Reviews

Kings Theatre- marquee Screen Shot 2017-07-12 at 4.28.20 PM

AbunDance Academy Presents…Sister Act AbunDantly !

July 13, 2017 by Dominique M. Carson

The AbunDance Academy of the Arts staged a musical production, Sister Act Abundantly, at the Kings Theatre on Sunday, June 25, 2017. This event was... read article

The Isley Brothers 061817-Al Pereira (19)

The Isley Brothers – A Father’s Day Gift Through Song

June 27, 2017 by Dominique M. Carson

On Sunday, June 18th, 2017, iconic R&B group The Isley Brothers, performed live at the Kings Theatre. For this one night, Brooklyn natives witnessed the... read article

Miguel at Northside Festival - MCCarren Park Main Stage photo by Ray Fontaine

Northside Festival Lights Up The Weekend!

June 27, 2017 by Ray Fontaine

From June 7th to June 11th, the northern Brooklyn streets were filled with over 100,000 festival goers, concert hopping throughout Williamsburg, Greenpoint and Bushwick in... read article

Gary U.S. Bonds — Still Great at 78 … With Brooklyn in the Mix!

June 15, 2017 by B.L. Howard

There must be a fountain of youth in Gary U.S. Bonds’ home, as this iconic and legendary rock ‘n’ roller keeps raising his musical bar, with... read article

A Grammy Winner Salutes a Jazz Legend at the Brooklyn Center

May 4, 2017 by Dominique M. Carson

The Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts’ 2016-2017 season has been a memorable one, filled with everything from international dance troupes to jazz greats to... read article

American Nomads Rock the House !

May 3, 2017 by Ray Fontaine

Greenpoint-based American Nomads threw a big bash at Drom in lower Manhattan to celebrate the release of Ghost Highway, their new album, to a packed... read article

Hot Tuna at Racoon Lodge Benefit for Guild for Exceptional Children photo by Al Pereira

A Searing Hot Tuna in Brooklyn!

May 3, 2017 by Al Pereira

The Long Good Friday is the title of a gritty, cultish mob noir film that could easily have doubled as the banner for a searing... read article

Becca Stevens at BRIC House Sessions photo by Ray Fontaine

BRIC House Sessions: Becca Stevens -REGINA Album Release Party / Jess Best

April 5, 2017 by Ray Fontaine

Becca Stevens‘ album release party at BRIC’s Media Center in downtown Brooklyn was not the only musical event at the March 30th BRIC House Sessions... read article

‘Johnny Pisano’s Punk Rock Pizzeria’ Serves Up Nine Tasty Slices

January 31, 2017 by David K. Moseder

“Don’t want to be something that I’m not / don’t want to change ’cause I know what I’ve got.” That line from the opening track... read article

glenn-alexander-shadowland-photo-8-by-phyllis-mcquillan

Stepping Out of the Shadows-Glenn Alexander & Shadowland / New York Horns

January 5, 2017 by B.L. Howard

There have been numerous incarnations of the Asbury Jukes over the five decades since Southside Johnny Lyon began his musical journey. Some of those extraordinarily... read article

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Artists on our Radar

Brayden Baird Is Asking the Big Questions – And Making You Laugh Through the Pain

Brayden Baird -photo courtesy of Mix-Tape Media

After decades of producing and releasing music under various aliases, Brooklyn’s own Brayden Baird is stepping into the spotlight with his most raw and refined work yet. Backed by the Once in a Lifetime Band, Baird’s upcoming LP Lord, why do you do these things to me? is a heartfelt and even satirical exploration of grief, identity, and faith that refuses to follow conventional sounds before its time. Across the ten-track album, Baird weaves catchy humor with emotional vulnerability, building a soundscape that feels intimate and extravagant all at once. His lyrics are clever without being cynical and full of sincerity; this delicate balance places him alongside emerging alt-folk figures like Cameron Winter and Nate Amos. The album kicks off with its title track, a sharp, stomping folk-rock number that wrestles with clever anecdotes and the chaos of unanswered prayers. From there, the songs unravel like chapters in a personal essay. The blending of stories of loss, family, addiction, and self-discovery comes about in just about every track. “Light in the Tunnel” turns a daily subway ride into an anthem of personal awakening. At the same time, “When Will the Sun Rise Again?” delivers a haunting, piano-led meditation on mourning and artistic authenticity. Other tracks showcase Baird’s gift for finding light in unlikely places. “Blue for the Body” is a lively reflection on coping mechanisms based on Gatorade flavors, which Baird says “is intended as a fun jam that people can sing and play along to and make light of the weight of addictions.”. “Pelican” draws on childhood lore amid his father’s mythical stories that untangle complex family bonds. With the accompanying music video for this track, Baird draws on whimsical elements of his father’s storytelling, saying, “In life, it is so easy to hate somebody based on the things they’ve done and so hard to forgive. After all, we are just working with the things we’ve got.” One of the album’s most affecting moments, which comes halfway through “It Kills Me to See You Sick,” channels rage and helplessness into a hushed piano ballad that’s both deeply personal and widely relatable, with Baird recounting the pain and sadness behind the song’s creation as his mom was diagnosed with Cancer as other family members were simultaneously hospitalized. On the last track of the album, “When You Were Castrated,” Baird confronts mortality and estrangement with brutal honesty about his father’s passing, delivering a final note that is at once heartbreaking and cathartic. Baird’s musical world is one of contradictions: funny and tragic, sarcastic and sincere, spiritual and grounded. With Lord, why do you do these things to me?* he’s created an album that doesn’t just tell stories but invites listeners to sit with them, question them, and sing along anyway. Catch Brayden Baird and the Once in a Lifetime Band at their album release show at The Rabbit Hole in Brooklyn on June 26 and stream the whole record on June 20.

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