3.17 A wknd w/ Ray McGale
The artist on pub food, ferry dates and his power hour set TONIGHT at Arlene's Grocery
60 SECONDS
of
60 SONGS
in
60 MINUTES.
That’s what you get with POWER HOUR, the sweet, sweet specialty that the mind-bogglingly talented BdBK BFF Ray McGale (of Color Tongue) will be serving up TONIGHT at Arlene’s Grocery!
(Also on the bill: Winter Madness second-place finishers Night Spins, Papi Shiitake and Kissed by an Animal.)
Does Ray have the skills, you might ask? Or the stamina? Or the finger strength?! Having witnessed this madness once, we can say: yes, yes and, against all odds, YES.
However this is is a musical marathon, not a sprint. Or maybe like, 60 sprints? That equal a marathon? Either way, Ray will need OUR SUPPORT (specifically in the vox department) as he works his way through five dozen white-hot hits.
SO! Don’t miss the group singalong sesh THIS EVENING as we celebrate St. Paddy’s Day exactly the way our Irish forefathers would’ve wanted: while singing along to Third Eye Blind, Blink 182, Michelle Branch and maybe a little Chumbawamba…
Okay, we actually have literally zero idea what’s on Ray’s setlist (IT’S CALLED #MANIFESTING), but we do know what’s on THE SETLIST—boom!—and you’ll find that below.
Read on for weekend plans from the one and only Ray McGale, then grab your tickets to the show and we’ll see you at Arlene’s shortly for what is set to be the most powerful of hours TONIGHT.
It’s gonna be a good one. Catch ya in the crowd~
[BUT FIRST: PRESS PLAY}
Check out Ray’s Instagram for an acoustic ~amuse bouche~.
FRIDAY
But not just any Friday...today is St. Paddy's Day! As someone with 50% Irish blood and a "Mc" in my last name, this is one of my favorite days of the year. And falling on a day where I don't have to wake up for work the following morning? What luck!! (Plus I work from home on Fridays so that's a nice bonus).
After spending the first few hours of the day toiling away in Photoshop (making ads... I am the enemy), I'm gonna sneak out for lunch. Full disclaimer: even though this blog is called "BandsDoBK," I live in Astoria, Queens (Sorry Sam!) So, I'm going to pop over to Jack Jones up on Ditmars for some dope pub food and probably a midday Guinness or two. Then once I've altered the composition of my insides to be mostly stout and shepherds pie, I'll head back home to finish up the workday and start prepping for tonight's show!
After packing up my gear, I'll stop at Dominies before heading out of Astoria to fill up on a few more pints of Rock and Roll Juice and very excellent pub pizza. But then gotta make haste (at the speed of the N train) into Manhattan to be at Arlene's Grocery by 7 SHARP to make sure I catch all of the insane lineup I have the privilege of sharing the bill with. Kissed By An Animal are so much goddamn fun, Papi Shiitake is just the absolute flyest and Night Spins are the undisputed kings. After a very stellar few hours of music, it's time for me to do my dumb bit. For those unfamiliar with my schtick, I do solo guitar arrangements of popular songs. In this instance (Power Hour) I'm doing 60 seconds of 60 songs with the song changing once per minute....and if you would like to join me in being a degenerate, you can take a drink every time the song changes! (Make sure you tip your bartenders!)
Finally, after a full hour of guitar theatrics and drunken singalongs, my poor little fingies are torn to shreds and most of the room is three sheets to the wind. The trick now is attempting to find a place on the LES on St Paddys Day that isn't a shit show to grab a night cap with whoever is left standing. Fingers crossed The Magician isn't too crowded as that place is perfect for a late night bevy to recount a (hopefully) successful show. And with that, we put another St Paddys Day behind us...here's hoping for only a mild hangover tomorrow!
SATURDAY
NOPE! I am very hungover. Well, I guess the best solution is some hair of the dog! (At least for the purpose of this blog; the reality is I will probably lay horizontally on my couch watching Guy Fieri programming for hours.) My favorite spot for some hangover grub is The Huntress in Long Island City. They have an excellent beer selection and the lighting is the perfect amount of dim to ride out a hazy morning. I know this is a bold statement, but for my money they have the best chicken wings in all of NYC. (Also, I highly recommend the poutine...this has been consigned by my Canadian girlfriend.)
Now that we are on the road to recovery, why not head into Brooklyn! And sure, you can take the G train down but its (hopefully) nice out...why not go for a stroll across the Pulaski Bridge to catch some killer skyline views. Hell...why not take a bridge beer! (Ray McGale is not held liable for any legal ramifications of this advice.) Afterwards, we'll cut down Manhattan Ave and walk past my favorite music venue in the world, St. Vitus Bar! It is truly a metalhead's paradise! If the weather is still nice, we'll keep on taking the ol' shoelace express through Greenpoint, Williamsburg, and finally stop in Bushwick to meet some homies (and perhaps do some more bar hopping along the way; a few favorites include Brew Inn, A-Bar, and Keg & Lantern. Also – cannot forgot The Commodore for the best chicken sandwich/pina coladas in the world.
Now that we've made it to Bushwick, I'll meet up with the boys from Color Tongue (the killer band that I'm in) and do some adventuring. Whether that involves some additional boozing at 101 Wilson, catching a show at Our Wicked Lady, or even some jamming at our practice space in Danbro Studios. Finally, we can wind down this overindulgent Saturday with some burgers, more beers, and pool at The Anchored Inn. Alternatively, if we're interested in keeping the night going a bit later but don't want to spend the extra $$$, there is a bench on Waterbury where we've put down a six pack or two after Super Gimmes practice (our very successful Me First and the Gimme Gimmes cover band) that holds a special place in our hearts.
SUNDAY
We have survived a very debaucherous Friday/Saturday; perhaps we'll have a (slightly) chiller Sunday. One of me and my girlfriend's favorite cheap date activities is taking the Astoria Ferry down to the end of the line and back. For basically the price of a subway ticket, you can take a lovely cruise down the East River, catching some killer skyline views and passing under all 3 bridges. Plus, there's a bar on the boat! Once you hit the end of the line, you could pop right back on the ferry and head home OR explore the South Street Seaport a bit and maybe grab a little pub grub! Dorlan's Tavern is a particular favorite! (Also, apologies to anyone reading this post in hopes of some culinary deep cuts only to realize at this point that my diet is about 95% bar food.)
After arriving back in Astoria, we'll swing over to Dillinger's for some dinner and the best rum punch $5 can buy. This is slightly off the beaten path but worth the little detour. Just make sure you sit at the bar and strike up a conversation with Alex the bartender...an A+ dude by anyone's standards. And just because we haven't already drank enough this weekend, we will swing on by The Let Love Inn for a night cap. They have an extraordinarily cozy vibe and if you're lucky you might catch a neat little jazz trio or concert film playing on the projector. And on that note, I will end my weekend; reeking of Guinness and body longing for a vegetable or simply anything not fried. Thanks for having me Sam!
Itinerary above written + submitted by Ray McGale. Follow the artist at @raymcgaleacoustic.
Feature image provided by the artist.
MORNING ANNOUNCEMENTS
NEW CLASSIFIEDS ARE UP! People want to form new bands! Be in your band! Find drummers and bassists (and more) for their bands! Click here to view and to make music magic happen.
Everyone’s favorite photographer is having a photo show—with accompanying concert, of course. Celebrate the exceedingly generous and incredibly talented queen of the scene Michelle LoBianco (you likely know her as @brooklynelitist ) on April 3rd at Arlene’s Grocery with sets from Tea Eater, NEVVA and Tight Lips. Grab your tickets here.
On March 26th from 3-5 p.m., Brooklyn Drum Collective is presenting a masterclass with Lebanese-Canadian drummer/composer/producer/educator Sanah Kadoura at Our Wicked Lady. Get the details.
RELEASE RADAR
New(ish) stuff from local (+ occasionally, once-local) artists we love, listed in no order whatsoever:
“VEHICLE” // Halima
“Won’t Stay Gone Forever'“ // Stolen Jars
“Behind Closed Doors” // Feyer
“There’s No You” // lovetempo
“Medusa” video // Desert Sharks
“Shirley” // TOLEDO
IT’S HAPPENIN’
Here’s a look at the events we’ve got coming up. Mark your calendars and come hang!
3.17 St. Paddy’s Day - Ray McGale POWER HOUR, Night Spins, Papi Shiitake, Kissed by an Animal - tix here
3.27 Beeyotch, Jenny Alien, partygirl @ Baby’s All Right - tix here
4.9 Bands do BK Brunch ft. Sara Devoe, Caitlin Starr, Telescope Club @ Arlene’s Grocery - tix here
Thx 4 reading! Find more fun stuff at bandsdobk.com and @bandsdobk. <3
Order the Bands do BK BOOK (!) (out now via Lit Riot Press) here.