You’ll see some familiar bands, faces and places discussed including Shea Stadium, Todd P, City Councilman Rafael Espinal, Beach Fossils, Frankie Cosmos, Silent Barn. In other words, “DIY in NYC” is essential viewing: From Rolling Stone:
The short film travels through venues that have recently shuttered, ones struggling to stay on their feet, and ones that are working to carve out spaces specifically for young people of color. It focuses on New Yorkers who believe in the life-affirming potency that these spaces have for individuals and communities alike, and who will fight to ensure that they not only stay afloat, but also that future generations are empowered to keep them alive, too.
It also covers two crucial efforts that this community has rallied behind for years: One involves the repeal of a draconian “Cabaret Law” that, until very recently, forbade dancing in the city; the second involves a bill, introduced by Councilman Rafael Espinal, that has instituted an Office of the Night Mayor. The role of the Night Mayor (drawn from a model used by other cultural epicenters like Amsterdam) is to act as a liaison between the city, the community and venues. As Espinal poignantly noted at a June 2017 city council meeting: “Night life in New York City has been under attack for a very long time, to the point where we’re losing [it].”