McCarren Park vagina tree RIP

today in NYC
* The Spokes @ Barbes
* RJD2 @ Webster Hall
* Friends @ The Rock Shop
* Howard Fishman @ Barbes
* David Kirby @ The Stone
* Miniature Tigers @ US Open
* Electric Zoo @ Randall's Island
* The English Beat @ The Bell House
* Phony PPL, Sophie Urista @ Southpaw
* Bonnie Jones, Maria Chavez @ The Stone
* Joel Forrester, Phillip Johnston @ Barbes
* Bill Kreutzmann & 7 Walkers @ City Winery
* Karl Denson's Tiny Universe @ Brooklyn Bowl
* The Business, The Krays, Dirty Spiders @ Mercury Lounge
* Let Me Run, Spiro Agnew, Gates, The Scandals @ Maxwell's
* Tony Castles, Beige, Celestial Shore, Slam Donahue @ Glasslands
* The Donkeys, The Latebirds, Dinosaur Feathers @ Knitting Factory
* Grass Is Green, Grandfather, Pile, Me You Us Them @ Cameo Gallery
* Xray Eyeballs, Royal Baths, Hunters, Mountain Cult @ Death By Audio
* The Planes, Gold Streets, The True Jacqueline, Justice of the Unicorns @ Bruar Falls
* Mavado, Stephen Marley, Barrington Levy, Gyptian, Demarco, Elephant Man, Stephen & Chino McGregor, Ding Dong @ Hammerstein Ballroom

Check out This Week In Indie for more.

Hunx and His Punx roll back into town this weekend. They recently met Nardwuar. Watch the interview below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Friday?"

photos by Andrew St. Clair

Twin Sister @ Summerscreen - 7/27

As mentioned in This Week in Indie, Twin Sister debuted the music video for "Bad Street" at McCarren Park last night (7/27) during their free Summerscreen show which was accompanied by a screening of Ferris Bueller's Day Off. The track is off their upcoming album In Heaven, which you can pre-order at Domino. The video is now out, and you can check it out along with the In Heaven album art and more pictures from the Summerscreen show, which they played with Your Youth, below.

Twin Sister will go on a tour in September and October supporting the album including dates with Explosions in the Sky, with Wild Beasts, and with The Pains of Being Pure at Heart. Twin Sister don't share a bill with any of those bands in NYC, but they do play their own record release show at Mercury Lounge on September 29. Tickets for that show go on sale Friday (7/29) at noon.

All dates, pictures, and video below...

Continue reading "Twin Sister played McCarren Park (pics), announced more tour dates, revealed album art & new video"

Twin Sister at ACL Live (more by Tim Griffin)

As some of you may know, in addition to screening free movies, the L Magazine-presented Summerscreen series in McCarren Park also features a live performance by a band each night before the film plays. On July 27, before Ferris Bueller's Day Off is screened, Twin Sister and Your Youth will play free sets at the outdoor Brooklyn venue. The Wednesday night shows happen in the Ballfields (Bedford and North 12th) from around 6pm-10pm.

Other bands playing at Summerscreen this summer include Widowspeak, Zambri, Milagres, and Yellow Dogs. The Wayne's World screening, originally scheduled for July 13, was rained out and is rescheduled for August 17 with Yellow Dogs.

Twin Sister meanwhile are in Chicago this weekend to play the Pitchfork Festival, and have upcoming dates scheduled with Explosions in the Sky, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Purity Ring, and others.

Updated schedule and dates below...

Continue reading "Twin Sister playing free Summerscreen show, other dates"

photos by Jessica Amaya

Beirut @ Northside Festival

Beirut is currently on tour in support of the release of the upcoming album The Rip Tide (album art below), which is available for pre-order. That tour has been expanded and now includes two NYC dates at Terminal 5 on September 21 and 22. Tickets go on sale Friday (7/8) at noon.

Beirut's last NYC show was in McCarren Park with Sharon Van Etten and Yellow Ostrich as part of the Northside Festival. We already talked about that, but here's a second set of pictures from the event in this post.

The rest of those pictures, all tour dates and Rip Tide album art below...

Continue reading "Beirut announces tour, two nights at Terminal 5 (updated dates, new LP art & another set of Northside show pics)"

photos by Tamara Porras, words by Klaus Kinski

If you live in NYC (and don't live under a rock) you are very well aware that the 4-day music/film/art extravaganza that is The Northside Festival swept through the ultra-tough, filthy, gang ridden, and decrepit streets of North Williamsburg. Sadly, because of my rigid and limited musical preferences, the list of acts playing read like a foreign phone book to me and only one band (of the, what, 250? 300? bands) was enough for me to venture out and risk life and limb in the land of bad tattoos, cut-offs, deep Vs, and big sunglasses. That band? Guided By Voices.

This is my third time seeing the Classic Line-Up (anyone else sick of hearing them referred to as The Classic Line-Up?) and, whooooo boy, did they bring the stank! Besides the music and the license to drink excessively and pump one's fist high into the air, the best part of a GBV show (ANY GBV show, including non-Classic Line-Up shows) is the camaraderie. It never fails; whenever I am at a GBV show I run into friends who I never see otherwise, but who feel closer than most of the people I know on Facebook. And it's not hard to make new friends when you and several hundred other people are double-fisting over-priced beer and singing along to the music.

The fun started for me at 6pm on the dot as I arrived moments before Wavves hit the stage. It was 80 degrees, partly cloudy, nice breeze... perfect for an outdoor show. I have never seen Wavves, but being an avid BV reader they have a reputation in tow that certainly piqued my interest. And I liked them a lot. They were just straight up rock. Nothing flashy, nothing hard to digest... just good old fashioned rock. I mean, if you want rocket science, by all means, go listen to Yes or Dream Theater. They were definitely the perfect lead in to GBV. By the time they finished, the crowd was DEFINITELY ready for GBV's scheduled 7pm appearance.

The whole GBV atmosphere was a dream. 40 songs, 3 encores, a 99% crowd-rocking-out-and-singing-along percentage, beautiful weather, cold beers (come on people, you know that at this point in the evening price was hardly a concern)... perfection! GBV played everything from deep tracks to crowd favorites (set list below). Bob Pollard led the crowd as deftly as he led the band. Greg Demos, bedecked in a ruffled shirt and vest reminiscent of a 70s prom get up, often wielded his bass as though it was a sword. Tobin Sprout played the role of the quiet one, masterfully traversing his axe without showing too much dramatic flair or movement. And Mitch Mitchell. Jesus, between the tats, the ever present cigarette, his mighty Les Paul, and a facial expression that rarely deviates from a look of "I will fuck you up, so help me God," Mitch definitely gets the Badass of the Evening Award. Everything about the evening was perfect, and I have a feeling that this show will be the highlight of my summer. It's certainly going to take a lot to top it.

All snarkiness aside, the Northside Festival is a pretty phenomenal opportunity for people to catch a huge number of great bands, art, film, food, panels, and more for what amounts to a $60-or-so pittance. For the price, the variety of programming one can catch in a 4-day time span is rather remarkable. This year's fest boasted a much larger scope than last year and if this trend continues we can expect next year to be sensational as well. North Williamsburg, on the other hand, will no doubt be a much more grotesque and tedious neighborhood to find yourself in. But ain't that progress?

Beirut, Sharon Van Etten & Yellow Ostrich played the same temporary outdoor venue one night earlier. Pictures from the whole GBV show, The Babies and Surfer Blood included, and the full GBV setlist, below....

Continue reading "Guided By Voices played McCarren Park w/ Wavves, Surfer Blood & the Babies (pics & setlist)"

photos by Amanda Hatfield, words by Rachel Kowal

Thirty minutes before showtime, the forecast wasn't looking good. What started as a small shower soon escalated into a near downpour, sending a patchwork of different colored umbrellas springing up at McCarren Park Friday night.

Then it happened: the event that nearly broke Twitter. It began with a low rumble that quickly rippled through the crowd. Then, "OH MY GOD! DOUBLE RAINBOW!" Within seconds, every smartphone was tracked on the sky, and cries of jubilation and cheap sarcasm rang out. If you think Sharon Van Etten is a tough act to follow, try a double rainbow. But Yellow Ostrich was up for trying.

Soon after the buzz died down, the newly signed Barsuk trio took the stage. Somehow despite all the weather-related chaos that had transpired over the past 30 minutes subsided just in time for the show. A Northside miracle.

Recorded, Yellow Ostrich is a fine-tuned, feel-good indie machine, but in a live setting, front man Alex Schaaf and company aren't afraid to let down their hair a bit. Sure, you still get the carefully looped harmonies - a delight to hear in the excellent "Whale" - but the music also takes on a more desperate and raucous tone, especially on new songs like "The Shake Down."

As I watched the stage transform for Sharon Van Etten's set, my excitement grew - especially when I spied Aaron Dessner of The National fiddling around with wires. "Hello, everybody. Thanks for bearing the rain," Van Etten said by way of introduction. She began her set with "Peace Signs."

With her honest lyrics and down-to-earth demeanor, and soul-soothing voice, Sharon Van Etten makes quick work of winning over the crowd. (I mean the woman dedicated a song to her dad in honor of Father's Day. How nice, right?)

As an added bonus, the last three songs of her set featured two additional musicians - Ben Lanz (on trombone) and Aaron Dessner (guitar) who is apparently producing Van Etten's next record.

Then, after a brief interlude from our sponsor, Zach Condon and company emerged to a round of applause that almost seemed more fitting for a Justin Bieber show than for Beirut.

Though Condon composed much of his newer music with a 17-piece mariachi band in mind, the six people on stage impressively flushed out the sound by constantly rotating through an assortment of instruments, including: French horn, tuba, drums, trombone, trumpet, accordion, and piano. But it was the ukulele - the crux to much of his earlier catalog - that seemed to garner the most applause.

After two short sets, it was nice to see Beirut take their time on stage. The band enthusiastically played through their set - no doubt inspired not only by the dedication of the rain-braving crowd but also by the stunning scenery in the distance. "It's nice to be playing for the Chrysler and the Empire State Building," Condon remarked. Of course with such a healthy play time (19 songs, by my count), they covered both the standards ("Postcards From Italy," "Elephant Gun," "Nantes," "Scenic World," and "Mount Wroclai" to name a few) and a handful of newer songs.

Though I was tempted to stay longer, if there was an encore, I didn't see it. After missing out on Seapony twice last week, I dashed out of the park and over to Pianos, where I made it in time to hear the last five songs from the delightful Seattle group. For the record, it was totally worth it.

More pictures from the Beirut show below...

Continue reading "Beirut, Sharon Van Etten, Aaron Dessner, Yellow Ostrich & a double rainbow in McCarren Park (pics & review)"

Beirut, Sharon Van Etten, and Yellow Ostrich play a sold out (except to badges) Northside Festival show in McCarren Park tonight. The Books, Junip, and Doveman play a free show in Prospect Park. Both shows are rain or shine, though lightning could change that. Hopefully it doesn't rain too hard, or at all. 50% is still only 50%!

Best Coast and The Decemberists played Prospect Park in the rain earlier in the week, and that wasn't too bad.

The 7th annual Renegade Craft Fair is coming to McCarren Park this weekend (June 11-12) from 11 AM to 7 PM. The fair features hundreds of artisans selling handmade goods and hands-on crafting workshops. The Renegade Handmade Store is also giving away a selection of their artists' works via free raffles all weekend. Food and beverages will be available via Hecho en Casa, Urban Rustic, and Joyride. Admission is free, boot licking not included...

Continue reading "Renegade Craft Fair in McCarren Park this weekend"

Take the comforter off your bed and pack a picnic of Fritos and brie, SummerScreen presented by EPIX and The L Magazine is back for a sixth year. Every Wednesday for six weeks we're taking over the ballfields at McCarren Park to bring you a night of good music, great food and drink, and, when the sun goes down, we'll play one of the greatest movies ever made (that's not an opinion, these movies really are the greatest movies ever made). The best part? It's still completely FREE to attend. All you have to do is bring something to sit on.

We're proud to introduce this year's lineup:

July 6 - Friday
July 13 - Wayne's World
July 20 - Ghost World
July 27 - Ferris Bueller's Day Off
August 3 - Clueless
August 10 - Jurassic Park
August 17 - Rain Date
August 24 - Rain Date

So have you found something to sit on yet? You have less than two months, so make it a priority. Until then, cinephiles, we'll be stealing our Dads' Ferrari, searching for a cane with a mosquito fossilized in amber at the tip, and trying to get Marky Mark to plant a celebrity tree.

Surfer Blood @ BVSXSW (more by Tim Griffin)

Surfer Blood kick off their tour with Trail of Dead at Bowery Ballroom on April 29th. That show is sold out, though tickets are still available for the one they're playing at Music Hall of Williamsburg on May 13th (note: original tour dates said this show was at Brooklyn Bowl, but it's Music Hall).

And, Surfer Blood and the Babies have been added to the Wavves/Guided By Voices Nothside Festival show happening in McCarren Park on June 18th. Tickets are still on sale. Doors for that show are at 3pm, The Babies play at 4, Surfer Blood play at 5, Wavves at 6, and then GBV at 7.

Sharon Van Etten was recently added to the Beirut show at the same venue.

Surfer Blood, Sharon Van Etten and The Babies are 3 of 65 bands that were just added to the Northside Festival.

Wavves are also playing a free NYC show later in the summer.

It will look much prettier when they build a stage and stuff, but those asphalt softball fields are where Beirut is playing on June 17th (tickets) and Guided by Voices & Wavves are playing on June 18th (tickets). The "Open Space Alliance benefit shows" are both part of the 2012 Northside Festival for which you can also buy a badge.

Whether OSA has plans to use the 'McCarren Park' space on other dates this summer remains to be seen, but there have been rumors of OSA trying to "sponsor their own concert series ten blocks down" from a waterfront area that was being proposed for a controversial "Brooklyn Night Bazaar."

I'm assuming the OSA "concert series" is not the JellyNYC Williamsburg Waterfront Pool Parties which are probably not returning this summer after much controversy last year. That controversy was especially related to Jelly's relationship with OSA.

There will reportedly still be concerts at Williamsburg Waterfront again this year though, but probably not free ones. McCarren Pool meanwhile (Jelly's original free show location), also part of McCarren Park, is still being wasted I think.

Stay tuned for more updates on all of this.

..."New York is creating a two-tier system," said Geoffrey Croft of New York City Park Advocates, a frequent critic of the Parks Department.

"The nightmare is that all these deals are going on behind closed doors and that people are taking city dollars away from other parks," Croft said.

The situation is unusual. Although it is not uncommon for the city and nonprofits to hire from the same pool of advocates and experts, it is extremely rare for people to work for both at the same time....

...In 2008, Stephanie Thayer became director of the Open Space Alliance for North Brooklyn - and the Parks Department's director of North Brooklyn Parks.

Records show Thayer got $86,528 from the city. She said her work for the nonprofit is voluntary.

"I'm still fighting the good fight," she said. "I'm just doing it in a different way."

Figuring out which hat Thayer is wearing has created frustration among some park advocates.

Laura Hofmann, a member of Open Space's steering committee, said Thayer spurned her when she tried to find out how many trees would be planted in a new park.

"She basically told me you have to trust the Parks Department and you have no business asking for this kind of information," Hofmann said.
[Daily News, July 11, 2010]

McCarren Park - May 8, 2010

"The Trustocorp crew--who when last we checked in were filling stores with fake products like Banko (eat the rich) cereal--are back with a new public service sign. It reads: Don't Feed The Hipsters, and is appropriately placed in McCarren Park, where kickball season just began. But let's presuppose someone ignored this warning and did feed the hipsters, what do you think they like to eat? (Asking for a friend.)" [Gothamist]

Patrick Henry McCarren

To: New York City Parks Department

We do not support the Parks Department's plan to sell the naming rights to McCarren Pool. Our pool was built and paid for by the taxpayers, not by a corporation. Patrick Henry McCarren is an important figure in local history, who helped build the Williamsburg Bridge and establish local parks. Both McCarren Pool and McCarren Park, named in his honor, should retain their historical names. We demand that the Parks Department take our landmark off the for-sale list.

Sincerely,

The Undersigned (via)

"The city is reportedly selling naming rights to some park facilities across the five boroughs.

The New York Post says city officials are looking to raise revenue by selling the naming rights to seven Parks Department facilities.

Prices start at $2 million and go to $5 million, but officials tell the paper the prices are negotiable.

The park facilities include the Central Park Tennis Center, pools at McCarren Park and Flushing Meadows, the Chelsea Recreation Center, ball fields at DeWitt Clinton Park, the sports facility at Mill Pond Park in the Bronx, and a track and field house for the proposed Ocean Breeze Park on Staten Island." [NY1]

the Rooftop Films opening on May 15th (more by Ryan Muir)

Rooftop Films is off and running with its summer series. But that's hardly the only outdoor movie series in NYC, though it might be the only one that costs money.

Hudson River Park's Take Me to the River '09 will present RiverFlicks, which shows movies for "adults" on Wednesdays starting on July 8th and films for kids on Fridays starting July 10th. That film series accompanies the park's RiverRocks shows. Bands appearing at RiverRocks include Yeasayer, Ted Leo, Matt & Kim, Radio 4 and Extra Golden.

The SummerScreen series, which ran last year in McCarren Park Pool, returns this year, but in the McCarren Park ball fields. Those films run Wednesdays starting July 8th. Movies include Fame, Reality Bites, and Evil Dead 2.

Bryant Park Summer Film Festival screens films on Mondays starting June 15th. Brooklyn Bridge Park's Movies With A View series kicks off July 9th and runs every Thursday through August.

All the above-mentioned events (barring Rooftop Films) are free and open to the public. All lineups and locations below...

Continue reading "mostly free outdoor movies in NYC - 2009 schedules "

Berry Park (roof): Looking east, McCarren Park treetops (via Eater)

Eater reported at the end of March:

"Berry Park [is] a new bar/restaurant/roof deck opening at 4 Berry St. in the next couple of months. One of the owners tells us they plan to open by May 1 and that they will have a large selection of European beers with an emphasis on their German selection and will serve "beer infused menu items." The lower level is 35,000 sq. ft. but the big focus here will be the 3,000 sq. ft. roof.

'the giant bar/restaurant/music venue/roof deck Berry Park on 4 Berry Street in Williamsburg is slowly chugging along. The roof fencing is in, and they're building out the bar and tables right now. They're shooting for May, but June sounds more likely."

BUST Magazine, the cutting-edge pop-culture magazine for "women with something to get off their chests" is hosting their second annual Spring Fling Craftacular Sunday, May 17, 2009 from 12 to 7pm at the Warsaw in Brooklyn, NY.

Featuring a juried selection of 50 of the best indie crafters from around the country, the BUST Spring Fling Craftacular will also offer shoppers tasty food, drinks, and a chance to win fabulous raffle prizes and snag a goodie bag, all while enjoying great music courtesy of some of the city's most innovative DJs. And for this year's "Garden Party" theme, BUST is giving the over 2,000 expected attendees a chance to really get their hands dirty, with eco-conscious demos on guerilla gardening, growing your own food, and DIY screen-printing, presented by Trees Not Trash, The Farm Sanctuary, Provocraft, the makers of Yudu and many others.

More info on both events, with a video of the BUST's holiday-time LA edition, below...

Continue reading "BUST Craftacular is Sunday, Renegade Craft Fair is in June"

photos by Chris LaPutt

Not all of the "Rooftop Films" are actually on roofs. Last night (June 12, 2008) the show happened in the field at a high school right next to McCarren Park. The musical guest O'Death played for about 30 minutes. Then there were a whole bunch of short movies. A.R.E. Weapons plays one in Manhattan tonight. More pictures from last night below....

Continue reading "O'Death @ Automotive High School, Brooklyn, NY (part of the Rooftop Film series) (but not on a roof)"