Park Slope Reader

Florence Wang

A Musical Trip Around the World

By Filed Under: Music Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The summer concert season in New York City is phenomenal. Every year I wait with baited breath for BRIC arts and SummerStage lineups to be announced. And I’m always blown away. The sheer diversity is amazing, so hats off to the people who organize and schedule these events because it can’t be an easy task. 

Now, we all know about some of the larger acts, but my favorites are the lesser known international acts that come to swelter in our summer heat. It’s a musical voyage around the world, with all points on the globe represented – even Iceland (though sadly, not this year). Here are some of my favorite upcoming events. They are all FREE, and (for the most part) in Brooklyn. If you want to dance, dance; if you prefer to just sit back and take in nature, go for it! Embrace a new language, or just chill out. It’s all here, right at your doorstep. 

Bargemusic 

Saturdays through Labor Day, 4pm 

Fulton Ferry Landing near the Brooklyn Bridge

2 Old Fulton St, Brooklyn Waterfront

Bargemusic moored at Fulton Ferry Landing
Bargemusic moored at Fulton Ferry Landing

Brooklyn truly offers everything, and in this case, it presents chamber music on board a renovated coffee barge alongside the Brooklyn waterfront. Bargemusic provides the rare opportunity to witness virtuoso talent in an intimate setting – a wood-paneled room with a view of the Manhattan skyline. The ensemble performs various dates year-round, but through a partnership with Brooklyn Bridge Park, Saturday afternoons are offered gratis to the public. Advance tickets are not available for these free events and doors open 15 minutes prior to show time. To learn more about the Saturday afternoon engagements, visit www.brooklynbridgepark.org/events/bargemusic. Bargemusic is a non-profit organization with a unique history, which is detailed on their website, www.bargemusic.org.

Rachid Taha / Krar Collective 

July 15, 6:30 gates open/ 7:30 show

Prospect Park Bandshell

9th St & Prospect Park West, Park Slope

The songs and albums Rachid Taha creates are perhaps the perfect embodiment of “World Music.” The Algerian-born performer embraces every influence from rock to gypsy to flamenco to RaЇ, Algeria’s indigenous pop music. His vocals, sung in Arabic, English, and French, are intense and emotive; his expressions transcend words. A solo artist since 1989, he has performed around with world with acts such as Dengue Fever, Fela Kuti, and Brian Eno. His passionate and sometimes political approach has led him to be compared to the late Clash front-man, Joe Strummer. The London-based Ethopian band Krar open the evening with their hypnotic grooves. More information about these performers can be found at www.rachidtahaofficial.com and www.krarcollective.com.

SummerStage Kids: Sonia De Los Santos 

July 27, 10:30 – 11:30am 

Sunset Park

41st St, between 5th Ave 7Th Ave, Sunset Park

Sonia De Los Santos Band 1 (credit Quetzal Photography) copy
Sonia De Los Santos Band, Credit: Quetzal Photography

Sonia De Los Santos plays a variety of Mexican music for kids that can best be described as delightful. One of Dane Zanes’ Friends, she recently released her debut solo album, Mi Viaje: De Neuvo Léon to the New York Island, in which she shares the experiences of growing up in Mexico and moving to New York City. Her songs are in the of the regional son jarocho style, drawing on Spanish and African sounds. In her performances, as she plays her jarana (a small guitar that looks like a ukulele), she encourages children to dance, and sing in Spanish. To learn more about Sonia, visit www.soniadelossantos.com.

The Hubble Cantata / Tigue

August 6, 6:30 gates open / 7:30 show

Prospect Park Bandshell

9th St & Prospect Park West, Park Slope

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Hubble Space Telescope

Perhaps the most intriguing show this summer, and the one that’s hardest to wrap my head around is The Hubble Cantata’s performance. Composer Paola Prestini collaborates with multi-media artists to create a soundscape and full sensory experience – a portion of the performance is to be viewed via Virtual Reality headsets – sharing footage from the Hubble telescope and taking the audience through the universe. I’m prepared to be awestruck. There doesn’t appear to be a lot of information about this show available online, and perhaps it’s best to go and enjoy without preconceptions. Art trio Tigue open with their minimalist, ambient contemporary chamber music.

Labyrinth / Donny McCaslin Group

August 10, 7:30pm

Prospect Park Bandshell

9th St & Prospect Park West, Park Slope

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Donny McCaslin. Credit: courtesy of artist

I say with complete lack of irony that Jim Henson’s 1986 masterpiece Labyrinth is one of my all-time favorite movies. It has everything: muppets, music, and David Bowie sporting one of the most amazing costumes to come out of the eighties (and that’s saying a lot). I was fifteen years old when this movie hit the theaters and thereafter wanted to be Jennifer Connelly. I can’t wait to watch it once again with a group of eager movie-goers. Opening act, The Donny McCaslin Group, backed Bowie on his final release, Black Star; so the evening comes full circle. With David Bowie’s passing this year, it seems a perfect tribute.

Jazzmobile

August 16, 7pm

Harborview Lawn

334 Furman St, Brooklyn Waterfront

Founded in 1964, Jazzmobile was the first not-for-profit arts and cultural organization created for jazz. The group’s goal is outreach – to bring jazz, “America’s Classical Music,” to the community. At the heart of this award-winning ensemble is acclaimed Vibraphonist, Jay Hoggard. During this evening, their compositions create the soundtrack to the waters of New York Harbor and the Brooklyn and Manhattan skylines. What a beautiful, relaxing way to take in the mid-summer’s eve. Learn more about Jazzmobile’s mission and musicians by visiting www.jazzmobile.org.

Inukasuit / Rite of Summer Festival

August 27, 1 & 3pm (rain date August 28)

Governors Island at Nolan Park

Technically this event is not in Brooklyn. But a visit to Governors Island, the gem in the middle of New York Harbor, is mandatory during the summer. With everything happening during the short season, it’s sometimes easy to forget to plan a visit; so here’s the perfect reason to do so. “Inuksuit” refers to a grouping of large man-made markers used by Inuit and North American indigenous people, and is the composition created by John Luther Adams who finds inspiration for his music from nature. Hailed by the New York Times as “the ultimate environmental piece,” it is performed by more than 60 percussionists led by percussionist/Music Director, Amy Garapic. Amazing, right? Directions to and around Governors Island can be found at www.govisland.com.

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Laura Cortese & the Dance Cards, playing at the Brooklyn Americana Music Festival, 23-24 September

AT THE WAY STATION

By Filed Under: Brooklyn Mixtape Tagged With: , , , ,

A Conversation with Elisa Flynn

Prior to moving from the suburbs to New York City in the spring of 2000, seeing bands in the city meant schlepping all the way in through massive traffic, driving home during the wee hours of dawn, and aching the next work day.

We were fortunate to have a great roster of local bands that played routinely, but the city was always the draw. So moving to New York felt like I had hit the jackpot. The ability to see any band and be tucked back in bed in time for the next work day was amazing. I saw everyone perform: new bands, established bands, friend’s bands, co-worker’s bands, friends of co-worker’s bands. The ones l loved, like Joe Strummer and Rocket from the Crypt, I saw every date they played in the NYC. That lasted for about a year; then I started to get a bit more selective. Later, I had a baby, and it all went out the window. Now, I still love seeing live music, but I have very specific requirements for venturing out: it has to be interesting, with performers who engage the audience, convenient to home, and I’d like not to be the oldest person in the audience. Seems like a tall order? Needless to say, I’m not getting out as much.

When Brooklyn musician Elisa Flynn introduced the Tripeg Lobo series at the Way Station, it seemed like kismet. Her perfectly curated night occurs every three months and features a rotating roster of musicians. Each event has a theme; first record, songs about God, civil war, and a tribute to Harry Smith’s Anthology of American Folk Music, for example. Participating musicians perform two songs within that theme, one cover and one original composition. Interpretations may be broad, or succinctly literal. Each performance bears a unique character that adds to the synchronicity of the evening as a whole. The setting is cozy; The Way Station feels almost like the large living room of an older relative – one who really, really likes Doctor Who. There is little separation physically and mentally from the stage, which adds to the collaborative feeling of the shows. Share a table with a stranger in the beginning of the evening and before the night’s over you may become fast friends.

Elisa Fynn has a full schedule outside of her “straight job” in the arts. She has played with a variety of punk, indie rock, and American bands. Recently, she released her fourth solo album, Henry Lee. I have my reason for attending, and Elisa has her own for taking on this ambitious project:

What led you to put this series together?

A couple of things. One, I had been playing solo shows for around 5 years, and I was getting tired of the constant need to push gigs with a lineup of solo artists. The shows were starting to feel all the same, and not getting out a lot of people to come out, and I wanted to try something different. When I lived in Danbury, CT in the ‘90’s, I hung out and played with a big group of musicians and artists, and we were lways working together to create shows and events that everyone would want to come to. There was very little else to do in Danbury, and we worked hard to create our own scene. We had not only music shows, but also an art gallery where we did events and a yearly music festival. I missed that camaraderie and the idea of producing events with a group of people. So one day I had this idea about starting a variety show, and brought it to Andy Heidel (owner of the Way Station), and he gave me a slot to try it out in Sept. 2012. The first one was so successful that we made it a quarterly thing. It has not really gone into the variety show realm, but it always features 8-10 musicians and often 1 or 2 writers as well.

Is any musician invited, or do you want to create a specific atmosphere?

It’s a mixed bag. There are a few people who’ve played most or all of the shows, and always want to participate. Then there are people who’ve come and gone. I meet people at these shows, through other musicians, and so the cast slightly revolves each time. I have invited specific musicians I really like, and I’ve been pleasantly surprised by friends of friends who’ve turned out to be great fun additions to the roster.

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What do you enjoy most about doing this?

So much! I love coming up with the theme (which is different every time, although we did do Murder Ballads twice), but the shows themselves are so much fun. People run with the ideas, and everyone’s take on each theme is completely different. We’ve had acts play their first show at Tripeg Lobo, as well as long time performers, and everyone is very supportive of each other. No matter what, we’re all usually laughing super hard at multiple points in the show. I really just wanted to create an event that would be fun to attend, that people would tell their friends about and make it a repeat positive experience for everyone, and I think I’ve definitely achieved that.

What do you feel the Way Station adds, as far as a setting?

I unabashedly love the Way Station. They’re one of the best venues in the city, as far as I’m concerned, because their support for music and musicians is completely whole hearted. Everyone who works there is great, but Andy and James Coyle (who does sound and booking) work continuously to make the venue a positive place to play and see shows. Tripeg Lobo typically features around nine different performers, including Elisa who is sometimes accompanied by some of the evening’s participants. It’s always different, and that’s what seems to make it exciting for both the musicians and the audience. For me, it’s the perfect opportunity to get a sense of the local music scene. And to be honest, it gets serious bonus points for letting me get to bed at a reasonable time.

 

TriPeg Lobo hosts the next installment of this series on June 22nd, from 8-10pm at The Way Station (683 Washington Avenue). The theme is RunRunRun: Songs of Escape. To learn more about the series and find upcoming events, visit www.elisaflynn.com.

 

A Profile In A Musical Kaleidoscope: Dawn Landes

By Filed Under: Friends & Neighbors Tagged With: , , , ,

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When the stars align, it can seem downright magical. Celebrate Brooklyn offers a unique opportunity for the musicians and audience to bond in a way that is only possible during the easy, breezy nights of summer. And Dawn Landes is the perfect performer for this type of introduction.

On a July evening, Park Slope resident Dawn Landes took the stage at the Prospect Park bandshell. She was the opening act for Jason Isbell, as part of the Celebrate Brooklyn! concert series. “Her band was tight, like they have played together for a long time,” an audience member described. Dawn’s voice and musicianship were beautiful. If you haven’t already experienced it, Prospect Park is the perfect place setting for a performance–moonlight bouncing off the grass and the trees, and the skyline of Park Slope’s beautiful architecture in the distance. By Florence Wang

If you weren’t in attendance that night, or are not familiar with Dawn Landes, she has been a busy bee buzzing around Brooklyn since alighting here eight years ago, releasing five albums and three EPs as a solo artist. Her most recent solo album, Bluebird, with songs are windows to quiet, thoughtful moments, received a nomination for “Folk Album of the Year” by MRG from its 14th Annual Independent Music Awards. Her spirited 2010 release, Sweetheart Rodeo, extends an invitation for hand-clapping and a foot-stomping. There’s something that feels very participatory in her music; and that must be due to her collaborative nature. In addition to her solo albums, she has taken the stage with an array of musicians, including Will Oldham, Sufjan Stevens, and Justin Townes Earl. These alliances have led to her expanding into new areas such as an album devoted to the French song style Ye-Ye (a pop of the 1906s), and an interactive graphic novel. She also performs as Dawn Split, one third of the all-girl pop trio, The Bandana Splits, who are incredibly reminiscent of the Andrews Sisters, and are oodles of fun.

Her love of music started at a young age. “I started making up songs before I could play any instruments. Somewhere there’s a cassette tape of a four-year-old me cooing rhymes into my dad’s recorder.” Growing up, Dawn was drawn to Linda Ronstadt, Bonnie Raitt, and Lucinda Williams, who she aptly refers to as “the truth tellers.” These influences shaped her style, which could easily be described as a perfect marriage of these sounds: Ronstadt’s gorgeous soprano, Raitt’s wit, and Williams’ whimsy. An accomplished multi-instrumentalist, her exploration with sound also began at home. “We had a piano that kept changing colors. My mom kept painting it. I guess I’m drawn to acoustic instruments,” she muses. “I love the sound of the banjo and a good honky-tonk piano.”

Moving to New York City from her native Kentucky, Dawn cut her teeth working at various recording studios around the city while attending NYU. She learned the ropes of production and engineering, and met other like-minded musicians. “I’m often drawn to the people first and the music second,” she says. During this time worked with the Brooklyn-based, Americana musical group Hem, playing glockenspiel. “I met Hem in the studio early on when I was assisting at Stratosphere Sound. I love collaborating, it’s like the periodic table…you take a bunch of elements and throw them together and they create a whole new thing.”

Perhaps her biggest undertaking is writing the music and lyrics for the upcoming musical, Row, commissioned by Joe’s Pub/The Public Theater. Row recounts the true story of Tori Murden, a fellow Kentuckian, who in 1998 left her job and endeavored to become the first woman to row across the Atlantic Ocean. Dawn followed Tori’s progress as it appeared in the news, and the story stayed with her. “I was really inspired by Tori’s memoir, A Pearl in the Storm, but it wasn’t until I met with (writer/director) Daniel Goldstein that I ever considered turning it into a musical.” Goldstein, a fellow Park Slope resident, is writing the book and she has greatly loved this process. You can find Dawn’s TED talk about Tori’s story online. Her recounting of the voyage is riveting and the song she performs is a gorgeous reflection of her thoughts and feelings. A work in progress, she debuted some of the songs in a performance at Joe’s Pub over the summer, “It’s still in development with the Public Theater and I’m very excited to share it with the world when it’s ready.” Given her previous albums, it makes perfect sense for Dawn to sing about Tori—she is a woman of strength, it must be the Kentucky spirit shining through.

Dawn is currently on tour as part of Sufjan Stephens’ quartet that The Huffington Post described as “stellar;” further writing that Dawn is a, “charming singer-songwriter whose quiet elegance added even more charm to his already class act.” When touring is complete, Park Slope is where she hangs her hat. “I moved to Brooklyn about eight years ago. As a native Kentuckian, the tree-lined streets in Carroll Gardens and Park Slope really made me feel at home. I grew up near Cherokee Park in Louisville…which is also an Olmstead park, so Prospect Park somehow feels familiar. There’s a great community of musicians and songwriters in Brooklyn.”

2016 looks to be another busy year for Dawn—in January, look out for her EP of duets on Sixth Degree Records, titled Desert Songs. As you’re thinking about gifts this season, The Bandana Splits have a holiday album coming out—the perfect soundtrack to any party. You will find it in her online store, which is stocked with fun, rodeo-themed merchandise, as well as her music on both CD and vinyl. It has been a busy year for Dawn, and I for one am looking forward to her return to Brooklyn and Joe’s Pub, and a chance to hear her live.

You can learn more about her, listen to music, and find her performance dates on her website, dawnlandes.com.