Brooklyn’s Live Music Scene Is Blossoming

Now that spring is upon us and the pandemic is behind us, Brooklyn’s  music venues are rushing to make up for lost time. The most recognizable venue brands, Barclays Center and the Kings Theatre, have been hosting events during  the lockdown, and have now upped the concert ante. Barclays has done so with the likes of  Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, Ana Gabriel, Legendz of the Streetz, Jackson Wang and Blink-182 all performing , not only for their legions of followers, but also to those who are new to the concert scene in Brooklyn.

Kings, which has ended its agreement with Ticketmaster and will now sell tickets directly via its website, goes international this spring with concerts by British superstar Ed Sheeran, celebrated German pianist Nils Frahm, Israel pop sensation Omer Adam, and South Korean “girl group” NMIXX.

And another top brand, The Bowery Presents, is bringing multiple-Grammy nominee Feist (of “1234” fame) to Brooklyn Steel.

The rebound of Brooklyn’s smaller venues is good news for local artists, who are often well represented among those featured. Upcoming examples of this include OK Cowgirls at The Sultan Room; Mamie Minch, now one-third of VickiKristinaBarcelona, with a solo show at Barbès; popular indie quartet Tetchy at Brooklyn Made (one of the borough’s newer venues); and a couple of Brooklyn Roads’ “Artists on Our Radar”: Eleanor Buckland at Owl Music Parlor and Annie Keating at Jalopy.

Looking further ahead, the brand new Brooklyn Art Haus performing arts venue in Williamsburg is currently accepting submissions from musicians and other artists.