Whassup: Solstice of the Earth Edition

via ayay.co.uk

The summer solstice is in the offing, which means we can all finally do what we've been waiting for all year: sacrifice a virgin to the sun. Now, I don't know if that was even ever a thing, but you tell me how to properly mark the OFFICIAL return of the bestest season in Park Slope. Of course, if murdering the innocents just isn't your style, there're plenty of other ways to propitiate the golden disc's angry wrath -- primarily by drinking fermented things and moving your various parts to rhythms. Welcome to Whassup: Solstice of the Earth Edition:

* Through Wednesday, June 22: Bushwick Restaurant Week: Every neighborhood in Brooklyn will eventually be hip for a while. Bushwick's in the throes of that, or just starting, or probably already over, depending on how tight the jeans are of the person making the judgement. Nevertheless, the 'hood is saying screw it to Manhattan's Restaurant Week and even screw it to Dine In Brooklyn and hosting their own week of deals on meals. Go see all the delicious ways to get fat in Bushwick.

* Thursday, June 20: Blackalicious, Bandshell: Original headliner Big Boi is out, but this show still features Blackalicious, the favorite group of politically conscious white dudes who were into hip-hop in the early 2000s. Aw, but there's a good reason: shit's good. It's good shit. Celebrate Brooklyn has scored some pretty nice acts so far this summer, and Blackalicious ranks up there. 7:30pm, FREE ($3 sugg. donation).

* Friday, June 21: Make Music NY, All Over: The annual outdoor, music-everywhere event is happening all over NYC, including a buncha spots in Brooklyn. Check South Slope News' rundown of performances outside Freddy's and other South Slope spots. And there will be the music all along 5th Ave, outside Pyramide, High Dive the V Spot and more. Various Times, FREE.

* Friday, June 21: O'Death, Bell House: One of my favorite Brooklyn groups, O'Death, makes crazy Appalachian music and freaky, gothic country songs. Their show is not as frantic and high energy as it used to be (at least, when I saw them earlier this year), but they're still gripping, and there'll be at least a few boozy chant-a-longs with the audience. 9pm, $12

* Friday, June 21-Saturday, June 22: Draw 4 Animals: This Carroll Gardens design studio will be drawing animal photos for donations. The money goes to BARC, a no-kill shelter in Brooklyn. This isn't an "event" in the sense that you would go anywhere. Rather, just pony up (animal pun!) some moola (animal pun!), and these animal-loving artists will draw a picture of a monkey riding a cat riding a skateboard for you. (Note: It is likely more artistic than this.)

* Saturday, June 29: New Inquiry's Summer Fete, Sackett Farms: The New Inquiry, a Young-Turks online journal of criticism, lives (mostly) in Brooklyn. And now they're hosting a totally sophisticated, yet probably pretty raucous shindig to help fund all the excellent words they write for very little money. It's like a Gatsby party, but for the kind of people who would write "Gatsby," not live it. 7pm-10:30pm, $75-$150.

* Sunday, June 23: Home Brew Finals, Bell House: Homebrewers compete to get you drunk the best. You will vote for the winners, probably in a slurred voice. 12pm, $15, $21 w/BBQ.

* Sunday, June 23: Beatles Sing-a-Long, Union Hall: Have you guys ever heard of The Beatles? Rock and roll combo. So. You can sing along to their songs with other people. Ask them who their favorite Beatle is. Count how many say George. This is Brooklyn, after all. Everyone's making the hip choice. 8:30pm, $8.

* Tuesday, June 25: Orchestral "OK Computer," Littlefield: I'll be blunt: Radiohead peaked with "OK Computer." And, despite all the other cool shit they've done, it's not even close. That's just how good that album is. So, this has the potential to be awesome: "indie orchestral group" Mother Falcon is taking on the 1997 album of paranoia, terrifying technology and lost aliens. Here's the group's take on "Paranoid Android," I'll be honest, that's the only video I could find of them, and it doesn't exactly blow me away. (Thom Yorke's voice is as powerful as any orchestral instrument, and certainly much more more than Mother Falcon's singer's.) But I'd still be really curious to hear what this album sounds like live, filtered through violins. 9pm, $10.