Good afternoon, this is Peter Rittweger. Chris Quartly is off.
5) Teengirl Fantasy, Lafawnda, ADR, Yaeji at Knockdown Center
A lot of people think that Memorial Day Weekend, heretoforth known as “MD-Dubs,” is sort of a dead weekend here in Brooklyn. Lots of people travel, or at the very least, hit the area beaches for the long weekend, which has come to mark the unofficial start of summer. That’s fine. Let them. While they masses are trying to navigate their way to the Rockaways via oversold beach buses because the L train is down (AGAIN), you can hang out in a repurposed glass factory for Flatland, an immersive experience that will work your senses into overdrive with lasers, video-mapped LED screens, software art and the late aughts Kent Avenue electro vibes of Teengirl Fantasy. Saturday, 9 p.m.
4) Psychic Ills, Blazer Sound System at Union Pool
Summer in Williamsburg means Summer Thunder at Union Pool, aka, one of the only reasons to ever go to Union Pool on a Saturday anymore. As pre-crisis you knows, the Union Pool backyard is pretty great when its not overrun with twenty-two year-old bros from Murray Hill looking to scam on some “hipster chick from Williamsburg.” It turns out that droney psych-rock is their kryptonite, and few do droney psych rock better than Psychic Ills do these days. They’ll sound particularly great paired with a $3 Tecate and the queso from Diablo Tacos. Sounds like a win to me. Saturday, 2 p.m.
3) Zomby, Nolife, Mack, Doss, J. Albert and 38 at Brooklyn Bazaar
For those seeking something a bit more “lit,” I give you this “lit as fuck” electro bill at Brooklyn Bazaar with the enigmatic Zomby as the big name on the marquee. For my money, he’s one of the best, and certainly one of the most experimental producers of our time. While contemporaries like Burial and Four Tet mostly stay in their own preordained lanes, Zomby manages to confound with each and every release. One minute he’s soundtracking a European rave and the next he’s mixing it up with Panda Bear or sampling Brandy and Monica. We’ll probably get a little of everything at Bazaar this weekend. Saturday, 11:30 p.m.
2) Aye Nako, Sammus, Jelani Sei at Silent Barn
If you haven’t heard emo four-piece Aye Nako’s Silver Haze yet, you need to get on it. It’s one of those records where a local band you’ve seen a bunch of times figures it all out, and takes their sound to the next level. Few things are as satisfying. Last year, Big Ups pulled that trick on A Million Universes, which made our top albums list. Silver Haze and its “sad punk songs about being queer, trans, and black” (here specifically, about singer and guitarist Mars Dixon’s transition) as they put it, is good enough to do the same in 2017. They celebrate its release, Saturday, 8 p.m.
1) Pixies, Cymbals Eat Guitars at Brooklyn Steel
Okay, so pretty much no one can compete with the Pixies for the top slot, Kim Deal or no Kim Deal (no Kim Deal, sorry guys.) No one can compete with the Pixies for the top slot, “Indie Cincy” or no “Indie Cincy” (pleaseeeeeeeee no Indie Cincy.) No one can compete with the Pixies for the top slot, fax machine or no fax machine (Kim, Joe and David say they didn’t have a fax machine.) No one can compete with the Pixies for the top slot, $65 ticket (plus fees) or no $65 ticket (plus fees) (fuck fees.) Cymbals Eat Guitars are pretty dope too. Friday, 8 p.m.