Leslie Feist & Grizzly Bear's Ed Droste on the Cyclone - July 13, 2009

Like she will Tuesday on Letterman (tonight, 7/14), Leslie Feist joined Wilco on stage at Keyspan Park in Coney Island on Monday night (7/13) for a few songs. Edward Droste of Grizzly Bear played with them too. Collectively they performed Woody Guthrie's "California Stars". Yo La Tengo opened the show, and then also joined Wilco on stage during the encore. Pictures and more from the show coming soon HERE. Full setlist below.

Earlier in the evening Feist and Ed rode The Cyclone, the famous Coney Island roller coaster (as you can see in the picture above). If you've never been on it, this Saturday during the Siren Festival might be a good time to change that.

For Grizzly Bear and Feist, it was just another example of a growing history of collaborations that includes multiple TV appearances, touring, recorded stuff, and on stage appearances. It's not clear if Ed will be on Letterman tonight too, but we do know that Feist and Wilco will perform the new Wilco song "You and I" on the show. They performed the same song together in Coney Island, and for the first time, in LA on June 25th. Video from that earlier one below.

Two nights before playing in Brooklyn, Feist reunited again with Broken Social Scene on stage at the Harbourfront Centre show in Toronto. For Feist it was at least the second time recently she played with her old band. To make this one even more special though, Emily Haines and Amy Millan were also all up there on stage at the same time - it was a proper BSS reunion. Videos below.

Above mentioned videos, and Wilco's entire Keyspan Park setlist, and video of Ed and Feist singing backup on "You Never Know", below...

Continue reading "Ed Droste, Feist (who just played w/ BSS) & Yo La Tengo played w/ Wilco (& rode the Cylcone) in Coney Island (setlist)"

by Andrew Frisicano

2008 Mermaid Parade Ball (more by Eric M Townsend)

The 2009 Mermaid Parade will take place on Saturday, June 20th (2PM) along Coney Island's boardwalk. If you'd like to march (or volunteer) in this year's parade, registration is now open. Directions and new parade route, below.

Also at Coney Island this summer is the Siren Festival, taking place Saturday, July 18th. Bands playing include Built to Spill, The Raveonettes, Spank Rock, Frightened Rabbit, Japandroids and more.

The beaches at Coney Island, as well as the Cyclone, are both now open for the summer. The fate of the destination spot has been in limbo for quite a while. Astroland's "final year" was initially to be 2007. That was delayed until after the 2008 summer season -- since then, the old rides have been dismantled, and new ones have been put in their place, kinda, sorta...

What will finally end up in the spot is still in question. Thor Equities, the company that runs the former Astroland lot, announced earlier this year that it'll be setting up "Dreamland" amusement park. Curbed (which has recent pics of the condition of the site) reported on the new park's Friday, May 15th opening...

What was supposed to be a big day on Coney Island is already a bit of a bust. Today marks the grand opening of Festival by the Sea, the summertime amusement park and flea market set up by developer Joe Sitt on the former Astroland (pardon us, Dreamland) and other parcels owned by Sitt's Thor Equities. The hyped attraction is supposed to serve as Sitt's proof that he knows what's best for Coney Island's redevelopment, but a funny thing happened on the way to the freak show: the Brooklyn Paper reports that half the rides haven't arrived and the vendors will be "exposed to the element because of a tent mishap." [Curbed]

If the Coney Island development circus isn't enough, the actual circus is coming to the boardwalk on June 18th -- the Times makes the appropriate connections. Luckily, there's at least a slim chance that the circus' days in NYC may soon go the way of Astroland...

Almost half of City Council members [have signed] onto a bill that would prohibit "the display of wild or exotic animals for public entertainment or amusement." Other animals included in the bill: dolphins, walruses, hippopotamuses, giraffes, koalas, kinkajou, sloths, tarantulas, rhinoceroses and armadillos. Despite the extensive taxonomy in the bill, essentially everyone admits that the primary target for the legislation is the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus.

The bill, which has circulated for many years in different local legislatures, has [recently] drawn renewed attention in New York City with Ringling Brothers arrival [on March 26th] and [late-March] closing arguments in a federal lawsuit that accused the circus of mistreating its Asian elephants. [NY Times March 26, 2009]

Continue reading "Coney Island 2009 - Mermaid Parade returns (w/ new route), the circus (groan), "Dreamland", Siren & more "

"We don't know about all this talk about the city negotiating with developer Joe Sitt to buy his land, incuding Astroland, in the heart of Coney Island's amusement district. What we do know for sure is that the amusement park is being dismantled. There are many photos and much discussion on the Coney Island Message Board and rumors that the rides may be sold to an amusement park in Australia. As one Coney insider told us, "when the 300 foot crane shows up to take down the Astrotower, you'll know for sure that it's over." The rides are being put in shipping containers. Both the city and Mr. Sitt have said rides will operate on the property next year." [Curbed]

Video of Coney Island in 1940 below...

Continue reading "Coney Island rides being taken down (pics) (to Australia?)"

"Free rides and food for Thor guests on Thursdays in August. Won't see any of this next year! It'll be an empty lot. Goodbye Astroland! Farewell Break Dance!" [by me-myself-i]

The Cyclone and Wonder Wheel are landmarks though, so even after the last trace of Astroland disappears, those will always be there to ride, or at least look at like the old Parachute jump. More pictures below...

Continue reading "Astroland is closed, the Coney Island rides are for sale "

Astroland, Coney Island (Klingon65)

After 46 years of calling Coney Island home, Astroland is tearing down and packing up its rides for good.
Owners say they could not come to terms with developer Thor Equities over a lease extension.

Co-Owner Carol Hill Albert says the developer forced her hand and gave her no choice but to shut down. In a statement, Albert says, in part:

"The safety of our customers and our commitment to employees means our time has run out. Ride parts must be ordered a minimum of eight to 10 months in advance. My employees cannot live in a state of limbo any longer."

Borough President Marty Markowitz said he had wanted Astroland to stay, but wants thrills to be a permanent part of Coney Island.

"Our focus will be to bring a major amusement operator to that space in Coney Island next year. Because I truly believe that if you can make it in Coney Island you can make it anywhere," said Markowitz.

Thor Equities issued a response saying it's disappointed that Albert has decided to "give up on the future of Coney Island."

It says the Cyclone and Wonder Wheel will both reopen next summer as part of a new Coney Island landscape. [NY1]

photos by Bao Nguyen

The year's festival could be the last in its established location. As usual the bands played on two stages on parallel streets leading to the boardwalk. The main stage was so close to the landmark Cyclone rollercoaster that drumrolls could easily segue into the clatter of the coaster rounding a turn.

Siren isn't the most comfortable of rock festivals. The sound systems are mediocre and the pedestrian routes between the stages are irrational. But Siren does place the tattooed-nerd fashion sense of indie rock in the diverting context of Coney Island's other freaks and sideshows.

A prospective redevelopment, replacing the old amusement area, could break ground next year. The rides of Astroland, next to the Siren main stage, were supposed to close forever last year, but reopened this year in a reprieve. The area's fate is still hanging. "It's my first time here," said Kevin Drew, the leader of Broken Social Scene, as the band ended its set. "I don't want it to be the last."
[NY Times]

Continue reading "the 2008 Coney Island Siren Festival in pictures (part 2)"

Someone from The Hook got in touch to let me know that they're not going out just like that. There will be one final party at the closing venue on October 27th, and strangely - it will be a Halloween party called "The Death of Astroland" - "a laying rest of the Coney Island we all once knew". So basically the final party at the Red Hook venue will be in honor of the closing of Astroland in Coney Island. I guess, why not? More details below....

Continue reading "The Hook - not totally closed just yet"

The Coney Island Rockabilly Festival takes place August 16 – August 19, 2007. All details below....

Continue reading "The 2007 Coney Island Rockabilly Festival"

CONEY ISLAND, Brooklyn, NY (CRED)

"As Thor Equities gets closer to sinking its teeth into developing/redeveloping there, Astroland will open up again for its last season this weekend." [Gothamist]

""the first 100 people will get to ride free ride on the Cyclone" [FreeNYC]

upcoming in Coney Island, 2007
April 1 - opening date @ Astroland
June 23 - 25th Annual Mermaid Parade
July 21 - The Village Voice Siren Music Festival

There's also a 'save Coney Island' protest today. More cool Coney photos here.