Martin Luther King was one of the most important people of the 20th century, and the national holiday that honors his legacy has seemingly devolved into a reason to party. Like the old saying goes, Mr King might be turning over in his grave, if he knew that all his serious work for racial equality, has turned into a turn-up, where "no work, no school" is the lasting impression.
Is this the reason why Stevie Wonder made that song calling for the national holiday, and sang it 'til congress got it together and did the right thing? Are we all a part of a cheesy Wang Chung song anyway?
You could be any where in the world tonight, especially if you hit Powerball, but you're reading the Brooklyn Reader because you know what's what. Though I won't Davie Bowie you to death, no pun meaning, I do recommend you get some Bowie in your life this weekend... no pun meaning.
So if we gonna party like it's MLK weekend... because it is MLK Weekend, I suggest you get nuts about it. If you're gonna complain anything, save it 'til Tuesday.
I know, I know, I wrote that whole spiel, but stop being a party pooper. Balance it out with a day of service, because we all need balance. Hit up a church or a soup kitchen and pitch in, help out and be of value to somebody else.
If you have a three-day weekend, then you need to pace yourself. If you are under twenty five years old, this doesn't apply to you, because bouncing back and party stamina has yet to be your problem. So drink lots of water with your adult beverages, get in some dancing to sweat out body toxins and don't top the night off by standing in line at Crown Fried Chicken. You'll thank me for the advice come Monday morning.
But, ummmm (**clears throat**), let me tell you what's good and fun to do in Brooklyn this weekend.
FRIDAY
Soul Inscribed CD Release Party, BRIC, 647 Fulton Street, 9:30pm, Free (Fort Greene)
You should definitely go see this free show. It's Hip-Hop on a higher plateau. This is a quote taken from their website: "Soul Inscribed is a "new rare groove" project fusing poetic Hip Hop lyrics and soulful vocals with funk and dub influenced multi-instrumentalist production". That means that you'll have fun seeing them rock out. It's also an amazing art show at BRIC called Spinning Wheel, which is a multi-media exhibition that's centered around the work of Steven Ben Israel, the activist, comic, outlandish personality and Living Theatre member, and also the father of Baba Israel, member of Soul Inscribed and co-curator of the exhibition centered around his dad. The exhibit takes over the stoop, hallway and other nooks of the BRIC House space and is on a limited run, so this weekend is the perfect time to take it in. Yako Prodis, Baba Isreal, Duv, Yako 440 and Sean Nowell are Soul Inscribed. Remember those names and holla those dudes if you go to the show.
Bringing Back The City, New York Transit Museum, All Weekend, 10am-4pm, Free
MTA workers are the least celebrated of all the responders to tragic events in NYC and one of the reasons is because they work underground and hence, often out of sight. If you were living in NYC during the devestations of 9/11, Superstorm Sandy, Hurricane Irene, The 2003 Northeast blackout, Christmas Blizzard of 2010, then you are keenly aware how they crippled the city. My personal experiences showed me that the heart of the city beats with the buses and subways and the key to the heart beat is the MTA workers. This exhibition shows them at their bravest and finest. Go check it out.
Golden Festival, Grand Prospect Hall-263 Prospect Avenue and varous venues, $80-2 nights
Cultural festivals give a lot of bang for the buck and the Golden Festival bangs the buck from the Balkans. Dancing, eating, socializing, live performances, dance classes, record release parties and all kinda cool things are happening and happening all across the city; from Jalopy Theater to Webster Hall. Check it out by visiting their Facebook Event Page, because I can't do it proper justice in this recap. I smell good value in this one...and some gnarly, Gypsy experiences. You could very well fall in love!
EyeWonder, 58 North 3rd Street, $5 (Williamsburg)
The dancefloor marriage of Eye Spy and WonderGround returns for a spirited jaunt this weekend and those that want to boogie are recommended to report at 10pm, ready to put five on it. This edition is called "The Fever" and looks to be a real reason to break out your dancing shoes on Saturday. Visit their Facebook Page for details and conversation.
Hello Bklyn, Bklyn House Gallery, 9 Beaver Street, 6pm-9pm, Free (Bushwick)
Bklyn House Hotel is a boutique hotel that loves street art. Open since late 2014, the hotel is now opening it's art gallery, which brings it's love of art full circle. Previousl relugated to the muralized guest rooms, the gallery platforms brilliant work and also the Bushwick art community and the opening exhibition features an amazing roster of street artists, co-curated by Saviour El Mundo, and featuring luminaries like URNEWYORK, Pesu, Phetus and Ben Angotti. Peep their Facebook Event Page for more info and to rsvp...which I hear is getting to capacity with the quickness.
Afro-Funk, C'mon Everybody, 325 Franklin Avenue, 9pm-2am, $10 (BedStuy)
This is the classic Afro-Beat party and one that has helped to usher in the music's popularity and widened the genres fan base. Rich Medina trailblazed this party, which comes to C'mon Everybody this Sunday, In BedStuy. It's a ticketed event, so save a few bucks and get one in advance by clicking Here.
Grad Skool, Drink Lounge, 768 Franklin Avenue, 9pm-2am, Free (Crown Heights)
This party would be awesome even if DJ DIck At Nite wasn't spinning (for he is I), but he is DJing and it will. be. awesome. Playing with the eclectic Sir Marcus Logan, who is always dope and we're doing it on MLK Sunday, which means you may be able to lay around on Monday. Jenn Solo is the host and the party is supported by Brooklyn Artistry, a visual art company helmed by my girl Prelo White. Expect something #funner #cooler #smarter in a intimate room, filled with vibes, cocktails, great music and self assured sexy.
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There you have it. If you want to volunteer some time this weekend, this is a wonderful organization to help you figure out a day of service. Now get out there and get your weekend.
