Who: Heems
What: Northside Festival International Showcase
Where: McCarren Park, North Twelfth St., Lorimer St., and Manhattan Ave. between Bayard St. and Berry St. and Nassau Ave.
When: Friday, June 12, free with RSVP, 8:30
Why: Queens native and Das Racist cofounder Himanshu “Heems” Suri has struck out on his own, touring behind his debut solo album, Eat Pray Thug, which was released in March in conjunction with a similarly titled art exhibition at Aicon Gallery. The politically tinged record, with a deep personal connection, features such tracks as “So NY,” “Flag Shopping,” “Hubba Hubba,” “Al Q8a,” “Suicide by Cop,” and “Patriot Act.” Heems is playing a free show with St. Grandson, Sevdaliza, Oy, Jacco Gardner, Irie Maffia, and the Very Best on June 12 in McCarren Park as part of the Northside Festival, which runs through June 14 in venues all over Brooklyn’s north side, featuring innovation speakers, panel discussions, and a trade-show expo June 11-12, music June 11-14, and art walks June 13-14; among the other bands performing on June 12 are Morello Twins at Cameo, Sons of an Illustrious Father at Muchmore’s, Vomitface at Pet Rescue, Walking Shapes at the Polish National Church, and Beach Fossils at Rough Trade.
this week in music
NORTHSIDE FESTIVAL 2015 VIDEO OF THE DAY: “CHAINSAW MORNING” BY RINGO DEATHSTARR
Who: Ringo Deathstarr
What: Rocky Road showcase at the Northside Festival
Where: The Grand Victory, 245 Grand St., 347-529-6610
When: Thursday, June 11, $13, 10:30
Why: Sure, Ringo Deathstarr has one of the best band names ever, but the Austin trio also knows its way around trippy psychedelia shoegazing, taking listeners on its own version of a magical mystery tour on such records as God’s Dream and Mauve. Elliot Frazier, Daniel Coborn, and G. G. Alex are headlining the Rocky Road showcase at Northside Festival on Thursday night at the Grand Victory with Casual Strangers, New Myths, Armstrong Leigh, and RIG1. The Northside Festival runs through June 14 in venues all over Brooklyn’s north side, featuring film June 8-10, innovation speakers, panel discussions, and a trade-show expo June 11-12, music June 11-14, and art walks June 13-14; among the other bands performing on June 11 are White Suns at Aviv, Health at Baby’s All Right, Femi Kuti & the Positive Force at Brooklyn Bowl, the Rosewood Girl at Pete’s Candy Store, and Sharkmuffin at the Gutter.
NORTHSIDE FESTIVAL 2015 VIDEO OF THE DAY: “HUNGER” BY ZOLA JESUS
Who: Zola Jesus
What: Scenic & Northside Festival Present
Where: Warsaw @ the Polish National Home, 261 Driggs Ave. at Eckford St., 718-387-0505
When: Sunday, June 14, $25, 10:45
Why: Zola Jesus’s dark, gothic sound and style has been building buzz for quite a while now. It’s a treat to see her again, this time at Northside; the last place we saw her was when she went wild onstage at the 2012 Catalpa Festival on Randall’s Island, so we’re, um, hungry for more. Zola Jesus will be at Warsaw on Sunday night with Container, and Blanck Mass. The Northside Festival runs June 8-14 in venues all over Brooklyn’s north side, featuring film June 8-10, innovation speakers, panel discussions, and a trade-show expo June 11-12, music June 11-14, and art walks June 13-14; among the other bands performing on June 14 are Sleigh Bells at 50 Kent Avenue, Hard Nips at Black Bear Bar, Future Punx at Cameo, Viet Cong at the Music Hall of Williamsburg, and Sun Ra Arkestra at Rough Trade.
MUSEUM MILE FESTIVAL 2015
Multiple locations on Fifth Ave. between 82nd & 105th Sts.
Tuesday, June 9, 6:00 – 9:00 pm
Admission: free
www.museummilefestival.org
There’s really only one main problem with the annual Museum Mile Festival: It’s too short. On Tuesday, June 9, from 6:00 to 9:00, nine uptown art and cultural institutions will open their doors for free and fill Fifth Ave. between 82nd & 105th Sts. with family-friendly activities for the thirty-sixth year. There will be live outdoor performances by Calpulli Mexican Dance Company, Paul Miller aka DJ Spooky That Subliminal Kid, Evolfo, Kim David Smith, the Martha Graham Dance Company, Sammie & Trudie’s Imagination Playhouse, Silly Billy the Very Funny Clown, and Magic Brian, in addition to face painting, art workshops, chalk drawing, and more. The participating museums (with at least one of their current shows listed here) are El Museo del Barrio (“Under the Mexican Sky: Gabriel Figueroa — Art and Film”), the Museum of the City of New York (“Saving Place: 50 Years of New York City Landmarks”), the Jewish Museum (“Revolution of the Eye: Modern Art and the Birth of American Television,” “Laurie Simmons: How We See”), the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum (“How Posters Work,” “Making Design”), the National Academy (“The Annual 2015: The Depth of the Surface”), the Guggenheim (“Storylines: Contemporary Art at the Guggenheim”), the Neue Galerie (“Gustav Klimt and Adele Bloch-Bauer: The Woman in Gold”), and the Metropolitan Museum of Art (“Van Gogh: Irises and Roses,” “Robert Motherwell: Lyric Suite”), along with the Africa Center (which is building a new home). Don’t try to do too much, because it can get rather crowded; just pick one or two exhibitions in one or two museums and enjoy.
NORTHSIDE FESTIVAL 2015 VIDEO OF THE DAY: “ALL I WANT IS TO BE YOUR GIRL” BY HOLLY MIRANDA
Who: Holly Miranda
What: Northside Festival
Where: Knitting Factory Brooklyn, 361 Metropolitan Ave., 347-529-6696
When: Saturday, June 13, $15, 10:00
Why: It took five years for Holly Miranda to follow up her debut album, 2010’s The Magician’s Private Library, but her eponymous sophomore record came out in May, and it features a more wide-ranging, diverse sound, in addition to fiery lyrics. “The days are shorter but the nights are long / We could fuck in the sun and dance till dawn / and all I want is to be your girl,” she proclaims on the disc. Miranda, formerly of the Jealous Girlfriends, plays piano, drums, guitar, and bass on the record, joined by bandmates Timmy Mislock, Maria Eisen, and David Jack Daniels. Suffering from writer’s block, she wrote the tunes, which also include “Mark My Words,” “Pelican Rapids,” “The Only One,” and “Hymnal,” in the desert in Joshua Tree, then recorded them in Brooklyn. Miranda will be performing at a Northside Festival showcase on Saturday night at the Knitting Factory with Shigeto, the Landing, Lord RAJA, Coastgaard, the Fantastic Plastics, Vivid Dreams, and others; each ticket comes with a free digital download of Miranda’s new record. The Northside Festival runs June 8-14 in venues all over Brooklyn’s north side, featuring film June 8-10, innovation speakers, panel discussions, and a trade-show expo June 11-12, music June 11-14, and art walks June 13-14; among the other bands performing on June 13 are Built to Spill and Best Coast at 50 Kent Avenue, Against Me! At McCarren Park, Psychic Blood at Shea Stadium, Chargaux at the Living Room, Nude Beach at Union Pool, and Blonde Redhead at Warsaw.
NORTHSIDE FESTIVAL 2015 VIDEO OF THE DAY: “EVERYONE ELSE” BY HELIOTROPES
Who: Heliotropes
What: Greenpointers/Supercrush Studios Showcase at the Northside Festival
Where: Bar Matchless, 557 Manhattan Ave. between Driggs & Nassau Aves., 718-383-5333
When: Friday, June 12, $7, 11:30 pm
Why: At the 2013 4Knots Music Festival at the South Street Seaport, we were blown away by Brooklyn’s Heliotropes, who were touring behind their debut album, A Constant Sea, one of the best records of the summer. Lead singer and guitarist Jessica Numsuwankijkul, bassist Nya Abudu, drummer Cici Harrison, and vocalist and tambourine player Amber Myers are heading back out on the road (with an additional guitarist), highlighting songs from their upcoming sophomore disc, and they’ll be headlining the Greenpointers/Supercrush Studios Showcase at Bar Matchless on Friday night, on a bill with the Meaning of Life, Spritzer, Shark Week, the Teen Age, and Oracle Room. The Northside Festival runs June 8-14 in venues all over Brooklyn’s north side, featuring film June 8-10, innovation speakers, panel discussions, and a trade-show expo June 11-12, music June 11-14, and art walks June 13-14; among the other bands performing on June 12 are Neko Case at 50 Kent Avenue, Heems and the Very Best at McCarren Park, Alden Penner and Michael Cera at the Knitting Factory, Beach Fossils at Rough Trade, and Crazy Pills at the Gutter.
NORTHSIDE FESTIVAL 2015 VIDEO OF THE DAY: “23 MINUTES IN BRUSSELS” BY LUNA
Who: Luna
What: Green Label Live at McCarren Park, Northside Festival
Where: McCarren Park, North Twelfth St., Lorimer St., and Manhattan Ave. between Bayard St. and Berry St. and Nassau Ave.
When: Thursday, June 11, free with RSVP, 7:30
Why: In February 2006, we caught one of Luna’s final farewell shows at Bowery Ballroom, as the too-cool-for-school indie band (when the word indie still meant something) called it quits on a stellar career that included such great understated and influential records as Lunapark and Penthouse. But now original shoegazers Dean Wareham, Britta Phillips, Sean Eden, and Lee Wall are back together again, and they’re playing a free show on June 11 in McCarren Park as part of the Northside Festival. The festival runs June 8-14 in venues all over Brooklyn’s north side, featuring film June 8-10, innovation speakers, panel discussions, and a trade-show expo June 11-12, music June 11-14, and art walks June 13-14; among the other bands performing on June 11 are Dead Leaf Echo and Monogold at Black Bear Bar, Lower Dens at the Music Hall of Williamsburg, Ringo Deathstarr at the Grand Victory, and Life Size Maps at Union Pool.
