Is Bushwick the epitome of late-capitalist dystopia or the future utopic non-gendered cyber commune we’ve all been dreaming of? These events might help you find out.
Friday, October 4
This Simulation sux at Phorm Studios, 8 p.m.
Bushwick is full of inopportune L Train rides, windowless living rooms and the constant feeling of “la vie boheme.” That said, it is always good to take a moment to encourage and participate in our home-bred, bleeding-edge events, whose efforts span beyond nightlife and rave culture to encourage avant-garde sounds, audiovisual experiences and the forwarding of a more overt sociopolitical message through art. Funneled Smoke is teaming up with Hecha / 做 NYC (they make hand-crafted wearables for non-binary sartorialists) to create a liminal space outside of the quotidien with live art and electronic performances whose creative work is focused on making a space outside of what they term “mundane dystopia.” Music artists include Serpent in a Straight Line, a live performance project that reflects on how rave culture and cerebral cyber techno could function as a utopian co-operative.
Saturday, October 5
Zero Presents: KaterBlau JWD IV at Warehouse Brooklyn, 11 p.m.
If you haven’t figured it out yet, we here at the Bushwick Nightly are huge fans of all things Berlin. The city has been the international emotional, sonic and community heart of much of the rave community since (and before, in different forms) The Wall fell down. The city hosts an infinite number of locations to create DIY spaces for community gathering and utopian and dystopian collections of cultural sharing. And let’s not forget the Love Parade which may have changed the face of raving (for better and for worse) forever since it began in 1989 to celebrate Germany’s official “oneness.” While we often tend towards the industrial sounds that emanate from the dark warehouses typical of both Berlin and Bushwick, there are also opportunities to enjoy the lighter side of the city’s sound. On Friday, Zero, a local party collective, will partner with KaterBlau, the Berlin (mostly) outdoors nightclub that is the direct descendant of the more ethereal, upbeat and legendary Berlin Club Bar 25. Residents from KaterBlau will play alongside their NYC friends. Guests include East-German raised artist Mira, whose tech-house, new-wave inflected sound reeks of Berlin to anyone who has been there for longer than you can say “Ausweiss bitte.” Not to be missed for fans of the feeling.
Friday, October 11
Elseworld at Elsewhere ft. Helena Hauff, 10 p.m.
It’s definitely improper to say that Elsewhere is still a new venue to the Bushwick nightlife landscape. It’s difficult to remember a time when this experimental nightclub wasn’t illuminating our nights with lights, music and performance (oh, and rave themed Szechuan-fusion food). Luckily for us, the massive event space is still gaining steam. Knowing this, Elseworld is a first for the venue, a full-space-utilizing nightlife event that encompasses a vast psychedelic nightlife with multiple musical stages to get lost in or between. Plus, a mixture of local artists and world-class acts. Tonight’s headliner is Helena Hauff, a Hamburg-based DJ whose work is known for being tonally stripped down with acid intensity and a generous play with the ever-goth genre of EBM. Hauff is the first female DJ to be named BBC Radio 1’s Essential Mix of the Year (too late, but we suppose better than never). Hauff is unstoppable, with her own record label and continued growth in the global electronic scene. It’s a classic Elsewhere booking which makes it a classically special event.
HARDER with DJ Teeth at 3 Dollar Bill, 10:30 p.m.
HARDER celebrates its four-year anniversary this weekend at 3 Dollar Bill, the only queer-owned and operated nightclub in Brooklyn. The event, which focuses on continuing the tradition of gay underground nightlife in NYC and beyond, is all about keeping things hardcore and dance-focused. The event is highlighted by a special set from Berlin-based DJ Teeth, whose history playing at legendary Berlin spaces like Tresor and the homopatik host-venue ://aboutblank, will bring those vibes to this massive and intense space. The event may be sponsored by Scruff and the vibe may be “gay,” but the event is distinctly and explicitly open to humans and revelers (hell, maybe we’ll skip being humans for the night) of all shapes, sizes, genders, sexualities and fetishes. On nights like this we can all revel in our fantasies of being the shirtless, underwear-flaunting, bacchanalian dancers of our dreams.
Cover Photo from of Pixabay
For more news, sign up for Bushwick Daily’s newsletter.