7.28 A wknd w/ Big Girl
The band on flea markets, the go-to glitter rule and—SURPRISE!—their Sunday-night show at Arlene's!
HAPPY FRIDAY. This weekend we have one and only one set of instructions for you…
GO BIG GIRL OR GO HOME!
The NYC band—led by guitarist/vocalist Kaitlin Pelkey—dropped their record Big Girl vs. God on June 30th, and after the release, Kaitlin, the Big Girl herself, sent over some inside intel on the very rad record:
“Big Girl vs. God is a collection of personal stories and intimate reflections on life and loss that unearth poignant insights on inherited trauma, grief, mental health, climate change, and coping with life in the digital age. The music splices together indie-rock vulnerability and deep savory grooves with irreverent punkish energy to create their own hybrid. The result is an expansive and deeply intimate debut record with a moving story, powerful emotionally-raw vocals at the center, and a backbone of primal lived-in rock n’ roll.”
That very album was celebrated LAST NIGHT at the band’s release show at Baby’s All Right! But before you die from FOMO (forensics aren’t our thing, but feels like a valid cause of death these days), allow us to reassure you. For this is not the only sweet, sweet show the band is playing this week.
🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳 SURPRISE!!!!!! 🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳
In JUST-ANNOUNCED NEWS, You can catch Big Girl SUNDAY NIGHT at Arlene’s Grocery at Ladykiller Presents: Staygold Festival in Honor of Russ John Gold’s Life ft. missyou, Her Dark Heaven, Big Girl and OJW + MC Luis Galilei (tickets available here).
As for the pre-game for this Sunday show, Big Girl has come through with a set of sun-baked, glitter-blasted, hangover-busting plans for what’s set to be a very, very hot one… in more ways than one.
Set the mood with this video…
Then blast the new Big Girl album (below) and then go forth and proceed to have the best weekend you’ve ever had in your entire life. It’s summer in the city! So grab an ice cream, wash it down with a cold beer and plz continue to ~carpe diem~ the crap out of it. Catch ya out there <3
[BUT FIRST: PRESS PLAY]
FRIDAY
You've been preparing your mind and body for several weeks in anticipation of the Big Girl vs. God album release show, which happened last night at Baby's All Right. You're processing. Now that it's over, it's time to have an identity crisis. But do it in the sun. Don't think twice about getting an 8 dollar iced latte with oat milk at SEY Coffee and then walk your little patootie to Maria Hernandez Park and become a lizard.
You could lay here for hours -- who knew spiraling could feel so roasty toasty sun-on-your-skin good. Return to human form and pat a dog on your way to the Bushwick Flea Market on willoughby and wyckoff. You don't need anything but somehow it's better that way. You use this time to write several overlapping to do lists in your head while wandering through the tiny maze of oddities. Buy a flower pot you have just invented a need for.
Slam a little gem salad at Queen and begin limbering up for a night of dancing at the Ciao Ciao Disco. If someone asks "do you want any glitter" always say yes.
SATURDAY
It's Saturday. How many Saturdays left this summer? Which begs the question does summer really end on September 22nd? No, summer ends on the first day of school. There are decidedly five more Saturdays left in summer. You better bike to the beach while you can. Hair of the dog in the form of an icy electric blue nutcracker. I can't find the Rippers show calendar but maybe they have a show. If not you should play one. If no show get some cheese fries, if show get a beer. and some cheese fries.
SUNDAY
Sundays are for the Big Nasty Breakfast (BNB) nasty as in dank, dank as in greasy and delish. to be observed at noon. Tina's if you're in bushwick, B&H Dairy if Manhattan.
You're sunburnt but only on the back of your ears. That's fine you'll wear your hair down today. You've got a full day of sweaty summer city slickin' shows. Catch the J into Manhattan so you can admire the view of city over the east river. You'd think it gets old. It really doesn't. Wear your sunglasses on the subway paired with a warm fantasy vibe flavored Celsius.
Meet at Tompkins Square Park at 2pm for the Benefit Concert for Leesa with Tetchy, InCircles, Frida Kill, Winter Wolf, and Wife Knife. At last, you traipse over to the Stay Gold festival at Arlene's Grocery for an epic finale to a most glorious summer weekend. Presented by Ladykiller Press!!! Featuring Miss You, Her Dark Heaven, OJW and who's that mystery guest.... it's BIG GIRL!
This is it! This is why you do it year after year, the piss-snow winters and the shit-high rent. You do it for this. Why are summers so damn good in nyc? You wait all year for it, you earn it. You'll remember this day on September 22nd, when we get ready to begin the cycle of forgetting again. If you were unsatisfied with your weekend, please forward your complaints to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
Itinerary above written + submitted by Big Girl. Follow the band at @big_girl_irl, buy music on Bandcamp and add the songs to your Spotify playlists!
Feature image (provided by the band): BMILLZ
MORNING ANNOUNCEMENTS
We all know that on some level, art heals, and we were recently made aware of a beautiful organization called The Sing Me a Story Foundation, whose “mission is to bring the voices of children in need to the world - through music.” As it was described to us, “Sing Me a Story gives children in need the opportunity to write/illustrate stories about anything they want. We distribute those stories to songwriters who turn them into songs and send them back to the kids.” You can watch—and cry to—this process in action via a USA Today piece that features the organization’s collaboration with Michael Franti. Sing Me a Story is always looking for partners and for songwriters to bring kids’ stories to life via music. Find more info and learn how to get involved on any front here.
Speaking of music as healing, WELCOME TO GRIEF GIRL SUMMER — BdBK bff Katie Ortiz has your playlist.
You can’t time tragedy or trauma. It would be great if life did you the courtesy of waiting until the weather and vibe were best suited for falling apart — under 50 degrees is def optimal for curling up in the fetal position, and it’s nice if there's some rain falling to poetically mirror the tears rolling down your face… or, better yet, a full-blown storm of some sort to aptly reflect all your inner turmoil — before turning your life totally upside down. But sometimes you’re forced to grapple with your grief while the sun is shining, the birds are chirping and everyone is running around in bikinis and apparently going to Portugal… to reckon with loss and upheaval in a time traditionally defined by fun, excess and excitement… to process your pain in the middle of motherfucking Aperol-spritz season.
Katie (of Debbie Dopamine, BATSBATSBATS GHOSTGHOSTGHOST and more) has, in her life, endured at least one immensely sad summer. So when she reached out with an idea to counter the easy-breezy soundtracks bouncing around on the internet annually about this time with something different, designed to offer a specific kind of comfort to those just trying to cope, we were thrilled to provide the platform.
Head this way to find Katie’s playlist, packed with songs to hit that (bitter)sweet spot, complete with context from the immensely talented artist herself. As she says, “may it hold you even when you don’t want to admit you need holding.”This week, Alex Orange Drink of The So So Glos shared his cancer diagnosis in a post, emphasizing that his mission throughout the fight will be to continue making art, what he describes as his therapy. To help him take care of “basic living expenses, additional medical expenses & resources necessary to the creative process” as he combats the cancer, a Gofundme has been set up to support him. You can donate here.
ICYMI, this week we dropped our final ANTI SOCIAL CAMP session with a performance and Q&A ft. Ant Saunders. The artist’s “Yellow Hearts” was the song that first won… uh, hearts… when it exploded on TikTok. He followed it up with “All Damn Day” and “Camaro” (check out the lyric video here), plus a feature on the 2022 Paige song “Miles Away”. There’s more music on the way, but in the meantime, you can catch Ant online, cranking out sweet covers of songs by Taylor Swift, Fleetwood Mac and even our friendly musical neighbors of the north, Nickleback. Get to know the artist via our video in which he plays a few songs and chats about camp, his writing process and the fate of that famous Nissan.
And, of course, MORE CLASSIFIEDS! New ads are up, and drummers, bassists, guitarists, songwriting partners, xylophonists (!), bands to share a rehearsal space and more are wanted. Get the scoop on creatives seeking collaborators via our database here.
RELEASE RADAR
New(ish) stuff from local (+ occasionally, once-local) artists we love, listed in no order whatsoever:
Thrift Store // The Planes
“Good Ole Same Ole” // Locations
“Wicker” // Telescope Club
“Only Gotta Start” // Peter Wise
“Anthill / Bossman” / QIRL
GTFOH // LEONE
“Goin’ to the Beach” video // Mary Shelley
“Baby Yaga” // Go Home
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