Aaaaand we’re back. With nary a blink of the eye (because we weren’t sleeping enough), New Year’s went in a flash and all of your resolutions (like more exercise, focusing on your creative output, and waking up at normal hours on the weekends) have all managed to come to the lack of fruition you always knew they would.
That said, we think that resolutions are important and while you might not be a yoga bunny, writing a play to be performed at a black box theater, or finally becoming a friend that your coworkers invite to brunch (is that what you wanted?), you still take with you a fragrance of the goals you wish for yourselves.
Take us here at Bushwick Nightly, who want to return to you better than ever with more context for your nightlife, more immersion in the community, and more events coverage than ever before. Expect some exciting build-outs and spinoffs coming soon.
Until then enjoy how much your happy team here at Bushwick Nightly loves you, loves a good party, and loves continuing the vibrancy of Bushwick’s DIY-oriented queer and POC-celebrating nightlife galaxy.
Saturday, February 29
It’s Leap Day friends and, accordingly, there’s way too many things to do that you can’t really do them all. Make a choice and stick to it or learn the hard way that you can’t entirely do it all without a Leap Day miracle.
Bunker x Interdimensional Transmissions at Market Hotel, 10pm-morning, $20-30
The Bunker is an absolute legend of the Brooklyn underground that has been going strong East of Manhattan since 2003 (when Williamsburg was the at the edge of cool and reason) while also defining the scene that we all know, love, and look to as a bastion of DIY-styled, music forward, audience-driven, artist-creating electronic music and parties. This particular event teams up with No Way Back, a legendary (if not the) party experience from the Detroit Electronic Music Festival (the considerate name for the events that take place surrounding the official Movement Festival in May in Detroit). The party is connected to the Interdimensional Transmissions label, who have been creating the most immersive and extreme style of underground parties since 1994 (back when you still probably heard about the party through a zine). The party features mind melting sets, an all night time frame, and likely a fair share of people talking about what other iterations of this party they’ve been to. It’s my top pick for the night with it’s location at Bushwick’s classic DIY-space-turned-legal-but-still-feels-contrarian venue, Market Hotel. Acts include Bunker regulars like Brian Kasenic and Mike Servito as well as Interdimensional Transmissions folks like Erika and BMG.
CityFox Live Festival with Paul Kalkbrenner, Avant Gardner, 10pm – 6am, $40 and up
While certainly not underground or even particularly financially accessible, we must pay credence to the legend that is Paul Kalkbrenner. Originally from East Germany, Kalkbrenner has been an illustrative part of that city’s rise to global electronic music and rave capital from his early days partying at E-Werk, Bunker, and eventually Bar25. Bar 25 in particular became his calling card as he became a poster boy for the already-burgeoned rave scene in the seminal Berlin partied-too-hard film Berlin Calling , in which he starred and co-wrote the soundtrack. His classic “Sky and Sand” is a cheese-town banger for anyone who has just discovered that staying up all night, less than sober, is a lawless and exhilarating journey with drawbacks that almost-never seem to outweigh the benefits. (Writers note: When I lived in Berlin this was the ONLY album I listened to and I was 20 and life was good). Kalkbrenner, who is touring with his live-only set, plays with other legends that stemmed from the mid 00s and early 2010s minimal deep house scene like the Innervisions combo Schwarzman (Henrik Schwarz and Frank Wiedemann, one half of Ame), as well as Sebastian Mulleart, Matthew Jonson, Gui Borrato, Christian Löffler, and The Mole. If you were into this music during that time it will be a huge throwback. It’ll be huge and packed and who knows if your nextdoor raver knows the history but, for some of us, it’s always worth it to pour a little out for Mr. Kalkbrenner who helped to bring us to the party for some of our first times.
Friday, March 6
JACK DEPT. NYC at Bossa Nova Civic Club, 10pm-4am, free before midnight, $10 after
John Barera’s standing night at Bossa Nova has provided a location for the underground electronic music cognoscenti to gather, to hear new sounds from current artists outside of mainstream forces, and, of course, to dance. Bossa, which by now has garnered its own cult following as an every night of the week scenester meetup and Friday and Saturday night packed club banger, was once just a listing of names for those in the know. While the times are always a-changing, JACK DEPT. still slams out of Bossa with the focus on local and small-label powerhouses over those with mass market appeal remains without ever letting go of a dose of party-readiness. It’s a trust-the-curator kind of vibe and we’re sure that SEER, He Valencia, and Loka will sit nicely along with warm up from event founder Barera.
Sunday, March 8
HONCHO ALL DAY: MISTER SUNDAY AT NOWADAYS, 3PM -10PM, $10-15
Honcho Campout, the tentpole event that cocoons this ever-growing East Coast (and beyond) scene of queer techno lovers, has released its tickets and everyone but anyone is talking about it. The community of tight-knit queer partygoers and techno lovers stems out of a techno rager party in Pittsburgh but has grown to encompass the hearts, minds, and dancing shoes of a solid portion of Brooklyn-area partygoers. The party is serious about its music and of self-expression and liberation and has been known to include at least 17 roadside sexual acts during its festival weekend. If you’d like to dip your toes in the water while also pretending that spring has sprung (as of this writing it has … not), come check out the scene in the easy going vibe of Nowadays’ family-friendly(ish) Sunday party, Mister Sunday. Honcho crew will be running the show all day into night so you can either catch up with your Honcho community or create one.
Cover photo from Pixabay.
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