10.7 A wknd w/ High Waisted

Jessica Louise Dye on making the most of Manhattan (which you can do before and after seeing the band at BdBK Book Bash 2 at EWEL SATURDAY NIGHT!)

Oct 07, 2022

No offense to the Gen-Z hotties trying to bring back the low-slung denim that defined the 2000s, but GET REAL KIDS —

High Waisted will never go out of style 💁‍♀️

We are, of course, not in fact referring to a type of pants but far more importantly/relevantly to the music project of NYC musician and Femme Fatale Jessica Louise Dye, and sure (!) that’s a stretch of an intro (!!) but it has BEEN A LONG WK/MONTH/LIFE, and this Friday the BdBK brain has officially retreated for pre-celebration hibernation in preparation of the MONSTROUSSSSSSS party tomorrow night!

Because one party is never enough and we gotta do it DIY, we’re heading to everyone’s favorite venue-not-actually-a-local-branch-of-an-affordable-hotel-chain East Williamsburg Econo Lodge for BDBK BOOK BASH 2! And because one reason to party is never enough, it’s also the BIRTHDAY BASH 2 of our High Waisted hero (the first is at Home Sweet Home tonight), who in oh-so-generous Libra fashion isn’t requesting any gifts but instead will be sharing hers, hitting the stage for what’s sure to be a sickkkkkk set, complete with CAKE + CONFETTI + GENERAL MUSICAL MADNESS along with BdBK BFFs // black leggings evangelists // BLT-n-ketamine prescribers NEVVA and the one and only Kissed By An Animal, whose drummer Jon F Daily is the patron saint of EWEL and whose vocalist/guitarist/keys player/percussionist Dima Drjuchin made us this sick-ass flyer:

Pretty sweet, right?

The show (1 Meadow St.) kicks off with a $1 beer happy hour from 8-9. PLUS: Don’t forget the dress code! At the request/behest of High Waisted, plz DRESS 2 IMPRESS JESS in neon, tutus, glitter, etc., anddddd while we’re all decked out in our Burning Man/raver/whatever-kind-of-weirdo finest, hey—who knows—maybe we’ll go have an afterparty at House of Yes or whatever??? (TBD - we’ll ask Gen-Z.)

As for the rest of this dreamy-not-dreary wknd, it’s BANDS DO MANHATTAN, BABY! (Which is not alliterative, but work with us here.) Jess herself has kindly prepped a detailed guide to help you make the most of Manhattan (for the portion of the wknd when you’re not at EWEL, of course), so go forth + read on + rock on—

Hope to see you tomorrow, babez <3

[BUT FIRST: PRESS PLAY]

FRIDAY

If you’re one of those snobby people who think Manhattan isn’t cool anymore, ew, gross. You just need some insider guidance - I got ya. And we’re sticking mostly to Chelsea and Midtown (GASP).

We’re kicking it off with happy hour drinks and tater tots while sitting in old bowling alley chairs at Trailer Park Lounge. Do you like astro turf, pink flamingos, a wide variety of velvet Elvis artwork and 60’s kitsch? Then this is gonna be your new fave spot.

Time for a proper meal. Off to strut down to LouLou for french food and the cutest cocktails.

Post dinner sippies at Jungle Bird cuz we’re doing fancy cocktails tonight. And things taste better with umbrellas and flowers. Facts.

Our main event tonight is the amazing drag show at Baracuda. Always free, always packed, and always iconic.

We will be completing the night with 3 am snacks from Chelsea Square. A diner used for more TV [shows] and movies than I can count. Something about their burgers just hits.

SATURDAY

We’re grabbing bagels and coffee on the go from Zuckers (which used to be Murrays and tastes the same IMO) as we gallery hop around Chelsea. Soak in the culture as your hangover lifts. My favorite gallery to pop into is Taglialatella on 10th Ave, they always have eye-catching goodies of new and old.

Nap time.

Pre-dinner sippies at the newly reopened Chelsea Hotel Bar (of which I live behind). It’s stunning.

Since we’re classy and we like live theater, time to catch a performance at The Joyce on 8th Ave.

I know we’re starving and late eaters, so for dinner we’re doing a bang-bang, let’s share. First stop is a few bites of the freshest fish from Sushi Seki then let’s hop on the ACE to midtown for a bowl of authentic ramen EAK and matcha beer.

Teleport to the ‘80s with this best kept gem in Times Square, The Woo Woo. Then let’s chat with locals at my favorite dive, Jimmys Corner. Bonus points for going to actual cook places in midtown.

Late night munchies! Time for a pit stop at Lions Tigers and Squares.

SUNDAY

Slow crawl to Elmo’s for brunch because we need bloody marys stat. The portions are big and it gets beautiful light even on dreary winter days.

I’m feeling lazy so let’s catch a movie at Cinepolis. They have a full bar with snacks and newly renovated lounge chairs.

Sips at a speakeasy inside the subway with impeccable music taste at La Noxe is the perfect, intimate way to round out the weekend.

Itinerary above written + submitted by High Waisted. Follow the project at @gethighwaistedd, buy music on Bandcamp and add the songs to your Spotify playlists!

Feature image (provided by the band): Kelsey Wagner

MORNING ANNOUNCEMENTS

TUESDAY! Head to the 101 Death Pop-Up at 101 Wilson from 5-10 PM for arts, prints, stick 'n’ pokes, empanadas and more from some of our fave BK faves.
Our eyes were wide and hearts were warmed when we came across the WORD Bookstore post that featured the BdBK book as one of their September bestsellers (!!!!!) alongside a casual assortment of up-and-coming authors such as Stephen King, Lois Lowry, bell hooks and Michelle Zauner. Thanks to everyone who has bought a copy and showed support! (WE’RE NOT FREAKING OUT YOU’RE FREAKING OUT!!)