12.16 A wknd w/ Atlas Engine
Nick of the band on coffee, vintage shopping, a Thursday-night show and Saturday's holiday spectacular
! IMPORTANT UPDATE !
Both the shows tonight and on Saturday have been postponed (approx five minutes after this was posted and the email was sent) for COVID precautions. Read on for what might’ve been because we’re too lazy to edit anything.
Plus, happy hour, dumplings and donuts are still very much on the agenda.
!TGIF! DO THE DAMN THING WITH ATLAS ENGINE
Yes, we said TGIF, and yes, it’s technically Thursday, but despite what the use of this acronym might indicate about our spelling skills and overall understanding of time, we believe that TGIF is less about the specifics and more about the ~lifestyle.~
Also, it’s been a really long week, we’re a little delirious, and we just really need this right now, okay?
So, onto the STAR or today’s SETLIST! It’s no secret that here at Bands do BK, we love Nick LaFalce. The artist behind Atlas Engine was the first guest on our radio show, where we talked burritos, beers, bocce ball and the names of his previous projects (including one that was either called Reluctant Joe or Redundant Joe, we can never, ever remember). Earlier this year, we premiered the killer Atlas Engine single “Modern Mind,” and then we followed that up with a track-by-track breakdown of When The Compass Resets…Part 1, a beautiful self-produced EP years in the making that just dropped in August.
And, okay, honestly there were probably one or two things in between.
This is all to say that Bands do BK is just a shell corporation, this is actually an Atlas Engine fan club, AND THIS IS NICK TYPING RIGHT NOW!!!! (Just kidding, but you gotta love a conspiracy theory, right?)
Anyway, consider this your invitation to join the Atlas Engine Appreciation Club (AEAC) (told you we know our acronyms), which you can do at one of two shows // initiation ceremonies this weekend:
TONIGHT! The band hits the stage at Rubulad for a Favorite Friends Records show featuring Punchlove, No Kill and Sleepers Union (details here).
SATURDAY! Favorite Friends is throwing an all-day HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR at Our Wicked Lady that will include comedy, DJs and two stages playing host to performances by Atlas Engine and a ton of other great Brooklyn bands. Seriously—a ton.
Now that you’ve got your listening + social assignments, we suggest you mask up, drink up and turn it up. It’s going to be a very good, extremely well soundtracked weekend, and I, Nick (jk!) (or am I?!), have your perfect plans for it.
Catch ya out there~
[BUT FIRST: PRESS PLAY]
THURSDAY
1. Revisit our latest EP When the Compass Resets...Part 1 (of 3) so you can sing along later at our show that night! We'll also be debuting some songs off Part 2...There Can Be No Regrets, which is out in March.
2. Draft up a work email and close that laptop.* Then grab some tacos at Leo's and do a quick happy hour at 101 Wilson.
3. Head to the show, Doors are at 7! If you've been to Rubulad, you know it's a sick DIY event space in East Williamsburg....or maybe it's technically Bushwick? Who knows....with sick, trippy art installations that create a caricature of what I imagine non-New Yorkers picture when they use "Brooklyn" as a descriptor. If you haven't been there, you'll have to DM us for the address @Atlas Engine. It's with No Kill (whose album we've had on repeat lately), Punchlove, and Sleepers Union and we haven't been this stoked on a lineup in a minute!
FRIDAY
*Open up that laptop, hit send, and call way tf out of work. High of 58, let's get outside in Greenpoint! As a product of New Jersey, I love me a good no-frills diner, so grab a cheap ass brekkie at 3 Decker. Grab a donut at Peter Pan bakery and set yourself up for success as you bop up and down Manhattan Ave.
If you need to grab a coffee and catch up on work, you can hit up Odd Fox. Otherwise, head to Konditori and take the joe to go. Check out Tired Thrift on your way to McCarren Park and enjoy the 3 hours of afternoon sunlight. With Xi'An and Bulap Grill right on Manhattan, you've got great options for lunch/dinner to eat in or around the park.
The top place I tell people to check out in Williamsburg is Lucky Dog - dive bar with pinball, shuffleboard, outdoor space, occasional live music, and saving the best for last, DOGS. Dogs, who we all know are much cooler than people. Go drink and hang out with some dogs. Maybe pop over to Full Circle Bar and play some skeeball. Once you've got a solid buzz, get some Vanessa's dumplings across the street and call it a night.
SATURDAY
Saturday brings you right back to East Williamsburg...or maybe it's Williamsburg? Newtown? There's truly no way of knowing....for what's sure to be a banger of a day.
Grab brunch at Win Son Bakery - One of the better cups of coffee in the area + a Bacon Egg and Cheese on a scallion pancake, which is as good as it sounds. While you're at it, get the Custard Toast too. Since that knocked your energy down a bit, you can grab another coffee at Brooklyn Ball Factory down the road.
Head to LTrain Vintage on Grand St. and pick up some sweet holiday apparel, should you be feeling festive for the day. Then you can head to the new location for Human Head on Meserole and pick up some records on the way to the day's main event at Our Wicked Lady.
Favorite Friend Records is throwing their first annual Holiday Spectacular, an all day banger that runs across both upstairs and downstairs stages with music, comedy, food, and DJs from 3pm - late o'clock. And I know what you're thinking, "Bro we just saw you 2 days ago, and you did rock, but..." and that would probably be a fair point if we were to let you finish. That said, we'll be one of 20+ acts and we're so excited to be joined by so many friends at our 2nd home. PLUS, we heard Santa's dropping by for photos, and as a band that still believes, we're very excited to see Zaddy Christmas back at it, in spite of his own supply chain issues (Grinch).
Itinerary above written + submitted by Atlas Engine. Follow the band at @atlasenginemusic, add the songs to your Spotify playlists and scoop up tunes (and tees) on bandcamp now!
ALSO! Because we would never leave you hanging without Sunday plans, here’s what we recommend: RECOVER. (You’re welcome.)
MORNING ANNOUNCEMENTS
HUGE thanks to the artists who performed at the inaugural STRONG LITTLE SONGS showcase: Arlo Indigo (our co-organizer/host), Little Sun, Caitlin Mahoney and Mary Hood. We raise $217 for Sweet Relief Musicians Fund via in-person and internet donations + BdBK matching, so another HUGE thanks to everyone who gave. Find footage of the intimate evening on our Instagram and stay tuned for the next one. (+ Big ups to our friend Tyler Bertram, who hooked it up on the lighting, photo and video fronts <3 )
RELEASE RADAR
New(ish) stuff from local artists we love, listed in no order whatsoever:
“Popular” (ft. Matthew Caws of Nada Surf) // Pom Pom Squad
“Friday Nite” // Baby & Dynamite
”Tide” (From The Film ‘A Shore’) video // Overcoats
The Wind Through The Air // Robert Earl Thomas
+ ICYMI
Around the blog + on the radio + from the archives:
Thx 4 reading! Find more fun stuff at bandsdobk.com and @bandsdobk. <3