285 Kent: A night out in Brooklyn

Last night my friends from back home were able to make a trip up to the big city to go to a show in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. It was a cold, rainy night, but was definitely well worth it once we arrived at the venue and the show started.

The venue was 285 Kent, located practically on the waterfront of Williamsburg, Brooklyn. It's a very informal venue, but that's what I love about it. It reminds me of the shows I used to go to in dingy, shitty college house/apartment basements back home, except upgraded a little bit. It's basically a huge warehouse with art on the walls, sectioned off. There's a small waiting area/lounge with couches when you walk in. The stage is in the back, along with a small bar and coat check on the opposite end.

The first band that played that night was Heaven's Gate. First of all, they have a female vocalist - and I'm always a sucker for that. They have a very garage-band, grungy punk sound. What got me is the vocalist - her voice is full of emotion and has a very unique energy to it. She was a great front woman, and the band put on a great show.
High Riser EP by Heaven's Gate

The next band was TV Ghost, and what a show they put on! Not only was the music amazing, but the front man was as well. Their music gives me a "punk for the troubled, dark souls" type of feeling.

The front man held his guitar on his shoulder, put it aside, and rolled off stage. He was full of passion and emotion, it was practically art (not that music isn't art, but you get my point). The performance added to the "punk for the dark, troubled souls" vibe I got from them; he was just amazing and absolutely crazy.
Elevator by TV Ghost

The last band that went on last night was Holograms, the band everyone at the show was dying to see. The house was full at this point. Unfortunately, due to transportation issues, we had to leave early and did not get to see their full set. But they were absolutely amazing! There was a smoke machine, and subtle strobe lights in the background, and of course their sound was great.


Now, I hadn't heard of these bands prior to the show. The tickets were $12 each, and having similar taste to my friends I was excited to discover new music. I was really happy with the performances, and although the venue got mixed reviews on Yelp I didn't think it was half bad - tickets are generally about $10; you get what you pay for. However, it's definitely not a venue to go to if you're going to see a relatively known artist. I also got there early so my friends and I were able to make it up to the front. People have also complained about asshole hipsters being there, but it's Williamsburg, what do you expect? Other than that, the venue itself is definitely a venue I will go to again.