See the world’s most popular sport in a whole new way at ‘Invisiball,’ a satirical dance performance in Gowanus Wednesday through Friday nights. Photo: Juan Michael Porter II
Soccer might not be as popular here as it is in the rest of the world, but given the current high level of interest in the women’s World Cup (not to mention the seedy FIFA scandal), it’s clear that the sport continues to make inroads stateside. Starting tonight, you can experience soccer in a completely different way at Invisiball, an inventive, satirical dance performance by Nadine Bommer in which delicate dancers transform into macho, mustachioed soccer players. The exclusive three-night engagement at 501 Union runs through Friday and in keeping with the sporting theme there will be hot dogs, beer, and other treats available. Tickets are $35 in advance.
Thursday night, we are in for a real treat as rock/blues/folk/country legend Lucinda Williams is gracing the stage of the Prospect Park bandshell for a free outdoor concert at 7:30. Williams defies characterization, but her work is deeply affecting–she is sometimes referred to as “Raymond Carver with a guitar”–and she is known to deliver knockout live shows, so don’t miss this one.
If you have an itch to get out of town on Saturday, sign up for RootedNY’s Upstate Escape to Fishkill Farms, a day trip that includes transportation, berry picking, a hayride tour of a sustainable, working farm, and a picnic lunch made with farm-fresh produce. Tickets are $75 if you ride the provided bus and $40 if you can get there on your own, but either way it’s a lovely excuse to be outdoors and take in the beauty of the Hudson Valley on a hot summer day.
On Sunday, head to Bed-Stuy to sample the neighborhood’s delicious food, see its beautiful architecture, and get a dose of culture at Arts in the Gardens: STooPS Bed-Stuy, a collaboration between local artists and homeowners that features free, public art displays and performances throughout the neighborhood from noon to 5pm.
Were you obsessed with Serial? Do you still find yourself weighing the merits of the case against Adnan and yearn for even more information about the investigation into Hae’s murder and the subsequent trial than the 12-part podcast series provided? You should probably snap up tickets now to see the series’ co-creators, Sarah Koenig and Julie Snyder, tell behind-the-scenes, personal stories about their experience working on the Peabody Award-winning show at BAM on September 25. They start at $35 and are very likely to sell out long before the summer is over.
We’ve got a hefty lineup of things that are actually going on this week, so read on, get some friends on board, and start planning–another ideal week in Brooklyn awaits!
Re-experience the girl power ’90s classic The Craft at Videology on Thursday night. Photo: Warner Brothers
Thursday, June 25
Like “light as a feather, stiff as a board,” The Craft made an appearance at basically every sleepover of the late 1990s. Now, the cult supernatural film about a coven of teenage witches is back for a special screening at Videology this Thursday, June 25 when the Williamsburg theater/bar officially welcomes The Monthly Underground Female Film Society, or MUFF, an organization dedicated to the celebration of women in film. Come enjoy one of 1996’s most unforgettable films, starring “it” girls of the day Neve Campbell and Fairuza Balk, as well as photo ops, free prizes, a raffle, and a witch costume contest where the winner will receive an as-yet-unnamed, “magical prize.” Tickets are $5, doors open at 7pm. –N.R.
Learn all about ball culture at Celebrate Brooklyn’s free screening of Paris Is Burning on Friday night. Photo: Miramax
Friday, June 26
Most people know what voguing is thanks to Madonna, but few are aware of its origins in ball culture, an underground performance circuit that was a huge part of the New York City LGBT community in the 1980s and early 1990s. This Friday, Celebrate! Brooklyn brings us back to the Golden Age of the ball with a Prospect Park bandshell screening of Paris Is Burning, Jennie Livingston’s seminal 1990 documentary on the ball scene and the queer and transgender people of color who defined and refined the art form. The evening will begin with The Houses United Ball: Celebrating Brooklyn, a live ball performance featuring Paris Is Burning stars Grandfather Hector Xtravaganza and Jose Disla Xtravaganza as well as members of the Houses of LaBeija, Ninja, Mizrahi, Khan, Infinity, Milan, Princess and Xtravaganza. Livingston herself will introduce the Sundance award-winning film alongside Junior LeBeija and Dr. Sol Williams Pendavis. Admission is free and the gates open at 6:30pm.–N.R.
Help choose the next recipe to take the craft beer world by storm at NYC Brewers Pro-Am event at Covenhoven on Saturday. Photo: Brew to Share
Saturday, June 27
If you’re a serious beer drinker, you’ve surely already been to Crown Heights’ Covenhoven to check out their awesome rotating selection of brews. Although the bar always carries rare and hard-to-find bottles, this Saturday’s Second Annual NYC Brewers Pro-Am event presents an opportunity to try one-of-a-kind beers that you really can’t find anywhere else. Once again, Brew to Share and Bitter and Esters have paired up local pro breweries like Other Half and Sixpoint with advanced homebrewers to collaborate on a new recipe. On Saturday, the audience will vote on which of the resulting collaborations is the best, and the winning beer will be commercially produced by the brewery and eventually sold to the public. You’ll also get to taste other beers from the participating breweries and homebrewers (more than 15 beer total), as well as a free pretzel from Pelzer’s Pretzels, whose jalapeño-cheddar variety I can personally endorse without reservation. There are two sessions of this event, one from 1-3pm and one from 3:30-5:30, and tickets cost $30 if you buy in advance and $35 at the door. –K.H.
See David Byrne’s musical/marching mashup, Contemporary Color, at the Barclays Center Saturday and Sunday nights. Photo: BAM
Sunday, June 28
David Byrne’s long-awaited Contemporary Color, a combination concert and “marching arts” performance, makes its New York debut this weekend at the Barclays Center (in the arena’s first collaboration with BAM), and there are still tickets available for both the Saturday and Sunday night shows if you are up for something that promises to be totally new and different. Byrne, who has always had a flair for pairing striking visuals with music (think of all those Talking Heads videos from back in the day), first became fascinated by color guard as an art form when a team reached out to him to ask for a license to use one of his songs. He then commissioned an all-star list of collaborators like tUnE-yArDs, St. Vincent, Nelly Furtado, Ad-Roc, and Kelis, paired each up with one of ten elite color guard troupes from all over the country, and asked them to write original songs to accompany the flag-flipping, sabre-twisting, rifle-twirling routines. All will perform live at 7:30pm on Saturday and Sunday in a spectacle of color, movement, and sound that seems like it will be a can’t-miss summer event. Tickets start at $25. –K.H.
Kristen Miglore, who compiles “genius” recipes for the cooking site Food52, will be at Greenlight talking about her new cookbook on Monday night. Photo: Food52
Monday, June 29
I’m a big fan of the community cooking website Food52, which solicits its readers’ favorite recipes, thoroughly tests them, and ultimately organizes them into an easily searchable, seasonal database. One of the best features on the site, in my opinion, is the Genius Recipes column, which is written weekly by executive editor Kristen Miglore and drills down on one extra special recipe–from a famous cookbook, restaurant, or chef–that is so brilliant that it has left behind a legacy, making us think about tried-and-true techniques or ingredients in a new way. Sure, Genius Recipes was nominated for a James Beard award, but I knew it was legit when it highlighted this outrageously good pimento cheese from Durham, NC that I can never get enough of when I’m there. Now, 100 of the most essential Genius Recipes have been compiled into a book that promises to inspire you and revolutionize your repertoire. This Monday night at at 7:30pm, Greenlight Bookstore is hosting a conversation between Miglore and Food52 cofounder Merrill Stubbs about homecooking and what makes a recipe achieve “genius” status. The event is free, but copies of the cookbook will be available for $35 each. –K.H.
See the soulful arm of Odd Future, The Internet, live at Baby’s All Right on Tuesday. Photo: The Internet Band
Tuesday, June 30
Earlier this year, Tyler the Creator announced the disbandment of hip-hop collective Odd Future, stating simply that the groundbreaking group was “no more.” But in the eight years that Odd Future collaborated, it spawned an entire generation of talented rappers and musicians, including The Internet, the group’s more soulful arm. This Tuesday, the band, fronted by Syd Tha Kyd and Matt Martians, will drop by Baby’s All Right for a late show filled with slow jams, jazz fusion, and a fair bit of funk before they put the finishing touches on their third studio album. You won’t want to miss this one. Tickets are $15, doors open at 11pm.–N.R.
Celebrate Canada’s 148th birthday in style at the Canada D’Eh party at The Well on Wednesday. Photo: Canadian Heritage
Wednesday, July 1
Wednesday is Canada Day, which celebrates the 1867 enactment of the law that joined three colonies into a single country within the British Empire called Canada. If you are Canadian or just a lover of all things about our neighbors to the north (including the adorable way they pronounce “aboot” and “soar-y”), the Canada D’Eh party at The Well is the place to be, starting at noon and running well into the night. There will be Canadian whisky and craft beer on hand, as well as a special breakfast featuring pancakes, maple syrup and–you guessed it–Canadian bacon. Starting at 5pm, Will Butler of Arcade Fire, July Talk, Walrus, and more will provide live music to accompany the 148th birthday revelry. Admission is free, but you should RSVP here to reserve a spot. –K.H.
Tips by Nikita Richardson and Kate Hooker.
