Location: Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Art: 2008 Vice Photo Show
Show time: Tue-Fri 3:00-7:00 PM, Sat noon-6:00 PM. Through Aug 31
Venue: Vice Gallery
Food: SEA
Drink: Zablozki’s
Miscellaneous: Hugs

Vice Gallery hosts the 2008 Vice Photo Show, where many of the photographers who are featured in the magazine will be showing their works till the end of the month. Just as much fun as any show and just as big a venue, SEA is one BIG Thai restaurant. Big enough to have a pool surrounded by tables as a giant Buddha stands above it. Luckily, the food is really great. Offering traditional Pad Thai ($7) to more involved dishes like the Mummy Fish ($14). On N6th, a street full of bars and restaurants, Zablozki’s is the local bar of the bunch, with a pool table and a friendly atmosphere and 12 beers on tap. What looks like some dark basement with tables and some couches, Hugs will end up being a dance party with an awkward blend of music genres that you will grow to love quickly.

Dead Prez Rock The Bells. All photos: Marc Amigone

Rock the Bells
Jones Beach
August 3, 2008

The New York City installment of the International Rock the Bells tour may have been the best hip-hop show in history. In a night where De la Soul, Biz Markie, Afrika Bambaataa, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Method Man, Redman, all four original members of A Tribe Called Quest with Busta Rhymes, and more hit the stage, the 15,000 hip-hop fans who made it out witnessed an historic event.

The doors opened at noon. Dead Prez had the crowd jumping to their anti-establishment message while Immortal Technique followed and continued the anti-government vibe. De la Soul got on next and took things to the next level, being joined on stage by old school cats like Dres from Black Sheep who performed “The Choice is Yours,” Q-tip to do “Buddy,” and Biz Markie who brought the house down with, “You Got What I Need.”

Raekwon and Ghostface had the sold-out theater chanting Wu-Tang. They were joined on stage by Cappadonna and played Wu classics like “C.R.E.A.M.,” “Victory,” and a tribute to the late O.D.B., “I Like it Raw.” Scratch and Supernatural came out after and Supernat kicked a freestyle incorporating any object the crowd could hand him or reference.

Mos Def came out as the Sun dipped behind the back of the stadium, donning a kaleidoscopic basketball uniform repping Bed-Stuy. He did a few songs from The New Danger before being joined on-stage by Talib Kweli at which point they kicked it back to Black Star performing songs like “Brown Skin Lady,” “Definition,” “Respiration,” and “K.O.S. Determination.” The reunited duo was joined onstage by Pharoahe Monch when the DJ dropped “Simon Says,” and the crowd went nuts.

Method Man and Redman came and seriously got the crowd jumping. They climbed on top of the speakers, jumped into the crowd, stopped the beat to hit a blunt, and did anything else they could think of to incite the crowd. Guest MC's during their set included Slick Rick, who spit the first few bars of “La Di Da Di,” Raekwon, EPMD, and Keith Murray, who did his verse from the Def Squad version of “Rapper's Delight.”

Nas came out next and played possibly the best set of the show. He had a 6-piece band and Dj Green Lantern on stage with him. He kicked it back to Illmatic and made all stops in between that and his newest album. The entire concert just about stopped in its tracks when Jay-Z came onstage with a Yankees hat on. Nas put on his Mets hat, and the two rival MC's rocked a brief song before Jigga ran back off.

Finally, Q-Tip came onstage around 11 to close out the legendary night. He played his new single and other solo hits with Mos Def before all four original members of A Tribe Called Quest, Phife Dawg, Jarobi, Q-Tip, and Ali Shaheed Muhammad, came onstage together in New York City for the first time in 10 years. They played all the old-school joints off The Low End Theory and Midnight Marauders. The highlight of the concert was when Busta Rhymes came onstage during “Scenario.” In a night where hip-hop history was taught, while simultaneously celebrating new school stars, Rock the Bells lived up to its reputation as a world-class hip-hop forum.

--Marc Amigone

More Pics:


DRES D-R-E-S



Immortal Technique


De la Soul's Posdnuos

The Fathers of Punk, Iggy and the Stooges Photo courtesy of Peter Whitfield

Friday August 8

Location: Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Band: 88BoaDrum
Show time: 8:08 PM FREE
Venue: East River State Park
Food: Relish
Drink: Radegast Hall & Biergarten
Miscellaneous: Zebulon

Picking up where Japanese band, The Boredoms left off last year with 77BoaDrums, that saw 77 drummers perform together, Gang Gang Dance will have 88 drummers beat the skins this year in N.Y., while The Boredoms will perform the piece three hours later in L.A. Get FREE tickets at www.brownpapertickets.com or at Other Music and/or Sound Fix. Though Relish looks like a 50s diner, this restaurant offers up some gourmet treats for dinner. With influences from all over the globe, Relish features diner classics like burgers and onion rings, and step it up with the likes of Blackened Yellow Fin Tuna ($21). Williamsburg’s first beer garden, Radegast, has a beautiful all-wood interior, an enclosed outdoor backyard, and 12 German/Austrian beers on tap and more than 30 bottles. Another great bar in the area, Zebulon offers free live jazz and afrobeat. The drinks here are inexpensive, and I’ve never seen a bad show here.

Friday August 8

Location: Midtown West, NYC
Band: Iggy and the Stooges
Show time: 9:00 PM
Venue: Terminal 5
Food: Zip Burger
Drink: Subway Inn
Miscellaneous: Kinokuniya Bookstore

Though their newest album The Weirdness is in no league with their classic Funhouse, seeing Iggy and the Stooges has always been where it’s at. Iggy still writhes on stage like a wild animal, and though older they still sound raw. At Zip Burger they offer farm-raised, organic, and grass-fed meat and poultry, letting you build your own burger with plenty of gourmet toppings. The first time I went to Subway Inn I thought it was completely strange that there was a dive bar off Lexington Avenue, especially in this neck of the woods, but somehow it works. Born in the 30s, this bar has somehow remained, and thank god, as it’s easily the cheapest place in the area for a drink. For fans of Japanese pop-culture, Kinokuniya Bookstore has a large selection of Japanese themed books, videos, CDs, magazines, comics, and stationary.

Saturday August 9

Location: Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Band: Grizzly Bear + Violens
Show time: 9:00 PM
Venue: Music Hall of Williamsburg
Food: Chimu
Drink: Union Pool
Miscellaneous: Eks

One of the most eclectic and inventive bands out there today, Grizzly Bear play with part of the proceeds going to The Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation flood relief. Joining them are Violens featuring former member of Lansing-Dreiden. With so much good food in Williamsburg, you should not forget about Chimu. A Peruvian steakhouse right next to Union Pool, the rotisserie chicken and every other dish I’ve had here is amazing, and it won’t break the bank! For drinks, Union Pool is still one of the best bars in town. If you’re single, it’s a goldmine for ass, the drinks aren’t pricey, and the DJs play an eclectic mix of ridiculously good music. Not exactly Pinkberry, yet just as expensive, Eks is Williamsburg’s answer to the yogurt fad currently popping up.

Saturday August 9

Location: Upper West Side, NYC
Band: Dulsori + Cyro Baptista and Beat the Donkey
Show time: 7:00 PM FREE
Venue: Damrosch Park
Food: Josie’s
Drink: Candle Bar
Miscellaneous: Emack & Bolio’s

Blending percussion and performance, Dulsori are a Korean troupe bringing their culture to you live. Joining them is Cyro Baptista and Beat the Donkey, one of the best NYC based percussion ensembles out there today. Josie’s offers dishes like Warm Macadamia-Crusted Natural Chicken Breast Dinner Salad ($17.75), several tofu and seitan specialty dishes and the Freshly Ground Char-Grilled Brandt Natural Beef Cheeseburger ($15.75), so everyone here will walk away happy. Comfortable and dimly lit, the Candle Bar has a pool table in the back and drink specials daily. For some of the best and most interesting ice cream in the city, Emack & Bolio’s offers eclectic flavors like Deep Purple Cow (Black Raspberry ice cream with white and dark chocolate chips and blueberries).

Sunday August 10

Location: Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Band: Langhorne Slim
Show time: 8:00 PM FREE
Venue: Sound Fix
Food: Wild Ginger Pan-Asian Vegan Café
Drink: Teddy’s Bar & Grill
Miscellaneous: Verb Café

Brooklyn folkie Langhorne Slim sounds like he came straight out of another time and place. His music has a touch of soul and blues combined with country that makes people dance. His live show is surprisingly high-energy. For vegetarians and those not in the mood for meat, Wild Ginger offers Pan-Asian cuisine in a relaxed earth-toned environment with a menu featuring veggies, tofu, seitan, and soy. The best thing about Teddy’s Bar is that it’s just got this great neighborhood vibe that’s warm and friendly, while also having a great menu of drinks and American bar food favorites like burgers, salads, sandwiches, and steak. A great place to get good coffee, take a seat, and watch the passing hipsters stroll by, Verb Café even has excellent sandwiches and baked goods to snack on before the show.

L.A. Rex
Will Beall
Riverhead Books/Penguin







L.A. Rex reads like a season of The Shield, is just about as addictive, and far more graphic. Set in Los Angeles, Will Beall’s first novel doesn’t let up, with some brutal act occurring about every three pages. Beall also clearly loves his research. The gunfights in L.A. Rex start with detailed descriptions of the hardware involved and bodily harm is described in medical detail.

In style and subject matter Beall owes a debt to Elmore Leonard, and there are strong echoes of Antoine Fuqua’s film Training Day. Unfortunately, the novel’s plot twists can occasionally strain suspension of disbelief, and there is a bit of wandering into cliché with the characters, but these are only minor flaws in a very badass book.

--Gidalya

Tapes ‘n Tapes Play McCarren Tonight, OR You Can Catch Them for FREE at Sound Fix

Location: Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Band: Tapes 'n Tapes
Show time: 10:30 PM FREE
Venue: Sound Fix
Food: Dumont Burger
Drink: Radegast Hall & Biergarten
Miscellaneous: Verb Cafe

If you can’t make or can’t afford to see Tapes ‘n Tapes at McCarren tonight, they will be playing a FREE in store acoustic show only a few blocks away at Sound Fix at 10:30 PM. So you have no excuse not to miss them. With one of the best burgers in Williamsburg, Dumont Burger offers theirs with gourmet toppings, sandwiches, salads, and their amazing mac & cheese. So you consider yourself a beer connoisseur and like to party. You can do all that and eat at Radegast. The Austrian/German menu perfectly compliments the 12 beers on tap and more than 30 German and Austrian bottles at this large beer hall. One of the oldest and best hipster hangout coffee shops, The Verb offers up excellent coffee and baked goods, a boho vibe, and big windows to watch the days pass while collecting unemployment!

Thao With The Get Down Stay Down
We Brave Bee Stings & All
Kill Rockstars






Thao With the Get Down Stay Down is one of a number of bands making folk young again. They blur lines, sounding a bit like a Rock & Roll marching band fronted by acoustic guitars.

As an album, We Brave Be Stings & All sounds like a good kind of silly, even if the lyrics are not. The songs roll and bounce forward putting a layer of powdered sugar on lyrics that tend to be opaque. Even after three or four listens, it can be hard to say if when Thao Nguyen sings, “We splash our eyes full of chemicals/Just so there’s none left for little girls” she means to be quirky or disturbing.

Overall, WBBS&A is fun, and a good kind of catchy, though by the end of the album the songs can be a bit repetitive.

--Gidalya




Priscilla Ahn
A Good Day
Blue Note Records






A few days before receiving this album, I was flickering through itunes and listening to samples of it--excited to buy the album off the 30-second clips. The album is even better in it's full length. Poetic as it sounds, the album plays like sunshine. The song "Red Cape" repeats the lyric "just got to let it go" enough times that it should be annoying. But instead, it's comforting. The album is reminiscent of a meshing between Fiona Apple and Liz Phair-but with a folk twist. "I Don't Think So" is another standout on the album. The song itself sounds like the perfect track for any movie soundtrack. You can see the character walking down the street with a smile on their face and the world on their shoulders. Even the mellower "Leave the Light On" fills the album with light. If you're looking for an album to brighten your mood, do not hesitate to put A Good Day into your player!

--Tania Katherine