BRIC Schedules Third Benefit Concert for Celebrate Brooklyn!

March 3, 2025 by David K. Moseder

There are still three-plus months before the official start of the long-running Celebrate Brooklyn! Music festival, but BRIC is already generating buzz for the summer concert series. In what promises to be a highlight of the fest’s 47^th edition, BRIC recently put tickets on sale for a third benefit concert – Still Woozy’s Loveseat Tour — scheduled for Saturday, July 12, at the Lena Horne Bandshell in Prospect Park.

Still Woozy is the performing persona of Portland, OR-based singer-songwriter and producer Sven Gamsky, and Loveseat is his new album, the follow-up to 2021’s If This Isn’t Nice, I Don’t Know What Is. Still Woozy’s music has been described as alternative psychedelic, with a homespun mix of acoustic and electronic instruments. His YouTube channel has nearly a quarter of a million subscribers and “Run It Back,” the lead single from Loveseat, has garnered nearly 100,000 views.

The Still Woozy concert joins two previously announced Celebrate Brooklyn! benefit shows. Dinosaur Jr. and Snail Mail, with special guest Easy Action, will take the stage there on Thursday, July 17, followed the next night by Canada’s Men I Trust.

In other BRIC news, local DJ and music curator Annabelle Kline will host the ultimate House Party at BRIC on Saturday, March 8. With three rooms of handpicked music, interactive activities, and art from local talents, this event is described as a celebration for “music lovers and their passion for new tunes.”

And speaking of celebrations, Jalopy Theatre has announced that three-time Grammy winner Steve Earle will perform at their “Gala ’25” benefit on Thursday, April 10. The event, with tickets priced at $250 each, will be held at St. Ann & the Holy Trinity Church in Brooklyn Heights.

Artists on our Radar

Eric Stern: Brooklyn Born, Jazz Driven

Eric Stern/photo by Hoyeon Choi/ courtesy of the artist

Brooklyn has long been home to innovative artists, and pianist-composer Eric Stern is no exception. Born and raised in the borough, Stern’s sound is a fusion of jazz, Latin, and classical influences shaped by his upbringing and New York City’s diverse musical landscape. Stern’s love for music began at home, where classical compositions played daily on WQXR alongside Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr. His exploration led him to jazz and salsa, drawn to artists like Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, and Miles Davis. His participation in Belongo’s Fat Cats program, a youth music initiative, deepened his passion for Afro-Latin music, exposing him to icons like Chico O’Farrill and Tito Puente. Though he played in school jazz bands and youth programs, it was at Fat Cats—rehearsing every Sunday at the former Fat Cat jazz club (now Cellar Dog)—that his passion crystallized. “It was sheer joy,” Stern recalls. The experience drove him to practice for hours daily, solidifying his decision to pursue music professionally. Stern studied at the University of Miami, where he formed a quartet with trumpet, piano, bass, and drums, performing across Miami until 2022. Adding saxophonist Dylan McHann that fall elevated the group into its current quintet form. Since returning to Brooklyn, the lineup has shifted, now featuring Chris Ferrari (tenor sax/flute), Joey Curreri (trumpet), Cookie Stephenson (bass), and Peru Eizagirre (drums), with Stern leading on piano and compositions. Brooklyn’s underground jazz scene remains central to Stern’s creative evolution. While Manhattan is home to institutions like the Village Vanguard and the Blue Note, he finds Brooklyn’s avant-garde spaces—Ornithology Jazz Club, Bar Bayeux, and ShapeShifter Lab more experimental and inspiring. At the heart of Stern’s music is a simple mission: joy. “That’s the only thing I really care about. If selling a million records and being super famous is able to do that, great. If not, I don’t really mind. I just want to give other people who listen and hear the music the same joy I have in playing and creating it.” Eric Stern is one to watch for those seeking a fresh, dynamic voice in Brooklyn’s jazz scene. “Why not perform in Brooklyn?” he says. “There are so many great spaces to play—why not make it happen?”

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