372 Ten Eyck...

... was the location of the fabulous Thanksgiving-themed loft party I attended in last Friday!

Hmm, was my favorite part the potluck, the outside bonfires (and spelling like a campfire afterward), the incredible live music, the vibe...? I'd have to say, everything!

Here are a couple pics I took.

This incredible band was Amour Obscur. They call themselves "weimar punkaret" and truly gave a spirited, gypsy-worthy performance. That lead singer, Dee Dee Vega, can really belt out tunes in her wonderfully deep, sultry voice.

 According to Amour Obscur's Myspace site, "Half human, half magical being, Dee Dee Vega emerged from the ashes of the streets as a denizen of the glamorous nightlife and gilded stages of New York City and Berlin. She is the lead vocalist of Amour Obscur and also makes her mad visions into art as a creative writer. When not on stage, she can be found jaunting around the Lower East Side with her tiny (and insane) dog Marcel Duchamp. Her interests include the art of lockpicking, whiskey, Dada art pranks, Coney Island, mind control and generally behaving like Henry Miller." And it shows in her performance.

Amour Obscur teamed up with a burlesque singer for a full-on Cabaret-Luxe performance.

According to the band's website, "Emerging from the dark corners of New York City's underground, Cabaret Luxe brings to the stage acts of sinister hedonism inspired by the nightclubs of Weimar Berlin, the advent of American punk, Dada, decadence and art born from the liberating freefall of economic uncertainty."

Amen. The gypsy hippie ethos is alive and well in NYC, in the dark corners of Bushwick. 

This Week in North Brooklyn Wanderings...

And the week isn't even over yet!

So last night, after I finished working late tutoring, my friend called me and asked if I was going to Drink n' Draw at 3rd Ward. I'd forgotten he was planning on going, but as I didn't have any plans, there I was 20 minutes later, along with another mutual friend.

(some of my sketches from this Wednesday)

As always, it was a fun, pleasant time, with plenty of drawing and drinking PBR. Even the model partook in the beer-drinking.

After 3rd Ward, my two friends and I stopped for a drink at Tandem Bar, another Bushwick restaurant and bar I have just discovered.

(Tandem Bar, above. Photo credit: Melissa Hom)

I'll have to return here for both the food and the reputed dance parties...

Then this afternoon, I discovered that a little chic grocery in Greenpoint is also a wi-fi cafe. And serves breakfast all day. And doesn't get exceptionally crowded. I'm in love. Urban Rustic, I will be coming back to you!

After a delicious brunch, class prep and tutoring, I made it tonight to the City Reliquary's "Thurd THursday" Show n' Tell night of collectors' items. The evening featured such showcased items as border patrol dog trading cards, paperclip sculptures made by a dog, an old top hat box in remarkably good condition that originally belonged to James G. Gould, and a device specifically made to slice English muffins. I'd brought my NYC 70's Flashmaps book with me, but chickened out when I decided I didn't have enough of a story on it. Oh well, maybe next time: the evening will be curated once a month, so stay tuned!

And finally, tomorrow holds many more Brooklyn promises to come. Hello, Goods' Beer, Wine & Heat Party and a crazy, semi-private on-the-down-low Thanksgiving-themed E. Williamsburg/Bushwick party!

City Reliquary's "Thurd THursday": Show and Tell Open Mic

I may have to check this out this Thursday:

For November’s Thurd THursday, the City Reliquary is returning to its roots – to the central reason it exists and the core of its mission – sharing stories behind collections! Due to the overwhelming success of Return of Collector’s Night at the Knitting Factory on October 11th, with over 200 people admiring the collections of a dozen avid New Yorkers, the City Reliquary Museum and Civic Organization is dedicating its November’s Thurd THursday to a Show and Tell Open Mic. Every object tells a story.

Hosted by minutiae-centric journalist Paul Lukas (whose past showing and telling at the City Reliquary has included an exhibition of his vintage recipe booklets with the word "Meat" in the title,) the Show and Tell Open Mic will be an evening dedicated to YOU and YOUR favorite item. Not a collector? That’s okay! We’re more interested in the Showing and Telling of stuff than the collections they come from. Bring your favorite thing and Show and Tell its stories at the CR on Thursday November 18th. Show us why its your favorite; Tell us where you obtained it and whether or not it comes from a larger collection of items just like it. Share the provenance of your item and how many stories are contained within it. Just share all this info in 3 minutes or less – there are other Show and Tellers who want to take the stage right behind you!

(City Reliquary, on Metropolian Ave., Williamsburg)

Show and Tell Open Mic Night at the City Reliquary
Thurd THursday, November 18th, 2010
Doors at 7, Open Mic begins at 8pm.
$5 suggested donation much appreciated. Delicious beers from Brooklyn Brewery available
370 Metropolitan Avenue at Havemeyer, Williamsburgh, Brooklyn.

Girl Talk's All Day!

From a tip from a friend on Facebook, I found out that Girl Talk's new album, All Day, was available as of yesterday to download FREE. Of course, the site got so much traffic that I wasn't actually able to download the album until today, but the wait was well worth it. (According to MTV.com, "Girl Talk Apologizes For Breaking The Internet With All Day".)

Now, to listen to the album and do some school work...

Prospect Heights Bars: Weather Up and Soda

So I rode my bike to Prospect Heights last night and checked out a few bars on Vanderbilt Ave. I definitely want to come back to this hood and explore it more!!

The first place I went to was Weather Up, a speak-easy type bar with fancy cocktails and a beautiful outdoor patio. Little did we know that the bar was closed for a private event; but with the tip from the doorman, all we had to do was go across the street to Brooklyn Bike and Board and get stamped. Apparently this was the after party of the opening reception of the Re: Cycles show for Martinez Gallery. Pretty awesome. So we crashed a little biking & boarding party, but at least I did actually bike there!

(Weather Up, above)

Then, after we finished our drinks, a Planter's Punch and a Gentleman's Companion, both as deliciously head-spinning as they sound, we strolled to Soda Bar. Soda Bar is one of those bars where you feel like you are in your living room, or perhaps an adult version of the dorm room... Literally, you feel right at home there, with its comfy couches and chill vibe, this is a perfect neighborhood bar to unwind at with drinks and good company.

Oh Brooklyn.

Dr Sketchy's "does The Factory" Art Event

If I didn't have plans tonight already, I'd be here! Maybe next week...

Sat, November 13, 2010 • 6:00pm - Dr. Sketchy’s does The Factory!

Dr. Sketchy’s is hosting another huge blow-out event at the Red Lotus Room.

This session will feature a tribute to Andy Warhol’s Factory, taking place in our beloved Brooklyn speakeasy, the Red Lotus Room!

Expect hordes of models in a Sketchy’s extravaganza, dressed up as your favourite 1960s icons. From Edie Sedgwick to Ultraviolet, this session will prove to be our most outrageous session yet.

with music by Kim Boekbinder
models including Dante Posh, Madame Rosebud, Miss Southern Comfort, and Miss Vivian
aerial by Lauren Goldberg
treats by Kate Black

Free, hardcover watercolour moleskines to the first twenty artists who show up.

Session runs from 6-10 pm. $15 in advance, $20 at the door in costume, $25 at the door in street clothes.
Bring your own art supplies.

The Red Lotus Room (unmarked door)
893 Bergen Street (google map here)
Brooklyn, NY

5171541

Unfettered Creativity: Kids!

I wish I could return to the youthful naïvete I had as a kid. How simple life was... and how inherently creative!

Some pics my 2nd-grade student drew:

The pics are of a dog and a cat. Obvi.