Things have been crazy. But I am back in the city for the next month, and have some exiting stuff to post about soon!
love,
rachel
Friday, January 30, 2009
Sunday, January 11, 2009
market hotel - crytal stilts
So I finally went to a show at the Market Hotel. It was pretty cool. In brief, its this underground venue out in Bushwick, Brooklyn ... breaking all sorts of rules. It used to be a speakeasy. Dark... smoky... The picture below gives a pretty good representation of the feel.
Except for that the show last night was really packed. Apparently they stopped letting people in when it reached 600, and it was the first show to "sell out" in 6 months. Anyways, there were a couple of other rooms too... and the thing that I liked most about the venue is that it really has more of a party atmosphere than a "real" venue would. The bathroom line (which was always very long for the 2 co-ed stalls) and the line for the bar (which was just a chick standing at a folding table) were actually quite social.
The reason that we went to the show was to see the very hyped Brookln band Crystal Stilts. The hype is well deserved. Their lo-fi, dark, "we are not too excited" retro-pop sound reminds me a little of Times New Viking, or Vivian Girls, but honestly I think these guys are a little easier on the ears, sounding quite a bit more musical, both recorded and live, than the other two.
The two bands preceding Crystal Stilts, Tyvek and Box Elders were similar in their lo-fi, minimal, retro feel. But are less dreary, more upbeat, old-school punk feel. Just based on listening to the recordings on myspace a few times, I dont think these bands have the same at-home-listening-potential as Crystal Stilts, but there is certainly alot to be said for putting on a super fun live show.
Some bonus info for you. 1. The Chinese place accross from the Market Hotel is not as bad as you might expect it to be... at least for 4th meal. 2. If you are very drunk and it is late at night, crashing at a friends place in Brooklyn probably seems like the obviously choice (long wait times, possibility of falling asleep on train, safety, etc.). HOWEVER an hour commute is alot more fun drunk, even when sleepy, than hungover. Bring a barf bag just in case. You dont want to be the jerk that grosses up the train. Mine was from the Soho apple store and, as funny as it would have been, Im glad I didnt have to use it.
Except for that the show last night was really packed. Apparently they stopped letting people in when it reached 600, and it was the first show to "sell out" in 6 months. Anyways, there were a couple of other rooms too... and the thing that I liked most about the venue is that it really has more of a party atmosphere than a "real" venue would. The bathroom line (which was always very long for the 2 co-ed stalls) and the line for the bar (which was just a chick standing at a folding table) were actually quite social.The reason that we went to the show was to see the very hyped Brookln band Crystal Stilts. The hype is well deserved. Their lo-fi, dark, "we are not too excited" retro-pop sound reminds me a little of Times New Viking, or Vivian Girls, but honestly I think these guys are a little easier on the ears, sounding quite a bit more musical, both recorded and live, than the other two.
The two bands preceding Crystal Stilts, Tyvek and Box Elders were similar in their lo-fi, minimal, retro feel. But are less dreary, more upbeat, old-school punk feel. Just based on listening to the recordings on myspace a few times, I dont think these bands have the same at-home-listening-potential as Crystal Stilts, but there is certainly alot to be said for putting on a super fun live show.
Some bonus info for you. 1. The Chinese place accross from the Market Hotel is not as bad as you might expect it to be... at least for 4th meal. 2. If you are very drunk and it is late at night, crashing at a friends place in Brooklyn probably seems like the obviously choice (long wait times, possibility of falling asleep on train, safety, etc.). HOWEVER an hour commute is alot more fun drunk, even when sleepy, than hungover. Bring a barf bag just in case. You dont want to be the jerk that grosses up the train. Mine was from the Soho apple store and, as funny as it would have been, Im glad I didnt have to use it.
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