This is the last weekend before a certain outer-borough landlord returns to his old job, so we’re sure that at least 55.9% of you will want to blow off some serious steam. To that end, the latest edition of the weekend guide has a couple of inauguration-themed events, including one that benefits the New York Immigration Coalition, which is going to need all the help it can get.
Moving from the national to the local, you can show your BK pride at the Come Up Experience Awards Ceremony (aka the borough’s version of the Grammys). And don’t forget the children (even if you-know-who has, according to his policy priorities). We’ve got a few events just for them, including an MLK Day event at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum and, if that’s not commercial enough for you, Frozen and Encanto on ice.
View this post on Instagram
Friday 1/17
HEADS KNOW: Certified Jesus Freak / Eden / Nadus / O.J.C. / Shekdash @ SILO
10 p.m.
The independent party HEADS KNOW, founded and run by culture journalist Arielle Lana LeJarde, has been throwing killer parties since mid-2023. This one will be no different. It features Jersey Club trailblazer Nadus, who has been setting dance floors afire for over a decade (his 2014 debut Broke City still stands up). He’ll be joined by some new names in nightlife worthy of your attention: shekdash, O.J.C, Certified Jesus Freak, and more.
Niambi: Taboo EP Release @ Cafe Erzulie
8 p.m.
You may know Niambi from her time in the neo-soul/hip-hop duo OSHUN, who made some waves a few years back. Now, Niambi is going solo. This show celebrates the release of her debut EP Taboo. The project, we’re told, “is a reflection of her next phase as an artist, a new mother and a woman.” The project thankfully includes our favorite of her recent tracks, “Ain’t Shit.”
A Very Modern Classical Evening with Molière in the Park @ Central Library
7 p.m.
Moliére in the Park, as the name indicates, is a company that normally puts on free theater in Prospect Park. However, it’s January, so — no fools they — they’re moving indoors. This special event has something modern (The Regulars, a short tragedy in verse by rapper, actor, and playwright Le’Asha Julius) paired with something classical, Moliére’s one-act The Ludicrous Ladies.
The Reverse Racism Show: Inauguration Race War @ Littlefield
7:30 p.m.
This hybrid of stand-up comedy and a game show will feature tons of comedians, as well as “a special live reimagining of the upcoming presidential inauguration,” which sounds like something that truly has to be seen to be believed.
View this post on Instagram
Saturday 1/18
Artist’s Eye: Yashua Klos on Elizabeth Catlett @ Brooklyn Museum
12 p.m.
The Brooklyn Museum’s current exhibit on sculptor and printmaker Elizabeth Catlett is well worth seeing. But the best way to do it is to be guided through Catlett’s work by a notable contemporary artist working in a similar medium. Yashua Klos is that artist, and he’ll show you not only Catlett’s work, but how it influences his own.
Hip Hop Literacy: Sampling @ New Lots Library
12 p.m.
Hip Hop Literacy is a series at the New Lots Library with noted interdisciplinary educator Dr. Kashema Hutchinson (and guests) that explores the elements of hip-hop as “forms of literacy.” This week’s event, the third in the series, deals with sampling.
COUNTRY OVER Party @ Purgatory
8 p.m.
This party is named after an inadvertently hilarious Kamala Harris campaign slogan. It features three great local acts (Horsepower, Bloomsday, and Isaac Stalling), a DJ set, and even flash tattoos, should you be feeling bleak/happy/desperate enough. All the fun is for a worthy cause: the money raised will be going to the New York Immigration Coalition.
BbyAfricka Takes Over Brooklyn @ Market Hotel
11 p.m.
BbyAfricka is a fantastic rapper from Inglewood who has an eye for the outrageously theatrical — check out how she began her Rolling Loud Cali set last year if you have any doubts. So this event, featuring a live performance and special DJ sets, promises to be one giant, extremely memorable party.
View this post on Instagram
Sunday 1/19
Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. @ Brooklyn Children’s Museum
10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Teach the next generation about MLK through music, protest marching, art making, stories, and even shadow puppet performances. Yes, really. Kids under 1 are free.
I woke up dreaming.: 16th A.I.R. Biennial @ A.I.R. Gallery
12-6 p.m.
Any art exhibit named after a Teenage Jesus and the Jerks song already has a lot going for it. This one is themed around the dream state as a metaphor for the trapped-in-the-middle feelings we all experience, especially between our IRL selves and our online personas. The show, which runs until February 9, features new work from seventeen artists, as well as archival films from Miranda July and Vivienne Dick.
The Come Up Experience Awards Ceremony: Brooklyn Grammys @ Roulette
6:30 p.m.
We all know our borough has talent that’s second to none. So why not celebrate it at an actual awards show? The Come Up Experience Awards Ceremony, a.k.a. the Brooklyn Grammys, will give out awards in a bunch of categories including Lyricist, Photographer, and Director of the Year. They’ll also have a bunch of prominent people in the community presenting, including Audrey Jackson, mother of the late Pop Smoke, who will be giving out the Shoot for the Stars Artist of the Year Award honoring her son’s legacy.
Disney On Ice Presents Frozen and Encanto @ Barclays Center
11 a.m., 3 p.m., and 7 p.m.
If you have a kid, know a kid, or are a kid, chances are you’re extremely familiar with the Disney extravaganzas Frozen and Encanto — and with the fact that children near-universally love both of them. So bringing your favorite little one to see stories inspired by both films, on ice, sounds like an easy way to make yourself parent, godparent, aunt, or uncle of the year, if not the century.
The post Weekend Guide: HEADS KNOW, Hip-Hop Literacy, and BbyAfricka appeared first on BKMAG.
