11.19 A wknd w/ Marathoner
Andy of the band on K-town karaoke, cemetery jaunts and tonight's show at Pet Rescue
Admittedly, we haven’t run a marathon… or a half… or much more than the distance to the bodega and back. But if we had to guess what one might listen to whilst suffering sweatily for 26.2 miles, it would probably be along the lines of the following:
“Move Bitch” by Ludacris (aggressive!)
“Eye of the Tiger” (inspiring!!)
"Born to Run" by Bruce Springsteen (literal!!!)
Then again, Forrest Gump wasn’t wearing headphones, so who actually knows what qualifies as ~real~ running music. The point is that from a band called Marathoner, we’d expect something loud, rowdy, raunchy… tunes that make us want to bust a move or kick a door down. However, we are here to report that the music being made by the band of Midwest-born, Brooklyn-based artist Andy Cook is … well pretty much the exact opposite. And honestly, we wouldn’t have it any other way.
Rather than beats to get your blood pumpin’, the songs featured on the artist’s EP Sunny Side Up—the art for which features an egg served in that very style—are (over) easy like Sunday morning. Perfect porch listening. The ideal soundtrack for lying on the couch with your lover’s head in your lap and playing with their hair while the afternoon sun streams in through the windows and you work your way through a bottle of orange wine and…
What were we talking about again? AH, YES! While Andy is indeed a runner, Marathoner’s music is more of a mindset—a deliciously chill one—and the absolutely perfect three-track EP is the ideal way to cruuuuuuuise into your weekend. And as for what to do with your weekend, well, the artist has got you covered there too.
So! Without further ado, go forth and read on for a three-day itinerary from the man behind Marathoner, who—btw—you can catch LIVE TONIGHT at Pet Rescue with Sharkswimmer, Joyce and a solo set from Fair Visions! There might be a flight or two of stairs involved in getting up to the venue, but other than that—we promise—no cardio required.
[BUT FIRST: PRESS PLAY]
…We don’t actually know if you can embed Bandcamp in this thing. So you’ll have to head this way.
Hi all! Andy here from Marathoner. Before I get into the weekend itinerary, just want to say massive thank you to everyone on the scene who’s helped bring live music back by getting tested and vaccinated for COVID-19. My day job is working on the pandemic response effort with the city’s health system, so it is like worlds colliding with live music back! (cue Powerman 5000, maybe someday we’ll cover that one).
Now onto the weekend plan!
FRIDAY
Working from a coffee shop on a Friday afternoon can be a treat, and as long as the weather is even decently warm, Sippy Cafe on Franklin and India in Greenpoint is great little place.
Friday nights are a great night for shows, and I should include here that we have a very fun one planned with Bands do BK at Pet Rescue with Sharkswimmer, Joyce, and The Plebs! [Editor’s note: The Plebs have been replaced by a Fair Visions solo set.]
Looking for other options? Venture into K-Town and get some food at Han Bat, then head upstairs to Karaoke Duet! And can’t get into the city / want to stay in Brooklyn? Check out Insa in Gowanus/Prospect Heights!
SATURDAY
I wouldn’t live up to my band name without suggesting a run! My go-to’s in North Brooklyn are down to to the Kosciuscko Bridge into Sunnyside and back, or over to the Williamsburg Bridge into LES and back. In Bushwick, running south on Bushwick Ave to that big cemetery and running around in there is fun too.
We probably want some food at this point. Making it at home? Butter up a slice of bread, take a coffee cup to cut out a hole in the middle, heat a pan with a little more butter, and fry the bread with an egg cracked into the middle. It’s good. Going out? Diners are fun, and I think our favorite in Brooklyn is Tina’s Place.
As we get solidly into autumn and the heavy air of late summer is now crisp, a park hang with friends can be a solid choice for a weekend afternoon. Our band has plans for a Greenwood Cemetery jaunt, join us!
Looking for another show? Checkout the one and only Dessa from my hometown of Minneapolis at the Sultan Room!
SUNDAY
Alright, it’s Sunday, and we’re looking out the window at a hopefully-nice-but-possibly-chilly day. We’ve also probably watched or at least heard of Squid Game - so let’s go deep on K-Dramas! Favorites include Sweet Home, Itaewon Class, Uncanny Counter, Inspector Koo, and My Mister.
Perhaps we want to listen to some music instead? Check-out Early Eyes who recently toured through NYC and have a new record out next February, or from right here in Brooklyn, Boyish - who have a show next month at Baby’s All Right! (Marathoner-Minneapolis-Lineup Bassist Megan is in both bands, and the pride + joy is real!)
Let’s finish off the fall weekend with some cooking. Peel, cut, and roast some winter squash with some olive oil, salt, a tiny bit of cloves, and pumpkin seeds at 425 degrees until it’s looking real good, maybe 35-40 minutes. And throw a fried egg in there for fun.
Alright all, have a wonderful week, be well and take care!
Itinerary above written + submitted by Marathoner. Follow Marathoner at @marathonerband, buy music on Bandcamp and find everything Marathoner at marathonerband.rocks!
Feature image provided by the artist.
MORNING ANNOUNCEMENTS
Hart Stop’s Good Grief—a “support group open to anyone who is grieving or [has] experienced loss”—is back in action in IRL form Tuesday 11/23 at 7 PM. DM Hart Stop for address. Proof of vax required.
Snap-crackle-alt-pop trio Moon Kissed recently announced CAN’T DENY THE CHEMISTRY PT. TWO—a three-Friday residency at Trans Pecos w/ evenings themed SUGAR (12/3), SPICE (12/10) and EVERYTHING NICE (12/17). Grab your tix + start planning your costumes. This trio knows how to throw a party.
A big CONGRATS to our pal Tom Gallo for the 200th episode of Look At My Records! If you’re in the NYC or NJ scene, we’d bet big on the fact you’ve listened to the podcast before, but if not, great news: you’ve got a lot of good shit to catch up on. Enjoy!
And a HAPPY (early) BIRTHDAY to BdBK BFF Nick LaFalce! Everyone else, give yourself a gift and go listen to some Atlas Engine.
BIG-ASS BUMMER OF A PSA: Several people who played/attended our Pet Rescue show last Saturday have come down with breakthrough cases of COVID. If you were in attendance, or were around someone who was, we def recommend getting tested. We hate that this happened, and we hate that this is still a thing, but we’re extremely thankful that everyone was vaccinated and is doing fine. BRB gonna go get a booster now…
RELEASE RADAR
New(ish) stuff from local artists we love, listed in no order whatsoever:
“Red, White, & Blue // Proper.
Body Temp // Jelly Kelly
“Roll the Dice” // Royal Blush
“Only Water” video // Wet
Swamp Deco // Water Weight
“The Nursing Home Jig” // Mary Shelley
“Kids 1995” / “Optimist” // Been Stellar
“Record Player” video // Daisy and the Great x AJR
“We Run On Empty” // Colatura
“Part of You” // Almost Sex
IT’S HAPPENIN’
Here’s a look at the shows we’ve got coming up this month and beyond. Mark your calendars and come hang!
11.19 BDBK PRESENTS: Sharkswimmer, Marathoner, Joyce, Fair Visions (solo) @ Pet Rescue - TONIGHT!
11.20 BDBK PRESENTS: Glassio, Ryan Egan, small dogs, Boy Jr. @ TV Eye (tix here) - TOMORROW!
12.7 BDBK PRESENTS: Jelly Kelly, Slight Of, The Pretty Bitchin’, LEONE @ Berlin (tix here)
12.8 BDBK PRESENTS: Endearments, Roofers Union, J. Pastel @ Our Wicked Lady (tix here)
12.11 BDBK PRESENTS: Mary Shelley, Beeyotch, Tight Lips @ East Williamsburg Econo Lodge
+ ICYMI
Around the blog + on the radio + from the archives:
SPOTLIGHT: Joudy’s “El Preambulo” Live
HANG TIME: Ryan Egan at Baby’s All Right
Thx 4 reading! Find more fun stuff at bandsdobk.com and @bandsdobk. <3