[Fips was there...] Bacon Takedown Takes Down My Arteries

via thetakedowns.com

We here at FIPS spend a hell of a lot of time out and about in Brooklyn, attending outdoor concerts, comedy shows and various other events. So [FIPS Was There...] is where we're gonna' talk about all this shit.

Hey guys, let's try an experiment. I'm going to say a word, and you try not to become aroused: "bacon." See! It's impossible. Even you vegans out there got a little drooly, didn't you? Last night, I partook of this most delicious of pig-derived staples at the Third Annual Brooklyn Bacon Takedown, a competition amongst the creations of 20 local chefs that bathed the Bell House in the tears of all Park Slope's vegetarians and most of greater Brooklyn's observant Jews. 

And, oh my, the bacon. I'm currently more stuffed with it than a Congressional appropriations bill (OK, I'll stop with the bacon jokes. No, I won't. There's more pig inside my belly than the precinct headquarters on donut day. Too far? I agree). Upon entry, guests were greeted with some complimentary slabs of the salty stuff provided by representatives of Hormel, the corporate sponsors (I'll Occupy Wall Street AFTER I acknowledge that the money for big, fun events has to come from somewhere, thankyouverymuch). 

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[FiPS Was There...] Come for the Opener: O'Death

via odeath.net

We here at FIPS spend a hell of a lot of time out and about in Brooklyn, attending outdoor concerts, comedy shows and various other events. So [FIPS Was There...] is where we're gonna' talk about all this shit.

Around these parts, it's worth it to come for the opening act.

Last night I hit the Bell House for Brooklyn's best, by far, punked-out-backwoods-Appalachian-gothic folk band, O'Death. How many punked-out-backwoods-Appalachian folk bands are there in Brooklyn, you may ask? I only know the one for sure, but damn if they don't kick a little ass. Their set was as borderline insane and roiling as ever, despite the softer tone of their latest release, but I came away that night still thinking of the 8pm opener, Lady Lamb the Beekeeper.

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[FIPS WAS THERE...] 'The Little Dog Laughed' at The Gallery Players

Photo by Neal Freeman | From left: Yore, Seibert, Mendes, and Verafield

We here at FIPS spend a hell of a lot of time out and about in Brooklyn, attending outdoor concerts, comedy shows and various other events. So [FIPS Was There...] is where we're gonna' talk about all this shit.

When I first discovered that Park Slope had its own theater company, I was hella embarrassed. After all, I talk a big game about how I’m on top of shit around these parts. You’d think it wouldn’t take the five years I've lived here to find the goddamn theater in the neighborhood!

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[Fips Was There...] The Food Truck Vs. Brick & Mortar Debate!

New column alert! We here at FIPS spend a hell of a lot of time out and about in Brooklyn, attending outdoor concerts, comedy shows and various other events. So [FIPS Was There...] is where we're gonna' talk about all this shit.

This past Tuesday Gelf Magazine hosted their recurring Non-motivational Speaker series at the spacious Tea Lounge on Union. The theme of the evening - a hot button in this nabe as of lately - was Food Trucks and Restaurants: Can't We All Just Get Along? The panel included a nice balance of characters, including a restaurant owner, a food truck owner and a food blogger. The evening was informative, and I think everyone involved wants to work toward a day when food trucks and brick and mortar restaurants can exist in harmony. Let's meet the panelists, shall we?

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[FIPS Was There] Lou Pride at Dig Deepers' Third Anniversary

New column alert! We here at FIPS spend a hell of a lot of time out and about in Brooklyn, attending outdoor concerts, comedy shows and various other events. So [FIPS Was There...] is where we're gonna' talk about all this shit.

Park Slope's classic soul series, Dig Deeper, celebrated its exit from the terrible twos last night with a smooth-as-satin set from Chicago soulster Lou Pride at Southpaw. The AC was nipple-erect cold, the audience was as white as their dance moves, and the tunes were good-old-fashioned R&B.

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