Text and Photos by Maria Gotay
A few weeks ago, my music blogger friends approached me about hosting an electronic music showcase in my backyard on Troutman street. The show was proposed and put together by Brooklyn-based blog Stadiums and Shrines, LA-and-Chicago-based record label and music collective Absent Fever , and Eric from one of the featured bands, Phantom Power. My roommates and I liked the idea but hesitated at first considering the unpredictable nature of house shows, but that was before we saw how passionate these DIY bloggers were about the artists performing.
My first concern was noise, but then I remembered- We live in BUSHWICK. The town that hosts rooftop shows on an almost-nightly basis, where you’ll hear the same reggaeton beat pounding from cars across the area for hours at a time, where music venues blossom in storage venues, where even the fried chicken store on the corner blasts mariachi. This neighborhood radiates music- with a latina culture built on music, a haven for indie artists, experimental musicians, and DIY party-throwers- why shouldn’t we host that energy for one night? Our contribution to the noise of the ‘hood for one early evening showcase was made up of tight, mellow, intricately understated electronic music was a drop in the bucket. Turns out not even our (strict) super complained about the music and our kid neighbors (who happen to be little girls) watched the show from their fire escape and giggled the whole time.
