Welcome to Bushwick Nightly, our bi-weekly nightlife column highlighting intersectional parties with spotlights on queer and PoC Djs and crowds!
Are all your friends out of town? Are they planning for a weeklong event on the other side of the country and saving all their time, money, energy and good outfits? Well, it ain’t no thing to you, you’re in Bushwick where the nightlife is year-round.
Thursday, July 25
Xennial: H0l0’s 2-Year Anniversary Celebration at H0l0, various times
It’s official, H0l0 has been around for two years this weekend, bringing your weekend nights (and even some weeknights) further out on the L Train. To celebrate, the space is throwing a not one, not two, not even three, but FOUR night events with all sorts of sonic and visual escapades to keep you interested no matter what your nightlife flavor is.
There will even be panel discussions on subjects like ageism in subculture, the nature of an emerging artist, new art dealers, sustainable cultural spaces, and more! There will be rap, noise, metal, R&B, techno, house, gabber and really anything else that comes from NYC. Even expect something called “Noise Brunch” at noon on Saturday. Just know that this long weekend will hold everything that H0l0 stands for and represents and is the perfect way to either introduce yourself to, or celebrate, the space on its birthday. This event runs from Thursday, July 25 through Sunday, July 28.
Friday, July 26
Favors with Dee Diggs at 444 Club, 10 pm
The 444 Club is a brand new space at the crossroads of Irving and Flushing avenues that consistently supports local underground electronic music artists.
They take extra care and concern towards making sure that queer trans people of color enjoy time and space on the dance floor (not to mention the bar, smoking area, DJ booth, and general vicinity of, well, anywhere).
Tonight’s event at this mid-size one-room club with industrial night vibes will highlight Dee Diggs, a self-described “unapologetic black, queer, femme” with a focus on creating spaces for marginalized groups. Oh, and she’s also a DJ who’s played with local collective Half Moon with whom she does a monthly radio show. Don’t miss the genre-less she-ro alongside 444 residents Ashlyn Ace and DJ Wawa as they show off how to make the new space move.
Saturday, July 27
Waack to the Future Dance Battle at House of Yes, 5 pm
If you’re ready to take a bit of a backseat to dancing, head to House of Yes for this “Waack to the Future” multicultural LGBTQ+ dance community vogue battle event. With DJ Mike Q from House of Vogue and professional dancers from all over the city and the world, participants will be bringing the Africa realness for this Afro-future, Waackanda-themed dance-off event.
There will be a one-on-one battle with Afro-disco, a vogue battle in African garb, as well as performances from Princess Lockeroo (from 3 Dollar Bill’s Immersive theater show “OSCAR at the Crown”), Djoniba Dance Center, an aerial set from Queen Ravenden, AfroHEAT, and more. A portion of the proceeds will go to Dancers Responding to AIDS. Come see and express your own individualism.
Saturday, July 27
Resident Advisor I twenty-four/seven New York at Nowadays, 8 pm
Did you say you wanted another multi-hour (and we mean multi) event at a space? You got it. This time international party mavens, event listers, and music reviewers at Resident Advisor are teaming up with Nowadays for a 24-hour non-stop party. It could be a full-on Berlin-style bender (with the right ticket and attitude) or you could stop in and out for the events that suit your fancy and your schedule. The event is here to celebrate the official end to the New York Cabaret Law, which had been monitoring dance spaces from 1926 until just last year. The law, which monitored dance times and dance spaces, was often used as a legal excuse for suppressing the rights of queer New Yorkers and New Yorkers of color. Now repealed, we can party all night.
Events start at 8 pm with a session of Nowadays’ Planetarium session which provides a blanket-supported listening session of downtempo and ambient music. At midnight the club night kicks off with sets from locals like Discwoman’s Aurora Halal, Oakland transplant Russel E L Butler, a live set from the inimitable artist Actress, and a sunrise set from DJ Sprinkles.
There will be film screenings and a BBQ (with beats) in the backyard as well as a morning sunrise ambient set and a breakfast party with QTPOC-focused Papi Juice. And we’re only part way there. Daytime will feature a session from Brooklyn’s legendary Lot Radio as well as breakout panel discussions from Resident Advisor and the whole evening (if you can call it that) will be wrapped up with a usual Sunday afternoon of hyper-inclusive “bring your friends and your mother” event Mister Sunday. A party so good it should be … legal.
Thursday, August 1
Glitter Unicorn Sparkle Spectacular presents YAS GAWDS! at House of Yes, 6 pm doors, 7 pm show
Glitter Unicorn Sparkle Spectacular wowed in April will their full telling of the Lady Gaga ArtPop album in dance, drag, aerial, and story. The collective is now back again with a completely new, completely queer, and flamboyent journey into all that is fabulous and fierce. Join Madame Vivien V, Pixel Witch, Peter Mercury, Beatrix BB, Allegra Meshuggah, Blaine Petrovia, and new cast member God Complex as they explore the spiritual realms via variety.
Expect shamanic experiences, mythological Maries and muffs, and a pantheon of performers. It’s a staged journey to the spiritual realm of the modern era where the gods of yore have gathered on Olympus — or, you know, the House of Yes stage. Stick around after the show for late night dancing and schmoozing with this cast of creatures and characters. Show will also take place next Thursday, August 8.
Saturday, August 3
Brazil Summerfest: Baile Funk Rooftop Festival Closing Party at Elsewhere Rooftop, 2 pm
While not exactly at night, this day party represents the party lifestyle at the forward-facing edge of Brazilian party culture. This rooftop party is the perfect closing to the city’s two-week long celebration of all things Brazilian, Brazil Summerfest. The festival included street fairs, food, panels and talks, classical music, avant garde music, street art, pop, and more that has been taking place citywide.
The event features one of the edgiest party collectives in Brazil, the LGBTQ-friendly Afro-Centric Collective BATEKOO, a party made “by and for black people” and pegged as a hope for Brazilian LGBTQ+ youth of the future. The pan-gendered collective brings their barrier-breaking, safer dancefloors to Sao Paolo, Rio de Janeiro, and now Elsewhere’s Rooftop. They’ll be joined by Omulu, a DJ whose distinctive sound, which blends reggaeton and funk carioca into something called Rasteirinha, had made him the center of a new global popularity of Brazilian funk. Catch the tail end here in Bushwick during the day where the shining sun makes you feel like you’re just that much closer to South America.
Sunday, August 4
Keepeasy Sundays at The Keep, 10 pm
Every single Sunday night there’s a treat for you at this RidgeWick (or BushWood, your preference) bar, whose speakeasy vibe and bohemian aesthetic lay perfect groundwork for an end-of-the-weekend weekly party. The event is a hybrid of live music from resident psy-jazz band the Keep Kats with immersive live burlesque followed by go-go dancing and some open-mic madness later on if you so please. The Keep is a venue that somehow always manages to keep its patron neck-deep in shenanigans and with their always-stocked Sunday performer lineups you’ll be sure to be titillated as well as vittled.
Cover image courtesy of Hot Rabbit.
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