“Bands do BK” and Tell Us All About It
Sam Sumpter / photo courtesy of Lit Riot Press
Do you have a favorite local band with which you are on the same wavelength? Then you may wish to know where they go to eat, drink, hang out, chill and listen to other bands, and such. Sam Sumpter’s new book, Bands do BK, is both a music-fan memoir and a “guide to Brooklyn by bands for everyone.” Within its 300-plus pages she shares behind-the-scenes stories and recommendations on places to visit gleaned from interviews with hundreds of local musicians who provide a unique perspective on our borough.
Here’s a small sampling:
Mia Berrin of Pom Pom Squad, a Brooklyn Roads Artists On Our Radar feature in 2020 , weighs in on the “magical air” of playing a concert at Green-Wood Cemetery; the band’s practice space at Our Wicked Lady (“a very loved bar and venue”) in East Williamsburg; and the “lovely, frenetic, sweaty energy” of Mouse, where they recorded their EP Ow.
Another Artists On Our Radar back in 2019, is ESS SEE (aka Sarah Carbonetti ), who calls The Guitar Shop a “candy store for musicians” and an “inspiring space” where she met – and later married – Brooklyn guitarist James Carbonetti of Caveman.
Dirty Projectors’ Felicia Douglas sings the praises of the “fun nights” and “notable” fried chicken sandwich at The Commodore in Williamsburg, as well as the Malaysian curry chicken and display of “classic hip-hop and R&B” records at family-run Parlay in Sunset Park.
The book is chock full of fun insights and anecdotes like these. We at Brooklyn Roads were particularly drawn to the sections on music venues (18 in all), DIY spaces and recording studios – must-reads for musicians and fans alike.
Not only can one use this book to explore the haunts of a favorite band, but it can lead to discovering new music. That is, if you have a bar or eatery that you particularly enjoy, you may want to check out artists who also frequent those establishments, knowing you have something in common.
Kudos to Ms. Sumpter, who also writes a Bands do BK blog, hosts her own show on Radio Free Brooklyn and manages the punk band, Mary Shelley.