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GREENPOINT | WILLIAMSBURG
VOLUME 47 | NUMBER 17
MAY 2, 2019
(718) 422-7400
25¢
Brooklyn Eagle Group
Study: Williamsburg, Bushwick had the most alcohol-related emergency room visits in Brooklyn Greenpoint is full of bars with outdoor seating — but there won’t be many outdoor ads for booze anymore. An order from Mayor Bill de Blasio, which takes effect immediately, bans any alcohol-related ads on bus shelters, newsstands, phone booths, LinkNYC kiosks and recycling containers. See page 2. Greenpoint Gazette file photo by Lore Croghan
Barges and breweries: Sofar Sounds hosts secret concerts in B’klyn’s most unique locations By Scott Enman Greenpoint Gazette
From the top of a ski jump in Norway to the highest floor of the Willis Tower in Chicago, concert series Sofar Sounds is redefining live music events with secret performances in offbeat locations. What started as a group of friends hosting parties in their living rooms in London has grown into an international following with events in more than 350 cities. Sofar’s intimate gigs are held in both residential and commercial settings, and Brooklyn’s unique urban makeup of waterfront warehouses, factories and industrial buildings provides extravagant, unconventional venues for the gatherings.
Right: A Sofar concert was held in the Brooklyn Historical Society’s Othmer Library. Photo by Nick Ellsworth
Frustrated with issues plaguing larger events — like deafening music and disruptive crowds on their cellphones — founder Rafe Offer set out to change the stigma surrounding concerts. “A big component of Sofar is discovering artists, but the other component is discovering places and discovering the city a little bit better,” Sofar New York City Director Stephanie Mitchell told the Greenpoint Gazette. “These are spaces that people often don’t think they’re going to experience music in, and we really love to celebrate those moments where we’re able to work in really unique spaces.” The series started in London in 2009, and began regularly hosting events in New York in 2011. Reminiscent of the rave scene where attendees don’t receive the party’s location until shortly before it begins, Sofar uses a similar model to keep their parties underground. Continued on page 4