2.15 A wknd w/ sandile
The artist on rare plants, pleasure pop-ups and their show TONIGHT at Our Wicked Lady
OUT WITH GENRES! IN WITH METAPHORS! Particularly the ones below, written by (and about) this week’s SETLIST star, sandile:
sandile is a bug under a cool rock.
sandile is your boss not noticing you’ve been stealing toilet paper for weeks.
sandile is the granola bar you forgot is in your bag.
sandile is a warm sock straight out of the dryer.
OR, in case that isn’t indicative enough of the sound/vibe for ya:
sandile is a dynamic four-piece rock outfit, and their music is a melodramatic punk romp.
Which, for the record, is BY FAR our favorite kind of romp.
For those unfamiliar, sandile is the songwriting project of queer and nonbinary Zimbabwean artist Sandile Mhlaba, who—with the support of bandmates VJAY, Sid “SD” Diamond and Jade Han—aims to “create a sonic journey that takes you from the deep deep depths of depressive episodes to the euphoric highs of gender actualization.”
SO BUCKLE UP, BABY!
sandile’s debut album america’s boyfriend is slated for release in May (if it’s pay day or you’re just feeling particularly patron-of-the-arts-y, you can help fund the artist’s effort here), but in the meantime, you can experience the sweet sweet sounds of chillin’ insects, surprise snacks, cozy accessories and effective TP embezzlement TONIGHT at NIGHT 3 of the BdBK February residency at Our Wicked Lady, where sandile will hit the stage as 1/4 of an absolutely bangin’ bill that incudes SKORTS, Debbie Dopamine and Go Home!
[One note that there’s been a switch in set order: Sandile kicks off, followed by Debbie Dopamine then Go Home and SKORTS.]
And for the following days of le weekend, plz follow the A+ instructions of sandile—as outlined below—and enjoy a beautiful blend of good deeds, tiny treats and a whoooole lot of caffeine.
Enjoy the sunshine. We’ll catch ya out there ☀️
[BUT FIRST: PRESS PLAY]
THURSDAY
After slingin’ lattes all day at Stumptown, I rush over to OWL to soundcheck for a show! It’s week three of BandsdoBK’s Thursday residency and we play the first set, opening for Debbie Dopamine, Go Home, and Skorts. If it were the last Thursday of the month, I’d head to Bodyhack, a trans-centered monthly dance party at Nowadays that fundraises for various causes—gender affirming surgery for community members, aid for Gaza, etc. As of late, they’ve also been hosting my pals from Toolbox Collective. Toolbox is a queer + trans owned pop up pleasure shop that not only vends at events, but provides them with safe(r) sex supplies, STI testing/rapid HIV testing, and rapid Covid tests all for free!
FRIDAY
On Friday it is time to Rise and Grind™ and I find myself back in the West Village for work. On my lunch break, I head to Murray’s Bagels to grab an emotional support Oy Vey (add avocado and thank me later). After caffeinating the masses for $$, I snag a to-go box of coffee from work and bring it to WSP mutual aid for their weekly Friday distro, where I caffeinate the masses at no cost. (Check out their IG to find out how else you can support–sandwiches, clothes, etc!) Then, from mutual aid distro, I head to Amsterdam Billiards Club for a few rounds of pool with friends before makin’ my way back home to Crown Heights.
SATURDAY
If I’m up early enough I stop at my local fav, Lakou Cafe, for a mint matcha limeade before my shift–a little treat that will fortify me against the horrors of the impending Saturday shift. And because I live my life little treat to little treat, I also make my way to Bluestockings Cooperative where I browse for some books (treat #2), re-up my supply of naloxone, and get a quick refresher training cause harm reduction is sexy!!!!! Unless I’m seeing or playing a show, my Saturday night is probably a chill night at home with my partner (treat #3), ordering dinner from Fukurou Brooklyn. With their thai iced tea, I close out the day with a Little Treat Count of 4.
SUNDAY
Sunday is finally my day off!!!!! I sleep in until my caffeine dependence wakes me up, then I make my way to Secret Coffee. I get a lovely cup of whatever single origin is on drip, maybe a sample of a strawberry co-ferment on espresso (what the heck!!! and it’s so good!!), or a sip of their cold brew, all sans the pretentious vibes of most third wave cafes. I take a long stroll to Nelly’s Flowers and Plants, where I stare longingly at the shelves full of rare plant varieties that I very much yearn for but realistically don’t have the executive function to keep alive. That night I’ll grab dinner at Joloff with a friend (try the Yassa Ganar!) before heading to C’mon Everybody for one of my fave drag competitions in Brooklyn—Bitch Fest! Then I go home to scrounge up however many wee hours of sleep I can before opening the cafe next morning.
Itinerary above written + submitted by sandile. Follow the artist at @africananarchy, buy music on Bandcamp and add songs to your Spotify playlists!
Feature image provided by the artist.
MORNING ANNOUNCEMENTS
GIVE IT AWAY GIVE IT AWAY GIVE IT AWAY NOW! But in this particular instance, plz trade RHC for OKC, because BdBK bffs Ok Cowgirl are opening for Hurray for the Riff Raff at a private WFUV show on March 4th at Racket and giving away a handful of tickets—the only way you can attend. Find details on how to enter and catch two killer bands at this ~exclusive event~ here.
RELEASE RADAR
New(ish) stuff from local (+ occasionally, once-local) artists we love, listed in no particular order whatsoever:
“Strangers” // Work Wife
“Here Hair / Hard Hair" video // Gustaf
For Trudie // Chatterbox
Drifting // Faire Osciller
“Be with You” // Brodeo
“Brooklyn BB” // Dräger
“I Want You, Babe” // Fair Visions
“Better" / “Rooftops” // Little Slugger
IT’S HAPPENIN’
BANDS DO BK does OUR WICKED LADY
2.15 SKORTS, Debbie Dopamine, Go Home, Sandile - tix here
2.22 Little Slugger, gobbinjr, Fair Visions, Otracami - tix here
2.29 Obleek, The Resonaters, Real Burn, Short Porch, samkae - tix here
3.03 Book/Spirit, Short Porch, Onesie, Good Time Mystery Vision - tix here
THE SETLIST by Bands do BK is a reader-supported publication that’s freeeee. BUT! If you want to become a paid subscriber to show some love and support the work BdBK is doing… well, hey. That’d be pretty rad of you. <3