Brooklyn Glutton

Prospect Park was the setting for a festival of gluttony this weekend calling itself THE GREAT GOOGAMOOGA — An Amusement Park of Food & Drink.  In this spirit of everything we stand for, there was a musical component to this festival in addition to the cornucopia of food and drink, with THE ROOTS headlining the main stage on Saturday, and DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES closing out the weekend on Sunday evening.

We missed the first day of the festival, which seems to have worked to our advantage, based on a barrage of reports of enormous lines, failed beverage purchasing systems, and vendors running out of food and drink long before the end of the day.  Without having experienced any of this firsthand, we will credit the festival organizers with having responded diligently to correct the flaws in the system, as Sunday ran smoothly with plenty of opportunities to move about the festival and sample plenty of food and drink with minimal waiting time.  Considering the fact that the crowd was estimated to be upward of 40,000 people, THE GREAT GOOGAMOOGA turned out to be quite a crowd pleaser on a beautiful weekend in Brooklyn, and a successful outing for a first time festival with extremely high ambition.

Revelers were greeted by an enormous flaming steel trojan pig with an actual whole  pig roasting on a spit in its center, marking the realm of “Hamageddon.”  In the vicinity of this colossus are food vendors from all over NYC with pork oriented food on offer.

It is tempting to report that we spotted Neil Young in Bacon Land, but if we did we would be lying, as the swine lover in the straw hat is merely a doppelganger for Mr. Young (we think).  LANDHAUS BLT’s and Bacon ‘flights’, DINOSAUR BAR-B-QUE pulled pork and Tuscan PORCHETTA sandwiches all had people lining up in droves.

While enjoying fine preparations of the pig, we also got to experience the song stylings and high energy stage antics of LEZ ZEPPELIN, an all female Led Zeppelin tribute band.

There was a huge world beyond the bacon, with over 70 restaurants represented, some clustered with like purveyors in areas designated as “Burger Experience,” (BURGER JOINT, DUMONT, SPOTTED PIG and BRINDLE ROOM) “Pizza Experience” (JOE’S, ROBERTA’S, SOUTH BROOKLYN PIZZA and CO.), or “Sweet Circus” featuring too many to list from Red Hook’s BAKED to the Christina Tosi’s MOMOFUKU MILK BAR, to BIG GAY ICE CREAM.  “The Marketplace” featured an eclectic variety of vendors raging from PEOPLE’S POPS to SAXELBY CHEESEMONGERS, and one of our all-time favorites, RUSS & DAUGHTERS, who we couldn’t pass without grabbing a bagel with smoked salmon and scallion cream cheese and a slice of chocolate babka.

Many other restaurants had stands that encircled Prospect Park’s Nethermead creating a ring around the main stage.  We had a fantastic pastrami on rye from KUTSHER’S TRIBECA, which filled us up to the point that we could not make room for our single favorite hot dog from CRIF DOGS, “The Chihuahua,” which is wrapped in bacon and served with avocado and sour cream, but we are flattered that out of all the hot dog creations on their menu, they selected this one for the event.  We failed to endeavor into two of the quirkiest and most intriguing offerings, the foie gras donuts from DO OR DINE of Crown Heights, and most notably, the fifteen dollar horse bologna grilled cheese from nomadic chef Hugue Dufour’s M. WELLS.  That’s right…we did say HORSE bologna.  Our craving for a lobster roll from LUKE’S LOBSTER was deterred by the long lines.

The coffee tent provided shade, comfortable seating, and phone charging stations to go with delicious STUMPTOWN espresso and pour over coffee from THIRD RAIL.

The EXTRA MOOGA VIP area was a festival within the festival, where press, invited guests, and those willing to pay $250 for an Extra Mooga ticket had access to unlimited beer, wine and featured cocktails, as well as special food events and talks and presentations from some major players in the food world.  There were also some additional food options that were not available to the masses on the Nethermead, including lamb skewers and paella from TERTULIA, mortadella hot dogs from Philadelphia chef, MARC VETRI under the COLICCHIO & FRIENDS banner, brisket and burgers from PAT LAFRIEDA, and COUNTER CULTURE COFFEE.

PAT LAFRIEDA BEEF was a focal point of the EXTRA MOOGA area, with an enormous grill atop which sat heaping piles of brisket, along with the head of the cow.  LaFrieda also stepped in to pinch hit on Sunday with perfectly cooked cheeseburgers, after two days worth of Umami Burgers were wiped out by Saturday afternoon.

The Boathouse had rotating events on both days, featuring food and cocktails, as well as music throughout the weekend.  On both days, April Bloomfield’s JOHN DORY OYSTER BAR hosted “SHELL SHUCKED,” in which local restaurants competed in an oyster shucking competition for the most oysters shucked in one minute.  Sunday’s winner was from Chelsea’s CATCH, shucking TEN oysters in a minute flat.  Other competitors hailed from dining establishments such as LURE FISHBAR, THE DUTCH, LOCANDA VERDE, and more.

Once the oysters were shucked, THE DIRTY DOZEN BRASS BAND played on the patio, and guests were treated to a tasting of the oysters, featuring HAMA HAMA and NAKED COWBOYS (see our 12/02/11 post on Naked Cowboy Oysters), with lemon and horseradish, along with samples of a delicious Spanish Albarino white wine, which was perfectly refreshing in the hot sun.  Inside the boathouse, the John Dory folks were mixing Celery Tom Collins cocktails, also serving as a great accompaniment to the freshly shucked bivalves.

There has been a great deal of controversy over the EXTRA MOOGA steep ticket prices, and many who paid the price were surprised to find that their VIP wristbands did not entitle them to free food from the main vendors on The Nethermead, but without bearing witness to Saturday’s debacle, we were quite satisfied with the unlimited libations and tasty plates, and especially the exciting seminars led by today’s food icons.  We didn’t have a chance to sit in on any of the wine tastings or cocktail demonstrations in the Speigeltent, nor did we catch APRIL BLOOMFIELD: A GIRL AND HER PIG on Saturday or the BLUE RIBBON FRIED CHICKEN PARTY (which occurs daily at BROOKLYN BOWL).  We were also too busy eating to catch THE WHOLE FISH BREAKDOWN with Iron Chef MASAHARU MORIMOTO, but we did enjoy some of the other fine demonstrations and seminars on Sunday afternoon.

TOM MYLAN and BRENT YOUNG of Brooklyn’s beloved butcher shop, THE MEAT HOOK, butchered an entire side of beef before an audience, drinking tequila and engaging in off color banter throughout.  We learned a great deal about the many cuts of beef and where they exist on the cow.  We learned about grass fed vs. grain fed, and the pros and cons of dry aging.  We also learned that THE MEAT HOOK is the greatest butcher shop on earth (as if we didn’t already know)!  As if that wasn’t enough, plates were passed with little tastes of various cuts of beef, although I’m sure that we weren’t the only ones who had no idea what we were eating.

TV food icon, ANTHONY BOURDAIN entertained the EXTRA MOOGA crowd on both days, asking that audience members spin the wheel for a category from which they should formulate their questions.  Relaxed and foul mouthed as ever, culinary bad boy Bourdain engaged the audience with a personal approach, but we found him to be short on substance.  When you consider the fact that this celebrity chef hasn’t stepped foot in the kitchen in ages, and no one really cares about his relatively tired bistro/steakhouse, LES HALLES, it isn’t particularly enlightening to learn that he spends most nights ordering in pizza or sushi.  If nothing else, this event confirmed for us that we are pretty much sick and tired of Anthony Bourdain, and while we loved his book, KITCHEN CONFIDENTIAL, when it came out, and we may be able to credit him with spawning the foodie movement and bringing out the rock and roll elements in the discourse of food, for our money, these days, we’d rather be reading THE BROOKLYN GLUTTON!

Finally, the legendary 1980’s pop icons, DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES closed out the festival with a set of their classics on the main stage on The Nethermead Sunday evening.  Hall, who has re-entered the mainstream with his very amusing monthly webcast series, LIVE FROM DARYL’S HOUSE, where he jams out with musical guests in his Connecticut home, and then breaks bread with them at his dinner table for a meal created by a different local chef each month.  Recently, Hall has been taking this show on tour, having made local stops last month at The Beacon Theater and The Wellmont Theater in Montclair, New Jersey, with Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings and Philly Cheese Steak guru, Tony Luke.  Say what you want about HALL & OATES, but we that we found ourselves singing along to every song, and we appreciate that DARYL HALL sees the value of combining his rock and roll with a great meal in the true spirit of THE GREAT GOOGAMOOGA…and THE BROOKLYN GLUTTON!

Perhaps the best leftovers ever…fried calamari and shrimp in medium sauce from DESY’S CLAM BAR on Grand Street in Williamsburg. They do this one thing very well. Made by the same folks you might remember from LITTLE CHARLIE’S on Kenmare.  If you want to enjoy delicious seafood Brooklyn Italian style during daylight hours, head out to Sheepshead Bay to RANDAZZO’S CLAM BAR on Emmons Avenue, or try ROCCO’S CALAMARI in Bay Ridge.

On the corner of Union Avenue and Richardson Street in Williamsburg, local heroes, Josh Cohen and Blair Papagni, partners in the creation of three beautiful children and four other eclectic Brooklyn restaurant and bar establishments (Anella, Calyer, Jimmy’s Diner, and Saint Vitus), have now transformed the space that used to house hipster booze mecca, Royal Oak, into the much more appealing eatery, BELLWETHER.  Once again, we must turn to Wikipedia to understand a term from the new Brooklyn culinary vernacular, to find that BELLWETHER “refers to the practice of placing a bell around the neck of a castrated ram (a wether) leading his flock of sheep.  The movements of the flock could be noted by hearing the bell before the flock was in sight.” In today’s usage, a bellwether is something that influences trends or foreshadows the future.  For those of us on the north end of Williamsburg, we can only hope that the arrival of BELLWETHER signals the impending demise of annoying venues like Royal Oak in favor of exciting new eateries like this establishment and the excellent Brasilian spot at the other end of the block, BECO (see 04/02/11 post, “Best Steak for Two for Under $20”).

Despite it’s name, BELLWETHER does not specialize in Rocky Mountain Oysters, but instead, the emphasis is on delicately prepared seafood.  The offerings at the raw bar are simple, exceptionally fresh, and reasonably priced.  On a recent visit, three varieties of oysters were available, all local, and available for the very reasonable price of $10 for a half dozen in any combination.  The Taylor Bay Scallops (pictured above), dressed with a green apple puree were a heavenly treat, also quite reasonable at $12 for a half dozen.

Moving beyond the raw bar, the menu is comprised mostly of small plates, all packed with exciting flavor and adventurous spirit.  Taking seafood to new heights, the Seared Oysters with Mushroom Fricasee and Poblano Chilies, is a preparation unlike any that we’ve ever tried, completely eye opening and satisfying in every way.  The Olive Oil Soup is a creamy concoction using semolina wheat as its base, but floating in it are two cubes of Taleggio cheese wrapped in Speck.  Pop one of these babies in your mouth for a savory explosion, not for the faint of heart, that sets the stage for the cheesy, salty assault on your senses to marry perfectly with the many spoonfuls of delicious soup to follow.  The Baby Artichokes are accompanied by sliced Picholine Olives and luxurious Chanterelle Mushrooms under a sprinkling of Bottarga for another unexpected but overwhelmingly pleasant flavor combination.  Even the seemingly simplistic House Salad, atop slices of Manchego Cheese and dressed in Xerez vinegar is thoughtfully composed of the freshest ingredients and atypically exciting.

The only two larger sized entrees currently available on the menu are a “Blackened” Half Chicken sitting atop Parmesan Creme with Arugula, Fingerling Potatoes, which was perfectly seasoned and utterly delicious, and a Grilled Hanger Steak with Tomato Jam, Carmelized Onion, and Crisp Potato Confit, which we look forward to trying on our next visit.  For fans of Cohen and Papagni’s flagship venture, Anella, in Greenpoint, these hearty entrees will be the most familiar, as both dishes could easily be at home on the menu of either restaurant.  For big league food adventurers, Bellwether also offers a menu item featuring Tripe Mole with Coriander, Chipotle and Crunchy Hominy.  THE BROOKLYN GLUTTON never wants to let you down, but we saved that one for you to sample and tell us about. 

The cocktails are also well thought out and nicely prepared.  We enjoyed the “Omar Bradley,” a Rye based concoction with Marmalade and Lemon Juice, and like the food, other cocktails on offer venture into an adventurous realm, such as the “Firebird,” composed of Tequila, Grapefruit Soda and Hot Sauce!  BELLWETHER re-designed the space, making it cleaner and brighter with plenty of room to move and lovely banquettes opposite the bar as well as a large dining room in the rear.  They offer a late night menu until 2am, and a rotation of DJ’s spinning live music in the late hours, perhaps resulting in some of the confused former Royal Oak revelers stopping in and staying for a while rather than doing an about face and heading over to Hotel Delmano.  We expect that the current menu at BELLWETHER is merely a prelude to more and more exciting offerings from the kitchen once it gets fully up and running.  In the meantime, it has enough interesting stuff going on already to warrant a visit to get a glimpse of how the north end of Williamsburg is on its way to making a change for the better.

Every once in a while, THE BROOKLYN GLUTTON has been known to escape the cold and report on the food and beverages found in tropical locales.  A recent weekend jaunt out of the cold sent us to the glorious TURKS & CAICOS ISLANDS, specifically PROVIDENCIALES, known as “Provo” to the ‘Belongers,’ or residents of the Islands.  It’s been quite a few years since we visited Provo, and a great deal has changed and grown, but much has remained the same.  We knew that even if we had only 48 hours on the island, we had to return to DA CONCH SHACK, which sits on Blue Hills Beach, west of Grace Bay.

Since our last visit, DA CONCH SHACK has expanded from a literal shack with a few outdoor tables to a bonafide tourist destination with an extremely hospitable Rum Bar and a large outdoor seating area that spills onto the beach, where the fishermen pull the conch from the water and extract them from their shells only steps away from where they are being consumed en masse.  There are also a few vendors selling jewelry and conch shell souvenirs, which were probably cleaned and lacquered after their meat was extracted a few feet away from where they are now being sold for $10 each (about a third of what they sell for in the upscale shops).

If you find yourself waiting to be seated during peak hours, DA CONCH SHACK Rum Bar is a great place to hang out for while.  The Rum Bar serves up some irresistible Rum Punch in a plastic cup to get things going…quickly.  We advise that you go ahead and order the pitcher, because this fruity concoction has a way of evaporating almost instantly.  Unless of course, you would prefer to suck down a glass of Rum Punch and then move on to the RUM TASTING!

If you opt for the Rum Tasting, $25 gets you three glasses of fine sipping Rum, served up neat. The first is always the local Turks & Caicos BAMBARRA 8yr Reserva, and two others can be chosen from extensive Rum list.  We selected the PYRAT XO Reserva, which was traditionally made in Anguilla (pictured above, left), but is now produced in Guyana and distributed by the people who bring us Patron Tequila.  Our third selection was the very dark Guatemalan RON ZACAPA 23yr (center), which the menu purports to be considered the ‘finest in the world.’  You can say we drank the Kool Aid, but we especially enjoyed the local Bambarra rum!  It was the sweetest and smoothest of the lot, and the easiest drinking, which is not surprising given that it originates from this simple, beautiful, relaxing place.

Once you are good and loaded from an abundance of rum, it’s time to get down and eat some CONCH!  This native mollusk is ubiquitous in Turks and Caicos, but no one does it better than DA CONCH SHACK.  First of all, it is pronounced ‘conK’, not “con-CH.”  Where we come from in Brooklyn, it is known in the old neighborhood as “Scungilli,” commonly pronounced “Skoon-jeel,” particularly by those who call Calamari “Gah-lah-mah” and Mozzarella “Mooz-ah-rell.”  The Brooklyn version is all too often grey, rubbery and frozen, and therefore usually drowned in red tomato sauce.  But fresh conch from local Caribbean waters is light and crunchy when raw, and dense and satisfying with deep flavor when it is cooked, and we cannot get enough of it!

DA CONCH SHACK prepares it every which way, and it is tough not to throw caution to the wind and try them all.  Definitely, kick the meal off with a Conch Salad, made up of diced raw conch, fresh from the sea, tossed with lime juice, chopped tomatoes, chilis and onion.  This is one of the cleanest, most refreshing salads on earth.  It didn’t travel far to get from the beach to the bowl either, and you can follow it’s journey while chillin’ with a beverage, barefoot in the sand.

The conch are literally pulled from the sea only a stones throw away from the Rum Bar.  The same fisherman who removes the shell from the water, then prepares the conch for the kitchen back on land.

While the shell is quite beautiful, the wriggly meat is kind of gnarly looking before it is trimmed and cleaned.  However, by the time it arrives on your plate it is pristine and beautiful…and often deep fried. 

Our favorite is the “Cracked Conch,” which is basically pounded, dredged in seasoned flour and deep fried.  The rich flavor of the conch is so delicious and addictive, we cannot stop eating it.  While we prefer the Cracked Conch over the Conch Fritters, which are basically deep fried hush puppies with bits of conch distributed throughout the piping hot salty fried dough, we couldn’t resist having a taste, so we went with the “Conch Combo!”

The Conch Combo features Conch Fritters alongside Cracked Conch, for the indecisive and the gluttonous, with a creamy dipping sauce, rice and peas, and a choice of one side, for which we selected fried plantains.  While ‘health food’ would certainly be a misnomer, the meal is the epitome of local and sustainable, and DA CONCH SHACK has grown to be a great tourist business that enables visitors to experience the great food and local libations that Turks & Caicos has to offer while simultaneously basking in its natural beauty.  While it has increased in size over the years to accommodate demand, the restaurant has maintained its high quality food and friendly atmosphere, and the addition of the Rum Bar and live music on Thursdays only adds to the seaside party vibe.

While we seriously enjoyed sipping away at the fine array of aged Caribbean Rum while we awaited the arrival of our food, once we started stuffing our faces with conch, a refreshing Turk’s Head Island Draught became the perfect accompaniment to the fried goodness that graced our plate.  If you are wise enough to travel to DA CONCH SHACK by taxi as we did, you can hang around on the beach for as long as you like, eating local conch, drinking local beer, sipping fine rum, and basking in the sun.  It is paradise…and only a 3 hour flight from NYC!

The Glutton may not always be the first reporter on the scene, but our faithful followers sometimes get the news just in time…as this four-day event is going on for ONE MORE DAY (through Sunday January 22) if you want to get out of the snow and taste some great coffee.  COFFEE COMMON, a collective of coffee brands is hosting a startup store/Google+ hangout event in which roasters and baristas come together to spread awareness about the joy and accessibility of responsibly sourced and properly prepared coffee.  Five dollars gets you admission to the event, a bottle of Poland Spring Water, and the ability to taste coffee from five of America’s best producers.

Perennial BROOKLYN GLUTTON favorites were the mainstay of the event.  Chicago based INTELLIGENTSIA, along with COUNTER CULTURE from Durham, North Carolina and hometown hero, Ithaca, NY based GIMME! COFFEE, each had a featured roast for tasting.  This event also introduced us to a couple of coffee roasters that we had never tried before.  RITUAL from San Francisco has been around since 2005, but HEART from Portland, OR is new on the scene, having started up only three years ago. Each roaster presents a coffee sourced from a different place of origin, covering Bolivia, Ethiopia, Honduras, Colombia, and Guatemala, respectively.  Comparative pour over methods are used at multiple brew bars, one of which features a demonstration designed to illustrate how our tendency to improve the taste of commodity grade coffee by adding milk and sugar is not always necessary when the coffee is made from higher quality beans.

The featured coffees are also for sale, with the best value being COUNTER CULTURE’S Ethiopian Haru from Yirgacheffe at $13 for a 12oz bag, one of our favorite coffees of the day.  Also for sale are various pour over systems, water kettles, electric boilers, scales, grinders, and a Breville double boiler espresso machine.  Conspicuously absent from the collective is BLUE BOTTLE, the roaster we love to hate.  While no one really wants to say it out loud, the sense we get is that there is very little love for the San Francisco and Brooklyn based roasters among their peers, and it is certainly no secret that we have always found them to be pretentious and their coffee inferior.  Blue Bottle was definitely not missed at this event, and their absence only reaffirmed our opinion of them. 

The curators of this event, who are theoretically competitors in the coffee marketplace really did an excellent job of presenting a diverse array of high quality coffee products, and they were also available to discuss anything and everything related to coffee in a straightforward, friendly, and unpretentious way.  Their entire point is that people who are discerning about food, and particularly wine and spirits, should approach coffee in the same way.  Relative to alcoholic beverages, the cost of an exceptionally good cup of coffee is very low, and unlike wine, good coffee does not cost much more than bad coffee or mediocre coffee.  COFFEE COMMON also aims to raise awareness about coffee’s uniqueness in that one who prepares a cup of coffee has a great deal of control over how it tastes by the choices that are made in its preparation. The coarseness of the grind and the selected brewing method dictates the speed at which the water passes through the coffee and how much surface area it comes in contact with, resulting in the ability to control the flavor by manipulating these variables.  Once the coffee is made, milk and sugar can then be added to adjust the flavor even further. The versatility and control that we have over the preparation of the beverage combined with its relatively low cost and the frequency with which most of us consume it make it something we should try to find the best quality version of that we can obtain, if we generally care about such things…which you undoubtedly do if you are reading this.

This event, which began on Thursday, will continue through Sunday, January 22nd from 11am until 6pm.  We could not help ourselves, and purchased four bags of coffee, eager to continue the comparative tasting at home.  As much as we love GIMME! COFFEE, the varietal that they had on offer at this event, “El Sauce” from Honduras, is not our favorite, as it has a lingering spice that does not particularly appeal to us.  Having said that, we have been drinking their featured “Miralvalle” from El Salvador religiously and happily brewing it at home while it lasts, even at a pricey $20 for a 12oz bag.  It just so happens that we just brewed our last pot of it today, making room in the grinder basket for these guys…

If you are familiar at all with THE BROOKLYN GLUTTON, you know that we make it our business to catch some live music between meals whenever possible.  In the past year, more than ever before, we managed to shoot some video at many of the shows we attended, most of which can be found on THE BROOKLYN GLUTTON VIDEO TUBE.  Click on the photos below to link to relevant live videos, when available.  All concert photos and videos are BROOKLYN GLUTTON originals.  We shoot using available light on highly portable consumer grade equipment.  While the images (and sound in the case of the videos) may be less than perfect, we try first and foremost to capture the energy of the performance and the connection between the artists, their material and their audience.  These are not the only shows we made it to in 2011, but they are certainly some of the highlights and a wide enough array of music to keep things interesting.  Enjoy the photos and the performances, and support live music in NYC!

LEROY JUSTICE played a late night set at ROCKWOOD MUSIC HALL early last year on a cold night in January.  They were joined by Cody Dickinson of The North Mississippi Allstars, who sat in for part of the set.  Cody had opened for Robert Plant’s Band of Joy at the Beacon Theater earlier in the evening with his duo, in which he plays with his brother, fellow Allstar, Luther Dickinson.  A fun time was had by all in a great little room with one of the better New York based rock bands that you may not have heard yet.

VIDEO LINK : “All My Life” with Cody Dickinson

MIDDLE BROTHER at MUSIC HALL OF WILLIAMSBURG was a much anticipated show featuring this low key supergroup led by three singers who front other bands we love. Pictured above, from left to right, Matt Vasquez is the lead singer of DELTA SPIRIT from San Diego, CA; Taylor Goldsmith is the lead singer of Los Angeles based rock outfit, DAWES, and John McCauley fronts the genre defying DEER TICK, from Providence, RI.  Together, these guys create music that is driven by folk harmony, but it rocks…and each member brings to the table the high energy and intensity that defines each of their other bands. On this great night of music last March, DEER TICK opened the show, followed by a set by DAWES, both of which have since released great new albums during the year.  We’re not sure what MIDDLE BROTHER has in store for us in the year ahead, but we’ll be watching all of these projects as they continue to define a new frontier in rock music.

LO FABER and AARON MAXWELL are the opposite but equal voices and guitars of GOD STREET WINE, a unique jazz infused jam rock combo that played constantly around New York area clubs in the late ‘80’s and throughout the ‘90’s, building a devout following at The Nightingale Bar on 2nd Avenue and The Wetlands Preserve, as well as on the Northeast college circuit, until they ultimately broke up in 1999.  More than ten years later, after a couple of sold out reunion benefit shows last year at Gramercy Theater and Irving Plaza, Lo and Aaron, clearly feeling the return of the magic, began playing some smaller gigs as a duo.  The photo above, taken from an awkwardly close seating position at JOE’S PUB earlier this year, features the duo (Maxwell on left, Faber on right), along with Jason Crosby (center).  We were not equipped with a wide enough lens to capture original GSW members, Dan Pifer on Bass and Jon Bevo on Piano, who also joined the duo for this intimate show, making it a four-fifths reunion, all but drummer Tom Osander (aka Tomo), who moved to Ireland after the band broke up and has played consistently over the years with Damien Rice and Lisa Hannigan.  Learn more about GSW now and then in one of our earliest posts from October, 2010. Also, JON BEVO’S LOVE ORCHESTRA, another GSW spin off, will be playing Mexicali Live, in Teaneck, NJ on Saturday, January 28th, 2012.  Three-fifths GSW will be present (Bevo, Faber and Maxell), along with Jason Crosby and others.

VIDEO LINK:  “Edgar’s Back in Town” from Joe’s Pub

Jazz/Funk jam trio, SOULIVE, returned to BROOKLYN BOWL in March, 2011 for their 2nd annual 10-night residency, known as BOWLIVE (Bowlive II, in this case).  Featuring special guests each night, ERIC KRASNO (far right) and the brothers Evans performed three sets nightly, always with the original Soulive trio in the middle, preceded by affiliates, such as NIGEL HALL or ALICIEA CHAKOUR, usually with Krasno in the mix, and closing with a full out LETTUCE backed jam, led by the featured guest or guests of the night.  This years standout performers were vocalist, COREY GLOVER of LIVING COLOUR, ROBERT RANDOLPH, and KARL DENSON.  MATISYAHU, who was scheduled to close out Bowlive on the final night, was a no-show.  The festivities kicked off on opening night, with 600 free shots of tequila courtesy of Brooklyn Bowl owner, PETER SHAPIRO, to get things going, and over the course of two weeks, there were many great moments of music to be remembered.  Of all the possible shows in the coming year, the prospect of BOWLIVE III is the one we look forward to the most.

VIDEO LINK: “Thank You Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin” with Corey Glover, Robert Randolph, and Nigel Hall

On the night of the Super Moon, Brooklyn Bowl was visited by ANDERS OSBORNE, not looking completely unlike the Werewolf, himself.  The New Orleans songwriter plays a mean, hard driving blues guitar and sings with his heart and soul.  Osborne’s intense delivery makes for an exciting live music experience that should not be missed next time around.  He will be touring the South and Midwest with Keb Mo in January.  The video link features a powerful cover of Neil Young’s “Ohio.”

VIDEO LINK: “Ohio” live at Brooklyn Bowl

NEIL YOUNG’s solo concert at AVERY FISHER HALL at LINCOLN CENTER in April was one of the greatest shows of the year by one of Rock’s greatest living legends, whom we had never before had the opportunity to see perform live.  Unlike many touring artists with catalogs as deep as his, Young pretty much performs the same songs every night of his tour, rather than switching up the set list regularly.  Nevertheless, he feigns indecisiveness as he meanders around the stage to select a guitar or approach one of his three keyed instruments (a harpsichord, a pump organ, and a grand piano).  It is doubtful that many people are following NEIL YOUNG these days from city to city, given the consistency of the show and the steep ticket prices, but when he does come to your town, you are treated to a legendary rock performance of the highest order.  Amidst the grandeur of one of New York City’s finest concert halls, Young sounded better than ever at age 66, starting out on the acoustic guitar and gradually building to a distorted frenzy, drawing upon classics as well as songs from his latest recording, the similarly diverse, Le Noise, produced by (and sort of named after) the prolific Daniel Lanois.  This is no tired nostalgia act.  NEIL YOUNG’s voice is as good as it ever was, and he remains relevant, as proven by fresh renditions of some of his most beloved songs, like After The Gold Rush on the pump organ, and a solo electric version of Cortez The Killer.  Sadly, Scottish Folk Singer, BERT JANSCH, who opened for Young on this tour, passed away this October after a long battle with cancer.

JERRY JOSEPH, since moving back to Portland, Oregon last year, has made it his business to return to NYC, particularly his old stomping grounds in Harlem, on several occasions in 2011, and with various projects and collaborations.  At 50 years old, Joseph is at the top of his game musically, and he is as prolific as ever.  In addition to intimate solo acoustic shows at Harlem’s SHRINE (pictured above) and CAFE ADDIS, as well as THE LIVING ROOM on the Lower East Side, Joseph returned for duo shows with genius percussionist, Wally Ingram in the Springtime, and again in Summer, when they were joined by guitar virtuoso, Steve Kimock at MEXICALI LIVE in Teaneck, NJ, and superb bassist, Marc Friedman, from Boston jazz/rock outfit, The Slip, on the ROCKS OFF BOAT CRUISE.  As if he had not sufficiently displayed his versatility and quality musicianship through his various solo, duo, and trio endeavors, August also brought the the powerful jam rock super group, STOCKHOLM SYNDROME to BROOKLYN BOWL, in which Joseph is the frontman on vocals and guitar, along with Widespread Panic bassist, Dave Schools, former P-Funk guitarist, Eric McFadden, Danny Louis of Govt Mule on keyboard and organ, and the illustrious Wally Ingram on drums.  While largely unknown to the commercial masses, this great singer/songwriter and guitarist is constantly touring, and the New Yorkers in the know had many opportunities to catch his awesome live shows throughout the year.  So far, it looks like 2012 will be bringing him to Cambodia, Vietnam, Maui, and Tulum, Mexico within the first several months of the year.  We can only hope for a NYC detour along the way.

VIDEO LINK: “We Will Go Down/Good Sunday” w/ Wally Ingram at Shrine

Two of our favorites, WILCO and THE LEVON HELM BAND performed together at the 2011 SOLID SOUND FESTIVAL, curated by WILCO, at MASS MoCA in North Adams, MA.  The two bands joined forces on “I Shall Be Released,” and “The Weight” to close out the weekend after full Wilco sets on each of the previous two nights.  This was an historic moment as icons of two generations came together in a rare performance that was fun and relaxed, with the many musicians on stage seeming to have as much fun playing together as the elated crowd had witnessing it.  Sadly, LEVON HELM’S voice is virtually gone, but no one in music has more heart and soul, not to mention class, and he showed it as he plowed through his turn at the microphone, trading verses with WILCO frontman, JEFF TWEEDY, guitarist and band leader, Larry Campbell, his wife, Theresa Williams, and Levon’s daughter, Amy Helm of Olabelle, who graced the stage in the late months of pregnancy and poured her heart out during her verse.  If you are going to take the time to sit through only one video that is linked to this page, this ought to be the one to watch.

VIDEO LINK: “The Weight” live at the WILCO Solid Sound Festival 2011

We made the trek to Philadelphia to see MY MORNING JACKET at THE MANN CENTER.  Jim James (a.k.a. Yim Yames) and the boys from Louisville, KY made only one stop in the New York area on this year’s tour, and it was a few weeks ago at the extraordinarily enormous Madison Square Garden.  This fall show on a gorgeous night at his indoor/outdoor amphitheater in Philly, only two hours from home, was totally worth the trip to catch this incredible band on a slightly more intimate level, with the same great light show and the same awesome high energy rock and roll music.  While MADISON SQUARE GARDEN may be the ideal forum in which to appreciate the band’s phenomenal light show, it is our least favorite place to see a concert in town, particularly since the re-design.  Regardless, MMJ has become a big time rock and roll powerhouse, and fans are treated to an inspired performance with incredible production value time and time again. 

EELS played a pair of shows at MUSIC HALL OF WILLIAMSBURG this July, and boy are we glad that we finally got to check these guys out.  Led by Mark Oliver Everett, EELS always keep it fresh, currently touting an energetic brand of power pop while sporting hipster beards that make them look like they belong in the neighborhood.  This is pure fun with a touch of angst…a far cry from Everett’s subdued shows with a string orchestra that passed through TOWN HALL several years back, and were made into a concert DVD.

VIDEO LINK: “Losing Streak” live at The Music Hall of Williamsburg

VETIVER hit NYC on a couple of occasions this year.  We caught them as headliners at THE BELL HOUSE, but had to make the choice to miss Los Lobos at Brooklyn Bowl that night because of it.  This San Francisco band’s brand of mellow pop is soothing and appealing, and even if it isn’t always the most dynamic, it consistently carries the good vibrations of a lovely Spring day.  Lead singer and guitarist, Andy Cabic, a long time friend and collaborator of Devendra Banhart, strolls through the band’s repertoire with a light, melodic hand, devoid of Banhart’s weirdness, but full of 1970’s inspired retro-magic.

VIDEO LINK - “More of This” live at The Bell House

FANG ISLAND, the young band formed in Providence, Rhode Island, and now based in Brooklyn, NY packed them into BROOKLYN BOWL for a high energy show in May.  Featuring not one, not two, but three loud, distorted guitars, FANG ISLAND describes their own music as “the sound of everyone high-fiving everyone.”  The name of the game is fun for all, and while we might be inclined to dismiss an act like this as one for the kiddies, their frenetic performance was undeniably appealing and their music admittedly infectious.

THE FELICE BROTHERS, bonafide hillbillies from Catskill, NY, passed through NYC a few times this year, brandishing their timeless brand of anthemic rock in the spirit of those who came before them, such as The Band, for the city folk.  We caught them at THE BELL HOUSE in Gowanus for a pair of sold out shows, in which they played their hearts out in their usual fashion, spinning tales of drunken escapades, drug dealing and incarceration.  The band cancelled a run of shows in Europe this month after lead singer and guitarist, Ian Felice, was hospitalized with Shingles, but they managed to return stateside for a New Years Eve show closer to home in Hudson, NY at Club Helsinki, before returning to the UK and Europe in March.

GRACE POTTER & THE NOCTURNALS played CENTRAL PARK SUMMERSTAGE at the tail end of the season in late September.  The statuesque blonde rock goddess from Vermont has definitely re-defined her image from crunchy girl next door to glam rock superstar, but there is definitely more to Grace Potter than long legs in short skirts.  Her power rock songwriting is solid, and her band is extremely tight.  Potter comes to work with a seemingly bottomless supply of energy, and her strong musicianship is undeniable on both guitar and Hammond organ.  Of course we love seeing her strut and prance around the stage in heels wielding a Gibson Flying-V.  She’s got a serious set of pipes and she’s got the moves, but she’s also got great songs.  As much as one might want to believe otherwise, when it comes to GRACE POTTER & THE NOCTURNALS, the eye candy and the ear candy are inseparable. 

2011 also brought the long overdue reunion of THE SPIN DOCTORS, celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the release of their internationally ubiquitous LP, “Pocketful of Kryptonite,” with shows at THE BOWERY BALLROOM and BROOKLYN BOWL.  We caught them in Brooklyn, as the club’s lineage traces back to the hippie rock mecca, WETLANDS PRESERVE in Tribeca, where we used to see them regularly the first time around.  The band sounded as good as they ever have, and frontman, Chris Barron was relaxed and playful, as he and the other three original Doctors of Spin seemed to enjoy the experience, along with the crowd, none taking it much too seriously but rather basking in the luxury of re-living a moment that had its place in time.  Perhaps we will have a similar experience next week, when Evan Dando and THE LEMONHEADS take us back two decades with a live performance of “It’s a Shame About Ray” at THE KNITTING FACTORY on Wednesday, January 11th, 2012.

CAT POWER (a.k.a. Chan Marshall) lit up the darkness at WEBSTER HALL.  The emotive singer from Atlanta, GA, has built a reputation over the years for being unpredictable in front of an audience, particularly earlier in her career when she grappled with substance abuse and stagefright.  While Marshall certainly lurks in the shadows on stage, under dim lighting, where she gravitates to the general vicinity of the soundboard console at stage left, she sings with heartfelt passion and connects with her audience in a way that is more direct and personal than any performer we’ve ever seen.  The video link features her final song of the night, a slow bluesy interpretation of “I Don’t Blame You,” and while the low lighting makes it almost unwatchable, it is worth watching to completion to see the sort of awkward yet earnest connection that Marshall makes with her fans.  At the outset of the song, she asks that the house lights be turned on while she continues to perform in the dark.  When the song is over, she allows her entire band to exit the stage while she lingers behind, waving humbly and awkwardly to the adoring crowd, and struggling to separate from them.  The CAT POWER show was unlike other shows this year.  It was personal and emotional, a moment that would be impossible to duplicate.

VIDEO LINK: “I Don’t Blame You,” live at Webster Hall

DEER TICK packed the house at Williamsburg’s DEATH BY AUDIO for a last-minute, free show in the earliest days of Occupy Wall Street to rally against of acts of police brutality by the NYPD against peaceful protestors.  While the political content was certainly kept to a minimum, save for a few words from John McCauley about how it’s not OK for cops to beat up demonstrators, it felt like an underground event in the NYC of old.  Fans and revelers were specifically instructed not to line up or loiter outside the venue until doors officially opened at 8pm, at which point the house was packed to point of becoming a hot, sweaty, smoky sardine can.  It was the first time in a long time that we had to throw our clothes in the laundry immediately upon returning from the show due to the persistent odor of cigarette smoke.

FISHBONE, in their 25th year, brought an unlikely mosh pit to BROOKLYN BOWL.  Joined onstage by HR of Rasta Punk icons, THE BAD BRAINS, the energy was raw and unbridled in the way that makes forty-year olds jump up and down…literally.  This was a real treat for the kids in all of us.  For the actual kids of today, FISHBONE announced a last-minute 3pm acoustic set at Brooklyn Bowl on the Sunday afternoon preceding the show.  Sadly, we missed this, but it sounded like a blast.  As we all know, it’s never to early to start skankin!

VIDEO LINK: “Bonin’ In The Boneyard” - live at Brooklyn Bowl

ALABAMA SHAKES, led by soulful songstress, Brittany Howard, rocked a sold out audience at BROOKLYN BOWL, then went on to kill it again at MERCURY LOUNGE and add an unannounced free Sunday night show at LAKESIDE LOUNGE before skipping town.  More on ALABAMA SHAKES in our recent post from last month.

VIDEO LINK: “On Your Way” - live at Brooklyn Bowl

GARY CLARK JR. was one of the many artists to join THE ROOTS on stage at the 2011 Okayplayer Holiday Jam at BROOKLYN BOWL last Thursday night.  Much like Alabama Shakes, this young artist made a wave at this year’s CMJ festival, and with only a couple of songs recorded on an independently released EP, he too is taking the music world by storm.  While much of the night focused on Dancehall Reggae brought by the likes of Shaggy and Lady Patra as well as old skool hip hop led by Big Daddy Kane, all backed by THE ROOTS, Clark’s soulful blues guitar fit right into the program, giving the crowd a taste of things to come.  We were unable to get into MERCURY LOUNGE a couple of nights earlier to catch Clark and find out what the buzz was about, so this unexpected appearance by the young Texas axeman was well timed and more than welcome.

Finally, we have to take a moment to acknowledge ?UESTLOVE, of THE ROOTS, who has established an ongoing Thursday night residency as a DJ at BROOKLYN BOWL, bringing the funky good vibes to Brooklyn week after week.  In addition to his work behind the decks, the man who defies alphabetization by starting his name with a question mark, has also been known to sit in behind the drum kit for many a jam at the bowl.

2011 brought a lot of great live music. Let’s hope 2012 brings even more!