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DMX: The Return to NYC

Article & Photography by Billy Ludwig

I stepped onto Varick Street, past a line stretching down the block, excitement and anticipation in the air as fans waited patiently for Sounds of Brazil to open its doors. This would be one of the most anticipated events of the year – DMX’s return to New York City.

Leroy Benros, the CEO of Noizy Cricket and director of urban events at S.o.B.’s, met me at the front door of the venue.  He had the smile of a business man at the sight of the line of fans eagerly waiting for the doors to open.  He, and everyone else, knew this night was going to be something special.  We walked into the venue together.  The VIP sections were littered with Source Magazine issues while S.o.B crew members ate Brazilian food. The crowd started pouring in.

  First up was The Murder League All-Stars, who fared well in front of the fans; heads were bobbing as they played their Limp Bizkit-meets-Beastie Boys style set.  They failed, however, to excite the crowd enough into the frenzy of a mosh pit, even after asking.   Although they were clearly out of their comfort zone, MLA did their home state of New Jersey proud and performed a tight set.

  Next was D.A. the Future featuring A.D.D.   Intimate and heartfelt lyrics, combined with melodic harmonies, wailing guitar solos, a monstrous seven-string bass that was handled with ease, keys, and drums set this band apart. The night was starting to gain momentum.

Bazaar Royale, founder of GhettoMetal, lived up to his creation’s name.  Songs about strife in the hood and guitar riffs that would leave you deaf for three days kept us all entertained.  He seemed to talk between songs just as much as he sang, professing his love for DMX and his pride that he brought X to the show.  He did get a little pissed off at the people back at the bar for making too much noise and not paying attention, threatening the crowd with the one thing they were most afraid of – making them wait.  They shut up.

The crowd here is anxious for DMX to take the stage.  I started to doubt he was there at all.  After hearing “DMX is in the building” four or five times, one starts to wonder.  DJ Mary Mac kept the crowd entertained, as she did between sets all night.  No genre was off limits, and we all ate it up.  She did her thing, and she did it big.

Finally, the moment we all were waiting for had arrived.  DMX took the stage with force, and felt right at home.  There was an electricity in the air that can only be felt at a hometown show, and we all felt like family.  The ceremonial passing of Hennessy, with DMX reminding us to “sip and pass” only solidified this sentiment.  “FLESH OF MY FLESH,” DMX would say repeatedly, only to receive a resounding, “BLOOD OF MY BLOOD,” from the crowd.  We all witnessed an important moment in music history, the return of a legend to the scene. 

Bazaar Royale said it best, “New York needs this; Hip Hop needs this.”

[ohcomeondotcom]

Fast Years, Shark?, and Lost Boy? @ Big Snow Buffalo Lodge

Because their DIY venue is totally more DIY than your DIY venue...

Fast Years, Shark?, and Lost Boy? @ Big Snow Buffalo Lodge

Article and photography by Joe Rocha

At Big Snow Buffalo Lodge, a gaggle of local musicians are blowing the back out of a small rented party hall in Brooklyn. It's a VFW/Knight o' Columbus/whatever your geographical region happens to call it. And it's reminiscent of all your best times in high school, if you were just cool enough to have good times but not cool enough to have your stomach pumped.

The venue was pretty sparse when the doors opened, but packed up with some interesting characters as the night progressed. The vibe was laid back, with genuine appreciation for the music trumping any wild partying atmosphere, though between sets there was a very social vibe with some pretty serious mingling of tribes.

Fast Years are an indie surf punk band with a pop tinge. Their feel and sound is reminiscent of early Weezer. I wasn't sure that would resonate with the crowd at first, but they seemed to take to it. They are playing The Delancey on an upcoming Thursday, March 8th, with I'm Turning Into, Hawt Me$$ and Family Photos, which is totally worth catching.

Fast Years was followed by a band that Oh Come On is taking a strong editorial perspective on- we're not going to mention their name. Because, in our opinion, they were boring. We didn't even enjoy drinking to the sound of them. And we really enjoy drinking.

Shark? came on after The Band Which Shall Not Be Named (and I am definitely filing that name away for future use). The musicianship was awesome, and they really got some rapt attention from the audience, warmly receiving their subtle and modest stage presence. If you're a Dinosaur Jr. fan you want to check these guys out. And you can, this Saturday, March 3rd, at Cake Shop with Diarrhea Planet.

Lost Boy?, with a similarly interrogative eroteme-ended name, is all garage punk and limp wristed dissonant intensity- but in the best possible way. It's lazy party music that isn't easy to make and even harder to pull off. They were thoroughly enjoyed, like the rest of the night. And we got home safe thanks to a lenient officer of the law and an iron gullet.

[ohcomeondotcom]

OPENING NIGHT: BREEDLOVE MAGIC MONDAY @ TAMMANY HALL

Opening Night of Breedlove's Magic Mondays @ Tammany Hall

Article by Joe Rocha

Photography by Billy Ludwig

Who: Breedlove, Lady Starlight, The Nuclears and Stalker with go-go by Joce Sald and DJ Marley Wells

Where: Tammany Hall, 152 Orchard St, Manhattan

When: 2.6.12

What: A weekly Monday night where lounge singing meets artfully penned kinky showtunes by Breedlove, accompanied by performers ranging from sick sticky fingered DJ Marley Wells with throwbacks, mindcracking interpretive artsy-ness from Lady Starlight, and loud kick-you-in-the-ears rock 'n' roll from The Nuclears and Stalker.

Why: Because you probably don't have anything better to do with your Monday nights. Who sleeps in the shadow of a Mayan Apocalypse, anyway?

I first encountered Breedlove at the cramped but loveable dive, St. Jerome's, on the L.E.S. Despite a slightly overwhelming art crowd that felt like the fishnet clad avant-unitard of F.I.T., it was a booze-fueled mindblowing that I thoroughly enjoyed. I vowed to find him again. On the first Monday of February the night moved a few blocks West to Tammany Hall. It just so happens to be my close friend Armando's birthday, so I invite him an his crew out so I can out to check out if their particular brand of glam still holds its wonderfully dingy downtown patina in a larger venue.

I vaguely remember Tammany Hall as Annex, which closed back in 2009, a spot where a lot of drunken college nights were spent. It was reopened temporarily to host a couple of shows during CMJ, and former Crash Mansion management has purportedly been taking care of business there.

The space is slick, trying to balance flashiness with a DIY vibe, boasting a kitchen in the back and a downstairs venue that at the time was hosting a pretty tough looking reggaeton and hip-hop dance night. That is good because Armando's crowd is of mixed tastes and half of them end up spending the night going back and forth from the downstairs grindfest and the upstairs dance party show. Drinks are on the expensive side (I still and will always complain about a $12 Jameson on the rocks no matter where I go in Manhattan) with the only special being cheap 2-for-1 bottles of honey beer.

I manage to miss the Nuclears' performance, which is a bummer because I have heard great things from a load of people with respectable taste in music. But you can catch them elsewhere and decide for yourself. I catch an awesome “New York Groove” rendition they do with Breedlove, though, and The Stalkers definitely kill it with an intense performance right after.

Breedlove makes every Magic Monday worthwhile, performing tonight with Liquid Blonde, The Naked Heroes, and Shadow Lover. Oh yeah, and FREE BOOZE 10-11 PM!

[ohcomeondotcom]

Mark the Autist, B.S. and Dyalekt vs. a Grey Matter beatbox... After Deathrow Tull's show at EAT THE CAKE/BK WILDLIFE Fishnet & Ice Cream party.

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Deathrow Tull live @ EAT THE CAKE/BK WILDLIFE's Ice Cream & Fishnets Party for Chris Carr's Birthday

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Deathrow Tull @ EAT THE CAKE Ice Cream & Fishnets Party

Chris Carr’s EAT THE CAKE 2nd Annual Ice Cream & Fishnets Party

Article by Joe Rocha

Photography by Billy Ludwig

Who: Chris Carr’s Birthday and Deathrow Tull

Where: Brooklyn (McKibbin Lofts)

When: 1/21/12

What: Dis-dressed dance party and electrofied MC’d funked up ruckus show

Why: Nudity- even half-nudity- is a pretty strong rationale for anything. Also, there was just a snowstorm, most of the sidewalks aren’t even shoveled yet, it is maybe seventeen degrees out, and no one has money to do anything fun. So, you strip down to your skivvies and get-to-bumpin’-and-grindin’ to keep warm.

Chris Carr, photographer and (from what I could tell upon first meeting him) all around cool dude, is hosting his 2nd Annual Undie Party for his birthday at the McKibbin Lofts, and hip-hop and band ensemble Deathrow Tull is set to rock the house. The event is part of Brooklyn Wildlife's 12 Days of Art, continuing through the 28th of January.

The house bar, a kitchen peninsula of vice in the midst of the chaos, is stocked with sangria, cheap beer, a variety of shots, and $5 hand-rolled cigarettes. For $5 a pop, you can probably speculate as to what kind of cigarettes. That’s right. God’s pubes.

The beats from the band are filthy; they get the crowd dirty dancing and the accompanying rhymes are righteous. You can’t ask much from a loft space transformed into a venue, but the sound quality is low for the MCs, making some of the vocals indecipherable. Rude Humanist and W.M.D. Dubois (formerly/better known as brokeMC and Dyalekt) still know how to keep the crowd moving. They are fiercely lyrical and confrontational in a way that quickly casts away any passivity the audience might harbor at the beginning of their set.

The band progresses through various states of undress as they play, losing their robes and smoking jackets and setting a wonderful example for Chris' guests. Temple Grindin' unleashes hooks and accompaniment without falling into a background roll. The set is long and tight, with Chris coming up for a guest spot. Upcoming shows from Deathrow Tull include a night with Thundercat at SOB’s on February 1st, with Turkuaz and Futurist at Sullivan Hall on February 10th, and a Bad Mitzvah Purim bash at SOB’s with Food will Win the War and Game Rebellion on March 8th.

After the set Dyalekt joins BS (another rapper present at the show) and beatboxer Grey Matter for a short freestyle upstairs from the music space. The party continues to fill out. A few attendees actually opt to pay a premium at the door in order to stay in their clothes, but as the night progresses even these sticks in the mud strip down and embrace the spirit of the party.

At one point Chris disappears into the bathroom with a girl, his camera, and said girl's tits. Everyone gets a show as they come out. The alcohol has been flowing long enough and people are making decisions without wondering if they're going to make it out alive, dignity intact, and it is a beautiful thing. We will leave the Brooklyn wildlife to its natural habitat, disturbed and twitching with existential glee as the night refuses to conclude.

[ohcomeondotcom]

SantaCon 2011: A Jolly Good Time in NYC

SantaCon 2011: A Jolly Good Time in NYC (with some awesome HO HO HO's)

Article by Joe Rocha

Photography by Billy Ludwig and Joe Rocha

Who: Thousands of festively dressed revelers

Where: New York City

When: 12/10/11

What: An early Christmas miracle

Why: Don't try and think about it too long because you'll hurt yourself

SantaCon is an apolitical flash mob coordinated through a Twitter and fairly bare bones website that involves partying in the streets and in any area with a large concentration of bars and public spaces. All this happens while dressed up in any kind of costume that hints at Christmas or any other holiday that falls in this celebratory time of year. OhComeOn staff photographer Billy Ludwig and I decided to dress as a classic Elf and Santa (with belly) duo, with Billy opting to substitute a normal Elf hat with one that introduced MISTLETOE into this liquor-drenched equation. But enough of the incriminating details...

We jumped a train toward World Trade Center, spotting a number of others making the pilgrimage for this merry event. North Cove Marina in the Financial District was the starting point, and by the time we got there the entire area was thoroughly clogged with thousands of Fat Men and Elves, along with a peppering of Dradles, Cindy Lou Who's, Grinches, Trees, and more unconventional spins on the holidays' spirits. One could tell in an instant just how friendly this overgrown mob was, with smiles abounding. Nonperishable food items were being taken as donations.

The chant came quickly, “Santas on the move! Santas on the move! Santas on the move!” Stone Street was quickly populated by most of the crowd and the bars were packed. South Street Seaport was the spillover area once the street was fully congested. It was on par with Mardi Gras, and still not a single NYPD officer was visible. That's when the first peak in weirdness and awesomeness occurred. A gang of around a dozen giant Teletubbies arrived with a boom box, their dancing shoes on, and a huge inflatable zebra as their mascot. The entire street broke out into a massive dance party, with the zebra thrown into the air like an anorexic high school cheerleader.

That's when the first villain of the Christmas miracle that is SantaCon arrived. The Abominable Snowman, a Yeti of surprisingly miniature proportions, got more than a little rambunctious and broke the boombox. The mob turned on a dime, and it certainly seemed this rare missing link was fearing for his life as people began shouting, pointing, pushing and shouting asshole. The situation was diffused and he high tailed it out of Stone Street.

The boombox was fixed within a few seconds and dancing resumed with a resounding cheer and renewed vigor.

Such a large gathering of Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanza Elves in one area led to talks of unionization. In one such confrontation the argument between Santa Clauses and Elves became especially heated when one Fat Man saw an Elf from his work camp that had not been given an R&R pass. When he was given a reprisal for insubordination it spurred a swift rebuttal from other Elves present. A full scale debate broke out, mimicking the violence of some South American country's parliamentary process.

The next location was up toward City Hall Park, which was instantly occupied, the fountain full of red velvet (velour) and cheer. People were milling around smoking and drinking, with signs protesting the unethical treatment of reindeer. The party continued with a number of boomboxes and speakers spouting different tunes from the corners of the green space. The cops finally arrived and kicked everyone out of the park after a little over an our.

Santa Clauses from Brooklyn joined forces with their Manhattan counterparts across from the Brooklyn Bridge and it was up to Grand Central, with every train filled with caroling madness. This is where things start to get fuzzy.

We hit a bar called The Australian, and from there the night devolved into random tweets on various afterparties from Rubalad in Brooklyn to District 36 in Midtown, with caroling on the steps of the New York Public Library, some kind of candy cane massacre in Times Square, and a Warriors-type gathering of gingerbread marauders in the East Village. Disjointed and broken, we made our way home and counted our blessing we survived without using the bail money ferreted in our socks.

[ohcomeondotcom]

Thanksgiving Eve with Brick City Burlesque @ Hell's Kitchen Lounge

BRICK CITY BURLESQUE: Thanksgiving Eve Debauchery 11.23.11

Article by Joe Rocha

Photography by Billy Ludwig and whoever the hell took pictures when a girl pulled a knife on him and cut his shirt open

Who: Burlesque by LEGS MALONE; LILY STITCHES; MINNIE TONKA; ASHLEY ANNE; ULA UBERBUSSEN Music by DJ MAVRIC Go-Go by RENEE Bodypainting by Vann and Keith of Transformational Bodypainting

Where: Hell's Kitchen Lounge

When: 11/23/11

What: A legit rock & roll bar and NJ's reigning House of Boobies and Booze throws a weekly burlesque show

Why: Killer ladies dancing their ta-ta's off followed by a full scale dance party, fueled by well-priced drinks served by a waitstaff that actually gives a fuck

Brick City Burlesque has been coming to Hell's Kitchen Lounge in Newark, NJ for going on four years now, which begs the question...

What the Hell have I been doing with my Thursday nights for the past four years?

We grab a table and meet our waitress Kelly. She dresses like a pilgrim, and there are a number of other pilgrims and Indians walking around the place tending to the patrons. They have a selection of craft beers that is rare in Newark. Even more rare for any bar, club or pub, our waitress actually seems to give a crap. She is cracking jokes and having a good time, and straight off it feels more like I am a guest in her living room– if her living room were the kind of Las Vegas rocker lounge that would make any Hard Rock Cafe blush, pack up its things and become a Hooters.

Renee Masoomian is the first performer we meet. Her day job is in fashion, designing clothes for her own company. She recently moved from Philadelphia and is still looking for a permanent living situation. Not long after she's up on a box dancing tastefully and plying money from Hell's little lost souls. This means the night's main performance will be starting soon.

After a visit to the dressing room we encounter the dolled up girls again in the hallway. Now, they are armed with feather boas, corsets, cupcakes, and looks that could kill.

Legs Malone is up first. Her act is classy and classic in that it takes you back in time. With the lights dimmed and the spotlight on, I feel like I could be in a 20's speakeasy drinking bootleg booze. She's proud to show off her thirty-four-and-a-half inch inseam, inside and out, with a smile and a hip shake.

Lilly Stitches has quite a different act, though it is equally entertaining. She's bearing freshly bakes cupcakes and walk the audience sharing them before baring her other cupcakes and stuffing her face.

Intermission breaks out into a dance party with the help of DJ Mavric, who provides the tunes all night and keeps everyone's feet moving.

Next up is Minnie Tonka in green and sequin, another classical burlesque show that livens up the audience.

Ashley Anne is dressed like one firecracker of an Indian with a wooden horse, multicolor headdress, and matching boa. She'd probably stomp Pocahontas' head in given the chance. She won Brick City Burlesque's 2nd Burlesque Contest earlier in the year.

Finally, Ula Uberbusen, the Tart with the Teutonic Tetons, gives a deliciously kitschy show with a side of mellow dramatic interpretive dance and singing that nicely mixes sexy and hilarity. She has her cake and eats it too.

Brick City Burlesque is presented by Dave Menace and Lady Jasmine the Diva, both of whom come from a storied and successful history of nightlife promotions geared toward an alternative crowd. Dave Menace once presented Bite the Goth/Alt/Industrial/Fetish party that ran from 2004-2008. Lady Jasmine promoted at QXT's where she helped build a still-thriving scene before parting with ownership. These days she can also be found livening up parties at Dingo's Den and Dingbatz in Clifton, NJ as well as Stimulate, a roving New York City party on the 3rd Saturday of every month. At Hell's Kitchen, Menace also presents Voodoo Rock Saturdays with live bands, a dance party on the first of every month, and These Kids Rock, an all-ages concert series with bands whose members are under 21.

We did a quick interview with Menace after the show, where he lets us know a little bit of the history behind the show at Hell's Kitchen and his own nightlife experience. All that's listed above, but the charismatic answers he gives to some less industry-related questions are even more informative. “Can we get your real name?” gets a quick and unapologetic “No.” The same goes for his age.

We're in the liquor room at Hell's Kitchen, and I ask if Menace could take any bottle home which it would be. “Scotch. Single malt.” And if he could take home any of the girls changing back into their clothes outside? He'd take all of them.

Menace should be a politician with these answers. He notes that despite the fact there's something happening every night in the burlesque community, in Manhattan and Brooklyn with their thriving scenes, or in New Jersey from Newark all the way down to Asbury Lanes in Asbury Park, there's little competition. And he's most excited about Clea Cutthroat, a friend of his that is returning from Berlin and will be performing on one of his rosters soon.

After our interview I head upstairs to see that the place has broken out into a full scale dance party once again. I head outside to get some fresh air and talk with the bounce, and when I come back in I find Billy getting his shirt cut open by a girl wielding a pint-sized shiv. We usually call knife play our cue to call it a night, so he packs up his camera and we get out of there.

Brick City Burlesque is a weekly show and this Thursday's lineup includes Amber Ray and Peekaboo Point. You probably won't get cut or anything.

[ohcomeondotcom]

Action Item: The Stronger the Love Tour Homecoming Show @ Starland Ballroom 11.20.11

Action Item: The Stronger the Love Tour's Homecoming Show @ Starland Ballroom 11.20.11

Article by Joe Rocha

Photography by Billy Ludwig

Who: Action Item (Brian Cag on Vocals/Guitar, Anthony Li on Guitar, Mark Shami on Piano, David Buczkowski on Bass, Dan Brozek on Drums)

Where: Starland Ballroom (Sayerville, NJ)

When: 11/20/11

What: Teen heartthrobs throw an explosive homecoming show for over a thousand of their biggest hometown fans

Why: Killer tunes

Everyone may love an underdog, but we applaud success stories with the same fervor. Action Item is both. Underdogs not because of any lack of talent, but because any band that wants to make it big and get their music out there is by definition swimming upstream. And they're a success story because 1053 tickets sold for their homecoming show at Starland Ballroom in New Jersey is the happy ending for the national Stronger the Love Tour that hit twenty-five different venues.

Backstage they are taking pictures and signing autographs for fans before they retire to the green room to prepare. Everyone looks nervous, which the entourage of friends seem to find odd before one by one, in separate interactions, they point out this is their final show of the tour, their homecoming show for the fans that made them what they are, and that there are over a thousand people out there who can't wait to see them. The pressure, tempered by a healthy dose of excitement, is palpable in their voices.

But there is more to this show's context. Like most bands, they have invested heavily into their success. And the financial tides are turning their way. More than breaking even, in the coming months they will move from paying dues to settling debts and turning a profit from the music that up until now has been a labor of love. Take into account their age and this is more than a show, it's a graduation ceremony. Or at least a final payment on student loans.

Action Item loves their fans, and at the same time they have made very intelligent decisions in their cultivation. The average attendee at any of their shows is between the ages of 13 and 17. That may seem young, but it's what a number of bands have done to assure lasting success. Blink 182, Taking Back Sunday, and Brand New are all bands that started with a dedicated young following that stuck it out, staying with them and growing as their music evolved. This assures an audience for five years to a decade, which is all any contemporary band can ask for. These are the fans that, to this day, still shell out cash and flock to arenas to see these bands every summer.

Action Item will be playing two more holiday shows while they're home, slotted for mid-December, and then taking some time to write and record before diving into another series of tours to promote new material and bring their sound live to the ears of eager fans. And while they may not be my genre, and while they may not be the kind of band that finds themselves onto my iTunes or onto the playlists of most people their own age, I need to admit that- from the first time I saw them years ago- after a show their songs are stuck in my head for days after. That says something not only about their talent, but about their music.

There is a girl in a striped rugby shirt, probably no older than fifteen, who begins crying the moment they take stage and doesn't stop until after the last encore. She isn't the only crier in the crowd. Action Item inspires a real dedication in their fans. On cue, they hold up hundreds of cut-out hearts with lyrics from their songs.

On stage, Anthony Li comments on the venue. “You know, people always ask us why we treat our fans so much differently than most bands, and the answer's pretty simple actually: Because we did not get here overnight. We didn't get to headline Starland Ballroom overnight. In fact, when I was just a little kid- and the guys agree- we grew up coming to concerts here. (Brian Cag: “So true!”) So to get to headline this place is a dream come true. Thank you guys so much...”

And I think any band from Jersey would agree. To Hell with Madison Square Garden. Carnegie Hall is a joke. But Starland Ballroom? That's a dream for any Garden State band, and it came true for Action Item.

[ohcomeondotcom]

Digital Campfire with ECO, Breakfast, Exodus, Nicky Twist, and the Digital Distortion crew @ 190 Mercer 11.11.11

Digital Campfire with Camp Counselors ECO and Breakfast courtesy of Digital Distortion 11.11.11

Photography by Billy Ludwig

Article by Joe Rocha

Who: BREAKFAST (Flashover Recordings); ECO (Armada Music); EXODUS (Ultra Records, Nervous Records, Peakhour Music, Toolroom) vs. NICKY TWIST (Plasmapool, Bass Monster, Peakhour Music); VENDETTA (Anon); Atom C, Noomi Ra, Droid, GabyNoodle (Digital Distortion); Cheric & MadRaverRai(Limitless Music)

Where: 190 Mercer St New York, NY

When: 11/11/11

What: Digital Campfire (pure fucking ridiculousness)

Why: If you have to ask…

Your feet can’t stop moving from the very second you waltz into this enormous space. Ample security lines the three story walk up, with the second floor entirely dedicated to rows of racks for the coats of the countless kids streaming into the venue. Whilst $30 at the door and $5 for the coat check is hard to swallow, the scent and siren sounds of a good time are more than enough to loot pockets.

A round of absinth shots, specially mixed with choice herbs (tasting like elderflower and maybe lavender), ring in at four bucks a piece from one of the small DIY bar setups. Waters are flying out, and that (along with the few older gentlemen stalking the place whispering offers) tells you the mindstate of the average reveler.

The music at this event- dance party, rave, bacchanalia, or whatever else you want to call it- is nonstop. Despite the sheer volume of DJ sets over the twelve hours it runs, the music simply ebbs and flows in pace and style, and there's not a single frown that isn’t actually a face slouched with pure exhaustion. The crowd is young and uninhibited, all over each other and to a one best friends, lovers and family members.

The vibrations penetrate every breath, tickling teeth, and someone yells, “The front, that’s where we have to be! Every party! All the time!” It's through flesh, rainbows of faux fur, and rings of glowing lights (glowsticks, strobes, necklaces and every other variety you could imagine) orbiting and crashing into the crowd as pieces of Saturn’s tumultuous rings. “A mixture of babyhipsters and clubheads coming together for one night of music and love."

The security is ubiquitous and unobtrusive, and even they seem to be having a great time watching the kids. It is less digital campground and more electronic Eden, utopian with apologies for every bump that might even be considered too rough. Smiles are the only expression those here exchange when all that’s possible is to bask in the sheer glory of it all. The space is big enough to give you room to frolic, but remain intimate. You can’t lose a friend if you try, and ample seating gives broken down feet well-deserved rests. Dancers, both professional and coordinated in dress and improved groups of friends catapulting themselves onstage, loosen up even the most shy wallflower. In fact, the walls were surprisingly bare except for smokers taking a break.

But it's not all utopia. Outside are EMTs dealing with countless fucked up kids that left the relative safety of the party and aren’t coping so well in the growing light of day. One gentleman named Scott was passed out on his duffel bag, and just kept answering one of the NYPD officers questioning his destination, direction and well-being with repetitive pleas of “Please,” “Thank you,” “Please,” “Thank you,” in mentally stunned confusion. Shoes- mostly platforms and heels- litter a nearby subway platform like the remains of so many Wicked Witches of the East Coast.

[ohcomeondotcom]

The Naysayers, Smokey Robotic, Obey City for Bulldog Gin @ Gunbar 11.3.11

Article by Joe Rocha

Photography by Billy Ludwig

Who: The Naysayers (Mitch Friedman, Isaac Teel, Benamin Rafael), DJ Obey City, Smokey Robotic guest performance

Where: Gunbar

When: 11/3/11

What: FAWKESNIGHT by Bulldog Gin

Why: Good music and a 9 to 11 o'clock gin open bar

Arriving early introduced an interesting cast of characters. The cute Asian with thick hipster glasses behind the bar didn't have any help and looked quite frazzled with the opening setback of cutting herself while slicing limes and lemons for the night, so I took to unpacking straws, napkins, and preparing her stations. This was in the hopes helping her out would keep me her attention once the open bar was in full swing and the place was packed. Worked like a charm.

The Bulldog team was busy pushing t-shirts on everyone in the house, to the point they tried to get the band to wear them. “This isn't Nascar,” I heard from across the room as they continued their sound check. A promoter at the bar was handing out cards without saying a word. Electroaccompaniment Benamin Raphael complained of missing quarter-inch cables and lost data on his sample box, something the Naysayers' bassist Mitch Friedman said happened every time and that he was convinced was a contrived plot to build tension before the show.

The venue, Gunbar, wants so badly to be a dive that it fails miserably. It looks like they pulled the walls off of some downtown hole the same way barn doors and lanterns find their way into rustic restaurants, but like faux bedhead or distressed jeans it comes off as far from genuine. The fact it's in the Meatpacking district, and when you walk down into the basement you pass a posh looking elevator and elegant stairways, tells you everything you need to know about the place.

The band filled in as the shining stars of the night. With no stage, it added to the DIY feel that they were playing on the floor surrounded by their crowd. They did two sets, one at the opening and one at close. Usually accompanied by Nyle to form Nyle vs. the Naysayers, they instead relied on the more-than-sufficient vocal abilites of Isaac Teel, who both sang and MC'd with equal talent. Benamin kept it electric with flying fingers on a sample box and mixer, and Mitch brought the funk with untold fury from a stack that shook every glass in the place. The night with interspersed with DJ sets from Obey City, and a final surprise performance by Smokey Robotic. L.E.S. graffiti legend and artist Chico provided the Bulldog Booze-inspired art.

At first I thought this was going to be the most under-promoted open bar ever. When I saw the street team Bulldog had brought in standing around inside the bar instead of bringing the message to massage the masses, I wondered if anyone would even show up. But after a steady trickle began around 9:15 it was fully packed out by 9:45 with the perfect number of heads for this basement venue.

As for Bulldog, they offered three cocktails- Ginger Bulldog (gin and ginger ale), Madras Gin (with cranberry and orange juice), and a classic Bulldog Gin and Tonic. I stuck to generous pours of Gin on the rocks with lime, which the band also took to. I'd like to take credit for loosening these suckers up for the night's festivities, in a purely unbiased journalistic sense.