracting mascot: Death Bear. He says a bunch of producers from LA have been hounding him and is actively seeking advice on how best to proceed with a Hollywood hustle.
Wait What is a 24-year old DJ employed at a San Francicsco tech company who is having one hell of a week. Last week, on the 13th anniversary of Life After Death, he released his debut album The Notorious XX, which, as the name suggests, combines Biggie and The XX into a union one wouldn't expect to sound as right as it does. It's an instantly iconic CERN-like mashup of indie rock and hip hop that totally works. The atoms are colliding!
the notorious xx began as an idea in my sister’s apartment, where I was trying to figure out what it would sound like hearing juicy over vcr, and since then expanded to include all 11 tracks of the xx’s debut album chopped, sliced, and mashed up with biggie’s vocals. I made it over the span of a few weeks in boston, williamstown, albany, chicago, aspen, denver, and san francisco, and then mastered over 10 days in zurich, zermatt, london, san francisco, dallas, baton rouge and new orleans.
Stream it here, and after the jump check out the video for juicy-r [the notorious b.i.g.'s juicy vs. the xx's vcr] (mashup).
juicy-r [the notorious b.i.g.'s juicy vs. the xx's vcr] - wait what (mashup) from wait what on Vimeo.
On Sunday night I trekked to outer-Williamsburg and Silent Barn (I think the domain name freeridgewood.com is still available if you're curious) where I had the good fortune of catching Moonmen on the Moon Man, The Saucy Jacks and The Nymphets. A band called Sleepies opened the show but due to the incomprehensible trend of shows starting on time I only caught the last couple songs of their set. The show was my first chance to see Moonmen and Saucy Jacks, the latter band being in town from San Francisco, where the show's promoter Popjew met them and put Sunday's bill into motion.
(Moonmen on the Moon, Man; image by Dominick Mastrangelo)
Moonmen had come with a bit of praise from friends and the Moon people did not disappoint. Moommen plays straight up breezy, catchy, power pop. If you enjoy that sort of thing they come with high regard. Another showgoer commented that Moonmen "aren't the most technical band." True, though sometimes such criticism is beside the point, this is one one such time and one such band.
Saucy Jacks is a clean sounding, upbeat band that does the 60's retro thing a few (dozen? hundred? thousand?) other bands are doing right now. It's a hard scene to stick out in but Saucy Jacks does it by shying away from the excess reverb and low production values that you hear a lot of (contrast with Beach Fossils who I've seen needle the sound guy to continually crank the reverb after every song of a set).
It was a good crowd for a Sunday night at Silent Barn, especially considering the mediocre weather and a free Vivian Girls show across town at Brooklyn Bowl. And despite how good the bands were, it turned out that a gentleman in that crowd would steal the show: in the midst of some serious dancing during Saucy Jacks' set, an energetic young man put on such impressive moves that he received a missed connection on craigslist. Good luck, and may you find true love.
Here's the exclusive premiere of Langhorne Slim's session with San Francisco based blog Yours Truly as he belts out "Cinderella" off of the folk crooner's Be Set Free, which captured our wide-eyed hearts late last year.
Plus, we've got a pair of tickets to give away for Langhorne's show tomorrow night at City Winery-- just comment on the Facebook contest thread for your chance to win!
Langhorne Slim - Cinderella from Yours Truly on Vimeo.
Looks like the OSA has booked a second benefit show in addition to Faith No More at the Williamsburg Waterfront this summer. Nas & Damian Marley are playing the 'front (can we call it that?) on Saturday, July 31st at 7pm. Tickets go on sale this Thursday 4/1 at 10:00am, so get on it!
Brooklyn Bowl is looking for summer interns, er, "social media and live music ninjas." Email media@brooklynbowl.com if you want to get in on that sexy action.
The fine folks at Brooklyn365 have created a nice lil' Google Map with all of the Williamsburg Art Galleries plugged in. It's pretty darn helpful, and lets you keep track of all the spots by location, name, phone, website and hours.
For as long as we can remember we wanted a map which would allow us to stumble from gallery to gallery on a lazy Williamsburg weekend. Since we couldn't find one, we created one. Click on any of the red pins to see the gallery name, hours of operation, and website/twitter/etc (if available).
Williamsburg Art Gallery Map (Send updates to tips@brooklyn365.com).
Halfslant, an artist's collective committed to bringing art to alternative spaces (such as last year's Bushwick Lightbox in Brooklyn), have a new project in the works and they need your help!
Nowa Soda means the New Soda in Polish. The five week long artist in residency program aims to transform the building in which the exhibition and residency will be held, which used to house the Krakow Soda Works chemical refinery plant for almost 100 years. The sole remaining building from the immense complex, the Centre for Contemporary Art Solvay has a complex and fascinating history- Pope John Paul II worked there during World War II to avoid deportation and today it stands as a forgotten monument and symbol of the transformations that have occurred in Poland over the last 20 years.
Real Estate's Alex Bleeker lent a hand with original music for the film, asking for your help with donations to help fund the exhibition which opens mid-May. Your $$ goes a long way, and you'll be rewarded for your good deed with personalized postcards from Poland, Limited Edition artwork, and custom designed t-shirts by Spanish artist Ester Partegas. For more information on the artists, check out the Nowa Soda website. And be sure to DONATE!
Do you ride a bike? Do you not wear a helmet? And is it not because you think it makes you look like a dweeb, but rather you're frugal and personal safety is just one of those places where you cut corners? I'm not sure how many people that leaves, but if you're one of them, you may be interested in the free bike helmet giveaway goin' on at Pratt tomorrow, Tuesday the 30th, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m in conjunction with Pratt's "Green Week". Say thanks to the D.O.T. after you grab yours in the center of campus (or in the Student Union if it rains [which it will]).
Free Bike Helment Giveaway at Pratt's Green Week - via Clinton Hill Blog
This is the moment we've been waiting for... and it single-handedly made me super excited for the summer, which would be a lot cooler if we could just hang out with Uncle Matt the whole time. Via The Music Slut:
A building under construction located on Conselyea St. b/t Union and Lorimer Avenue collapsed this morning. A few workers were trapped but have since been rescued. The site isn't a stranger to the city.
A DOB complaint was filed on 2/4/10 and assigned to the "Emergency Response Team," identifying 36 Conselyea with conditions that are endangering workers. DOB inspector #1842 visited on 2/4/10 and 2/7/10, but gave up after two attempts when the site was locked and he was unable to gain access. That's all it took. The building that fell is reportedly 34 Conselyea, although that's a tad unclear.
Dale Carnegie once said, "If you do the little jobs well, the big ones will tend to take care of themselves." That applies here, me thinks.
Update: Assemblyman Joe Lentol adds, "A building has collapsed on Conselyea between Lorimer and Union. I remain concerned about another collapse in the community where people have been injured. The Department of Buildings must find a way to ensure that this kind of an incident does not happen again. I would like to extend my thoughts and prayers to the wor...kers and their families as well as any assistance they may need."
Update2: So it is 34 Conselyea. The building is owned by 34 Conselyea Street LLC, a limited liability corporation headed by aptsandlofts.com President David Maundrell's mom.
PICS AFTER THE JUMP...
Picture was taken by affinity cycles and posted on Twitter
Flickr pic by Dave Surgan
By Logan Hicks, c/o Gothamist
N.6 has closed, and Pinkteron Wine Bar (yes, it’s named after the Weezer album) has opened in its place. Although the interior and layout is similar to N.6, there are new window treatments, and word is that there will be more of an emphasis on mood lighting. In warm weather patio seating will also be available.
Pinkerton is owned by former New York Times journalist Thomas Hudson who wanted a to open a bar that served “interesting, fun, good wines that are affordable,” with a focus on wines from Washington, Oregon, California, and Australia. Pinkerton also serves microbrews from both coasts, as well as simple small plates like cheese spreads, olives, and hopefully in time will begin to “make full use of the kitchen”.
Pinkerton Wine Bar, 263 N 6th St., nr. Havemeyer St., Williamsburg, Brooklyn; 718-782-7171
[image via The Downtown Diaries]
In a proclamation supporting high-speed internet access for Brooklyn (a nod to the ongoing efforts to bring Google to Brooklyn), Marky Markowitz has renamed the Williamsburg Bridge the “Wi-Fi” Bridge & the Brooklyn Bridge the “Broadband Bridge."
Read the full proclamation after the jump.
From Marty's internet:
BP MARKOWITZ ISSUES PROCLAMATION SUPPORTING MORE HIGH-SPEED INTERNET ACCESS AND ADOPTION IN BROOKLYN Renames Williamsburg and Brooklyn Bridges the “Wi-Fi” and Broadband BridgesWhereas, Brooklyn has long been dedicated to providing the best access to information and education for all our residents; and with all types of information increasingly available only online, it is more than fitting that we vigorously advance and support all efforts to bring high speed Internet access to every Brooklynite so that all the residents of our borough can share equally in the educational, informational and social resources available in the digital age; and
Whereas, from local, national and global news to social networking, and from business opportunities to job search functions and all manner of communication in between, more and more of our access to information and culture is only available through Internet access and the ability to obtain high-speed access requires a broadband connection; on top of that an alarming rate—about half of Brooklyn households—lack that broadband connection, so it is with great fanfare and dedication that we commit ourselves fully to advancing Brooklyn’s “coming of digital age” so that everyone throughout the borough can go adventuring on the information superhighway; and
Whereas, on behalf of all Brooklynites, I salute those ingenious organizations and individuals who are committed to bringing high-speed Internet access to the underserved residents and communities of Brooklyn by increasing the number of broadband networks, especially when doing so can provide faster Internet access to Brooklynites at lower cost; I commend private/public sector initiatives or partnerships, including Congressional efforts to advance a national broadband plan, that could make high-speed networks available everywhere in Brooklyn and nationwide; and I thank all those who are doing their part to make Brooklyn the best—and fastest—possible place from which to blog, vlog, browse, chat, tweet, link, join, feed, friend, Skype, host, post—and otherwise take part in all manner of e-communication—on the high-speed information superhighway; and
Now, therefore, I, Marty Markowitz, President of the Borough of Brooklyn, do hereby rename the Williamsburg Bridge the “Wi-Fi” Bridge & the Brooklyn Bridge the “Broadband Bridge” and proclaim Friday, March 26, 2010
Broadband for All in Brooklyn, USA
In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the Borough of Brooklyn to be affixed this 26th day of March 2010.
Sideshow's (S. 2nd St.) curator Richie Temperio spoke with Art Talk's The Greatest Interview Show of All Time about the art scene in the 60's and 70's in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. They had Thai restaurants everywhere back then too!
In The Greatest Interview Show of All Time's ongoing oral history of Williamsburg, Will finds Richie Temperio, curator and gallerist extraordinaire, at home in Sideshow, his gallery on South 2nd Street. Richie talks about being an artist in Williamsburg way back when, and provides some intriguing details about the very beginnings of the art scene there; and we're not talking the early-90s here--we're talking the 60s and 70s, people! He then recounts stories of his offbeat gallery space, from hanging his friends work in a local Thai restaurant for free beer to creating one of the most well-known alternative spaces--a "sideshow" if you will--to the ostensible main event taking place in a concurrent Chelsea gallery exhibit.
Check it out: iTunes // RealPlayer
Two hostels operating in 112 North 6th Street were raided and shut down on Friday. There were allegedly 16 people per apartment, paying 1k each, no fire escapes, and no sprinkler systems in place. Disaster waiting to happen or just life in NYC?
Loftstel's website is now redirecting to its DC location, but the cache is still live. It says the apartments "are intended for long-term students who need affordable accommodations," offer "affordable monthly dormitory accommodations in New York City for international & ESL students," and where "privacy is limited, so if you're relatively shy, you may want to consider other options."
Ms. Heather was all over the story, and like usual, her leaches at the Post ripped the story and puked it on paper without proper credit.
A commenter writes:
i'm not sure how they think a taco truck and an ice cream truck are affecting the business at a cafe. they don't sell the same foods. when i want a taco, i get a taco. i'm not gonna go to blackbird parlor just because there's no taco truck. maybe their businesses are hurt by the fact that the economy is bad and a business on bedford isn't a golden ticket to a new life.
...in response to the "Bedford Businesses Rail Against Endless Summer Taco Truck, Van Leeuwen Ice Cream" post.
For the first time in years, The Grates played in Brooklyn along with Savoir Adore and Dappled Cities.
Openers Savoir Adore and Dappled Cities set the par for the night. Australian Dappled Cities could not look more excited to be playing to a reveling crowd. Each song swelled and built behind lead singer Tim Derricourt into a commanding arrangement that everyone was compelled to listen to. I don't know if it was the impressive show or the heightened level of Australian attractiveness of its band, but I have never seen so many girls rush the stage to buy the remaining five CDs Dappled Cities had with them.
Fresh back from SXSW, Savoir Adore performed to a welcoming crowd. Although their line up has changed, Savoir Adore consistently delivers a performance of wonderful energy and a demonstration of genuine musicianship.
Although the entire line up was a power packed, high energy showcase, it was The Grates' lead singer Patience Hodgson who delivered the most hyperactive performance. Skipping out on to the stage in a cape that was reminiscient of Nick Diamonds from The Islands and a Little Miss Sunshine worthy, oversized sequin unitard, Hodgson enthusastically launched into her set. She engaged the audience of her amazed fans with longtime favorites sprinkled with new jams as well. However, Hodgson kept her audience guessing when she sat on one superfan's shoulders and worked her way out into the crowd.
More pictures after the jump!
Savoir Adore
Dappled Cities
Bust Magazine is celebrating tonight, and you should join them!
I hear there will be 2-for-1 pierogis. Yumm!
Last night Bear Hands headlined a show with part-time muse Lissy Trullie and Terrible Records first release Acrylics at Glasslands with Holy Ghost closing the night with a DJ set. With everyone finally back from SXSW, Glasslands was overflowing with people with an even divide of Trullie and Bear Hands fans.
More pictures after the jump!
Bear Hands
Lissy Trullie
Acrylics
Since Sade first emerged on the scene as Best New Artist in 1986, she's been giving us music to, well, make out to. And although each album sounds pretty much the same, we're not mad-- mostly because Sade just keeps getting hotter.
Since we're all about promoting all things that may help you get laid (be sure to be safe, kids), one lucky FREEwilly reader will score a copy of Sade's "Soldier of Love" on vinyl-- because let's face it, if you have a record player you're half way there already.
Head on over to our Twitter page and RT this, or comment on the contest thread over on Facebook. Good luck!
via the Greenpoint / Williamsburg for Google Fiber Optic Facebook page.
Instead of eating brunch at your favorite spot this Sunday; try something new and head to the latest installment of The Brooklyn Food Experiments: The Brooklyn Brunch Experiment at The Bell House.
This experiment aims to take brunch to the next level by infusing a bit of "competition" and turning it into a cook-off. The chefs will bring everything to the table from granola to waffles to Hollandaise Sauce, all you have to bring is your appetite. The audience, along with a panel of judges including Sean Rembold, chef at Diner and Marlow & Sons, and Andrew Knowlton, Iron Chef Judge and restaurant editor at Bon Appetit magazine, will name a Brunch King and Queen. One drink is included with price of admission.
The event will be held on Sunday March 28th from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.-tickets are $25 at the door.
[image via flickr]
We've got a pair of tickets to check out Austin's Shearwater this Saturday at the Bowery Ballroom. Their epically dreamy sound booms with melancholy, and kinda reminds me of Where the Wild Things Are, in the newest video for "Hidden Lakes":
To win a pair of tickets to see Shearwater this weekend just comment on the contest thread over on our Facebook page!
The scary thing is I think these guys are for real:
And then there's this. We *love* that these asshats are dressed like a hobo wizards but don't recognize the irony of lashing out at Obama for being outside their comfort zone.
While nobody from this neck of the woods has popped up on the Chatroulette Map, we know you're out there! You can't hide forever!! Anyways, want to make $100 for ChatRoulette'n?
We spoke with one of our neighbors, a Williamsburg resident who we'll call Agent Chatbro for the sake of anonymity, who runs Chatroulette Images - a rather hilarious and ongoing collection of the best screengrabs in the biz.
For a contest that wraps up at the end of the month, he's rewarding $100 for the top-rated photo submitted in the past 31 days. You've still got time! Just submit your photo to submit@chatrouletteimages.com and include a headline and caption along with your name and email. G'luck!
p.s. - while you're at it, why not play a lil' chatroulette bingo?
Emboldened in their unified opposition to Williamsburg Walks, a number of Bedford's business owners are turning on the neighborhood's food trucks. It's dog eat dog out here!
The ever-popular Endless Summer taco truck and Van Leeuwen Ice Cream truck were both mentioned in a Brooklyn Paper article by storefront merchants looking to lay blame on falling profits.
“They affect business in the area in a pretty detrimental way,” said Blackbird Café owner Emmanuel Cris. “It’s tough enough to pay rent in this neighborhood.”According to one restaurant manager, who declined to give her name, merchants are threatened by the carts but “nobody wants to be the one to kick the taco trucks out.”
Mike, the owner of New York Muffins, added, "When you come to Bedford Avenue in the morning, the neighborhood stinks because of them. They drop all their disposals in the sewer."
To the unhappy merchants, Ben Van Leeuwen takes the high road and throws out a zinger on a cone, telling the Paper, "Too many people worry about stamping out competition and do not spend enough time worrying about making their product good."
Shots fired.
photo via pallid7
From David Auerbach, owner of Dijital Fix:
As an owner of a Business on Bedford Ave, I can definitely attest to the fact that this stuff HURTS and not HELPS my business. At first, I was excited about it, having moved into my space just around the time they were beginning them. I soon realized what it meant. To make matters worse, the reps for Williamsburg Walks want us to sponsor this event, and if we don't, they won't be putting us on a useless flyer they hand out, which people throw away immediately since they don't realize the "Williamsburg Walks" is actually an event.I found the event somewhat interesting at first, but it doesn't really give any local artists or street vendors any additional chance to do anything different, really. All we get are people sprawled out on the pavement simply because they can. This doesn't make any sense. It's hard enough to make a business in these economic times especially when rent on Bedford Ave is at a super-high-premium. It just doesn't work. Duane Reade can afford a bad weekend, but small stores like mine suffer. I'm totally down to sponsor a block party of sorts where we can all participate, but this event leaves us out.
I like block parties.
Herein lies select responses and some commentary following a roundtable interview with James Murphy, LCD Soundsystem frontman, and more importantly for the sake of this interview, the original score artist in writer/director Noah Baumbach's newest film.
Wantonly neurotic, fresh off of a mental breakdown, and finding himself once again in his family's Hollywood hills mansion after having a pre-mid-life in Brooklyn (or, because he has to be more specific: Bushwick) - Roger Greenberg, of Noah Baumbach's newest, Greenberg, rarely feels comfortable operating in the present tense, preferring instead to relish in the comfort of nostalgia. A similar sentimentality runs through many of the songs by James Murphy and his celebrated electro-rock outfit, LCD Soundsystem.
Baumbach, who got to know Murphy musically and emotively after he first heard “New York I Love You.” It isn't a stretch to imagine a character like Roger listening to a band like LCD Soundsystem. When the director started to consider what kind of soundtrack would be appropriate for Greenberg, he called up Murphy. What began as mutual respect and admiration between the two artists quickly became an amicable (and kind of adorable) professional relationship.
“I met with Noah before the shooting began and we would talk about music from the beginning. We were exchanging mix CDs of things, just music that we liked, that we thought would be relevant... even some of the most outrageous stuff that didn't seem appropriate at all wound up even in the movie. There's a Drunks With Guns song which I deeply love and I became obsessed with getting in the movie. And he let me get it in the party scene.”
The creative process behind Murphy and Baumbach's collaboration was unique, as far as scoring goes (at least, that's what a more experienced cinephile at the roundtable asserted).
"[Baumbach and I] would just go back and forth with things, and we would get scenes that we would need cues for … and what I started doing was quickly just making things... not for scenes. I would just start making stuff and bringing it over. And he is incredibly gracious and would just go, 'well let's just try it over there. Oh, I like that. That's good.' Ya know? And, then, only a few things were even made specifically for scenes. Almost everything else was made as, like, a song. Like, I would write a song. And I would write it very roughly and bring it over and then those roughs became what we became attached to and that's where that tone of those was. Like, we started talking about the first McCartney solo record, and some of the Harry Nelson recordings that were sometimes very high-fidelity, and sometimes, home recordings... That became a habit of working, like, I would make a song and then we would break it into score. So , there would be, here's a song I wrote, or I would play it on piano and sing it.“If I were to sit with another scoring person I think they would come look at me like I was insane, I think that the whole thing, I mean Noah's first thing was, he said, 'Do you know anything about scoring?” And I said, 'No.' And he was like, 'Great.'
“The whole process was the only way I think I could have done it. Having direct access to Noah, working with him one on one, feeling like we're friends, being able to walk over to his editing studio which was across the street from my recording studio and just, like, hang out, and watch scenes, and then go and make music, and he would come over and listen to stuff, and I don't think I could have ever done it if it was, like, there's a person who got notes from the assistant of the director, who has sent them to me, and I have to go, kind of, wonder what these esoteric terms mean. 'Can it be more watery?' And make adjustments. And I don't think I would ever do that. But working like this just felt like working with a friend on something, which, in effect, it felt like that because it was. I think... by making movies that stand on their own, that work in a certain way, and by not having ten bazillion dollar budgets, [he] has earned the right to kind of do things in a more personal way, a home way, and I feel like I've done a similar thing. I'm not a wildly expensive dude. I don't hire producers, I play all the instruments. We both have these autonomous little worlds; it's very easy to be comfortable with each other like that."
“I only can do things if they feel right... I'm not, like, a songwriter. I don't, “oh, we need a song.” I don't know how to do that. Most of the lyrics I ever release are improvised or written the day that they get sung. It's easier for me, it makes sense to me. That said, working for somebody else's vision can be really taxing, but this was not. This was a delight... it was like decorating a house with somebody you have a similar tastes with; it's not that rocket science-y.”
The Greenberg soundtrack doesn't sound like an LCD Soundsytem record, and Murphy makes it clear that he doesn't consider the projects related.
“Noah [Baumbach] and I were laughing about this. He was like, 'well, [all] my friends [lol] who like your band are going to kind of roll their eyes at me and be like, so you had that LCD Soundsystem guy make you a record and it sounds like solo Paul McCartney from '73?' This, to me, is not an LCD Soundsystem record in any way, shape, or form. It's just me meeting someone and being able to get along with them and talking about music. … [Baumbach] typically doesn't use a ton of score. He uses more source music, and I prefer that in movies, so it was more about making music that would work like found music.”
I'll compare Greenberg's soundtrack to the typical Wes Anderson soundtrack template, but only as a contrast (and to presumptuously use Anderson as an anchor in the audience's indie director catalogue). Murphy's score has a familiar, retro sound that Anderson looks for in his source music, but Greenberg's is also entirely and refreshingly uncharming (not unlike Greenberg himself). And in the score, where Anderson would lean on the plucky, too-cute tinkering of Mark Mothersbaugh, Baumbach and Murphy weave in a simple, moving rock song. Murphy, in his songs with LCD Soundsystem, adeptly works with the same emotional palate as Greenberg, so when his score colors in the dialogue-free spaces in the movie with the motion of his songs, the expression feels effortless. As Murphy explains, “a lot of the songs I have [with LCD Soundsytem] are songs about things, and in the movie it's more just songs that do things, if that makes any sense.” Greenberg is constantly grappling with his own life passing by. When Roger is walking, pensive, and nervous as always in one sequence, Murphy's score comes in with starkly percussive and metronomic instrumentation which draws attention to the passing of time itself, and helps the audience share in Roger's anxiety.
The almost 17 minutes of new material in Greenberg shows what James Murphy is capable of when he actually tries to do things. The range of adjectives I could apply to various elements of his songs – sultry, restrained, tense, joyous - are wider than those that describe the characters in Greenberg itself. The voice he lends to Baumbach's narrative is thoughtful and moving. And if you needed any more proof that James Murphy was a straight up good at writing songs- here 'tis.
An excerpt from Walt Whitman's "Crossing Brooklyn Ferry" as retold by Brooklynites. [Thanks Heather]
So much dancing and screenings going on this week. Welp, add this one to list.
Come celebrate another successful season of collaborative filmmaking with the Brooklyn Filmmakers Collective this Thursday (March 25) at the Knitting Factory. We’re screening innovative and original work from over twenty-five Brooklyn based filmmakers including an experimental exquisite corpse video project and a series of original 2 minute shorts.
Live music from Brooklyn’s dynamic Dynasty Electric and a dance party curated by DJ Phantom Power of the Goddamn Cobras Collective. Watch/drink/schmooze/dance with some of the borough’s most promising new filmmakers as they celebrate another successful season of collaborative filmmaking.
Spot: Knitting Factory. 361 Metropolitan Avenue Brooklyn, New York 11211
Doors: 7:30 Screening: 8:00 DJ and Band: 9:30 Cover: $10
Band: Dynasty Electric DJ: Phantom Power
The DIY Bushwick Music Festival kicks off tonight with a free show at Eastern District at 5pm followed by a slew of shows and parties at venues all across Brooklyn.
Seven venues, including Brooklyn Fireproof, Bushwick Music Studios, Don Pedro, Easter District, Goodbye Blue Monday, Northeast Kingdom, and Party Expo all start tonight at or around 7pm, with bands like Shinobi Ninja, Pearl and the Beard, and Aviation Orange on the bills.
The inaugural festival will feature Brooklyn-based bands, DJs, and artists performing in alternative Do-It-Yourself spaces just a walk or a bike ride apart. Admission prices range from free to $10 with an average ticket price of $5. Festival passes will be available online for $20, with Friday/Saturday passes available for $10. This is part of an effort by festival organizers to make sure that the events are accessible to all.
For a complete list of bands, venues, and shows visit DIYBushwick.
The Bushwick Food Coop is screening “The Power of Community – How Cuba Survived Peak Oil" tonight at Tandem Bar.
Here's the story:
“When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1990, Cuba’s economy went into a tailspin. With imports of oil cut by more than half – and food by 80 percent – people were desperate. This film tells of the hardships and struggles as well as the community and creativity of the Cuban people during this difficult time. Cubans share how they transitioned from a highly mechanized, industrial agricultural system to one using organic methods of farming and local, urban gardens. It is an unusual look into the Cuban culture during this economic crisis, which they call “The Special Period.” The film opens with a short history of Peak Oil, a term for the time in our history when world oil production will reach its all-time peak and begin to decline forever. Cuba, the only country that has faced such a crisis – the massive reduction of fossil fuels – is an example of options and hope.”
Beers are $3, door donation is suggested at $5, doors are at 7 w/ the film at 7:30.
Fauxhemians it is, voteth 34% of the people.
From Matt re: Williamsburg Walks:
it's a no brainer for me: cancel this. frankly, i enjoyed it. snapped a few nice pictures. but, when it comes down to it, if it's hurting local businesses then it should stop. these are shitty economic times, and when local businesses suffer big shitty chain stores will move in. then bedford will suck and i'll support having williamsburg walks again, because i'll want the shitty chain stores to go out of business. but then, when local businesses move back in, shut down williamsburg walks again.
Last month one of our favorite Southern food restaurants The Brooklyn Star was badly damaged by a fire and closed “for a spell” pending reconstruction. The costs of the reconstruction are much higher than they had anticipated, and they’re not sure if they have the money to fund it.
That’s where The Brooklyn Star Hootenanny comes into play! This Friday Brooklyn Kitchen Labs will host a benefit for The Brooklyn Star. It will feature Beer from Brooklyn Brewery, whiskey from Whiskey Town and Wilfie & Nell, smoked meats from the Meat Hook, Momofuku Milk Bar sweets, and Brooklyn Star's own brisket and shrimp and grits. All that, plus oyster shucking and hot-dog-eating contests, and the chance to fell an aggressively whiskered Williamsburger in a 350-gallon dunk tank, for $50 in advance, $75 at the door. To buy tickets click here.
The title says it all, but here's the Post's cheeky take on it:
An opponent of the Atlantic Yards hacked into a digital traffic sign on Flatbush Avenue near developer Bruce Ratner’s Atlantic Yards mega-project on Tuesday, manipulating it to flash the message, “F—k Ratner.”Instead of warning motorists about traffic pattern changes from the construction of the Barclays Center a few blocks away, the sign, near the corner of St. Marks Avenue, flashed its obscenity from about 8 am until about 10 am, when it was disabled.
While they won't show you the photo, we, of course, will! Major credit to duelin markers on Flickr for snapping this pic. And if you're curious on how to do that to your very own street sign, here's a step-by-step guide.
Mayor Bloomberg, NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly (code name: "Nowa"), FDNY Commissioner Sal Cassano, and others boogied down at Brooklyn Bowl Monday night.
Commissioner Kelly bowled an 86!
The venue's patrons trickled in toward the end of the event, greeted by a host of official city cars and several business-suited security staffers wired with earpieces.Several top officials, including Kelly, stuck around past 9:30 p.m. to keep bowling, some of them picking up for players who had left earlier, as a small group of patrons watched and gawked.
Brooklyn Bowl's website had previously noted the venue would be closed for a private event, but reopened at 9:30 for Karaoke Killed The Cat, a free karaoke dance party. No word on whether Bloomberg crept into his extra Justin Beiber skin to sneak around and rock out, but Chris Goldteeth, an organizer for the event, did tweet he was "about to try to convince Mayor Bloomberg to sing Empire State of Mind @brooklynbowl." So, maybe!
The future of Williamsburg Walks is in jeopardy as testy merchants have begun criticizing the popular street festival, reports Courier Life. A number of business owners lining Bedford Avenue are "fed up" with the falling profits that Williamsburg Walks allegedly bring, the trash, and the unlicensed vendors that siphon away cash.
A&G Merch's Jill Goldhand said there were a few Saturdays "when we had no revenue."
Spoonbill and Sugartown Booksellers's Miles Bellamy blames pedestrians who, the horror, tend to chill outside "instead of visiting stores." He wants the street festival hacked back to just one day.
Other ways of fixing the supposed problem could mean moving the whole thing to a different street, which to me would take be like moving Times Square to the Financial District on Saturdays to help congestion. The whole point of Williamsburg Walks is to hang out on Williamsburg's main strip -- Bedford Ave -- which on the 359 other days of the year is jam-packed with cars and buses.
What do you guys think? Support the Bedford businesses or give us a few summer Saturdays a year to play around in the street?
photo via nycstreets
With the passing of SXSW, WOXY.com, the awesome & popular web-based rock & roll music station has suspended operations as of this morning.
In a statement posted on its website, they blame "current economic realities and the lack of ongoing funding for WOXY's operations."
Here's the full statement:
WOXY Listeners, Fans and Friends...Due to current economic realities and the lack of ongoing funding for WOXY's operations, we've been forced to suspend our live broadcasts as of March 23rd. We're continuing to explore options to keep The Future of Rock and Roll alive. For business inquiries, please contact Bryan Jay (bryan@woxy.com) or John at Future Sounds (john@futuresounds.com).
Thanks for your years of dedicated support.- Mike, Shiv, Joe, Paige, Brian and Bryan Jay
Bummer. Here's hoping they find those options.
Momofuku Bakery & Milk Bar have outgrown their East Village space and are planning to move their "baking operations" to Williamsburg off the Bedford stop towards Driggs. Once space is completed (it's currently under construction) everything will be baked in the Williamsburg space, then trucked into to the Momofuku Milk Bar stores in the East Village and Midtown.
Eater reports: "While it will remain a production facility at the outset, there's speculation that it will grow into a storefront in mid-summer. A worker relayed that it's an idea they'll consider after the opening of Ma Peche."
We hope this speculation comes true.
[Image via flickr]
Assemblyman Joe Lentol is reportedly "assisting with the application process" to tell Google we want their internets, but needs to hear some words of encouragement from you all so he knows people actually care. So listen up. If you have, or have once had, slow internet service around the 'Burg, do us all a favor and call (718-383-7474), email his office, or post on his FB wall and express your support for asking Google to "hook us up."
Also, there is a Facebook group for this cause now as well: "Greenpoint / Williamsburg for Google Fiber Optic." I love you guys. Please go fan their page.
Update: A comment from Amy from Joe Lentol's office:
Hi, this is Amy from Assemblyman Lentol's office. Thanks so much for helping to get the word out on this. It is a really exciting project that could mean a lot to everyone in this community from all walks of life. We have had a huge outpouring of support from local businesses, artists, families, students, and everyone in between. To clarify, what we really need help on is words of encouragement from you to show Google that a project like this has the support of the community and would be appreciated and utilized by the community. I encourage everyone to join the Facebook group and to let Google know what this project would mean to Greenpoint and Williamsburg and to you personally. Our application doesn't stand a chance without a major showing of community support! Thanks to everyone for your help!
Gawker's Hamilton Nolan asks, "What will we call Hipsters?" The field has been narrowed to Doucheoisie, Fauxhemians, Pabstsmears, Probos & Trendsluts. Go, vote & help reset the course of history for the sake of the American media 4eva.
The organizers of Slashedo, a Nordic-themed dance party happening this Wednesday night at K&M, are out to learn us that "Danes do it better!"
By enlisting the music of such artists as Lykke Li, Miike Snow, Röyksopp, The Hives, Björk, Sigor Rós, Lindstrøm, the Raveonettes, Jens Lekman and bunches more, it shouldn't be so much a lesson as an excuse to get your grööve on at the hump of the week.
Here's the gist:
Ø (slashedo) is a recurring Nordic-themed dance party in NYC featuring the best music and remixes by Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, Danish and Icelandic bands, artists and DJs.
Slashedo / K&M / 225 North 8th and Roebling / March 24th / 10pm - 2am
Northern California coffee company Blue Bottle Coffee has finally arrived in Williamsburg. The massive, minimalist space on Berry Street is primarily dedicated to roasting and packaging the coffee, however there is a small café section with a large communal standing room table.
Blue Bottle Coffee serves lattés, cappuccinos, espressos, and mochas (made with Brooklyn-based Mast Brothers chocolate) alongside their well-known cold filtered coffees. They focus on organic, micro-roasted coffee in its simplest form, no strawberry cream frappucinos, white chocolate mochas, or cinnamon dolce lattes will be found here. Each cup of coffee is individually prepared, and can take up to three minutes per cup to make. There are pastries sold, however we visited in the late afternoon and all that remained was one lonely scone, so don’t show up hungry.
We tried the two types of cold filtered iced coffee offered: Kyoto and New Orleans-style. The Kyoto Iced Coffee ($4.25) is made in a Japanese iced-coffee device, which slowly drips room-temperature water though coffee grounds. This extensive process can take up to eight hours to make one pot. It’s meant to be consumed black and has an extremely smooth and bold flavor with undertones of tobacco and whiskey. The New Orleans-style ($4) contains chicory and is served over ice with a splash of milk and sugar. It’s less bold than the Kyoto, and has floral undertones from the chicory.
The servings are small at Blue Bottle Coffee, but the quality is excellent, and makes you savor each sip. If you’re wandering through the neighborhood, give it a try; we’ll definitely be going back.
Blue Bottle Coffee, 160 Berry Street, Williamsburg, Brooklyn; 718-534-5488.
21-year-old Brianna Zani has gone missing, her sister tweeted us, and asked we "please get the word out if you can." She is 5' 5", had short blond hair (now shaved?), blue eyes, and was last seen wearing a green shirt with blue jeans when she escaped from Woodhull Hospital at 760 Broadway in Brooklyn, NY yesterday. On a site created to help find her, her sister writes, "She WILL BE disoriented. If you find her, keep her THERE and call 911. If you cannot restrain her, please do your best." Help a girl out and keep your eyes peeled.
If you have access to a printer, here's a "missing" flyer you could throw up on a streetpole for the family.
Too busy to say, "Hey Mom & Dad, I miss you..."? No problem! For $5, this fellow will send you a post card from Brooklyn, NY saying anything you want. Act now before it's too late!
Fatty 'Cue unofficially opened last night at its new location at 91 South Sixth Street. Gothamist went and sniffed the pork belly and reports it has three floors with enough room for 50 diners & "400 pounds of meat at a time." However, don't go making plans yet. The official opening date is March 23rd.
Eater reports as well: "As with any early opening, the place was overstaffed—it seemed like 19 people said thank you and goodbye on the way out—and just about every server was on his game (extra points to the guy in the "Bloggers Suck" t-shirt). The atmosphere in the three story joint is festive, casual."
Crushing news from the Memphis Commercial Appeal: Alex Chilton, the legendary singer, songwriter, and performer who created music with the Box Tops, Big Star, and as a solo artist, died today. Chilton was in New Orleans and was scheduled to play in Austin this weekend with the reunited Big Star as part of SXSW. According to the paper, he complained of feeling ill and was taken by paramedic to the hospital. Cause of death has not been confirmed, but the Commercial Appeal reports that it is believed to be a heart attack. Chilton was 59.via
It smells like hope at one bodega on S. 2nd and Havemeyer.
To shamelessly quote myself: "There they are, sandwiched as usual between “Egyptian Musk” and “White Diamond.” Obama Incense sticks, FTW."
Somebody please go grab a few and tell me what it smells like to be President!
God builds condos downtown!
Via Chrysanthe, who spotted this note in Austin. I like to think it applies to us back here in the 'Burg as well. Tip your bartenders, folks.
For anyone left in New York, last night the Norwegian Oya Music Festival and Oh My Rockness hosted a SXSW send off for Norwegian bands Pirate Love, Hanne Hukkelberg, and The Megaphonic Thrift along with New York natives headliners The Depreciation Guild.
The show was a mix of different genres with Megaphonic Thrift starting off with an impressively high energy hard, noise rock set. With Santos as probably the most suiting venue for their loud music, Megaphonic showcased both their aggressive sound and musicianship. When asked how they mustered that energy after just arriving in New York from Norway, Megaphonic explains to Free Williamsburg, "Our music really gives us energy on stage, and it's not like we need to huddle up and scream things at each other before a show, somehow we just end up in that energy every time."
Juxtaposed against Megaphonic Thrift, there was a major downshift for solo singer songwriter Hanne Hukkelberg with a collection of sensitive and ambient folk songs.
Pirate Love came on stage in what might have been the most alienating pair of denim cut off shorts since Tobias's from Arrested Development. Definitely putting on a performance, Pirate Love piqued audience curiosity and drew in the crowd with their noise rock.
Experimental, emo-rock The Depreciation Guild closed the evening with a tight set. The Depreciation Guild was recently on tour with Indie sweethearts The Pains of Being Pure at Heart-- drummer Kurt Feldman's second band. The Depreciation Guild's impressively cohesive set and strong musicianship was a great ending to the show.
More pictures after the jump!
Depreciation Guild
Megaphonic Thrift
Hanne Hukkelberg
Pirate Love
Ok, so it's not really psychedelic, just kind of weird. But, we get it Devendra, you like to be "different" all while looking extra cool-- even though the new album is a corporate packaged version of all your previous work. It's ok, we'd still probably sleep with you even if you like to space travel in a suppository. Via Pitchfork:
In the adorably tripped-out new video for Devendra Banhart's lilting "Baby", Devendra and his bros (including MGMT's Andrew VanWyngarden and the Strokes' Fabrizio Moretti) travel in a cigarette-shaped spaceship through what looks like a planet's butthole, whereupon they party with animated aliens, a baby, and GZA, the latter of whom is dressed like an interstellar pharaoh. And yet the weirdest thing about the clip may be the ill-advised mustache/soul-patch combo that Banhart is currently rocking.
The Sandpit from Sam O'Hare on Vimeo.
The music is by Human, co-written by Rosi Golan and Alex Wong. How was it made?
It is shot on a Nikon D3 (and one shot on a D80), as a series of stills. I used my Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 and Sigma 50-150mm f/2.8 lenses for all of these shots. Most were shot at 4fps in DX crop mode, which is the fastest the D3 could continuously write out to the memory card. The boats had slower frame rates, and the night shots used exposures up to two seconds each. The camera actually has an automatic cut off after 130 shots, so for longer shots I counted each click and quickly released and re-pressed the shutter release after 130 to keep shooting.
How many stills you ask? 35,000 stills! Kottke correctly notes it it feels like something you can "hold in your hands or put in your pocket."
Radegast is expanding into an adjacent building around the corner on Berry Street and a company operating under the name "Biergarten Williamsburg" and owned by Chef Michael Psilakis (of Manhattan's Kefi), "did get approval from the board on March 9 for the spot just off N. 11th Street."
Brunch in Williamsburg is a battlefield. New restaurants and cafes pop up every week, and by weeks end have lines down the block. Armed with a MacBook, an open mind, and an appetite, here are the stories of one brave girl who braved the tight lines, tight pants, and French Toast to offer her unbiased opinion on those restaurants. Welcome to the Brooklyn Brunch Chronicles.
Le Barricou (Grand Street off the Lorimer stop)
The first thing you’ll notice when sitting down for brunch at le Barricou is the basket of croissants swiftly placed in front of you (one butter and one chocolate, if you are with a group of four you only get three croissants-I’m not sure of the logic here). In an economy where the free basket of bread is slowly becoming extinct, they are a welcome addition to brunch. The coffee is strong, and if you haven’t had enough to drink the night before, the Home-made bloody mary is large, and satisfying. The omelets are tasty, as are the three different types of eggs benedict offered.
But without question the best dish is the unparalleled pancake. Covered in fresh fruit, it borders the line between “cake” and “pancake”. You must try it for yourself. It’s more than enough to share.
Now, if you’re one of those people who likes to order lunch items for brunch (not that there’s anything wrong with those people), burgers, chicken sandwiches, and merguez sandwiches are also on the menu.
Cute décor, friendly waiters, and great food, le Barricou comes highly recommended!
Brunch is served Saturday-Sunday 11 a.m.–4 p.m.
— Fiona Goldstein
[image via Flickr]
Williamsburg, Virginia, just applied to become the "first permanent Google settlement in America," as part of the search giant's new foray into providing communities with super high-speed broadband internet service (over 1 gigabit per second!).
That, Google, would be the wrong Williamsburg!
Here, in Brooklyn, you have a vibrant community of creative types, assholes, and tech enthusiasts suffering under the maniacally slow service that Time Warner Cable "provides." It's terrible! I know I'm an asshole for writing this, based on all the problems a community like ours has, but I get really pissed when I can't play Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 on Xbox Live while my girlfriend is streaming Netflix and uploading photos. It's ridiculous.
And I know a majority of you out there are with me. I posted a few months back about the slow service affecting Williamsburg and I got a heck of a lot of responses.
I wrote to Time Warner, and was told, "The current issue is something our engineering department is aware of but will take time to resolve. There is nothing our office can do to expedite the situation." It was a problem with the node, they said, meaning there's just too much bandwidth being requested by too many people with computers in such a small area.
(Funny anecdote: my wonderful on-the-phone rep was comfortingly named George Lopez.)
Christy wrote: "the internet here is totally unreliable, it's always going in and out."
Caralyn wrote: "I'm in greenpoint and our time warner has been out for 2 days doing the same thing. Ach! So frustrating! Any news on a fix soon?"
Michael wrote: "My Time Warner service has been terrible for the last couple months since I moved to my new apartment on S.4th. Really, terribly slow for "high speed" and it kind of goes in and out between decent and nearly nonexistent. Lets go straight to Albany with this one and get us some legislation. Or just ask TW to stop ignoring our downloading and streaming video needs."
Allen wrote: "My Time Warner internet is so bad that I have to steal other peoples sometimes to check my email. Last night I had no internet at ALL… Im so pissed. And they say nothing is wrong…"
You get the idea. So I dunno, but maybe it's worth us all nominating our community for Google to at least give it a shot? I'm sure TWC has some dystopian lock-down on all of Brooklyn, but you never know. Click here if "you'd like a Google fiber optic trial in your community." The company is "asking local governments and residents to express their interest in the fiber optic trial, and to provide information about their community by completing our request for information," so hey, why not us?
Pass this link along to your friends and get them to sign up too! Viva la Googles!
It's OK to like this. We won't tell.
The Cupcake Stop will be dispatching its truck full of custom Victoria Secret Pink minis to Williamsburg, and will be "somewhere near Bedford Ave. and anywhere from N. 5th Street to N. 11th Street," for about two hours today, starting at 2:30pm. Follow 'em on Twitter for sweet updates.
This Friday night, HBO will be turning Meserole Avenue, Jewel and Moultrie Streets into New Orleans' Ninth Ward while filming a movie TV show about Katrina.
From Lola, a tipster: "I saw a Brooklyn Vegan thing about it. Said it started at 5 so I just went down there. Over. I got a button that says 'I was almost captured by MGMT.' There were a few other disappointed fans. On my way home along South 2nd St. I saw a circle of hipsterized high schoolers flirting with their buttons on. And I thought, twitter, you have failed me. You have failed me hard."
She took these pics, first of their sidewalk chalk writing, "MGMT WAS HERE 4.13.10," and second, the button. That date is the day their album drops. Not to be confused with the day their testicles drop. This "stunt" was lame, MGMT. Muchos lamos.
Update: And here's a report from someone in the van. "I was captured, we drove around listening to congratulations then they gave us tshirts. The album was surfy psychedelic." He continued, "it was literally a white van with a random limo driver, two girls running the whole thing and me +8 other people that showed up."
This all according to speculation on the twitters. At 5pm. In like, 5 minutes.
Update: "Actually the MGMT event is NOT a show. It's just an "event". Stay tuned."
Update 2: Or maybe you'll just get to hang out in a van? WTF..."Have the opportunity to ride in a specially adapted passenger van in and around his or her Contest Location (“MGMTmobile”) and have the opportunity to be a part of a unique MGMT fan experience; and receive a limited-edition “I WAS CAPTURED BY MGMT” tee-shirt."
Faith No More will be playing their first east coast show in ten years on July 5th, as a benefit for the Open Space Alliance for North Brooklyn. It'll be part of a series of benefits for OSA. Tickets go on sale Friday March 19th at 12:00pm EST on Ticketmaster, and its unclear at what price as of this moment (although other for-profit shows are listed at $42.50).
Brooklyn Vegan notes, "This is the first Williamsburg Waterfront concert announcement of 2010 and the first time a show at the space will cost money. Last year I don't think they could get the details worked out in time."
Keep in mind, this isn't a Pool Party show, but a benefit, much like the ones McCarren Park Pool used to host (ie. Devo).
Meet Brent Young and Ben Turley, two parts to the butchering trio that make up The Meat Hook, a sustainably focused meat shop in Brooklyn, NY.
I spent the day with the two friends (and roommates) to find out all about their obsession with sausages — an art form they are quickly becoming famous for in their local neighborhood. Using pork, beef and lamb from whole animals, they’ve amassed a rotating selection of about 30 unique and traditional sausages that are made fresh every weekday.
From “classy” to “trashy”, it’s a way to express their creativity as butchers; but, more importantly, a way to annoy and shit-talk each other to no end. And that’s the fun of it. Watch and see…
By Liza de Guia
Graham Ave and Skillman Ave
Following last week's window smashings at American Apparel, they sent out a statement to help clear things up. Here's what they had to say...
We've gotten a few inquires about an incident at our Williamsburg store last week, and because online speculation can so often go awry, we thought we'd try set the record straight with the facts we have available. About 20 small windows were broken by a group of people on Thursday around midnight. The piece of metal used to smash them was left behind, a few mannequins were scuffed, and nothing was stolen. The police apprehended and arrested two people later that night, a man and a woman, and we'll likely proceed by attempting to be reimbursed for the destroyed property.As far as anything goes regarding a black-clad hipster uprising or mobs of angry retail protesters terrorizing Brooklyn, there hasn't been anything to confirm this apart from a few blog comments. Most retailers have a brush with vandalism at some point, which although unfortunate, is just a reality of being in business. As it stands, this appears to be one of those instances.
But! Gothamist has a theory. "Could black-clad hipsters be confused with black-clad communists? Bring those perps into the 'interrogation room,' Dov Charney, because the photos from that recent American Apparel protest show the angry rioters also wearing... all black."
Related: did we never find their blog weaponry? If they said they have blogs, then they must be out there. C'mon people, find the retail terrorists/vandals' blog!
Last night Dinosaur Feathers celebrated their album Fantasy Memorial release at Webster Hall Studio with Darlings, Lonnie Walker, and Pearl & The Beard.
Dinosaur Feathers' set consisted of nearly the entire album-- a collection of folk pop made uniquely robust with Latin and African influenced electronic drum beats. Still a young band, Dinosaur Feathers could not look happier to be performing for such a full crowd. Even taking a drunkenly tossed PBR can with gracious humility, the humbling stage banter of Dinosaur Feathers rounded out an endearing set and party to send the boys off to SXSW.
More pictures after the jump!
Darlings
Even if you don’t know Bushwick-based street artist Swoon , you’ve passed her haunting wheatpaste portraits walking down Bedford, or Wythe, or really anywhere in Brooklyn.
Tonight she’s holding a fundraiser/art auction featuring 100+ works of art, a DJ and food and drink. The whole thing is to raise money for her
DIY collective ‘s latest art/performance piece – they’re traveling to India, where they’ll float handmade boats down the Ganges River to the holy city of Varanasi.
With work from artists like Thomas Beale, ImminentDisaster, Ben Mortimer, Ero, Tod Seeley, Ben Wolfe, Pork, Tony Bones, Jeff Stark, and Swoon herself, the trip out to Walker gallery in Tribeca is definitely worth the trek.
Fri, Mar 5
56 Walker St., New York, NY
7:00 – 1:00 am.
$10 door, open bar
weareswimmingcities.org
Somebody threw rocks through the windows of Williamsburg's American Apparel last night, in what looks to be a bout of "retail terrorism."
I called up the store to ask just what happened, and was told that yes, indeed, someone threw rocks inside the store but then they were caught by the police. I asked if they think the leggings assassins were acting maliciously, or just drunks, and they said, "Yea, they wrote that on their blog. They have blogs. Someone took pictures and put them up on a blog." I asked which blog that was, but they didn't know. I am Googling, and would appreciate if you do the same! Email me if you find these pics.
Hat tip to Sami, who tweeted, "some serious stuff went down on north 6th last night involving flaming trash and shattered windows at am. apparel..."
This blog posted a photo w/ the caption, "Retail Terrorists attacked the American Apparel in Williamsburg-Hipster culprits."
sQuiddums on Twitter chimes in with, "Who tries to smokebomb American Apparel? You have a huge problem with leggings? The whole of Williamsburg shops there, just admit it."
So who did it? Was it one of the peeps who lost the big butts contest? That's my guess!
Update 1-1:44 pm: Heard from a tipster who knows an employee at a nearby establishment. That person's report from the scene makes it sounds a heck of a lot scarier than just a few kids throwing rocks! Per his recollection, there were about 50 guys dressed all in black, wearing masks, and "causing total mayhem" all along No. 6th St, "dumping out trash dumpsters and setting everything on fire in the streets, and then smashing all the windows of the american apparel."
Update 2-2:22 pm: new pic after the jump.
A reader writes in: "Note wood on inside used like bat for smashing."
Update 6:00 pm: From the Gawker comments tip line, via Village Voice: "The the American Apparrel in Williamsburg was vandalized last night in an act of hipster rebellion. Both front windows were broken and the vandals unloaded a bunch of crap from a nearby dumpster, threw it in the middle of the road, and set off fireworks and smoke bombs on it. They then climbed atop and yelled out a hipster rebel yell of the revolutionaries. Just kidding about that last part but oh you could have fun with this."
For all the North Brooklyn breeders:
Uproar Art is hosting a FREE Open House this Saturday at Spacecraft (355 bedford ave. www.spacecraftbrooklyn.com). From 1pm - 3:30 pm families are invited to walk in for free art making, free snacks and lots of fun, plus meeting the teachers and in-person class registration. This Saturday the activities offered are enameling - fusing glass to metal - and comic illustration. Classes start on March 8th and March 12th, so Saturday is technically the last day to enroll for the Monday classes. Space is limited, so early enrollment is encouraged. There is also one free trial session policy, so parents who are on the fence can send their child to the first session of any class absolutely free of charge, with no obligation to continue taking the class if they didn't like it.
The owner of The Bagel Store on Bedford tells Gothamist he's being priced out of his location, as his landlord sees gold nipple rings on the nippleless Starbucks mermaid. Yes, Bedford might succumb to the Starbucks might.
It could happen as soon as November 2011. The Reverend Billy, of course, has words of encouragement for you anarchists, telling Gothamist, "Williamsburg should break the windows every morning and surround the landlord with shame. Bring back the Bagel Store!"
I'm a huge fan of 3rd Ward (I teach there, after all) but they are really getting even more interesting things done as of late.
Right now, signing up for an unlimited memberships gets you their traditional free bike and a MACBOOK. Shit! Free coffee and now this? Get a taco stand and you aren't going to get rid of me, 3rd Ward.
Also, 3rd Ward is working on being one of the best jewelry schools in the area. Which strikes me as a pretty crazy goal to have but they have 11 different classes going on so maybe not.
Full day of culturin' happening on Saturday in the neighborhood.
Boomslang, the theater wing of Brooklyn-based collective Goddamn Cobras, makes its debut this Saturday with a workshop-style reading of two new one-act plays as part of Bushwick's SITEfest 2010. The reading is in anticipation of a full production in the Capitol Fringe Fest in Washington, D.C. this July.
Paper Play/Word Play by Amy Rose Marsh is a look at an intense crisis between two people who live in books. In Speaking in Stomachs, Katharine Henner imagines a support group for information addicts. Katherine's play "For Your Amusement" was performed by Left Hip Productions in February.
Saturday, March 6th, 1-2:30 p.m.
Third Ward, 195 Morgan Avenue, Bushwick, Studio A
Suggested donation: $5
Then Brooklyn Armory Night! The original, Manhattan-based version happens from Thursday to Sunday so anyone in the art world might be sick of it all by Saturday. But at least with Brooklyn version you don't have to walk to 12th avenue from goddamn midtown to enjoy some visual stimulation.
From the press release:
Armory Arts Week is so close, and with the Armory show in Manhattan we in Brooklyn cannot wait to host the myriad spectacular events on Saturday, March 6th from 6-10pm. That’s right Ladies and Gentlemen, another wonderful Armory Arts Week Brooklyn Night! An evening when the Brooklyn art scene dons its best hat, ensuring a mesmerizing experience in homage to this great event. Don’t get us wrong, Brooklyn always puts its best face forward, but Armory is an excuse to get fancy and really party.
Check out participating galleries and what they are doing here.
Last night Rogue Wave played their second sold out New York show at Bowery Ballroom with openers Avi Buffalo and JDM. Having just released their album Permalight on Tuesday, Zach Rogue dubbed the show a celebration for the album release. (Technically this show would be the after party and Rogue Wave's Tuesday show at Music Hall would be the actual party. Whatever. Semantics.)
The set felt very balanced with Rogue Wave aware of their fan loyalty which has patiently waited two years for this release. Alternating between material from their new album namely, "Solitary Gun" and fan classics such as, "Publish My Love" and "Eyes," Rogue Wave dutifully catered to its audience which primarily lost its mind over, "Eyes."
More pictures after the jump!
by Dave Thomas
Chloe starring Julianne Moore and Amanda Seyfried
This month offers a surprisingly good mix of potentially solid mainstream and indie fare. But don't worry, there's plenty of crap to go around, too.
March 5
Wide
ALICE IN WONDERLAND
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Tim Burton sequel to the Lewis Carroll adventures. With Johnny Depp, of course.
WILL IT SUCK?
Tim Burton is a visionary in the best sense of the word. Screenwriter did Lion King and Beauty and the Beast. Depp as the Mad Hatter seems a slam dunk, and he's joined by Helena Bonham Carter, Crispin Glover, Anne Hathaway, Stephen Fry, Christopher Lee, Michael Sheen, Alan Rickman, and Timothy Spall. Looks like the first bona fide event movie of 2010 worth checking out.
Early buzz is good.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Green Zone the following week has a sliver of the same demo, but this will dominate the month. $207mil.
-------------------------------------------------
BROOKLYN'S FINEST
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Three cops' (Richard Gere, Don Cheadle, Ethan Hawke) paths intertwine in an undisclosed New York borough.
WILL IT SUCK?
From the director of Training Day, and this is supposed to be better (according to IMDb). Also stars Wesley Snipes, Lili Taylor, Ellen Barkin, Will Patton, and Vincent D'Onofrio.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Snagged w/in 24 hours of premiering at Sundance last year, so somebody thinks it has potential, enough to buy a Super Bowl spot and give it a wide release, two things that almost never happen with Sundance buys. Still, don't know if that will translate into wide release money. $26mil.
-------------------------------------------------
Limited
THE SECRET OF KELLS
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Kid looks for a book. A really, really important book.
WILL IT SUCK?
Early buzz is crazy good. Good enough to launch it into a "The What of What?" Oscar nod for Best Animated ahead of some much heavier hitters.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Oscar nod will help. Alice in Wonderland will not. $5mil.
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March 12
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Wide
GREEN ZONE
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
The Iraq Identity
WILL IT SUCK?
It's Paul Greengrass. Come on. When has he ever sucked? And he's reteaming with Matt Damon (and adding Jason Isaacs, Greg Kinnear, Amy Ryan and Brendan Gleeson). Brian Helgeland (Mystic River, LA Confidential) writes.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
A little bit of competition from the second frame of Alice, but this could own the weekend. $91mil.
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REMEMBER ME
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Robert Pattinson in a romantic drama in which he is not undead.
WILL IT SUCK?
From the director of a lot of Sopranos and Sex in the City and one feature (Hollywoodland, which was pretty good). If Pattinson doesn't do it for you, Emilie de Ravin, Pierce Brosnan, Chris Cooper, Martha Plimpton, and Lena Olin are also up in here.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
With She's Out of My League and Our Family Wedding drawing on an only slightly different demo this week and The Bounty Hunter drawing the romcom crowd the next, this could have trouble, even with R-Patz front and center. $26mil.
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SHE'S OUT OF MY LEAGUE
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
If you don't get it from the title, I don't know what to tell ya.
WILL IT SUCK?
From the writers of Sex Drive. That is all.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Sadly, I have a feeling this might be a bit of a breakout hit. $40mil.
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OUR FAMILY WEDDING
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
An African American family and a Latino family try to sort out their differences (well, the fathers mainly) as their son and daughter respectively get married.
WILL IT SUCK?
From the writer/director of The Wood and Brown Sugar, who also wrote the fantastic Talk to Me and co-wrote this...with the writer of King's Ransom, and the trailer looks more like the latter. Cast is a mixed bag. Love Forest Whitaker and America Ferrara. Carlos Mencia, not so much.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Weekend is too crowded, especially for romcoms. $22mil.
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Limited
MOTHER
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Mother tries to clear her mentally challenged son's name in a murder investigation.
WILL IT SUCK?
Maestro of the tonal mash-up Bong Joon-Ho (The Host) releases his best-received film since Memories of Murder. Early buzz is amazing. Hye-ja Kim, who plays the mother in question, is supposed to be incredible.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Even The Host didn't do all that well over here. $1mil.
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March 19
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Wide
THE BOUNTY HUNTER
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Midnight Run if Robert DeNiro and Charles Grodin used to be married, and were Gerard Butler and Jennifer Aniston.
WILL IT SUCK?
From director Andy Tennant who brought us Hitch and Ever After, yes, but also Fool's Gold and guess which one this looks more like.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Neither Butler nor Aniston are foolproof box office openers, but they're bigger stars than in any of the romcoms breathing the same air. $78mil.
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DIARY OF A WIMPY KID
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Trials and tribulations of a kid in middle school. Based on the popular web-comic-turned-teen-novel-series.
WILL IT SUCK?
From the director of Hotel for Dogs and some 70's Show and 90210 (reboot) writers.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
How to Train Your Dragon next week isn't going to help matters. $36mil.
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REPO MEN
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Repo! The Genetic Opera without the opera.
WILL IT SUCK?
Most encouraging thing about this is co-writer Eric Garcia (who wrote the novel on which Matchstick Men is based) adapting his own novel with a scribe from House. Cast is good, too: Jude Law, Forest Whitaker, Liev Schreiber, and RZA.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Unless word of mouth really takes off, will get drowned out by second frame of Green Zone, first frame of Bounty Hunter, and How to Train Your Dragon the following week. $48mil.
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Limited
THE RUNAWAYS
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Before Joan Jett (Kristen Stewart) loved rock n' roll, she fronted a groundbreaking all-female punk band that apparently Dakota Fanning was in as well.
WILL IT SUCK?
Early buzz is good after a successful bow at Sundance. Stewart and Fanning are supposed to be great, and Michael Shannon, who co-stars, is supposed to be even better. And you can't go wrong with Alia Shawkat.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Probably one of the most anticipated indie releases of the year. $24mil.
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THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
A murder investigation involving a writer and a hacker with the aforementioned body art.
WILL IT SUCK?
I read the book this was based on for my book club. Yeah, I'm in a book club. Wanna fight? Anyway, it was a good book, but I don't see what all the fuss is about. Still, it could make an interesting movie. Early buzz is extremely good.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
I don't know that it has to do all that well, given that it was a huge hit in its native Sweden and has already spawned two sequels (the novel is the first in a trilogy) and plans for an American remake. But if they really want more dough, the novel's following should help. $8mil.
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HUBBLE 3D
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Some guys go to try to fix a telescope. A really big telescope. In space.
WILL IT SUCK?
If you watch the trailer and just imagine what it would be like to see those images on IMAX in 3D, the fact that the writer/director also did the acclaimed Space Station 3D becomes icing on the cake.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Given that Space Station 3D, released in 2002, is still making money (north of $80 million as of this writing), it's safe to say this won't tank. $61mil.
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March 26
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Wide
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Kid makes friends with a dragon. His dragon-killing Viking clan freaks.
WILL IT SUCK?
From the writer/directors of Lilo & Stitch, which, if you've never seen it, is actually very good. Some nice comic voice talent: Jay Baruchel, Kristen Wiig, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Craig Ferguson, Jonah Hill, America Ferrara, and Gerard Butler who can be quite funny when he wants to be (see him in Rocknrolla).
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Clash of the Titans is an issue, not just because it will draw on some of the same demo, but also because it will (now that they've retro-fitted it for 3D) take up a lot of 3D real estate that would otherwise go to this flick's second frame. Still, this weekend will give it a nice head start. $155mil.
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HOT TUB TIME MACHINE
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Title pretty much says it all. John Cusack, Rob Corddry, Craig Robinson, and Clark Duke get in a hot tub and go back in time.
WILL IT SUCK?
2/3rds of the writers did Sex Drive. Kind of nullifies Steve Pink (the underrated Accepted) at the helm. One early review has an underwhelming take.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
When comedies like this fizzle, they do it hard. $32mil.
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Limited
GREENBERG
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Romantic dramedy about an aimless slacker (Ben Stiller) who falls for a musician (Greta Gerwig).
WILL IT SUCK?
I've long known that Stiller can carry weightier dramatic fare (check out Permanent Midnight) and in the hands of The Squid and the Whale's Noah Baumbach, the results should be interesting. Co-starring Jennifer Jason Leigh (who has a story credit), Rhys Ifans, and Mark Duplass. Early buzz is good.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Coming off of The Squid and the Whale, better. Coming off of Margot at the Wedding, not so much. $3mil.
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CHLOE
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Julianne Moore hires Amanda Seyfried to tempt her husband (Liam Neeson) to see if he's the cheating kind. When it turns out he is, things take a turn for the really interesting when Seyfried's advances prove equally effective on Moore.
WILL IT SUCK?
All heterosexual males who read that first part (and I would assume many lesbians) have already made up their minds. For those of you looking for artistic merit, know that this comes from indie maestro Atom Egoyan and is, according to IMDb users at least, his best film since the astonishing Sweet Hereafter. Critical response has been a bit more mixed.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
If they do an ad buy on SpikeTV and Maxim, awesome, but I don't think they will. $4mil.
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THE ECLIPSE
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Ciaran Hinds stars as a widower who begins to see ghosts and consults an author (Iben Hjejle) who specializes in the supernatural and is having difficulties of her own with a very alive ex-lover (Aidan Quinn).
WILL IT SUCK?
Mixed notices with audiences taking more of a shine to it than critics. From writer/director Conor McPherson who, among other things, wrote the criminally underseen I Went Down many years ago.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Flick won't even catch a break on Google thanks to Twilight. $750,000.
Next Month: Hollywood holds an 80's night with reboots of Clash of the Titans, Wall Street, and Nightmare on Elm Street. Oh, and $2 drafts until 8pm!!
[pic c/o Jennifer May for The New York Times]
A group of people with Abercrombie & Fitch bags and big aspirations gathered in the yard adjacent to Roberta's Pizza in November to learn how to kill them some rabbits.
It went well, it sounds like! For a $100 fee, they learned the method of choice, which "was to place the rabbit on its belly on straw-covered asphalt, press a broomstick across the back of its neck and swiftly yank up the rear legs." Snap, it probably went.
Now a days, people are eating those rabbits at places like Buttermilk Channel, even though a table of horrified guests walked out after discovering the cute little furballs on the menu. This caused the restaurant to promptly remove the rabbits from the menu, despite the other options like lamb legs, pig ribs, and an iced, baked, or pan-roasted sex-changing animal that is simply a collection of gills, gonads, tubules, tissue, cilia, mucus, mantle, a heart, two kidneys, blood, a mouth, and poop.
But no matter, the restaurant's owner, Doug Crowell, is pretty sure he's found the solution: "It seems to me that the more you can make rabbit not look like rabbit, the easier it is to sell people on it."
So where do you stand on the divisive rabbit issue? Should we nom them?
In the past couple of years the power chord duo, The Naked Heroes, have become a New York staple. If you haven't caught them live, do yourself a favor and check them out. No one rocks harder in Brooklyn. To commemorate the release of their new video, "Sheila," George Michael Jackson and Merica Lee were nice enough to answer a few questions.
Who would you say you relate to more, George Michael or Michael Jackson?
GMJ: George Michael for sure. George Michael doesn't give a fuck, he got caught with crack cocaine while cruising for random ass with strangers and when he got caught he told the press "It's who I am." Nobody else has the balls to say that, they all apologize, beg for forgiveness and act like total pussies. Also, I'm a big sucker for that Wham Christmas song.
ML: Ya, Wham.
What's it like being in a band with your spouse?
GMJ: It's pretty much the best thing ever. It feels like one big interconnected Jenga game of life and rock 'n' roll.
ML: Totally! But, I can't help thinking GMJ longs for the decadent rock slut days of the 70's and 80's. All of a sudden being on tour with your wife doesn't sound so cool...
She doesn't mind you singing about "Sheila?"
ML: Are you kidding! Sheila is such a Rock 'n' Roll... concept. Sheila means "musical" in Celtic. There's the Smiths song "Sheila take a bow." Fucking awesome Sheila E. and of course, Ready For The World's "Oh Sheila".
GMJ: Are you stoned?
Who leaves more hair in the shower?
GMJ: Merica's extensions definitely get caught in the drain.
Where are you and Merica from. How long you been in Greenpoint?
GMJ: I've been in Greenpoint for 10 years now. I love it here. I wish I knew some Polish though, you would think I would have picked some up but I haven't at all. Our deli guy Sam is Palestinian and speaks fluent Polish and about 5 other languages. Sam is my language hero. By the way, our deli on the corner of Diamond and Nassau is the best deli ever. Sam, Moe and all those guys are great. Sam even made a cameo in the "Sheila" video.
ML: Plus, 99 Diamond is a little Rock Oasis.
Excluding The Naked Heroes, who rocks the hardest in Brooklyn?
GMJ: Born Loose. Larry May is a consummate frontman and entertainer. I saw those guys rock The Charleston at 1am a few months back and part of my face is probably still in a dirty corner somewhere.
ML: Ya, Larry May. I saw him barf onstage once!
Pick one: Mastodon, Lightning Bolt, High on Fire.
GMJ: Mastodon.
ML: But the dude from High on Fire is so freakin' hot.
What's your favorite place to hang in the hood.
The Palace is by far our favorite. Jerry and Johnny are hilarious awesome dudes and you can guarentee you will hear some Dio or old school Metallica when you're there. Just don't ever go in the back room or they will drag you onto the street
When can we see you perform next?
GMJ: We are releasing a limited edition picture disc vinyl 12" of our record "99 Diamond" on Drug Front Records and will be having a release party for that soon but we haven't nailed down a date yet. Our next show is March 31st at Trash Bar with Runny / The Whores and The Heartpunchers. Ken from Runny directed our video for "Sheila" and he rocks the stage like no other.
ML: But, stay tuned; we play Brooklyn all the time.
The MoMA is screening a 31-minute film today at 4pm and 7pm about the residential transformation of Williamsburg over the past few years. It's called Open House, and is directed by Diane Nerwen.
In recent years, Williamsburg, one of the most visibly transformed neighborhoods in New York City, has seen a host of new residential construction and glass-and-steel structures spring up on blocks long defined by factories and modest row houses. While the housing bubble was deflating across the country, forty-story luxury buildings were being erected along the Brooklyn waterfront at an unprecedented rate. Chronicling developers literally tearing apart the neighborhood and frenzied property owners desperate to cash in before the market collapses, Open House reveals an urban renewal project on a scale not seen since Robert Moses’s “slum” clearance of the 1960s.
Diane will lead a discussion with the audience following the screening of the second film, Behind the Iron Gate, which is a 55-min Polish documentary about Za Zelazna Brama, "one of the biggest housing estates built in the center of Warsaw between 1965 and 1972."
If you miss it tonight, an encore screening will be tomorrow night at 7pm. For tickets and more info, visit MoMA. Here's the trailer:
Some designers aren't too psyched on the "forthcoming condo-ification" of the Domino Sugar Plant, so, they made this fun little movie poster.
Curbed writes: "It's from the gang at by-encore, apparently no fans of the makeover of the old sugar refinery. To be fair, the Williamsburg waterfront has been well on its way to becoming a sci-fi freak show for years now."
Enlarged image after the jump.
Tonight marks the start of Bowlive, a ten-night run at Brooklyn Bowl by the juicy and sweaty and funknasty band Soulive. The residency includes special guests each night, and will only set you back $10 on weeknights and $12.50 on weekends. To make me say this extended event is highly recommended would be an insult to both your intelligence and honor. You know I'll be there.
Soulive + Brooklyn Bowl = BOWLIVE! 2 Week Residency!MARCH 2ND-6TH & MARCH 9TH-13TH
// SOULIVE //
2 WEEK RESIDENCY WITH SPECIAL GUESTS
Tues 3/2 Vernon Reid of Living Colour
Wed 3/3 Raul Midon
Thurs 3/4 Ryan Zoidis & Sam Kininger & Christian Scott
Fri 3/5 Sam Kininger and Tash Neal (London Souls)
Sat 3/6 TBA
Tues 3/9 TBA
Wed 3/10 Oteil Burbridge and Kofi Burbridge
Thurs 3/11 TBA
Fri 3/12 Marco Benevento
Sat 3/13 DJ Logic
... No, not at some hoity-toity political benefit. The word on Twitter (again, sorry, I swear I'll use credible sources some day), is that Freelance Whales will be busking tonight at 6 p.m. at the Bedford L stop. Anyone know anything else about this? Is there anything else to know?
Via EardrumNYC (via georgiakral)
Who knows about these well-made and well-installed signs on Bedford and Metropolitan?
We wish him the best! From Spin:
Keith "Guru" Elam, the MC for Brooklyn-based, jazz-tinged outfit Gang Starr, who suffered a heart attack over the weekend, is recovering after treatment in a New York City hospital.The news about Guru, 43 -- first reported by hip-hop blogger and Hot 97 radio personality Miss Info -- broke late Sunday night, as well as word that the rapper had slipped into a coma. But Tuesday morning, Guru's Gang Starr partner DJ Premier posted this update on Twitter: "Good news: Guru surgery was successful, keep sending him love."
The impact of Keith "Guru" Elam transcends quotable rhymes or dope records or his notable outreach between hip-hop and jazz musicians. Starting with his and Premier's stupendous 1989 debut single "Words I Manifest" (watch the video below), which profoundly flipped a sample from a Miles Davis and Charlie Parker recording of "A Night in Tunisia," the resolutely adult murmur and hum of Guru's lyrics gave the group a vast authority.
In our never-ending quest to show you how local food is raised and brought to market, I’m going to take you on a little tour inside a rabbit farm — John Fazio’s Rabbit Farm.
Yes, he’s the same farmer who raises ducks for big name chefs in New York City. But, you should note, he was known for his prized rabbits even before he started raising ducks. And he delivers them fresh, never frozen to NYC kitchens no more than a day or two after “processing” — offering a service that is really hard to find for local chefs.
So, I wanted to share with you the short tour John Fazio gave me. It was never meant to be a video story, but I just couldn’t pass up the education. I don’t think most people have ever seen a commercial rabbit operation. I hadn’t. And all I can tell you is that it’s interesting, very organized and very clean. So come along as John Fazio tours us through his facility, and shows his methods for raising fresh, local rabbits.
For more info on the farm, please contact me on Twitter: @SkeeterNYC
Or to purchase or taste John Fazio’s rabbits, please visit Marlow & Sons or Marlow & Daughters in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, or Savoy in SoHo.
by Liza de Guia
What DO you do in this situation?! Keep on walking or ride it out?
Like thighs? How about pies? Or maybe just fried chicken?
According to the masses (read: a Twitter search), Pies N' Thighs is open for business as of today!
Mmmm. Was it worth the wait, y'all? I may have a date with the deep fryer tomorrow in the name of investigative journalism...
Update: And indeed they are.
Turns out his name is Chris Lancaster. Our buddies over at And I Am Not Lying have the whole story in case you missed it.
Now they're busing the hipsters into Manhattan:
“There’s no sitting on the party bus!” screamed a bearded man sporting a neck tattoo and glistening in sweat. He was stomping up the aisle of a pulsating bus — part of a crowd of about 30, drinking free Budweisers and catching a free ride from Williamsburg, Brooklyn, to the Rusty Knot, a campy nautical-themed bar in the West Village.Our friend from Brooklyn Based gets a nice shout:It takes about 60 minutes to drive from Brooklyn to the bar, on West Street, with one extended stop in the East Village. But unlike most trips winding through the city, this does not seem like the longest hour of the riders’ lives — not in a bus tricked out with a dance floor, moody lighting, a D.J. and free alcohol. Not with Judas Priest blasting and cigarette smoke billowing.
“This bus is a little bit like going back to the New York of the ’70s or ’80s, when it wasn’t about the money, it was about the spirit,” said Richard Mark Jordan, an actor from Bushwick who was gyrating in the aisle with friends and high-fiving strangers.
“It has the novelty of being a little field trip,” said Chrysanthe Tenentes, the managing editor of a local-events Web site, Brooklyn Based. “It’s so far on the West Side, it’s almost Jersey.”
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