Brooklyn Birthday

Last weekend was a straight up blast. I spent it roaming Brooklyn + Manhattan exploring the New York Public Library, rowing a boat in Central Park, meandering through the Cloisters, listening to the sweet sounds of Michael Jackson devoutly pour out of car stereos and blast out of storefronts and I even caught two rad shows - Kurt Vile + Girls + Real Estate + Beach Fossils at Monster Island Basement Friday night and Ducktails + Julian Lynch + Fluffy Lumbers at the Market Hotel Saturday night.


I got to Monster Island Basement a bit late but still caught most of Beach Fossils' set, which was enjoyable and included those songs "Vacation" and "Daydream." The venue itself was a cool space, apparently used for yoga and martial arts lessons during the day. The downside was the intimidation cops creepin round the outside of the venue making it so you had to walk blocks away to not disturb them, which isn't a big deal but cops are cops. Real Estate followed Beach Fossils and was also very good. This was the first time I had seen them and I was not disappointed. They played excellent versions of "Green River" and "Suburban Dogs," which seemed slightly sped up in a good way. Julian Lynch actually played keys on a couple songs (the only two he had learned up to that point) and will be playing with them more, which is exciting. Girls were also good, though I still haven't listened to them much. They covered "Wild Eyes" by Vivian Girls (which may have sounded something like this). At this show I met Sam from Fluffy Lumbers, Etienne, Martin and Matt from Real Estate, Liam (the Younger) from Titus Andronicus and Brody + Ari from Family Portrait (who will be releasing a split with former Titus Andronicus guitar man Andrew Cedermark sometime soon), all of whom were very cool, personable and pleasant to smoke weed/drink beers with.


The show the next night was a bit smaller (the Friday night show "sold out"), and instead of in a basement it was up some stairs hovering right next to a clacking train. This space was like a collage, walls plastered with Sharpie marker, paint and paper. Julian Lynch played first, using some looping to create the rhythmic background of "The Flood" under his smoky clarinet.


Fluffy Lumbers was next and while they apparently didn't know how to play "Live Ones" yet, they did play a bunch of songs including "Cruisers," "Cruisers Pt. 2," "Shore Patrol" (which is "about the beach but isn't about the beach" and is actually about an episode of COPS) and an excellent cover of the Cranberries' "Dreams". Liam from Titus also shouted a song with them. "Ducktails" was next, which was a Matt Mondanile + Julian Lynch keys + guitar jam followed by another toasted jam with Etienne Duguay on drums, 2 guitars and a bass. Can't wait to see all these guys play again.