New York isn’t all ice cream scoops and Wes Anderson art. These two upcoming events promise to take you back to the East Village’s edgier days of yore. You don’t have to walk across a sea of crack vials to get to them — one of them is even on a boat.
Tompkins Square Park (Police) Riot Reunion
Aug. 8 and 9 from 1pm to 7pm, Tompkins Square Park; free
On the heels of Clayton Patterson’s screening of Captured, these outdoor shows put on in conjunction with longtime anarchist rag The Shadow will once again mark the anniversary of the 1988 riot in Tompkins Square Park that Patterson famously documented. Many saw the fight against a curfew in the park as one last push against gentrification, but the yuppies haven’t totally won: on Saturday and Sunday, they’ll be subjected to the punk rock and hardcore stylings of bands with names like Sewage, Sexual Suicides, and Nihilistics. Put on your choker and expect some speeches about “hyper development, accelerated gentrification and the assault on rent control,” as stated in the invite.
Wigstock: The Cruise and Sea Tea
Aug. 16 at 6pm, Pier 40, 353 West St.; tickets $40
More than a decade since Wigstock brought frills and flair in Tompkins Square Park, its doyenne Lady Bunny has decided to revive it on a boat, of all places. The four-hour cruise aims to “recapture some of the wiggy magic from beloved festivals past.” In fact, the invite promises a vibe akin to “The Love Boat on acid with a killer new soundtrack of classic NYC house music” courtesy of DJ Johnny Dynell. Among the featured personalities are Linda Simpson (now a fixture at LPR), Sister Dimension, HRH Princess Diandra, Flotilla Debarge, Sweetie, Sugga Pie Koko, David Ilku and Ffloyd. You’ll definitely want to support this one, because Lady Bunny says it “may lead to other full-scale Wigstock festivals in the future or a possible partnership with Bushwig, the Brooklyn drag festival.” Actually, that partnership already seems to be blossoming. Bushwig, taking place Sept. 11 to 13 at a sprawling new outdoor venue, the Onderdonk House in Ridgewood, has announced that this year it’ll feature 150+ drag queens, 20 bands, and none other than Lady Bunny.