It’s not necessarily the worst outside yet, but it’s not fun. Not to mention the erratic weather of sometimes 50 degrees and sometimes 30. Needless to say, it’s starting to become the time when everyone gets prepared to hibernate, only this year, it’s partially because we’ve given up on knowing if the weather will stick with it, and it’s easier to just give up. Well, we are here to say, if you spend most of your evenings in your footy pajamas, under the covers and re-watching Gilmore Girls, at least pop your head out into the world for some of these excellent shows this weekend. There are some free shows, some dance-worthy ones that are definitely a way to get warm, and a three-day Psych-Fest to catch one or all days of.
#10 Fleabite, Free Cake for Every Creature, Glazer, Alice @ Silent Barn 603 Bushwick Ave (THURS 8PM, $)
Tonight, make your way to Silent Barn for a band that should probably provide cake at it’s shows, but most likely doesn’t. Free Cake for Every Creature makes really wonderfully sweet lo-fi folk as well. Also, Fleabite covers the song from our childhood, “Boom Boom Boom,” which is great. It looks like it may not be raining, so there’s a good chance that you will enjoy yourself and not completely hate everything when you leave the venue.
#9 The Blow, Zambri, Cookies @ Glasslands 289 Kent Ave (FRI 8PM, $12)
Popgun Presents K records’ duo The Blow along with experimental pop, sister band Zambri. For $12, it’s definitely worth two totally dance-y bands. You can just dress like you were going to stay in the house in your fabulous sweater and some leggings and then shed your jacket at Glasslands as you dance your ass off.
#8 Elvis Depressedly, Told Slant, Bellows, Yours are the Only Ears @ Shea Stadium 20 Meadow St. (FRI 8PM, $8)
You might say that you can just stay at home and listen to jangly, winter rock in your bedroom, but it’s not nearly the same as standing in bundles at Shea Stadium watching, the music in front of your eyes and really feeling it. On Friday at Shea Stadium, don’t miss the one Brooklyn tour date for Elvis Depressedly and Told Slant.
#7 Peelander Z, Life Size Maps, HARD NIPS @ Glasslands 289 Kent Ave (SAT 7PM, $12)
Not sure what else there is to say that this Peelander Z image doesn’t say already. They welcome layers and neon colors, there will most likely be a variety of furry animal-like jackets, and you could have the strangest winter hat and they will just think you are in the band. They will be playing their catchy, wacky, tunes along with Brooklyn ladies HARD NIPS!
#6 The Sediment Club, The Gradients, Meenk, Idiot Son @ Aviv 496 Morgan Ave (FRI 8PM, $7)
Friday night at Aviv, wear some scarves and just bear the cold and rock out for theatrical tunes The Gradients. There’s also Meenk with melodic, gentle songs referred to for some reason as “Skew gaze.”
#5 BOYTOY, Raccoon Fighter, Whiskey Bitches, Suburban Living, The Ricecookers @ Cake Shop 152 Ludlow St. (FRI 8PM, $?)
Manhattan does seem further away when it is cold, but in reality, you get to sit on the train for a little while, which may be warmer than your house depending on where you live. Once arriving at Cake Shop, you can buy some cake and some alcohol and warm up to the garage rock sounds of Raccoon Fighter and the 90’s flare of Whiskey Bitches.
#4 Workman Song @ Ace Hotel 20 W. 29th St. (SUN 8PM, FREE!)
Another Manhattan show, and on a Sunday no less, but for the philosophically minded acoustic tunes of Bushwick-based Workman Song, it is totally worth braving the cold. Playing for free in the lobby of Ace Hotel, you can catch his completely unfiltered performance of beautiful ballads that unfold with layers of complex lyrics and mellow guitar riffs.
#3 Sunflower Bean, Psychic Twin, Teen Mom, The Johnny’s, Mini Dresses @ Palisades 906 Broadway (FRI 7PM, $8 adv/$10 door)
If only this poster represented what would be watched while these fantastic bands performed. Alas, you will just have to settle for the distorted, exciting set of Sunflower Bean and the glistening dance-inspiring electro-pop of Psychic Twin. It’s the perfect music to get dressed and leave the house for and you can dance off the cold when you get there.
#2 Brooklyn Rock Lottery @ Baby’s All Right 146 Broadway (SAT 9PM, $15)
You will absolutely rot in your apartment quicker than normal this winter if you don’t attend this amazing show at Baby’s All Right this Saturday. Brooklyn Rock Lottery involves 25 handpicked musicians who meet at 10am and then perform that same evening. They are organized into 5 groups, randomly and have 12 hours to create a band name and 3 to 5 songs to perform. The artists chosen include Julia Kent of Antony and the Johnsons, Annie Hart of Au Revoir Simone, Drew Citron of Beverly, Rick Froberg of Drive Like Jehu/Hot Snakes/ Obits and so much more. If you do nothing else this weekend, get the hell out of your house and run all the way from the train to the venue to experience a really incredible event.
#1 Psychic Pokemon Psych Fest Day 3 @ Muchmores 2 Havemeyer Street (SAT 9PM, $5)
This is the third day of Psychic Pokemon’s Psych Fest. Saturday includes Chimes, Your 33 Black Angels, Teen Body, Bodega Bay, and the Lemon Twigs. The first two nights of the fest takes place at Don Pedros tonight, and Friday night at Nola, Darling. A 3-day fest is ambitious to begin with, but each night is only $5, the shows are all ages and the lineups are really stellar. Get your butt our of your hello kitty fleece pajama pants and go get psychedelic. It may be cold, but Brooklyn would be much colder without awesome music to look forward to this weekend.