From left: Nelson Antonio Espinal, Rob Granata, Ned Shatzer (Photo: Nicole Disser)
Bushwick/Bed-Stuy venue The Gateway was forced to close on May 23 and has launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise the money to reopen, according to an email from the space’s owner Ned Shatzer. More →
Marches can be exhausting. When you need to recover, here’s where to rock out to bands or get down to beats while supporting organizations fighting the good fight.
(flyer courtesy of Daniel Leinweber)
We Support Planned Parenthood
Thursday, February 2 at The Graham, 8 pm to 4 am. $20 suggested donation.
Williamsburg bar and club The Graham kicks off a series of benefit shows with a night dedicated to Planned Parenthood. The party starts at 8 pm and goes all the way into the wee hours of the night, with seven DJs donating their time to keep the tunes bumping non-stop. Expect sets from Jacuzzi Jefferson of Pool Cosby, House of Yes resident DJ David Kiss, Australian DJ and producer Akki, house and techno maven Sophia MA of DJ crew Tribes NY, Will OB going b2b with A-A-RON, and Alex Rose.
(Flyer by Alec Lambert)
Well, there’s a super compressor of shows happening this week between now and, as The Gateway calls it “the inevitable.” And we can’t think of a better way to keep your spirits up and get the ol’ body machine moving than a Retail show. You’ve probably seen retail, since they’re one of the hardest working bands in Brooklyn, a borough full of musicians who churn out records, shows and, in Retail’s case, self-replication by way of march, at a grind-till-death pace.
The question is whether that has been in the form of a sticker stuck to a dive bar bathroom door, or at an actual show— but if you know, then you know. If you don’t, you gotta go. The band’s new record Dead cranks it up by nearly every measure, with face-blasting screams that have the kind of sharpness shaped only by scar tissue. It’s majorly fast, unadulterated hardcore. In other words, total catharsis.
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 26
GIFoween
Brooklyn Bazaar, 150 Greenpoint Ave., Greenpoint; 7pm; free
The web’s best animators set out to prove that everything is scarier when it’s looped for all eternity at this contest from the folks at GIPHY and Brooklyn’s Animation Block Party. The coolest entries are being screened and measured up by celebrity judges at the Brooklyn Bazaar’s new four-story space — here’s hoping for lots of animated homages to the dancing pumpkin man. Plus, on Saturday BK Bazaar is doing their “Brooklyn Fright Bazaar,” with musical tributes to The Cramps and The Bee Gees, games, karaoke (guess they found a manager), a Halloween drinking game contest (yikes), food and more.
(Photo via Silent Barn / Facebook)
And we’re back… well, sort of. We’re at least moseying our way toward the holiday finish line. Not quite ready to let go of it just yet, but so, so over it at the same time. And since you’ve just got to be exhausted from all of it, we’ve done the heavy lifting in answering the most important question of the year: What are we doing for New Year’s Eve?
(Flyer via Trans-Pecos / Other People)
Other People Residency
Tuesday Dec. 8th through Friday Dec. 11th at Trans-Pecos
Our favorite no wave loudmouth Lydia Lunch will play at Trans-Pecos on Friday with her band, Teenage Jesus and the Jerks, part of a full week of music curated by Other People. The “serial label,” founded by Nicholas Jarr drops a new rotation of new and nostalgic music each week, and they’ve just put out a stellar collection of the band’s live recordings, Live 1977 – 1979 (which you can stream for free right now over yonder). It’s pretty much the best thing happening this week, and it’s happening all week. Truly, it’s one of those events that helps us justify paying astronomical rents to live in this city.
(Flyer via The Acheron/ Facebook)
Negative Approach, Night Birds, Child Bite, Outskirts
Sunday, Nov. 29th, 8 pm at The Acheron: $15
Years back, I was day drinking at an unassuming deep-fryer dive in Detroit. A surly looking guy with a grease-stained apron and hangover slouch from hell emerged out of a kitchen. My friend seated at the bar next to me guffawed and nudged me discreetly. “Look, it’s John Brannon.” And so it was. The hardcore legend could have been beer-sweating over my tater tots for all I know– and deep down, I sort of hope that was the case.
(Flyer via The Gateway / Facebook)
Are you looking for spooky Halloween-themed shows? Well, you’ve come to the wrong place. Stay tuned for our guide to legit everything worth going to this Hallows’ weekend. But for now, sate yourself with these totally, 100 percent normal show happenings. Well, strictly speaking they’re not “normal” at all, but you can pretend like it’s not Sexy Something Day for just one minute and stuff your ears with tunes instead of candy corn.
From left: Nelson Antonio Espinal, Rob Granata, Ned Shatzer (Photo: Nicole Disser)
A brand new “DIY done-right” venue, as booker Nelson Antonio Espinal calls it, has been operating (at half-capacity anyway) in the J train’s shadow these past few weeks, while most of us probably had no idea. The secretive new operation, aptly called The Gateway, is located just off the Gates Avenue stop on the Bed-Stuy side of Broadway. Late nights, it’s pretty quiet around here, save for a Crown Chicken knockoff, a newish vegan diner called Toad Style, and the twice-a-weekend shows at Bohemian Grove, just north on the Bushwick side of the border.
