The Weekend Guide | 27-30 April 2017

damn brooklyn, i think this is a sign. a sign that between all the noise, the busyness, the hustle, the frustration, the stress, the cursing… there’s a whole lot of good shit happening here. and between you and me, i’ve found the best of it. i’ve been doing countless hours of field research, drinking overpriced cocktails in underground locations and determinedly seeking all the best the borough has to offer… i’ve squeezed it all out into a perfectly curated little weekend guide, just for you. and it is looking damn good. unless of course you’d rather not visit amsterdam in ridgewood, have local wines paired with surrealist glass sculptures, head to a bridge-rave hosted by the governor, and dance until 8 in the morning before falling into the world’s best hangover cure this weekend. and if that’s the case, well then start looking for the exit sign.

this was made for the warriors, the savages, the dreamers, the seekers. the dance-til-dawners, for you, brooklyn.

proceed with(out) caution.

THURSDAY

Dance Party at Magick City, Greenpoint.

we can all sit here and bitch about gentrification all we want (and boy, will we), but we can’t deny that with attention on these formerly unknown neighborhoods brings about an influx of galleries, cafes, and music venues. so some good has come of it, and in greenpoint, it’ been in the form of brooklyn steel and this place, magick city. humbly situated on nearly the northernmost point of the green, this dance venue brings it back to old school warehouse parties, flying in underground djs from all over the world and having “sleepover parties” from 11pm to 8am. introduce yourself thursday night and forget that friday exists. until, like, friday night of course. all info here, 37 box st. at magick city, it’s magic, k?™

El Jefe’s Arepia and Nachorium Pop-Up Dinner at Diamond, Greenpoint.

friday’s international pop-up dinner at the diamond brings the boss and some flambe from south of the border for our dining pleasure. arepas and their beloved nachos with cheese torched before your eyes, just after they ask for it. because they are naughty little nachos. get there quick because the new yorker has gone and decided to tell fucking every body about our favorite bar. GREAT. the diamond doesn’t belong on those glossy pages! it belongs in our hearts and being filtered through our livers and licked off of our greasy nacho fingers. and off of each other’s fingers, in the backyard gondola. dinner starts at 630pm. info and such here. 43 franklin st. get tipsy and chipsy. then maybe a little lipsy.

Kosciuszko Bridge Opening Party, between Greenpoint and Queens.

to christen the opening of the new kosciuszko bridge, thursday night there will be a light show (to show off the LED lighting system) coordinated with some sort of music and i hope a ribbon-cutting that transcends into an interpretive ribbon dancing production. listen, i’m all for celebrating infrastructure, but it isn’t necessary to turn a bridge opening into a rave party. and, apparently they are going to blow up the old bridge… will there also be a party for that event? possibly with a fireworks show? little kids sitting on mailboxes, waving american flags? chris christie attempting to blend in with the crowd, slyly commenting that this really makes you realize how little bridgegate mattered at all? anyway, if it’s happening, you know where to hear about it. all info for thursday’s celebration right here. see you at the creek folks.

FRIDAY

Greenpoint Gallery Night, in NoGreePo.

everyone’s favorite ‘hood hosts it’s 10th gallery night, where so many local galleries and art spaces open their doors and stay open late for this spring art celebration. talk to the artists, see what’s happening in your neighborhood, and maybe elevate your wall decor to be more than a stained tapestry and overexposed photo booth strips. all info (and interactive map!) available here. 6-9pm friday night, in NoGreePo!

The People, The Press & The President: A #BHeard Town Hall at the BRIC, Fort Greene.

this is not my beautiful house… or country. or overbaked yam casserole president. david byrne opened up the #BHeard Town Hall yesterday, giving us “Reasons to be Cheerful” and to set the stage for BRIC’s spring celebration. join in solidarity with the press and our own liberties. friday’s town hall meeting let’s everyone’s voices #BHeard, loudly. #revelwithacause and don’t back down. 7-9pm, all info here. 647 fulton st at the BRIC house, we’ll be mighty mighty… just lettin’ it all hang out.

Error404™ party, location TBA (but it will be somewhere in Bushwick…)

new york, you’re safer, but you’re wasting my time. what happened to the hood shit? the grunge? the dirt? the real underground parties with real underground djs and dancing through to the next day and into the next dimension? it’s still here. you just gotta know where to find it. from the rinsed team (who throws the most berlin-esque parties in the borough) brings back their error404 series friday night after a 2 year hiatus. so, fucking go. trust me. a very minimum amount of info is here, with tickets. 11pm-5am, location announced friday.

Cuddle Magic, Star Rover and BOT at Union Pool, Williamsburg.

what’s happening right now in experimental indie rock? these guys right here. i saw and heard cuddle magic for the first time at sofar sounds and was blown away by their sound, their energy, their dancey tunes and their matching attire. trust me when i say that they won’t be slowing down anytime soon, so union pool will be an amazing place to see them. they’re joined by friends star rover and b o t. tickets, $15, available here and at the door (you hope). doors at 8, show at 9pm. 484 union ave.

SATURDAY

House of Yes presents The New Amsterdam Festival, in Ridgewood!

house of yes can do know wrong when it comes to parties, mischief, performance, and the wildest nights you have ever had, anywhere. they bring that energy and momentum out to ridgewood this weekend with the new amsterdam festival, an all-ages daytime fest celebrating the culture of holland complete with food trucks, a beer tent, local artisan market, circus performances, live band and djs, lawn games and lots and lots of tulips. plus, it’s free. all info here, at the Vande-Ende Onderdonk House* at 1820 flushing ave. still confused? bring your tulips here and i will explain to you. you pretty thing.

oh and you can still get naughty afterwards. just, you know… scroll down.

*also there will be a booth to teach you how the hell you pronounce the name of the venue.

Mitski and Salt Cathedral at Brooklyn Steel, Greenpoint.

listen, just get used to this. amazing performances right in your backyard, all the time, at our newest venue brooklyn steel. saturday night’s musings bring us mitski and BiT favorite salt cathedral! go, dance, live, be. tickets are only $25 available here. doors 7/show 8, at 319 frost st. let’s meet at goldie’s afterwards. (all of us).

No Walls Party at Littlefield, Gowanus

art, comedy, music, dancing, action. this is how you #revelwithacause brooklyn. head to littlefield to join together in solidarity to make sure no walls are built and that our country is still one that asks to Give [us] your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free. $25 suggested donation, open bar. all proceeds go to immigrant assistance programs of Make the Road and Bronx Defenders. all info here, 8pm at 622 degraw st at littlefield.

Fiction presents Lossless Showcase at Analog BKNY, Park Slope.

where did all the good dance music go?? it got diluted by shit like yellow claw and then deflated like steve aioki’s lame fucking raft thing. well baby it’s been here all along… and even moreso now thanks to fiction, a fresh music series that brings good house djs back to brooklyn. their next label showcase brings lossless from berlin and welcomes Thomas Herb and Mathias Schober and a few of their dope friends to spin from 11pm-6am and make us feel alive again… before, you know… we feel pretty fucking dead. tickets and info here, it’s all happening at analog BKNY, 177 2nd ave.

SUNDAY

Daffodil Celebration + WIne Weekend + Chihuly at the NY Botanical Garden, in the Bronx.

on sundays i like to be surrounded by love and warmth and happiness and sunshine and things that will make me feel like a human again. oh, and wine. and the occasional abstract glass sculpture. your #reasontocrosstheriverthisweekend lets you wander through the new york botanical gardens sunday and explore the new daffodil hill, the amazingly surreal sculptures of chihuly, all paired with a palate of new york wines and someone to talk to you about them and how well they pair with the multi-scensory stimulation all around you, and last nights beer burps. marked down to $32 just for Brooklyn, I’m Trying readers, tickets available here. sat AND sun noon-4pm, 2900 southern blvd in the bronx.

Writers Talk About Whiskey at Kings Co. Distillery, Brooklyn Navy Yard

it’s a known fact that all of the best writers rely on a bit of the elixir of the gods to get the words flowing, words that will make them become famous authors, poets, playwrights, bloggers… or, you know, they just end up as the town drunk with a slurred yet impressive vocabulary. the spirited pen series comes to kings co. distillery and invites william hogeland, author of “The Whiskey Rebellion: George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and the Frontier Rebels Who Challenged America’s New Found Sovereignty” to speak while we sip and what will flow out is nothing short of inhebriation inspiration. which, ironically, is the other name for this blog. the event is from 5-7pm. tickets, $14 available here, 299 sands st. hit up rooftop reds. before you go, because as they say – wine before risky, let’s get frisky.

Tour of the Jacques Torres Chocolate Museum in Dumbo.

i’ve tried lots of hangover cures in my life… kombucha, kombucha + vodka, cheeseburgers, beer + cheeseburgers, making love, making war, sitting in a dark room with a dark wine and “new york i love you, but you’re bringing me down” playing on loop… but one thing i’ve found is excruciatingly effective. something sweet and comforting paired with something to spark your curiosity… to make you feel both loved and inspired so your head is no longer concentrating on the pain. so THIS just may save your life sunday. a walking tour and history of jacues torres chocolate museum in dumbo. tickets, $10-15, choose your day wed-sun and purchase here. then be healed, my small little sauvage. 350 hudson st.

<3L.