The Good Festival, presented by Local Roots NYC, a local CSA, landed at Brooklyn Fire Proof 10 days ago. We were treated to an evening’s worth of food, drinks, tunes, demonstrations, and much more good, clean, totally organic fun. It was only our first foray into the handmade, homespun mini-festival experience, but we’re happy to report that the entire affair was pretty sweet (and no, we’re not just talking about the delicious free honey). Read on for photos and highlights from The Good Festival, which served up only the greatest vibes (and music: Army Men, Crazy Pills, Hippy and more) all night long.
The Good Festival aims to promote the best in local artisans and products, which is why we sampled more than our fair share of satisfying treats throughout the day; Diana Kuan’s kale and mushroom dumplings and Lukas Volger’s mushroom and barley veggie burgers were particular favorites. The impressive initiative that drives Fleisher’s Grass-fed and Organic Meats must have inspired feelings of courage, because why else would we try something like lamb tongue? (though we much preferred the tasty little morsels of hot dog.) Plus, there were all sorts of demos and workshops, ranging from jam making to worm composting!
In the separate performance space, Army Men kicked off the music portion of the night in spectacular style. The band’s warped, wonderful post-punk jams (and groooovin’ bass lines) are instantly dig’able, but we definitely didn’t mind re-living our childhoods as Jumanji played via projection during their set.
Later on, the insanely energetic Crazy Pills arrived, instantly living up to their name and having a kick-ass time while doing it. The trio’s driving beats and sassy vocals are positively infectious, as demonstrated on their most recent release, Restless.
In a far moodier, more atmospheric change of pace, Heavy Birds cast a spell over the minimal space, weaving their slow, hypnotic melodies among the shadows. The night’s seriously solid lineup also included Hippy, Win Win, Gunfight!, and headliners Shilpa Ray.
In addition to some of our favorite local acts, The Good Festival also showcased traditional Son Jarocho style music from the region of Veracruz, Mexico with Soneros de las Alturas. Their beautiful folk songs provided a soundtrack to the evening sunset, and was much-appreciated by the clapping and whistling outdoor crowd.
Overall, The Good Festival truly delivered the goods– and then some– with just the right amount of local flavor.
