Zadie Smith

Should be an interesting night at our favorite bookstore, Word:

Literature lovers promise to pour out of WORD Bookstore next week, when award-winning British author Zadie Smith comes for a visit.
Smith, a prolific writer renowned for her best-selling book White Teeth, will present her new novel NW and speak along with author Hari Kunsru (who penned Gods Without Men and The Impressionist) at the cozy Franklin Avenue shop next Tuesday evening. Dozens of fans on Facebook have already confirmed their plans to attend the free event.
The recently released NW, following four characters in London and hailed as an “urban epic” by Joyce Carol Oates in The New York Review of Books, will be available for purchase at the store after Smith’s reading.

Zadie Smith’s reading and conversation with Hari Kunzru will be held at WORD Bookstore Oct. 9 at 7 p.m.

Animal Collective

A rapper from the Marcy Projects is playing eight nights at a professional sports arena on Atlantic Avenue.  A North 11^th street bowling alley and concert venue is opening a second location on the Vegas strip.  This could be the lead for yet another “Brooklyn has arrived” piece for the NY Times.  Instead, it’s a lead for a neighborhood blog whose weekly concert recommendation post is contextually two parts existential-crisis and one part bemused excitement.

I refuse to pen yet another “Brooklyn has arrived” hype piece, or conversely, a “Brooklyn is over” takedown; though it’s serendipitous that the most blogged about shows this week are the very same notions personified.

Animal Collective play our most blogged about show for the week, and they’re bringing their enigmatic live show to the very same stage Counting Crows played earlier this summer, on Friday night.  Flying Lotus has become the standard-bearer of electronic music here in 2012, and he plays Bowery Presents’ grandest stage on Sunday.

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The Black Keys

The city seems to be hungover from this past weekend, even as I write this on a Tuesday afternoon.  All Tomorrow’s Parties made a strong case for the viability of festivals in New York with I’ll Be Your Mirror.  Brooklyn’s finest partied in a mansion in Bushwick.  We put on a show in a tea house, followed by an all-night rager with Total Slacker and Pictureplane (who plays a free show at PS1 on Saturday, by the way.)  Now it’s time to get up and do it all over again.

When The Black Keys are third on a bill, you’re sure to grab the MOST BLOGGED ABOUT crown for the week.  That’s precisely what has happened with Saturday’s FREE show at Central Park, the Global Festival.  It’s headlined by the timeless Neil Young, who, six decades in, remains respected and revered by even the most jaded of bloggers in Brooklyn.  Cascaded in between Young and the Keys, are two bands who have not fared as well in the eyes of said bloggers; Foo Fighters and Band of Horses (who’s latest album is getting destroyed by reviewers.)  This one is so big it’s moved from Summerstage to the Great Lawn; expect tens of thousands for this one.

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Can’t wait to try The Defender and we love the new superhero designed by FREEwilliamsburg favorite Tony Millionaire:

Comic-Con season is nearly upon us, and to celebrate this most imaginative and animated occasion we’ve tapped into our inner nerd (didn’t have to dig too far) and brewed up a limited-edition draft-only hoppy amber IPA named The Defender. The liquid portion of The Defender was designed by Brewmaster and certified Sci-Fi geek Garrett Oliver, the logo by vintage DC Comics logo designer Milton Glaser, and the hero himself by Tony Millionaire. Best known for Drinky Crow and the Maakies comic series, Mr. Millionaire’s first regularly published strip was in the “The Waterfront Week”, a Williamsburg-based newspaper well known in our north Brooklyn neighborhood. Years after doing us the honor of making our first neighborhood map, Tony has returned to grace us with The Brooklyn Defender personified, a masked hero come to rescue us from the brewing Megaliths.

On Tuesday, September 25 from 7:30-10:30pm, in league with the New York chapter of Comic-Con, we’ll be launching The Defender here at The Brooklyn Brewery Tasting Room. Open bar and swag giveaways. Costumes encouraged! Space is limited, so RSVP to reserve a spot. This party is for 21+ only. (more…)

Bushwig image c/o DNA

From DNA

The recent boom of experimental drag in Brooklyn (and especially Bushwick) has bubbled up in DIY spaces, bars and frequent parties in the past few years, members of the movement said. It’s led to the birth of “Bushwig,” Bushwick’s first ever drag festival later this month at the venue Secret Project Robot.

“It’s going to be a touchpoint for everyone doing different sorts of drag, all sorts of experimentation, a melting pot,” said Babes Trust, born as Simon Leahy, who conceived of the all-day outdoor festival along with Matty Horrorchata (born as Matthew Mendoza).

Trust, a British musician who started London’s “Tranny Olympics” fest six years ago, which spread to Berlin and Stockholm, said she’s been struck by the abundance of experimental performance and artistic drag in Brooklyn since she moved to Bushwick 18 months ago.

But the burgeoning movement, bigger than London’s and more diverse than Manhattan’s, lacked a central hub — so she and Horrorchata took inspiration from the East Village’s past Wigstock drag fest of the 1980s and 1990s.

“I’m kind of scared,” she said. “We’re putting 30 drunk queens in one space,” she giggled about the upcoming extravaganza as she adjusted her strapless white taffeta gown in the Don Pedro basement Monday before sauntering on stage. “I’m sure there’s going to be a teensy bit of drama.”

But the Sept. 29 festival — free for kids under 12 and open to all ages (if “parents are liberal,” Trust noted) — also promises explosive energy and a string of surprises, with Monday night’s handful of performers already captivating their audience.

Bushwig will be held 3 — 11 p.m. Sept. 29 at Secret Project Robot on 389 Melrose St. Tickets are $10, or $5 for people dressed in drag.

More information at Secret Project Robot.

Frank Ocean

I’m not sure what’s up this week, but it feels like EVERYONE is here in the city.  Some days are so stacked that they warrant their own MOST BLOGGED post, and a teleportation device to shuffle from event to event, in between sets.  I can’t help you out with either of those, but I can tell you about THE MOST BLOGGED ABOUT SHOWS this week.

Two of them are brought to you by yours truly; yours truly being My Social List.  On Thursday night, we’re taking over the Ran Tea House for some DIY insanity in a non-traditional space in tandem with (who else) John Rambo and Todd P.  The lineup?  A who’s who of North Brooklyn.  Oberhofer headlines, with support from Darlings and Lazyeyes… and then things get crazy.  Your friends from Night Manager (RIP) and Total Slacker have teamed up as “Astral Locket,” and not to be outdone, members of Friends have teamed up with members of Small Black as “Kissing is a Crime.”  Cassie Ramone, of Vivian Girls and The Babies, is in the booth in between sets, and may or may not be serving green tea during them (may not.)  Try winning a pair of tickets to the tea house here.

Save some energy for Friday night, because our dear old friend Kristina Tequila has outdone herself and booked the My Social List party of the year at Public Assembly; PERMANENT SOUND.  It’s part of the venue’s Et Cetera Festival, which consists of “mostly free” art shows, talks, panels, shows and parties, and while ours isn’t “free,” it’s certainly “free-ish” and “awesome.”  Doors open at 8, and the live part of the party gets started with sets from Total Slacker, Indian Jewelry, Black Marble and Plastic Flowers, with John Pena of Heavenly Beat DJing in between sets.  Don’t show up too late; there’s a half-hour vodka open bar at 10.  At midnight, we open up the doors (for free), the lights dim and the dance party begins, with DJ sets from Pictureplane, Creep, The Death Set and Le Sphinxx, which should wrap up sometime around, oh, 4 AM or so.

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New York Distilling Company's Perry & Parker Gins

Brooklyn has a proud history of brewing, and the craft is making a comeback in a major way, with breweries and distilleries dotting the borough. In fact, seven are within walking distance in Red Hook and Sunset Park, and three others are a short hop away in Greenpoint and Williamsburg. To highlight this enterprising spirit, Cacao Prieto, a rum and dessert maker on Conover Street, helped develop the Brooklyn Spirits Trail, which winds past rum, rye, whiskey, gin, sorel and beer-makers and offers participants delectable samples of food and drink. “Wear comfortable shoes,” said Jackie Summers, 44, who owns Jack from Brooklyn distillery. “Plan on having terrific food and sampling some really unique liquors and seeing how things are done.” The self-guided tour kicks off at Red Hook Winery. Maps can be found at the distilleries and breweries and Dry Dock Wine and Spirits in Red Hook.
THE BROOKLYN SPIRITS TRAIL
10 stops, 12.4 miles

New York Distilling Company
Where: 79 Richardson St. in Williamsburg
Tours/Tastings: Monday through Thursday at 5 and 7 p.m. The distillery’s cocktail bar opens at 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays
Cost: Free
Contact: 718-412-0874, nydistilling.com/
Must Try: Dorothy Parker American Gin, $33 per bottle. For $3 more try the 114-proof Perry’s Tot Navy Strength Gin
“The Shanty” at the New York Distilling Company is where to sample its critically-acclaimed American and 114-proof Navy Strength gins. The bar serves cocktails and craft beers in addition to the distillery’s own spirits, is open every night. (more…)

Kendrick Lamar

If you listened to our blog-o-meter last week, then you attended Warm Up and were privy to three brand new songs from Atoms For Peace; so new that Thom Yorke was singing lyrics out of a little book on at least one of them.  It was quite the spectacle: moist pony-tail peering over a composition notebook full of unintelligible lyrics (they need to do something about that PA at PS1.)  We’ve got a host of bloggable shows for you again this week, as you could have guessed.

The most BLOGGED ABOUT show this week is one for the kids; a hip-hop show from the ultra-buzzed Kendrick Lamar at Terminal 5 on Saturday, with support from fellow blog rappers Ab Soul, Jay Rock, Stalley and Fly Union.

That’s all well and good, but this week is all about Thrill Jockey for me.  The label is celebrating their 20^th anniversary, and they’re doing it in style with two incredible showcases.  Friday night, Death By Audio hosts a virtual whos-who of today’s experimental scene: White Hills, Guardian Alien, Man Forever, Dan Friel and Rhyton and on Saturday, TORTOISE RETURNS to headline the night’s festivities with Future Islands, Matmos, Liturgy and D. Charles Speer in this week’s EDITOR’S PICK.

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From the TASTE Williamsburg Greenpoint website:

TASTE Williamsburg Greenpoint is an outdoor celebration of North Brooklyn’s local flavor… A block party style tasting event, held rain or shine, featuring sample tastes from over 40 of the neighborhood’s best restaurants, breweries, and wineries, along with live music and much more… SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 9TH, 2012

1pm to 5pm- Main Tasting Event- enjoy appetizer size (4oz.) food tastes from a selection of over 40 local restaurants along with complimentary sips(3oz.)of craft brews, NY State Wines, and specialty cocktails from our sponsors.

Participants to include:
Baci & Abbracci, The Bedford, Bellwether, Blue Collar, Brooklyn Brewery, Brooklyn Oenology, Brooklyn Winery, Cafe Colette, Cafe de la Esquina, Cafe Mogador, Crif Dogs, Cubana Social, Dressler & DuMont, Fabbrica, Gourmet Guild, GuS – Grown-up Soda, Hotel Delmano, Juliette, Kinfolk Studios, La Nonna, Le Comptoir, Le Gamin, Lighthouse, Lodge & Urban Rustic, Lokal Bistro, Loreley Restaurant & Biergarten, Maison Premiere, Matt Torrey’s, McClure’s Pickles, The Meatball Shop, Mesa Coyoacan, Miller’s Tavern, Natural Wine Co., Nita Nita, Oslo Coffee Roasters, Pelzer’s Pretzels, Pies n’ Thighs, Plan Tea Beverages, PT Restaurant, Rabbithole Bistro, Reynards, Sel de Mer, The Shanty, Spike Hill, Station, Sweetwater Restaurant & Bakeri, Teddy’s Bar and Grill, Toby’s Estate Coffee, Two Door Tavern, Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream

Get tickets here

Actually, this sounds pretty cool:

From September 8th through the 30th, Brooklyn artists Laura Chipley, Nathan Kensinger, and Sarah Nelson Wright are organizing the Newtown Creek Armada in a “boat pond” in the creek for the public to enjoy weekly from 1-4 p.m. According to Kensinger, there will be nine boats total in the Aramada, each one made from materials found in the creek (scrap metal, floating trash, plants).
At the event, visitors will be invited to control the artist-made remote controlled boats around the basin as each boat records its journey with waterproof cameras and mics to give a better glimpse of what lies beneath the Superfund site’s surface.
Meanwhile, “portholes” located at the project site on the nature walk will give landlovers a chance to dive into the toxic waters without getting wet. Each will show video of the boats journeys past oil slicks, sewage overflows, and “returning nature.” That includes trips to parts of the creek that the public can’t normally access, like the Dutch Kills, Maspeth Creek and English Kills.

Opening Ceremony will be Saturday, Sept. 8 at 1pm at the Newtown Creek Nature Walk in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. More information at http://newtowncreekarmada.org.