Nihara Nichelle Joins the Radio Team

Hey everybody. Hope you're keeping cool out there as it is blazing here in the heart of Brooklyn. I love the posting from the Bk Historical Society about the cracked fire hydrant acting as a temporary "pool" for the neighborhood.

Things are heating up here for Why I love Brooklyn Radio Hour. We're getting more interest in the project than we expected. Nihara Nichelle blessed the studio this morning and recorded her promos. We know she is a busy woman but we are so excited to have her involved.



Well, what ever you find yourself doing, be sure to stay cool and hydrated in this heat.

WILB Blog Expands Into "Radio Waves"

What's up everybody. I hope this day finds you almost as excited as I am. I've been wanting to return to the radio waves since I left college radio. Now, I'm using this blog to create an opportunity. With the help of Nihara Nichelle and some other friends, we will be bringing you a monthly talk radio show.



It should get interesting, especially when we open up the phone lines. Make sure you "tune in" this summer!

Brooklyn Festivals in Full Swing

I discussed a few of the concert options last week. Another thing to take into consideration living in Brooklyn is the festivals and block parties, the icing on the cake that is called New York City. Sometimes you have to overcome boundaries (be it natural or man made) to really get the max from Gotham City.

Speaking of crossing boundaries, the Brooklyn Historical Society is amongst the supporters of Loving Day, a celebration of love overcoming institutionalized racism. Held in a park at 23rd & FDR right across the river from Greenpoint, they serve up bbq, beer, good music and good people. I always enjoy the annual celebration. Not only for the personal reasons of my mixed background, it is a great party. It's worth the trip into the city for an afternoon of fun. Matter of fact, it was the second video I made in the WILB video series.

A festival that has kicked off yesterday is the Northside Festival, giving a platform to emerging music and film. Only a few years old, it has grown quite quickly in the short time it has been around. Originally 50 bands, now they are bringing "350 bands in a span of four days to nearly every music venue across Williamsburg and Greenpoint (and some secret surprise spots too)".

A few other festivals worth mentioning this weekend. Every weekend is the festival of food known as the Smorgasburg, featuring a total of 75-100 vendors. This is also the third Sunday of June (time flies!!) so it's time for the Food Truck Rally at Grand Army Plaza. With all sorts of creative types, it has a festival feel. If fine art is your thing, this Sunday is the closing of the Brooklyn Waterfront Artist's showing. They will have the silent auction where you can get quality artwork at bargain prices. 

Speaking of art, I'm a little intrigued about the BangOn!NYC in 3D Festival, claiming to be the first of it's kind. They are billing it as a 3D-immersive festival in Williamsburg, featuring 2 stages of electronic music with 3D video mapping and a silent disco in a 40,000 sq ft air-conditioned indoor/outdoor warehouse. Also featuring food trucks, vendors, rides, aerial performances, large scale art installations and a giant 30' inflatable slide, it sounds like a fun afternoon.

 

There's many other such activities this weekend. I'm excited to go to the Mermaid Parade next weekend. I was really worried that that bitch Sandy hit Coney Island a bit too hard. But you know that tough, gritty spirit of Brooklynites won't let anything slow 'em down. What ever you do, this weekend, Brooklyn, have a great weekend!

Signs Of Summer Finally Surface In Brooklyn

What up, everybody! It's been a busy busy time over here. Summer is definitely here and the shows have begun. If you didn't hear, Rakim* gave an incredible performance (as if we'd expect anything less of the God Emcee) last night in Red Hook Park.



But not to worry, there are numerous other shows this summer, some free and others not so free. There is the Celebrate Brooklyn series (concerts, films, dance parties) at Prospect Park and various locations. There is no word yet about the Seaside Summer Concert Series out in Coney Island. The News Herald published that it kicked off this week, but I have yet to see anything else on the web.

As for this weekend, I have been hearing of a lot of things going down. Friday is National Doughnut Day, which is one of the few days my wife leaves me alone while eating them. I just may set up camp over in Bed Stuy to win this:

National Doughnut day is Friday June, 7th, Stop by Dough and for every purchase you could win 4 free doughnuts per week for a year
— DOUGH (@doughbrooklyn) June 6, 2013

 
Then on Saturday, our friends over at Brooklyn Based are doing another installation of their annual immersion series in Red Hook.I keep missing them but hear good things. Bounce on over to Governors Island for the Figment NYC art festival. And if you haven't been to the park in a few years, you don't need to go thru the city to get there.

If you're like me and history is your thing, you might want to head on over to Plymouth Church this Sunday evening. They will be hosting a Juneteenth event. The church itself played a big role in the abolitionist movement in Brooklyn and the greater NYC area.What ever you choose to do, have a great weekend.
* My apologies for playing with the text size, I'm a huge Rakim fan