Public Records
photo by Ruvan Wijesooriya

Public Records opens in Gowanus (see pics) -- Deradoorian & more scheduled

Public Records opened in Gowanus, Brooklyn earlier this spring at 233 Butler St, a location that was formerly the headquarters of the ASPCA (and vintage guitar shop Retrofret more recently). Like a lot of things these days, Public Records is a multitasker, with three distinct spaces: a hi-fi “record bar,” which will showcase DJs spinning their rare record collections (with a full food and cocktail menu); a 200 capacity performance space called The Sound Room” that features live music and vinyl-centric DJs (check out the current schedule); and an all-day vegan café and magazine shop curated by IMPRINT. All feature sweet, custom-built, high-end sound systems. Check out photos of Public Records in the gallery above.

The Bar is open from 6:00 onward Tuesday through Friday serving signature cocktails, natural wine, and a number of low ABV / NA options. Bar services begins at 2:00 on Saturday and Sunday flowing into the cafe. The cafe opens at 9 am daily. They’re closed Mondays.

If you’ve been meaning to check out Public Records, this long Memorial Day weekend is a good time to do so. Tonight (Thursday, 5/23) in The Sound Room they’ve got Deradoorian and Greg Fox, who are both comfortable in traditional and experimental realms (and both play in Black Sabbath Cover Band Rehearsals with Nick Zinner). Deradoorian says she’ll be performing her piece she made at Vancouver’s Western Front art centre, consisting of “different Armenian wind instruments with live vocal and Korg LP-10 synth.” Greg will be performing as part of a trio with Grey Mcmurray and M Geddes. Tickets are on sale. Meanwhile, in the Record Bar, veteran NYC DJ Justin Strauss will be spinning till close.

“The Memorial Day weekend lineup, which kicks off tonight with Deradoorian and Greg Fox, embodies the diversity of programming that we are aiming to foster at Public Records,” said co-founders Shane Davis and Francis Harris. “Our calendar places artists existing together from different artistic genres– indie, experimental, electronic, dub– all tied together by the common thread of experimentation and intellect.”

Friday (5/24) features DJ sets from house/techno producers DJ Qu and Joey Anderson (tickets), while Nina BC of Working Women DJ’s will be spinning in the Record Bar.  Saturday (5/25) has an improvised live set from from Juju and Jordash in The Sound Room (tickets).

On Sunday, Erica Diehl, reggae lover and founder of the excellent Queen’s Majesty hot sauce company, kicks off her Summer Reggae Sundays afternoon residency in the Record Bar with sets form Carter Van Pelt (VP Records) & DJ Vaughn Allstar (WKCR).  That night in the Sound Room, it’s Berlin-based DJ and Hard Wax record store founder Mark Ernestus (tickets).

Other artists with upcoming events include Bill Orcutt + Okkyung Lee, Mark Ernestus, Laraaji + Will Shore, Die Angel (of Pan Sonic), Juju + Jordash, Hieroglyphic Being, and more. Full schedule HERE, and read more about their Memorial Day Weekend schedule below.

PUBLIC RECORDS – MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND SCHEDULE

In the Bar:

Thursday, May 23rd: Justin Strauss: DJ and producer Justin Strauss acts as a personification of the last 30 years of New York nightlife, having spun at every New York institution from Mudd Club to Limelight to Area. He’s known for connecting the dots between genres and time periods to enthral crowds of all sorts. Strauss will be spinning in the Bar until close.

Friday, May 24th: Nina BC of Working Women DJ’s: Nina BC is one of the three founding members of Working Women; a collective that aims to encourage the feedback and participation of all women. Nicely, Nina and Voices all explore different genres in the process of celebrating the art of DJing. Nina BC will spin in the bar until close.

Sunday, May 26th: Queen Majesty’s Summer Reggae: Queen Majesty, aka Erica Diehl, hot-sauce maker and renowned reggae expert/DJ kicks off her Public Records residency with the first installation of her weekly family-friendly affair starting at 2 p.m.

In the Soundroom:

Thursday, May 23rd: Deradoorian of Dirty Projectors with Greg Fox opening: As the former bassist and vocalist for Dirty Projectors, Deradoorian helped buoy the Brooklyn-based group. As a vocalist, multi instrumentalist and sonic visionary Angel Deradoorian has never shied away from testing aural and conceptual boundaries in her work. Brimming with meditative affirmations that mimic cycles, planetary and otherwise, Deradoorian’s music breathes through drones, synthesizers and vocal acrobatics peripherally inspired by the music of Alice Coltrane, Ornette Coleman and Don Cherry. She’s been a member of Avey Tare’s Slasher Flicks and collaborated with Flying Lotus. Expect the ecstatic.As the former bassist and vocalist for Dirty Projectors, Deradoorian helped buoy the Brooklyn-based group. As a vocalist, multi instrumentalist and sonic visionary Angel Deradoorian has never shied away from testing aural and conceptual boundaries in her work. Brimming with meditative affirmations that mimic cycles, planetary and otherwise, Deradoorian’s music breathes through drones, synthesizers and vocal acrobatics peripherally inspired by the music of Alice Coltrane, Ornette Coleman and Don Cherry. She’s been a member of Avey Tare’s Slasher Flicks and collaborated with Flying Lotus. Expect the ecstatic.

Greg Fox: Greg Fox is a New York City born-and bred drummer, multidisciplinary artist, and teacher. He has played on and released 49 records since 2008, including his work with Liturgy, ZS, Ben Frost, Colin Stetson, Skeletons, Hieroglyphic Being, Man Forever, and others, as well as with his own solo work and his projects GDFX and Guardian Alien. Fox has toured worldwide with various groups and collaborations, held residencies at The Clocktower NYC and was awarded “Best Drummer in NYC” by the Village Voice in 2011.

Friday, May 24th: DJ Qu & Joey Anderson: DJ Qu and Joey Anderson are unlike most producers and djs of their generation. They have carved out an inimitable place in the history of house and techno and the cultural landscape of the east coast. For one night, they share the decks at Public Records for a rare joint appearance in an intimate setting.

Saturday, May 25th: Juju and Jordash with Francis Harris: Public Records invites a rare DJ performance by Gal Aner and Jordan GCZ, otherwise known as Juju and Jordash. Small room space funk and “techno primitivism” is on the menu with an opening set by Public Records own Francis Harris. Live improvised set. Israel

Sunday, May 26th: Mark Ernestus (Rhythm & Sound): Founder of Hard Wax record store (est 1989), Mark Ernestus is a critical member of Berlins’ club music scene. From this foundation he extended his reach creating a Berlin-Detroit nexus as one half of the label Basic Channel pioneering dub techno and exposing dance floors to vast new landscapes, traversable via abstraction and minimalism.

Public Records “aims to be an environmentally conscious, community minded and inclusive space.”