Frankie & The Outs at Coco66 during CMJ (more by Andrew St. Clair)

Coco66 is up to full strength again after their CMJ-week debacle at the Tamaryn/Glasser/Frankie & The Outs/Light Asylum not-CMJ show. Open since Tuesday, this Friday (11/19) will see the venue host its first actual show with Burnt Sugar, MK Groove Orchestra, and Dope Sagittarius.

Sadly, in news I learned while searching for information on the venue's re-opening, that late Friday night show at Coco66 ended even worse than previously realized. A pair of cyclists leaving the show suffered massive injuries from a hit-and-run driver near Franklin & Calyer in Greenpoint (just a few blocks from the venue). Light Asylum goes into further detail"

"everyone who went to our Coco66 show that got busted by the police. Soon after, two of the attendees were heading home by bike and were hit by a car, traveling southbound on Franklin near Calyer. One of them was dragged 30 feet by the car, who did not even stop. She is still in the hospital."

A picture of the (gruesome) flyer, which you might recognize from it being posted around the Northside, is below...

Continue reading "Coco66 back open, but hit & run driver still on the loose"

"The controversy--removing, repainting, arrests, etc.--over a 14-block stretch of the Bedford Avenue bike lane has reached the absurd heights we've been hoping for: The clowns are coming. The Bike Clowns, that is, the nattily attired brigade of bike lane defenders that really hates it when you mess with their preferred mode of transport. According to a press release, the clowns will have a "New Orleans-style funeral procession followed by a vigil" on Sunday at 2 p.m. for the missing bike lane. Given the hubbub over the Hipsters vs. Hasids bike battle in South Williamsburg, expect many a camera." [Curbed]

Groups of bicycle-riding vigilantes have been repainting 14 blocks of Williamsburg roadways ever since the city sandblasted their bike lanes away last week at the request of the Hasidic community.

The Hasids, who have long had a huge enclave in the now-artist-haven neighborhood, had complained that the Bedford Avenue bike paths posed both a safety and religious hazard.

Scantily clad hipster cyclists attracted to the Brooklyn neighborhood made it difficult, the Hasids said, to obey religious laws forbidding them from staring at members of the opposite sex in various states of undress. These riders also were disobeying the traffic laws, they complained. [NY Post]

Continue reading "Bike Lane Bandits on Bedford Ave"

photos by Tim Griffin

"The other day I attended the Afro-Punk Festival at the BAM skate park. I had the pleasures of seeing Janelle Monae and Saul Williams. There were also cats skating [and biking] around and doing tricks. All around there was just a good ol' merry vibe and I had fun for the short time I was there." [Phantastictful?]

Continue reading "Janelle Monae played the Afro Punk Festival w/ Saul Williams (pics), playing Governors Island w/ Erykah Badu"

words & photos by Dominick Mastrangelo

"I gotta go! I'm gonna ride my bike right out of here," said Jon Spencer at the end of the Blues Explosion's blistering hour-long set at the South Street Seaport yesterday (6/17). Playing to the riding masses as part of the Bicycle Film Festival kickoff, JSBX reminded those who braved threatening skies and this enduring spring's chilly temperatures that - as one foam finger displayed - the 'Blues is #1.'

The crowd may have been smaller than most to pack the Seaport but the New York-based Blues Explosion might as well have been playing for every single person in Lower Manhattan. Judah Bauer on guitar (and a fiery harmonica during the encore, "Bellbottoms") and drummer Russell Simins charged from one song to another with traditional reckless abandon.

Opening for the locals were French four-piece, The Teenagers. Their mashup of punk, pop and electronics was fun though lead-singer Quentin Delafon pulled much of the attention away from the band as a whole. Climbing over speakers and through the photographer's pit and over the barricade, Delafon spent more time strutting around off the stage, or handing his microphone off to audience members than he did on stage, even forgetting his cue at one point.

More pictures below...

Continue reading "Jon Spencer Blues Explosion & The Teenagers @ South Street Seaport in NYC (Bike Film Fest) - pics"

The 'Celebrate Brooklyn Bike Zone' will be the largest bike parking initiative at a cultural (non-bike) event in NYC. Bike to the Bandshell and safely park your bicycle at the 'Celebrate Brooklyn Bike Zone' located at 11th Street and Prospect Park West. We are partnering with Transportation Alternatives to provide Bike Valet and Self Park & Lock areas to accommodate approximately 400 bikes.

Got a Flat? Need to pump up those tires? Adjust your seat?

No problem! Transportation Alternatives will have volunteer Bike Experts onsite at the Bike Zone to help with minor bike repairs.

How do I Bike to the Bandshell?

With new bike lanes on Vanderbilt Avenue, Bedford Avenue, 9th Street, 3rd Street and other approaches to Prospect Park, biking to Celebrate Brooklyn has never been easier. Visit ridethecity.com/celebratebrooklyn to map the safest route from where you live.

David Byrne rides his bike, in the video below...

Continue reading "Celebrate Brooklyn concerts launch free bike valet service "

A David Byrne-designed NYC bike rack

The American Express presale for tickets to David Byrne's upcoming show at Radio City Music Hall starts Monday December 8th @ noon. Regular sale begins one week later. All tour dates HERE. A recent setlist HERE.

In related news, David Byrne recorded a track with Dirty Projectors for the upcoming Red Hot compilation being released by 4AD.

A video about David Byrne's bike racks below...

Continue reading "David Byrne Radio City MH ticket info, bike racks & stuff "

The 2008 NYC Bicycle Film Festival runs from May 28th through June 1st. That includes a show/party at Studio B on May 28th with Soft Circle, Simone Pace of Blonde Redhead and more.

DOWNLOAD: Tunng - Bricks (MP3)

David Byrne & Classic Riders Bicycle Club @ Town Hall - Oct 6, 2007 (CRED)

Mr. Byrne, dressed in black and sporting his cool taxi-yellow bike helmet (see our previous StreetFilm here) then rode onto the stage and locked up. Moments later Hal Ruzal, NYC bicycling icon and mechanic at Bicycle Habitat, emerged from behind a curtain to pick his lock with a variety of tools. Mr. Ruzal’s advice on not getting your bike stolen? “Have a bicycle lock that is real expensive, and a bicycle that’s really cheap.” True dat. [StreetFilms]

Continue reading "David Byrne talked bikes, covering Fiery Furnaces ---------------------- Thrill Jockey box set ---- Tunng"

DOWNLOAD: Vampire Weekend - Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: David Byrne - My Fair Lady (MP3)

David Byrne went to the better of the two shows I think...

Went to see Animal Collective and Vampire Weekend at Webster Hall last night (Oct 1). VW was really good — poppy, but fairly skewed too, with bits of soukous guitar thrown in from time to time, as if it was just a way of playing lilting guitar and not a specific African style. They’re not a “world music” act by any stretch; these various styles of playing are all just out there now, to be used when appropriate. I wondered if they sounded a little like early Talking Heads, a little bit, maybe, which of course wouldn’t bother me. They got the crowd moving, which is pretty impressive for an opening act. Catchy tunes too. I’d heard some on an EP or demo CD. They said they’re working on an album now. [Read about Animal Collective's set @ David Byrne's blog]

A few days later David was a special guest at one of Lucinda Williams' Town Hall shows.

This Saturday, David is talking about bikes. He's also talking in Boston on October 10th. (and as a commenter pointed out) It was announced at tonight's Wordless Music Series show, that David Byrne is playing two "Wordless" (with words) shows on January 24th & 25th.

Vampire Weekend's only listed tour dates are in Europe.