5.31 A wknd w/ The Dracu-Las
The band on record shopping, cemetery strolls and Saturday's PUNK ROCK MINI GOLF (night 1!) on Staten Island
To compete with the roughly 444,209 things happening on any given summer Saturday in New York City, sometimes you gotta think outside the stage.
Fortunately, the beauty of NYC is we have a whole hoard of artsy weirdos in residence, always ready and willing to do some pretty awesome and off-the-wall shit. And when it comes to attracting a crowd during an ultra-competitive events season… especially to somewhere that is prettyyyy much just accessible by boat… the more that a festival sounds like it was originally concocted via mad lib, the better.
In the case of this weekend’s spotlighted event, those mad-lib blanks would be:
____________
[MUSIC GENRE]
____________
[ACTIVITY YOU DO EVERY SUMMER WITH THOSE COUSINS YOU ONLY SEE ONCE A YEAR]
____________
[BOROUGH (BUT NOT THAT ONE… OR THAT ONE…. K NOT THAT ONE… YA, NO, NOT THAT ONE EITHER)]
The result of this weekend-planning word game: PUNK ROCK MINI GOLF—a 4-night ~punk-putt~ extravaganza that kicks off this weekend on STATEN ISLAND, with performances from Mary Shelley, Dead Tooth, Engine Hymns and this week’s SETLIST stars, The Dracu-Las!
(Let the record show that however this was actually dreamed up, it’s a concept that we are 1000% on board with.)
Now back to The Dracu-Las —
Prepare to fangirl for this Jersey City four-piece, who will be bringing the sweet, sweet sounds of rock ‘n’ roll to the windmill (or clown mouth) (or other iconic mini-golf installation) this Saturday!
To get a little taste, check out the band’s 2022 album Fever Dream, which showcases a sound they describe as “garage and power-pop, embellished by surfy guitar riffs, catchy harmonies, and a fiery rhythm section.” Or perhaps dive right in with their new single “Fall Asleep When I’m Dead” — “a blend of post-punk, new wave, and garage, with darkly relatable lyrics exploring insomnia and sleep paralysis” that also comes with a music video, directed by Dracu-las singer/guitarist Kyna Damewood.
Now that the mood has been properly set, read on for a Dracu-Las-endorsed weekend! Then grab your pals and your putter and a paper-bag-wrapped tall boy from the ferry terminal, bc come tomorrow, it’s ALL ABOARD, BABY!
C U on the island 🍹🍹🍹
[BUT FIRST: PRESS PLAY]
FRIDAY
Idk, maybe you live in Jersey City (like 3 members of The Dracu-Las do), so before the commute to Brooklyn for your evening activities, you wanna pop into Old Rabbit Club on MacDougal for a beer or two. Can't hang out too long cause you wanna get to Union Pool in time to catch Dirty Fences with Josephine & Jolana Starr, djs Todd-O-Phonic & Vee Vee. But you're kinda torn between that show and seeing The Damned at Hammerstein Ballroom. Which do you choose? It's a tough one, but you choose Union Pool because more of your buddies will be there, and you might have time afterwards to see your girl Miss Hap dj at Two Saints.
SATURDAY
You forget you don't have to work today so you wake up in a panic. After some coffee and walking your dog, you get a hankering for some Malaysian brunch at Kopitiam. You're freakin' satiated and ready to take the ferry to Staten Island to experience the cult-favorite music fest, Punk Rock Mini Golf at Maker Park Radio. You play all 9 mini golf courses, created by local artists paying homage to iconic punk rock albums and pioneers. Meanwhile you get to watch Dead Tooth, Mary Shelley, The Dracu-Las & Engine Hymns. You ask yourself why you don't make it to SI more often?? The festival continues tomorrow and the following weekend, so you vow to come back soon. Maybe even tomorrow?
SUNDAY
If you're like the one Dracu-La who lives in South Brooklyn, on Sunday, you'll walk around Greenwood Cemetery, then ride your bike to Red Hook to go to Sunny's Bar. You might link up with your bandmates later to spend money you don't have on records at Superior Elevation Records or Human Head. Afterwards, it's that time of the year for Sunday Soul Scream at Our Wicked Lady, a perfect end to every weekend.
Itinerary above written + submitted by The Dracu-las. Follow the band at @thedracu_las, buy merch on Bandcamp and add the songs to your Spotify playlists!
Feature image (provided by the band): Jolie Dufrane
MORNING ANNOUNCEMENTS
NEW CLASSIFIEDS HAVE ARRIVED! John Lyback is an experienced drummer/guitarist/bassist looking to join a band, while TV Moms is searching for someone for bass and counter-melody action—and more! Full details on these listings (and all of 2024’s) here.
RELEASE RADAR
New(ish) stuff from local (+ occasionally, once-local) artists we love, listed in no particular order whatsoever:
“CAN’T STAND IT” // Pons
“Swim” // AVATAREDEN
“Explanations vs Reality” lyric video // The Big Easy
“State of Our Union” // Almost Sex
“Pilates” // Closebye
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