Celebrating Community
The first time I saw Steve Forbert was the only time I went to CBGB’s, only because back in the day I wasn’t much of a punkster (my loss). When Forbert first came to NY though, Hilly Kristal was booking more folky acts. By 1980, Forbert was already somewhat of a star, playing clubs all over the country, and owner […]
John Pinamonti and his band have been performing as a regular combo at Sunny’s Bar on Conover Street, Red Hook, since the year 2000. The history of Sunny’s Bar is wonderfully told in Tim Sultan’s book Sunny’s Nights: Lost and Found at a Bar on the Edge of the World (2016). I have no intention of competing with that; indeed […]
The fifth annual Brooklyn Americana Festival is September 19 to 22 in several spots primarily surrounding the East River in Brooklyn, New York. Founded by Jan Bell (who has several albums and toured the United States and Europe in her own right), the Brooklyn Americana Festival is quickly establishing itself as a major artery of the Americana music establishment. Brooklyn, […]
Help! I’m being swallowed by an avalanche of needless reply-alls! A cascading torrent of “sound’s good’s and “right on”s have squeezed the air out of me. Endless streams of emojis and GIFs berate me from day into night into day again. Needless questions directed at anybody on the thread but me… the “gig economy” (aka freelancing) has taken the form […]
Black voices and stories have historically been silenced or pushed to the background. Afrofuturism puts a spotlight on black stories, and conceptually, the genre places black subjects in settings that didn’t usually include or consider them. Afrofuturism, in short, is where the themes of black culture throughout the diaspora meet technology and science fiction, usually via an artistic medium. Though […]
My oldest friend Lan comes into New York City about once a year nowadays. He’s lived in Orlando, Florida, for the past 20 years. One night, three years ago, he insists that we go out. “It’s late. I’m tired,” I say, feeling lame. But it’s a cool summer night in Brooklyn. He didn’t come all the way from swamp Orlando […]
There are a ton of parties that spring up (and disappear) throughout the city. In New York, plenty of weekends are a tug-of-war between your FOMO (fear of missing out) and pestering indecisiveness. There are so many options – your bed, takeout and Netflix usually being a staple and comfortable one. If you’re too lazy to go out clubbing or […]
Wednesday, September 11, sees Brooklyn’s Knitting Factory host a night of original international synth acts. Co-headliners Parallels (Canada) and Nina (UK) are joined by New York artists Czarina and Bunny X, all of whom are leading female artists in the burgeoning synthwave scene. The term ‘synthwave’ broadly defines several styles of music heavily influenced by 1980s culture, from music to […]
I set out to write a story on busking, the hip word for performing in the streets, in hopes of meeting crazy characters and hearing spectacular stories the likes of which could only happen in the chaotic streets and underground train stations of New York City. However, I got no such tales from the dozen or so musicians I spoke […]
On September 14th and 15th, Zum Schneider will celebrate 20 years in Alphabet City. Known to have some of the most authentic Bavarian food in New York, alongside an extraordinarily curated beer selection, the restaurant will, sadly, be observing its final Oktoberfest this year (at least, in its current location). For their anniversary, they will feature the house polka band, […]