After Hurricane Irene

This song seems so appropriate right now:

Hurricane Irene had a good run. Like an unwanted crackhead calling to say she's on her way, we feared the worse, but thankfully she tripped up on the doorstep and was too much of a mess to be a focused disruption.

There is flooding in low-lying areas, which includes MTA trainyards in Coney Island and North-East Harlem, each near the water. For that and other reasons the subways are still down, I hope the city isn't punting on Monday and they at least put the buses back in service.

For those who think the flooding fears were unwarranted check out this photo from Chelsea near 11th ave by Scott Witt:


Still the dreaded storm surge of water, pushed in by the hurricane, aimed at the low seawalls of the waterfront, The Battery and the financial district didnt come as high as feared. There was flooding along the water's edge on the west side highway and other sea-leveled areas like Gowanus. Areas of Brooklyn and Queens that generally flood in big storms did again. And trees across the city are being uprighted or collected after being uprooted.

Overall we've weathered the storm and can get back to our personal calamities.

Be safe and have great day!

AfroPunk Festival Rain or Shine in BKlyn this WkEnd

AFRO PUNK POSTPONED DUE TO HURRICANE IRENE

For evacuation zone info go to

http://gis.nyc.gov/oem/he/index.htm

As you should know by now this year's Afro Punk Festival has been indefinitely postponed due to Hurricane Irene, which is slated to hit late Saturday and all day Sunday.

With the mandatory evacuations of coastal NYC and the scheduled shut down of mass transit at 12 noon today, no to mentioned the forecasts of 60+ MPH winds, its not wonder the shot won't be going on any time too soon.

The line up included Santigold, Janelle Monae, Cee-Lo and FISHBONE during a rare NYC concert appearance! Plus skaters, Bmxers, vendors of food, gear and culture in all directions, what could be bigger than that? Possibly a hurricane.

Damn.

Current forecasts continue to show a possibility of a direct hit with NYC this saturday and sunday which of course are were the days of the festival. I've been looking forward to this for weeks since the announcement dropped back in July and now the elements seem to conspire against it.

Well the forecast held does hold open the possibility of a miss inland, or even better out to sea.

But after the stage collapse recently in Indiana that killed 7 due impart to a bad storm, you can bet people will err on the side of caution.

I hope the festival and especially the concert go off without a hitch, and as of now the promoters promise the festival will happen rain or shine. One thing is certain with that line up like that there's an incredible amount of talent and energy ready to be released so a storm is coming to Brooklyn's Commodore Barry Park (near the Navy Yard) whether it's made of a maelstrom or music we'll have to wait and see.

For more details check the Afro Punk Website: http://www.afropunk.com/

Afro Punk Festival scheduled for Saturday Aug 27 and Sunday Aug 28 @ Commodore Barry Park

Free to Enter
Cancelled.

View Larger Map

Photo Wednesday 08/17/11: Ft. Greene Park Summer 2011 Edition

I don't want to alarm you, but summer is more than half over.
Like so many summers before this, too much is going on, all the time, even with rain-delays, for my one man operation to live it, record it and present it. The idea of doing a summer review in September came to mind, and then I realized the problem with that; nothing worse than looking back on a summer you can be part of, especially with the Fall chill creeping in. SO my suggestion to you and all is to take note of the days we have left, think of the sun and fun to come, and go get some (or some more) before it runs out.

One particularly summery place this year in Brooklyn has been Fort Greene Park, often over shadowed by it's bigger cousin Prospect, Ft. Greene Park has been a constant source of music, community and more a few times, really good eats. Below are pics from the Soul Summit and a few from the Fort Greene Fest held back in July.

The Soul Summit, a non-denominational church revival-slash- family reunion disguised as a House Music dance party (aren't they all though?) was a major event every Sunday from July to August for one brief Summer back round 2003 or so. But neighborhood grumblings pruned it down year after year until now it's nearly as easy to miss as Haley's Comet or some other fast moving celestial phenomenon. That being the case I went out and what essentially looks very much the same and different every year. In a word, it's "Family".


Ft. Greene Park Summer 2011 DSC_0316, originally uploaded by b'klynborn.

this photo came from the dance circle and the young brotha in the photo had been moving through the circle punctuated by drums and some rhythms only felt. The moment captured in the shot was that last step at the end of his motions.

Ft. Greene Park Summer 2011 DSC_0306, originally uploaded by b'klynborn.

Here is one of those cool brothas, a house head and dancer extraordinaire. I've seen him at various spots across the city and across the years, always accompanied by house music and i dont even know his name. Good shot though, lotta twisting and turning frozen in time.

Ft. Greene Park Summer 2011 DSC_0216, originally uploaded by b'klynborn.

to the beat of the drum(djimbe)

Ft. Greene Park Summer 2011 DSC_0212, originally uploaded by b'klynborn.

Soaking it in at the Soul Summit

Ft. Greene Park Summer 2011 DSC_0210, originally uploaded by b'klynborn.

Drummers and percussionists all.

Ft. Greene Park Summer 2011 DSC_0195, originally uploaded by b'klynborn.

I missed the better shot when dad came down to meet him, but still happy i caught part of the moment.

Ft. Greene Park Summer 2011 DSC_0180, originally uploaded by b'klynborn.

rhythm and hues

Ft. Greene Park Summer 2011 DSC_0162, originally uploaded by b'klynborn.

DJ Ian Friday working the decks

Ft. Greene Park Summer 2011 DSC_0139, originally uploaded by b'klynborn.

Church by any other name...

And for good measure I've added a few more photos that help describe the Fort Greene Fest held in mid-July

Mos Def rocking the crowd in Fort Greene Park, originally uploaded by b'klynborn.

Mos Def rocking the crowd in Fort Greene Park

Ft. Greene Park Summer 2011 DSC_0762, originally uploaded by b'klynborn.

Crowd shot looking back from the stage (Food tents cooking in the background, there were over 15 tents from local eateries selling food at the event)

Ft. Greene Park Summer 2011 DSC_0744, originally uploaded by b'klynborn.

From way back up on the hill watching the stage at the 3rd Annual Fort Greene Fest in Bklyn (of course)

Get up, get out and get sum summer.

Dance Africa all this Weekend @ BAM

What a year this has been so far, just yesterday the Great Spirit of Gil Scott-Heron passed across us all, and without gettin in too deep, that event reinforces how much of a year of transitions and lasting world altering change this has been already. There have been similar shifts in my personal life and I've noticed some changes in the local bloggy world, which I'll be getting into in future posts but yes, even without a discernible fictions rapture, it seems there is much realigning in our lives this year.

Thats a big lead in, but in times of uncertainty celebration of life and tradition is always good, and a great example of that is the annual and ongoing event Dance Africa at the Brooklyn Academy of Music this Memorial Day weekend.

Dance Africa has stood for over 30 years as a kick-off to Summer events in Brooklyn and throughout the city and it also the place for Great Culture, Great Food, Great Sounds all downtown in Brooklyn of course. After the damp grey May we've had it's time to get this Summer going!

Check http://www.bam.org for more info

Winter Bridge to Brooklyn : Photo Wednesday 02/16/11

Winter bridge to Brooklyn bridge, originally uploaded by b'klynborn.

This photo feels as variously hemmed and boxed in as in S.A.D. feburary can. I think its fitting.

Sweeten the winter: Beny's Delice : Photo Wednesday 02/09/11

Just barely made this PhotoWednesday... so much to do...

anywhoo... Last few weeks have found my rummaging through me old stomping grounds, Clinton Hill,(Fort Greene! Bed-Stuy!) And along the way I wandered into a delightful display of delicious decadence distracted me and I was a decidedly directed into the den of desserts that is Beny's Delice.

The pictures are more demonstrative:

I got the cheese cake on a bead of short bread, very yummy. and a banana chocolate tart of some sort.

Both are on the top shelf (natch') and toward the right side

The interior is very rustic in a cutesy folk meets french cosmo kinda way. I liked the wall paper so much I'm thinking of using it for my laptop...they should put it on their website...or does noone do desktop-wallpapers anymore?



Staff quite nice, attentive and appropriately proud.

Apparently they've been open since last summer 2010, to think I used to live around the corner from the view above, what else is going on in my neighborhood since I've been gone? Suggests?

Atlantic Yards Update: Photo Wednesday 02/02/11

Oh yeah the Hot Bird Building has come down



In lieu of the Atlantic Yards boondoggle more of the properties in it's clutches are going the way of the opposition. I was headed down Vanderbilt when I saw this building in mid-destruction and I don't think its over the top to say it looked ripped open and violated.



And at the actual construction site,


the stakes are in the heart, struts are in the ground for the Nets' soon to be arena. If you listen closely you can already hear the sound of losing...

Snowstorm Slideshow So far...

"Mila Kunis is bored" in Williamsburg

Recently I needed to engorge on copious amounts of succulent BBQ beef & pork as well as potent liquor, all tenderly prepared and unceremoniously presented (wax paper! recycled mason jars!!) so of course I headed over to my fave Bk BBQ spot, Williamsburg's own Fette Sau (which we all know means "Fat Pig" in German, right? no? well there it is then).


To get my hands clean and ready for the tender rendering of yummy morsels, I headed to the lavatory and while washing my hands, my eyes spotted a provocative communique just above the familiar call for employees to wash their own.

In WillyB armed with my Hipstermatic App in my iPhone and I hyperactive imagination, how could I not click away.

It's funny to image the real Mila Kunis, being dragged out to dine at Fette sold on the idea by Hipster Zealots on an obsessive pilgrimage for all things authentic. So many evocative considerations came to mind as a result of that little tag, I figured the best way to go is sharing and letting you decide how the Mila Text should be read. Is it:

Critical review? Statement of wellness? Award show fatigue? or projected result of what happens when you don't keep a celebrity interested?

Of course there's always the chance that Black Swan Mila Kunis was the source of the writing, for all i know she might have been in Fette Sau, sampling choice cuts of meat, or even in Brooklyn or possibly bored. How can we be sure??? Mila?

Chained to this Winter - Snowstorm Part V

Chains, originally uploaded by b'klynborn.

This shot is from the Dec blizzard, those chains didnt do much, and judging by the silence I heard last night, theres gonna be tough haul for sanitation and the rest of us today.

The pic above shows how little use those chains can be against serious accumulations.

At last count nearly a foot of snow has fallen on the city in the past 36 hours. I gotta think that somewhere, probably in one of the major city parks, there's gotta be at least 3 feet of snow standing.