WHASSUP: It's Officially Summer Edition

The solstice has come and gone—Summer has officially begun. You have precious little time to soak up vitamin D before winter rears its ugly head and chases us all back inside for another treacherous bout with the elements. Until then, I suggest you get thee out thee house. Find patios and rooftops on which to enjoy cold seasonal brews and fruity, frozen cocktails. Get to the water AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE! Hop off the train a couple stops early and enjoy the walk.

This time of year is to be treasured. I don’t want to hear “I’m too hot.” No! Stop it right there. Get in shape, wear less clothes, bathe in a lake. Make it work, people.

Summer pep talk aside, there are some great goings-on that I want to tell you about. Some are most certainly better than others, but I suggest you take it all in and form your own opinions. Do you like sports? Music? Drinking? Video games? I want to know! Tell me all your inner outings desires and I’ll work hard to curate the best damn list of urban adventures this side of Newtown Creek—look it up.

What’s that you ask?  Whassup? Here’s Whassup:

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WHASSUP: Something Other Than World Cup Edition

Spoiler Alert: the World Cup is going on. Did you know? Sure, soccer — ahem, football — is loved by the entire planet, but I have to laugh when I see New Yorkers, who couldn't care less, piling into bars to root on third world nations they've likely never heard of. Frankly, it's an excuse to get hammered and pretend to be excited over a sport you normally couldn't care less about. I've been watching nonstop. It's fucking great.

But I digress. Not one single suspect in my lineup this week has the foggiest thing to do with the Copa Mondial and I'm proud of it. Take a quick time out from your newly found Cameroon fandom and check out the ridiculous shit that your neighborhood is offering this week. Much of it's a doozy.

WHASSUP, you ask week in and week out? Here's WHASSUP! 

Thursday, 6/19, The Filmshop Presents All You Can Eat: A Night of Short Films and Live Music, The Bell House: The Bell House is notorious for serving up a great variety of cool shit and this evening of 3-minute films, live music and drinks is no exception. You'll want to thank me, but all the fan mail goes straight to my head. $12, 7pm doors, 8pm Show

Friday, 6/20, Giuseppe Makes a Movie, The Old Can Factory (Gowanus): Homeless dudes, handy cams, trailer parks—a perfect mélange of the avant garde. Climb up to the roof of an historic factory and take in cinema under the stars. $13, 8pm doors, 9pm movie

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WHASSUP: Throw Down Edition

Not to be confused with Solange, this week is a melange of culture, booze, and utter violence—each element balancing the next. You'll get some time under the stars, dance a bit, and veg out after a long day's work.

Enjoy yourselves, people. We only walk this walk once as far as I know, so it's high time you live it up in this 'hood we call home. It's about to get hot as fuck outside and I suggest you factor that in to your leisure management. Read a book in the park, go for a jog, find a bar with a great backyard, and revel in this pseudo-Spring because, like most everything else, it will not last forever.

So, my good people, WHASSUP? This is WHASSUP:

Thursday, 6/12, People Under the Stairs, Littlefield: These guys are pioneers in the indie hip hop movement. I am decidedly not cool enough to attend, but I’m hoping that you understand underground hip hop and will be ready to throw down. Word of advice: leave the “Roger Rabbit” and “Cabbage Patch” at home.  $17-$20, 8pm doors, 9pm show

Friday, 6/13, Shakespeare at Sunset: King Lear, Brooklyn Bridge Park: This event is calling your name. It’s an evening of free theatre under the stars and features a play by  the bard, himself. Yeah, reading Shakespeare in High School was boring as shit, but with good actors to breath life into the time-honored text, the play will be electrifying. FREE, 7pm

Saturday, 6/14, Brooklyn Boxing: Provonikov vs. Algieri, Barclay Center: I don’t condone violence, but if two dudes want to serve up a beat down on their own accord I’m not going to stand in their way. In truth I’ve never been to a boxing match. The closest I’ve come was cheering on Macho Man Randy Savage whilst I was an impressionable youth. Close enough. tickets from $30, 7pm

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PRAISE (MORE) G's, US!

Photo credit: Zandy Mangold/NY PostAs of yesterday, June 9th, the MTA increased G service by 25%. Don't get too excited—I'm fairly certain that 25% of zero is still zero. Sure, I exaggerate, but the fact remains that the G has been a thorn in the side of many riders since its humble beginnings as the GG on August, 19, 1933. That time in NYC history knew the G as a shuttle from Queens Plaza to Nassau Ave.

These days the unpredictable, zig-zagging, red-headed step child of the MTA may finally be welcome at family gatherings—so to speak. There may just be a light at the end of the tunnel for the little engine that couldn't...and hasn't.

No, they are not increasing length, just frequency—sounds frightfully close to my college years. According to the MTA,  the G train will now operate every 8 minutes, as opposed to every 10 minutes. Hold up! Can we get a fact checker? Has anyone ever known the G to come every ten minutes?

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WHASSUP: Branch Out Edition

This week I'm asking you to try some things outside of your neighborhood. Park slope is lovely, don't get me wrong, but there's a big world out there just itching to be discovered by you. Oh don't worry, complainers, I'm not sending you outside of the United States of Brooklyn—just a diferent neighborhood or two. Rub elbows with some other good folks, listen to a different genre of music, and stretch your legs a little. 

If you do attend one of these hand-picked masterpieces I wouldn't be mad to hear about it. Hell, send a picture. I might even show you off to the world. 

This, my pigeons, is WHASSUP:

Thursday, 6/5, Game On, Brooklyn!, Brooklyn Bridge Park: Have you been to Brooklyn Bridge Park yet (BBP for short)? Of course you have! Calm by weekday, shitstorm by weekend. Regardless, the place is a fucking godsend and is offering some free calisthetics with our very own borough president, Eric L. Admas.  FREE, 11:30am-3pm 

Friday, 6/6, Sundance Film Festival Shorts, MetroTech Commons: No worries if you didn't jet out to the acclaimed film festival, it's coming to you for one night only. You'll see short films that created the most buzz. FREE, doors 8pm, live music 8:30pm, screnning 9pm

Saturday, 6/7, Party Like It’s 1999: Regulate Your Purple Speed in June Edition, The Bell House: This week commemorates some turly shitty 90's shit. If you're feeling nostalgic I suggest you Humpty Dance your way on over to the Bell House where you'll find Waren G, STP and a little diddy from Keanu Reaves. FREE, 10pm

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