Bill's Northside Festival Picks - Day Two (BV show, Screaming Females, Sunset Rubdown, Ghostly International & more)

June 12, 2009

Pow Wow! – last minute street performance – Northside Day 1 (Maryanne Ventrice)
Pow Wow

Here we are: the inaugural Northside Festival, the L Magazine‘s attempt at bringing the spirit of SXSW to Brooklyn. At least that what I think they’re doing. What makes the Northside Festival different than CMJ, or the New Music Seminar if you remember back that far, is that all the participating venues are pretty much in walking distance of one another. (Though getting from, say, Studio B to Glasslands you might consider a cab or car service.) Part of the appeal of getting the Festival badge , which was super-cheap let’s admit it (you can still get it for $50), is the ability to zip from venue to venue, sampling as many bands as you can. See some you know you like, try some you’ve never heard

How was your Thursday? Friday (6/12) is, for me, the most jam-packed night of the Northside Festival, with too many good choices. Where to start?

It goes without saying that I recommend the Brooklyn Vegan showcase at Music Hall of Williamsburg (tix). I’m really looking forward to hearing headliner John Vanderslice do songs from his excellent new album, Romanian Names (his best in a while I think), and finally checking out the Ólöf Arnalds, not to mention the Tallest Man on Earth and BV fave Dave Deporis.

editor’s note: and lots of pretty pictures! (and $3.00 drinks @ MHOW from 7-8)

You could also work the MHoW show into a North 6th St crawl. The whiskey-fueled man party that is Neckbeard Telecaster are on at 8PM at Cameo, followed at 9PM by Patrick Bower & the World Without Magic. Hit MHoW for Ólöf Arnalds, Tallest Man on Earth, and John Vanderslice, then hit Public Assembly next door for Screaming Females at midnight.

If the folky sounds of the MHoW show aren’t your thing, you could easily make a night of it just at Public Assembly, a two-stage affair currated by fellow NYC blog Pop Tarts Suck Toasted. Bands include Sisters, Grooms (formerly Muggabears), underrated NYC scene mainstays Palomar and Dinowalrus.

Or another option: You could just stay on the South side of Williasmsburg and make a great night of it. Catch Organs(9PM) and Air Waves(10PM) early at Death by Audio, then comes a tough decision: either stay at DbA for the languid guitars of Real Estate or go around the corner to see the perfect pop sounds of Savoir Adore at Glasslands (11pm). Then dash over to Bruar Falls for Philadelphia’s can-bangers Drink Up Buttercup (midnight) and finish the night with The Beets (whose album became available on Emusic, for those who don’t have a turntable).

Still more: the Earfarm showcase at Spike Hill has the beach ready sounds of pow wow!, Canadian one-woman-band tUnE-yArDs, and Shilpa Ray & Her Happy Hookers .

Still even more: Studio B has Montreal’s Sunset Rubdown early (8:30) and then at midnight are synth rockers Deastro, who apparently wowed the Mercury Lounge staff Wednesday night.

Even even still more: Theatrical garage troupe Golden Triangle are at Union Hall and Darlings are at Matchless.

I’m exhausted just typing all that out. Again, these are just my picks. What did I miss? Stay tuned for the Saturday guide.

Screaming Females videos, below…

offficial video