{"id":270254,"date":"2026-06-18T00:01:24","date_gmt":"2026-06-18T00:01:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/270254\/"},"modified":"2026-06-18T00:01:24","modified_gmt":"2026-06-18T00:01:24","slug":"an-incomplete-guide-to-brooklyn-music-venues","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/270254\/","title":{"rendered":"An Incomplete Guide to Brooklyn Music Venues"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Art by DJ Short<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re reading this magazine, you\u2019re probably just as much of a music sicko as I am, which means that those of you who live in the same cities will likely end up congregating at the same handful of venues. In my four years here, I\u2019ve seen places come and go, from hole-in-the-wall spots like Bushwick Public House to massive venues like the ill-fated Brooklyn Mirage. I\u2019ve set out to provide a rough guide of what to expect at those Brooklyn venues that have survived or recently opened: the highlights, lowlights, whether or not to have a few drinks BEFORE getting there (every single one of them, buddy, we\u2019re in New York). But I also want to hold these places accountable on points beyond exorbitant drink prices: poorly imagined entrance layouts, shitty sound systems, and IKEA-core design principles. It feels as if these venues can do whatever they want and get away with it. I\u2019m hoping that, even from my tenuous perch here at POW, these words could have some impact on getting that Modelo tall boy down from $16 to somewhere closer to $10.<\/p>\n

My concerts: Actress, Anycia Kim x Tony Seltzer, Loukeman\/Vegyn, Peanut Butter Wolf<\/p>\n

Train stop: Hoyt-Shemerhorn (A\/C, G)<\/p>\n

Come if you: are an audiophile, like cocktails<\/p>\n

Four words or less: Tasteful Gentrification-Core<\/p>\n

An all-around great venue, despite its high ceilings, industrial feel, and general gentrify-design aesthetics. The upstairs bar is for food and cocktails and vinyl DJs, or stopping in for a drink with friends (gulp\u2014prices). Their outdoor space is the Atrium, ideal for daytime performances when the subterranean sound room feels too nocturnal. This is their newest addition, and I\u2019m a fan; it\u2019s where I saw Vegyn and Loukeman sets last summer (Loukeman killed it; I love Vegyn\u2019s music dearly, but his DJ sets have felt uncharacteristically pandering). The crown jewel here is the Sound Room; the system itself is incredible, and the layout feels designed with the acoustics as a priority. Dimly lit in red and heavy on fog, the moody aesthetics fuse with that sound into a singularly intoxicating sensory experience.<\/p>\n

Its location in Gowanus speaks to the area\u2019s shifting demographics, the trickle of gentrification that started in the \u201890s becoming a flood post-Covid. It sits on an otherwise industrial block, surrounded by lots that are in the midst of being converted into high rises. This is not a shocking development (pun intended): it\u2019s only a few blocks away from the stroller- dog owner-frequented Park Slope. It slots in neatly with the slew of luxury buildings, breweries, and nightclubs meant to appeal to the \u201cnew,\u201d post-Canal cleanup (but still active Superfund site) Gowanus.<\/p>\n

Report card<\/p>\n

Drinks: C+<\/p>\n

Great if slightly too-fancy cocktails, but insane prices for Threes Brewing cans. I remember it being $16 for Vliet pilsner\/Logical Conclusion tallboys at some point (egregious), but it\u2019s since changed to $12 for a 12 oz can (feels better but just as egregious). I\u2019ll give them credit for carrying a local brewery, at least. That, coupled with the quality cocktails, balances this score out. But beer drinkers beware\u2014just stop at Wild East or one of the other breweries around here before the show.<\/p>\n

Sound: A+ (Sound Room)<\/p>\n

The best one on this list, it sounds incredible even when loud. There was a moment during UK legend Actress\u2019s set when he was playing with the low-end EQ on a particularly bass-heavy track, and it felt like the whole ceiling was shaking. Definitely loud as shit, but considering the room itself was being moved by the low frequencies, it never reached true ear-damage decibel levels. Versatile, but ideal for electronic genres like dub techno or house that rely on subtle shifts in EQ or filtering. Even the most minute twist of a CDJ frequency knob is noticeable on this beast of a setup.<\/p>\n

Verdict: A-<\/p>\n

New-build vibes be damned, this is a sick venue that while lacking in DIY charm, makes up for it with an excellent sound system and multiple spaces. There\u2019s a \u201cPublic Record,\u201d of no relation, shockingly close by. Take note, Uberers.<\/p>\n

My concerts: YHWH Nailgun + DJ E, Misogi, Lunice<\/p>\n

Train stop: Jefferson St. (L)<\/p>\n

Come if you: Follow Hyperpopdaily and\/or read Pitchfork<\/p>\n

Four words or less: Well-Curated, Quasi-DIY<\/p>\n

If an artist is popular online, they\u2019re probably playing here when they stop through on tour. The curation is consistent, if occasionally hypebeasty, and seems to take its cues from social media buzz. Despite being a legit independent music venue (i.e.- not owned by Live Nation), there\u2019s something decidedly pseudo-DIY about this place. To buy drinks, you scan your credit card onto a wristband, and tap your wrist (human ApplePay) to complete the purchase. It feels Ticket Masterish at best and, at worst, designed to take advantage of the drunken masses by fostering a more mindless drinking experience.<\/p>\n

Like Public Records, your concertgoing experience here depends on which stage you choose. I\u2019ve seen most shows in their Zone one, which is smaller and tends to highlight underground artists like Misogi, or up-and-comers like Projectile (fka Kid Smoko). The main hall is for headliners, often artists fresh off a favorable Pitchfork review and\/or general industry hype. I saw the neo-postpunk three-piece YHWH Nailgun headline here, preceded by a set from Andean mashup maestro DJ E\/Chuquimamani-Condori. The rooftop might be my favorite space of theirs, and is perfect for DJ sets during warmer weather. Seeing Lunice up there spinning Hudson Mohawke songs brought joy to my heart, and spoke to my teenage TNGHT-obsessed self.<\/p>\n

Report card<\/p>\n

Drinks: C+<\/p>\n

The aforementioned wristband thing is an automatic turn-off for me. If they think people not scanning their credit card will make them buy more drinks, they\u2019re probably right. But there\u2019s something off-putting, even vaguely dystopian about it, and makes me feel like this place is purely a money-making venture. Maybe I need to get over my romantic notions of art x capitalism though, I get that these places need to keep the doors open.<\/p>\n

Smoking Area: A-<\/p>\n

Decently sized little patio area downstairs, to the left of zone one. Room for mingling, or plenty of space if you\u2019re out there to smoke a solitary spliff. Kind of close to the entrance, can occasionally get hectic.<\/p>\n

Verdict: B+<\/p>\n

This place does a good job of keeping its finger on the wavering, digitally mediated pulse. Its smartly curated programming elevates it above its oddly commercial trappings.<\/p>\n

My concerts: Magdalena Bay (DJ set), Loidis\/Skee Mask<\/p>\n

Train stop: Jefferson St. (L)<\/p>\n

Come if you: like raves, going out to dance<\/p>\n

Four words or less: Bushwickian Warehouse<\/p>\n

This description is as much a reference to its geographical location in the heart of the Bush (\u201cwhere some people dare to dream that they can learn to skateboard at 39 years old<\/a>\u201d), as it is to the venue\u2019s demographic. I\u2019m not here to do the whole Bushwick-patchwork-tattoo shtick, I\u2019ll leave that to the Instagram sketch comedy community. But \u201cBushwickian\u201d feels like a good catch-all for this venue, even if it might be impossible to encapsulate all of Bushwickia into a single archetype. It\u2019s right next to Elsewhere, so the crowds overlap.<\/p>\n

Sound: F+<\/p>\n

Mid. Actually, worse than mid: butt cheeks. Unclear whether the sound setup itself is the issue, or more likely, the cavernous space makes it impossible to control resonance. Either way, boy, does this place sound like shit. I first saw Magdalena Bay do a DJ set here and wrote it off as a one-night issue. But then I saw Loidis and Skee Mask\u2014both renowned for their sound design\u2014and their set was reduced to a blurred, pounding mess.<\/p>\n

If I hadn\u2019t seen Skee Mask at Public Records and been blown away, I might be less critical. I\u2019d never seen Loidis and was fiending to hear some One Day-adjacent microhouse\/dub techno played extremely loud. But the sound was so bad that I had to leave after an hour and a half and way too many smoke breaks. Even earplugs (paid for at the bar \ud83d\ude10) weren\u2019t enough to make a difference. The only reason I\u2019m refraining from full F is that I understand it\u2019s impossible to control sound in a massive warehouse setting with glass windows. But there has to be some way to set things up so we hear more than just throbbing, overpowering bass and piercing hi-hats.<\/p>\n

Drinks: D+<\/p>\n

Terrible prices but nothing out of the ordinary. Aforementioned $16 Modelo tallboys to try and soothe my head from the horrendous sound.<\/p>\n

Outdoor space\/smoking area: A<\/p>\n

I\u2019ll give them credit for a spacious, pleasant smoking section out back. Cigarette possessors beware: someone is guaranteed to ask you for one. A refuge from the barrage of ear damage-inducing 909 kicks in the main room.<\/p>\n

Bathrooms: A+<\/p>\n

So many bathrooms downstairs, seemingly all gender-neutral. I don\u2019t remember the last time I walked into a semi-empty bathroom during one of these events; the merch line was longer than the bathroom line. Shoutout to them for at least having that side of things figured out.<\/p>\n

Verdict: D<\/p>\n

This is the venue I\u2019ve attended the least on this list, so maybe I caught them on a bad night(s). But to put it kindly: I will not be racing back here for a show. Not going full F due to the interesting-looking room, spacious outdoor area, and plenty of bathrooms, and I\u2019m giving them a slight break on sound due to the nature of the structure. Still, I would avoid this if the sound of the music itself is a priority on your night out. <\/p>\n

My concerts: Shlohmo, Ryan Hemsworth + Umru etc. (Umru Capacity Series), Ovlov\/Anamanaguchi<\/p>\n

Train stop: Myrtle-Broadway (J, M)<\/p>\n

Come if you: like 2slimey\/YhappoJJ and\/or Heated Rivalry<\/p>\n

Four words or less: Myrtle-Broadway in Venue Form<\/p>\n

You can literally hear the J train rattle by outside the window. Beyond the venue\u2019s proximity to the station, it has a lot of overlapping qualities: gritty, loud, diverse, constantly changing<\/a>. It feels like a microcosm of Myrtle-Broadway, and not in the liminal space-fantasy meme sense that the Dunkin-Checkers-Popeyes lineup<\/a> has come to represent on the internet. That now-infamous string of fast food chains is celebrated online as an endearing eyesore that gives recent transplants the illusion of existing in an authentic, REAL New York; some vision of a Velvet Underground bohemia-in-rundown-neighborhood scene. The reality is more complicated. Longtime residents view<\/a> the chains as a residual sign of a grimmer former reality, a reminder of when the intersection\u2019s gritty feel extended beyond a chic in-joke. The venue and station both foreground this jarring collision of transplants in their 20s and 30s and Brooklyn lifers that can only come from an interchange station like M-B.<\/p>\n

This notion of the venue-as-station extends even to the shows. The calendar is an eclectic mix of rap (2slimey and YhappoJJ), a rotating series of queer events like 2024\u2019s endless brat-themed parties and, more recently, Heated Rivalry functions (my personal favorite name of these is \u201cAphex Twinks\u201d), all the way to bands like Ovlov or Greet Death. Most of these shows appeal to the same demographic: young people, and mostly young people who just moved to the city. But then you look at the calendar and see a Berner show, and it\u2019s clear their programming casts a wide net. <\/p>\n

Report card<\/p>\n

Sound: A-<\/p>\n

Very solid. Shlohmo\u2019s REPULSOR and its shoegaze future-bass sounded incredible here when matched with his signature wall projections<\/a>. Got the job done without familiar issues for loud-ass shows.<\/p>\n

Getting inside: C<\/p>\n

If there\u2019s one frustrating indication of the venue\u2019s diversity of shows, it\u2019s the intense and oddly touchy security at the door. That coat check\/merch area at the entrance can be a brutal bottleneck before or after shows. <\/p>\n

Verdict: A-<\/p>\n

Endearingly gritty and DIY, without sacrificing a professional setup. Cozy but not tiny, perfectly sized for what it is. Definitely one of my overall favorites in the borough.<\/p>\n

My concerts: TAGABOW, Vegyn, Glixen<\/p>\n

Train stop: Marcy Av. (J, M)<\/p>\n

Come if you: like shoegaze and\/or find new music through Spotify<\/p>\n

Four words or less: Burgh Box Bar<\/p>\n

This is the most difficult one to separate from the pack. Nothing stands out, and that\u2019s mostly a good thing. It\u2019s cozy, but not a shoebox. Big enough that TAGABOW<\/a> can do their Boiler Room, perform-at-the-same-level-as-the-audience thing and there\u2019s still enough space for the crowd around them (to do their head-nod, barely emotive shoegaze concert thing). It tends to skew toward rock\/pop\/guitar music shows, in my experience, but I also saw Vegyn here. There\u2019s always a bunch of artists I\u2019ve never heard of on their calendar, and I get the sense<\/a> this is because their programming leans a bit millennial.<\/p>\n

The additional bar and booth-seating area also makes it well suited for events, like Pitchfork<\/a>\u2019s Bladee zine launch<\/a>. There\u2019s one bar near the entrance, but keep walking past that one and the stage is in the back, along with another bar on the other side. It doubles as a non-venue bar more effectively than any other spot on here besides Public Records. The calendar is a mix of established artists and newer acts, especially loud guitar-pedal bands (looking for a shoegaze synonym.. anybody?). It\u2019s easy to get to from Brooklyn\/Queens off the J or M trains, and right over the bridge if you\u2019re coming from Manhattan (good for you).<\/p>\n

Nothing here subtracts from the concertgoing experience, besides that damn ramp placement. To be clear: shoutout to them for being wheelchair accessible. But standing there mid-show and having to constantly move out of people\u2019s way is a nightmarish routine. Maybe that\u2019s just my fault for always ending up in that spot. This is the important shit, people: where NOT to stand at the show.<\/p>\n

Report card<\/p>\n

Bathrooms: A<\/p>\n

i. Easily accessible from the side\/booth area (where the merch usually is) down the stairs. I don\u2019t know if it\u2019s because the venue is relatively small, or the bathrooms are kind of hidden from view, but there never seems to be a line. Like 99 Scott, gender-neutral.<\/p>\n

Stage lighting\/setup: A-<\/p>\n

The lights behind the stage are a nice touch, and give photos taken here an immediately identifiable back-lit look. I also like the general stage layout, specifically the way it\u2019s tucked behind the two bars.<\/p>\n

Verdict: B+<\/p>\n

I have less to say about this one, and that\u2019s not a bad thing\u2014it almost seems to be by design. Their programming doesn\u2019t always speak to me, but overall they do a good job.<\/p>\n

In 2026, when hundreds of streams pay artists pennies, it\u2019s more important than ever to support local venues. Lifespans are short for these places; if Brooklyn Mirage is any indication, one (or more) of the spots on this list might be closed in three years. Maybe another becomes legendary, synonymous with a certain scene or era, and 20 years from now someone will look back at this article as a historical document (slow down slow down).<\/p>\n

Go check out these spots for yourself, while they\u2019re still here. These are just my thoughts on the venues, after all. You could go on a different night, with a different group of friends, for a different show, with a different special someone, and have a completely different experience. There\u2019s only one way to find out.<\/p>\n