Previews

Planet Brooklyn Enters the Borough’s Festival Orbit

July 3, 2025 by David K. Moseder

Planet Brooklyn Festival courtesy of Planet Brookyln Festival

Brooklyn, the music festival capital of New York, is getting another jewel in its crown this summer. Planet Brooklyn, set for August 23-24, will feature dozens of diverse artists performing at Barclays Center, Brooklyn Paramount and Brooklyn Academy of Music, as well as at several outdoor block parties. The “Planet” moniker is apropos given the event’s strong international flavor, while... read article

The Lena Horne Bandshell Stage at Celebrate Brooklyn ! photo coutrtesy of BRIC Arts Media

Where Brooklyn Meets the World: BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! 2025 Unites Global Sounds

June 2, 2025 by Michela Arlia

This summer, Brooklyn’s cultural heartbeat returns with the 47th season of BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! — a free, open-air performing arts festival transforming the Lena Horne... read article

Diana Ross Ross performing in 2022 photo by Raph _PH

Brooklyn Beats of 2025: What to Expect in the New Year

December 27, 2024 by Michela Arlia

Brooklyn’s iconic live music venues are gearing up for an exciting 2025, featuring legendary artists, rising stars, and immersive music experiences across genres. Kings Theatre... read article

Rhiannon Giddens photo by Ebru Yildiz

BAM’s Next Wave Festival Moves Forward

November 11, 2024 by B.L. Howard

Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Next Wave Festival gives both well-known visionaries and trailblazing rebels an opportunity to unleash their groundbreaking creativity to the world. In... read article

David Amram and Willie Nelson at Farm Aid Concert in NYC photo by Ebet Roberts

BROOKLYN FOLK FEST SET FOR NOV. 8-10

November 1, 2024 by David K. Moseder

The annual Brooklyn Folk Festival is set for Nov. 8-10 at St. Ann’s Church on Montague Street in Brooklyn Heights. Presented by the Jalopy Theater,... read article

Garland Jeffreys At Steve Van Zandt's 500th Underground Garage Event / © photo by B.L.Howard

Garland Jeffreys at Steve Van Zandt's 500th Underground Garage Event on October 20, 2011 © photo by B.L.Howard

“The King Of In Between” Documentary

October 8, 2024 by David K. Moseder

The “rockumentary” film ,Garland Jeffreys: The King of In Between , is currently on the festival circuit, including international screenings in Tokyo and London, with more... read article

Brooklyn Folk Festival Brookyln Folk Festival

Brooklyn Folk Festival:15 & Counting!

October 20, 2023 by David K. Moseder

The 15th annual Brooklyn Folk Festival is being held at St. Ann’s Church in Brooklyn Heights on Friday evening, November 10th through Sunday, November 12,... read article

Ever More Nest photo by Michael Alford

Brooklyn Americana Fest: Number Nine Is Looking Fine

September 21, 2023 by David K. Moseder

The 9th edition of the Brooklyn Americana Music Festival (BKAMF) takes place from Thursday, Sept. 28, through Sunday, Oct. 1. Venues include Dumbo Archway, Superfine... read article

Lesley Mok at M3 Festival 2022 Courtesy of mutualmentorshipformusicians.org

Making Music Memorable: M³ Festival Hits Brooklyn

August 31, 2023 by Michela Arlia

As the dog days of summer come to an end, the 2nd annual Mutual Mentorship for Musicians Festival returns to Brooklyn at the Roulette Intermedium... read article

Bruce Springsteen at Barclays Center In 2016 Photo by Debra L. Rothenberg

Brooklyn’s Live Music Scene Is Blossoming

April 2, 2023 by The Brooklyn Roads Team

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... 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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