T-Sides Reviews: Akron/Family @ Union Pool 3.29.09

I'm a little late on this but a good friend Colie and her mista Josh came to visit and see Akron/Family at Union Pool about a week and a half ago. Our friends at T-Sides did up a lovely review of the show which you can totally read here: Akron/Family review.

It's got set list, pictures, video, and downloads for a rising band that has been described to me as funky-groovy and folk at the same time.

Bar Spotlight: Pacific Standard

Pacific Standard
82 Fourth Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11217


There has been many a good time had at Pacific Standard in the two years it's been around. A product of, you guessed it, West Coast thinking, half of the credit can go toward Jon Stan, formerly of one of my favorite spots of all time, The Spotted Pig. Yes, they enjoy West Coast teams on the projection screens as well as their ever changing list of brews that will certainly put you on your patoot very, very quickly. A lot of the brews are not for the faint of heart, and as a fan of dark, full bodied ales this is a place to park.

PS is quite well lit, making it very welcoming and a good companion to the other great bar on the block, 4th Avenue Pub. It's clean, with light wood stylings and a separate back library filled with books, some tables, couches, a projection screen, pub quizes, and often times, readings. You can play board games or indulge in the bathroom. There's nothing special about the bathrooms, but I have been walked in on and embarrassment was an understatement considering I actually went into the subway station only to come out because I wouldn't make it. At all. That's another thing: it's two blocks from the Pacific side of the Atlantic-Pacific stop which makes it an easy choice for most train lines and certainly has plenty of seating up front and a laid back vibe filled with cheer. And beer. I remember meeting Mandy, who is the sister of the roommate of John, the other brainchild behind this. She worked at a post-production house that specialized in wedding videos I believe. It was a fun conversation I had with her and Christopher Cabin, our resident film critic.

Anywho, throw in the cheese and meats and you have the makings of a hilarious night right? WRONG. There's so much more. 3 more, in fact. 3 more facts, in fact.

This is the only bar in Brooklyn that I can think of that does a Frequent Drinkers Program. There are some awesome prizes, as well as some hilarious obstacles to overcome.

They purport, and it's been in the works since the opening, of a drinking robot that will challenge you, or your friends if you don't like challenges. I've been waiting for a few blue moons, but alas no word has come across my ears that has relieved my anticipation.

Last but not least, you can purchase a growler (a half gallon jug, it's awesome). You're going to want one, really. Especially since walking down 4th Ave. can be somber. You purchase a growler and fill it up with a nice brew (or for 10 "yards" on the Frequent Drinkers program you can get the crap overflow from all the beers in the drain) and take a walk outside and possibly extract a few sips. I've found walking from Pacific Standard to Union Hall on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon is absolutely wonderful. Bring back the growler each time for another refill of goodness. You'll get a slight discount, but no discounts on the amount of happiness achieved.
For more on PS, go to their official site where they have their weekly schedule up.

Have nothing to do this weekend? Open bar in Greenpoint: Getting "a couple chapters into the novel"

Don't worry folks, it's really not a novel. In fact, it's more like a photo book. Which is great because when I have several cocktails in me, I can't read straight either.


Abrams Books is on a bit of a hot streak, with some fun stuff in the works but the streak really consisting of Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, which has reached the hearts of 5th graders everywhere. Graffiti Kings looks really interesting especially when said graffiti was and is such an integral part of the urban vibe. I remember a terrific documentary called Style Wars (click on the link to watch the entire film on Google Video) about the graffiti culture made in 1983 , a sound bite of which ended up on the Dillinger Four record, Situationist Comedy. "Is that an art form? I don't know, I'm not an art critic. But I can sure as hell tell you it's a crime."

Come on, it's classic hip, it's an integral part of the urban culture of New York, and there's free drinks. Afterward you can walk to the Levee or something.


View Larger Map

The Chris Cab-tion Contest 4.7.09 - Chris Cabin Stars In...

Congrats to Mike for winning the first Chris Cab-tion contest. Here's this week's edition. The winner receives...a free DVD of Encounters At The End Of The World either on standard or Blu-ray. Oh and a free beer from Trader Joe's: Simpler Times Lager.

Chris Cabin is our very own resident film critic. You can read his reviews here.

Ever wanted to do something not lame during dinner time? Check out Reflections @ Monkeytown with DJ Slouch and KRTS

I know I know, usually most days it's sometimes a bit odd to be strolling to an early event during dinner time (I guess I don't do Broadway shows that often) but you won't be disappointed nor will you get seats if you don't grab tickets to Reflections @ Monkeytown on May 2nd featuring local favorites DJ Slouch and KRTS. It's all from the folks at Powerstrip Circus. They'll be performing simultaneously, which means both your hemispheres should be sufficiently blown for the night. You could literally stomp on other people's parades later in the evening and still come out on top. It starts at 7:30, which gives me enough time to digest some fish and chips at Spike Hill at the Bedford L. To go along with the funky fresh sounds (or as KRTS put it, his most "emotional show" which has to involve a lot of moments of "UNGH! YEAH" aka some soul people), you got visuals that will trip you harder than a soccer slide tackle from VJ's Firefly and Sima.

RSVP to powerstripcircus@gmail.com or as Powerstrip Circus says, go to the Monkeytown website. So maybe that seared duck breast will pull me away from Spike Hill or the free pizza down the block...

It's The Moment? More like It's The 2 Hours It Took To Compose The Shot and Mise En Scene

So downtown BK has a new little marketing scheme to get some buzz going. It's called It's The Moment, where a nice clock tells you what time it is. Oh and they have several "moments" best of which has to be the Mark Morris Dance Group.

It's part of the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership and yet another way to metropolize the area and push the pace and feel of the neighborhood. Is it working for you? Are you sold on these made up moments?

Gold Fiction? Sounds like a Newberry Award that books used to win back in the day

Gold Fiction is a new piece of construction featuring a Mr. Charlie Pino and Galen Criscione on vocals, guitars, and keyboards. You'll enjoy their dusty sounds, twangy jangles, and feathery strands of singing (Mick Jagger-lite?) across two songs on their MySpace: "Something Great" and "Texas". Throw in some dissonance and introversion and you just might end up drinking a little bit slower and wondering about that girl across the room.

Gold Fiction is playing in lovely Greenpoint, at Red Star on 37 Greenpoint Avenue, which is one of the more sporty and less hipster spots to go to, complete with a nice backyard if I'm not mistaken. It's their debut show, so please come out and support!

Also on the bill are their friends, No Lindsay and Joanna Levine. Come join the event on Facebook or become a fan here.


View Larger Map

Ok This Is Just Scary and Unnverving: CADIE

Google has launched CADIE. It's incredibly freaky.

For more information, go here.