Japanther at Shea Stadium

As the rest of the Brooklyn DIY venues shrivel up and die, Shea Stadium continues to fill its room with consistency. This is partly due to the exceptional talent they book, the no frills approach to the venue itself and the pretentious free attitude of it’s constituency. Lying on the outer fringes of East Williamsburg, while still not quite far enough out to be in the sketchy Bushwick… Shea stadium is nestled between the warehouses and workshops where recording studios, practices spaces and bars have slowly started to emerge. The Japanther show on September 10th was no exception as Shea Stadium continues to be the only “Destination Venue” (one in which you don’t necessarily need to know the bands playing to be confident you will enjoy the show) in Brooklyn and possibly all of NYC.

No Girls, Just Musicians… Beast Make Bomb lay stereotypes to rest

Beast Make Bomb was introduced to me earlier in the summer, but in order to see them I had to take my middle aged ass (Brooklyn standards) out into the real Bushwick. Not the gentrified East Williamsburg coffee shop mecca, I had to go to a sweat shop of a room beneath the elevated train, between the liquor and .99 cent stores. Upon arrival no one knew the set times, which was probably a result of being over an hour behind schedule and half the bands still yet to load-in. Typically, I would have huffed and left, but instead I gave them the benefit of the doubt and once they took the stage it instantly became obvious it was worth the wait.

Beast Make Bomb has the typical aesthetic of a mixed-sex Brooklyn post-punk melodic-pop band. However, unlike their counterparts BMB stay far away from the token girl on bass or synth. It’s the guitar responsibilities that have been handed to / taken over by the ladies (Ceci Gomez and Glenn VanDyke). While Glenn takes the helm with the more complex lead roles, Ceci shows her chops often and skillfully. There’s also a sultry and confident vibe to Ceci’s stage presence that is so captivating, that I dare to say reminds me of Patti Smith. BMB recently released a video for their current single “Party Monster” which is just the tip of their potential iceberg.

While Beast Make Bomb’s current recordings reflect a more simplistic party style that is yet to push any musical boundaries, recently at Cameo Gallery they did debut a yet to be named/recorded track that I hope represents their sound moving forward. It’s a more sinister and complex soundscape, with off-tempo percussion and far more intricate guitar parts that allows their talent to truly shine. Beast Make Bomb are without-a-doubt on to something big… which is needed as they single-handedly lay to rest the stereotype that girls are limited to keys, bass or power chords.

You can see Beast Make Bomb on Thursday October 20th at Bowery Electric when they play our CMJ showcase.

Bushwick Walkabout Festival Announced!

(from doors until we run out… we have a lot)

The Aviation Orange @ D.I.Y.Bushwick Music Festival

The Aviation Orange is playing in the inaugural D.I.Y. Bushwick Music Festival on:

Wednesday 3/26 – 11pm at Brooklyn Fireproof – 119 Ingraham St

Thursday 3/25 – 11pm at Bushwick Music Studios - 55 Waterbury St.

C0ming off a huge buzz from SXSW, The Aviation Orange is the must-see band in Brooklyn this week.  Read the details below and buy passes HERE

Official Site

INAUGURAL DIY BUSHWICK MUSIC FESTIVAL CELEBRATING ARTISTIC DIVERSITY AND PERSEVERANCE IN BROOKLYN, NY

“Let the music industry have South By Southwest and the CMJ festival. Brooklyn has its own DIY Music Festival for Brooklynites by Brooklynites.”
- NY POST

Brooklyn, New York – Bushwick Music Studios in association with Deli Magazine and Arts In Bushwick are proud to announce the official schedule for DIY Bushwick, A Musical Festival, taking place March 24-27, in nine venues throughout Bushwick. The inaugural festival will feature Brooklyn-based bands, DJs, and artists performing in alternative Do-It-Yourself spaces just a walk or a bike ride apart. Admission prices range from free to $10 with an average ticket price of $5. Festival passes will be available online for $20, with Friday/Saturday passes available for $10. This is part of an effort by festival organizers to make sure that the events are accessible to all.

Tito Fleetwood Ladd, owner of Bushwick Music Studios, decided to organize the festival in an attempt to galvanize the neighborhood’s flourishing music and arts scene. In the last few years, Bushwick has emerged as a frontier for DIY venues, attracting artists and musicians with the limitless opportunities provided by these raw spaces. Although the scene has been growing for some time, a Bushwick-centered festival of this scale has never been attempted.

Ladd’s vision was that by working together, the Bushwick music scene would ultimately receive more visibility. “There’s this incredible energy and all these cool spaces with amazing talent in Bushwick,” says Ladd, “This is our way of showing that to anyone who wants to pay attention to us. We’re all doing it together.” When he reached out to several venues and organizations in Bushwick, he immediately received enthusiastic support.

Deli Magazine and neighborhood stalwart Arts In Bushwick have both signed on to help coordinate and produce the event. Bushwick Music Studios will be joined by nine spaces including Party Expo, Goodbye Blue Monday, Brooklyn Fireproof, Castle Braid, The Opera House Lofts, House of Yes, Eastern District, and Northeast Kingdom.

Two Brooklyn-based companies have pitched in their efforts: The first, an online gig-booking agency, GigMaven, has been helping to book bands. And the innovative StreamJam will stream the shows live online. The festival is truly a local DIY effort that takes pride in its self-dependence. Corporate sponsors are nowhere to be found. DIY Bushwick is pure grassroots.

The festival kicks off at Wednesday the 24th at Eastern District at 5:00 with a free show!

Passes cost $5 for the day, $10 for Friday and Saturday, or $20 for all four days.