Weekend Guide: Soul in The Horn, Moodymann, and a Brazilian Vinyl Pop-Up

By Shawn Setaro

When Quincy Jones passed away late last year, there were endless and well-deserved encomiums to many different aspects of his career: his flights to the moon with Sinatra and Basie, his parties with Lesley Gore, his classic film scores, his jazzy, funky ‘60s solo work, his time in TV and film, his founding of Vibe, and, of course, his classic albums with Michael Jackson. And yet, in everything he accomplished over decades, for some, one project in particular stands out: the soundtrack of the 1978 movie version of The Wiz, which he produced. That’s the part of Jones’ legacy that will be celebrated at Prospect Park this weekend with a costume parade, a panel, and a screening of the film. But if you’re not in the mood to ease on down the road, don’t fret. We’ve got plenty of other choices for you in the latest edition of the Weekend Guide—from festivals to cheesy midnight horror flicks to a way to discover a surprising part of the borough’s ethnic heritage.

Read on to discover it all.

Courtesy of Honey’s

Thursday, July 24

Midsummer Night’s Dream @ Herbert Von King Park
4:30 p.m.
This is not your usual Shakespeare in the park. Rather, it’s an original musical adaptation put together by a group of Bed Stuy artists, so they can “share Shakespeare’s story through our own voices.” Pre-show arts and crafts begin at 4:30, and the show starts at 6.

BPL Book Prize Book Club: Thick and Other Essays @ Flatbush Library
6 p.m.
Our borough’s library system is celebrating a decade of its prestigious Book Prize by putting on a year’s worth of book clubs about past winners. This time, it’s 2019’s nonfiction winner, Tressie McMillan Cottom’s instant classic Thick: And Other Essays. Dust off your copy— or borrow one from the library—and get ready to join in the discussion.

Linda EPO: Creole (Kreyòl) Dance Night @ Brooklyn Conservatory of Music
6:30 p.m.
Linda EPO has both Haitian and Mexican roots, and she’ll be delving into all of it, along with some funk, jazz, and r&b, with her Ensemble New Yorkino at this free concert, part of BKCM’s Midsummer Nights jazz series.

BKMAG and Paramount+ Present: Movie Nights in Brooklyn- Anchorman @ West 12th Street on The Coney Island Boardwalk 
6 p.m. – music, 8:30 p.m. – movie
Shameless plug here, but if you haven’t made it to one of our Movie Nights yet, pull up on Thursday for some beachside laughs and frequencies in the People’s Playground. We’ll be screening Anchorman, the modern comedic masterpiece starring Will Ferrell, Paul Rudd, Steve Carrel, Christina Applegate, and Baxter, the Spanish-speaking dog. The screening will begin at sundown, or around 8:30 p.m. (whichever comes first), but get there early to secure your spot, grab a glizzy from Nathan’s or, hell, take a dip in the Atlantic, and cool off to sounds provided by the wonderous Wavy Bagels, who starts spinning at 6.

Stefan Ringer and Ben Hixon Go All Night @ Honey’s 
9 p.m.
There’s a whole lot of heat hitting the roof of Honey’s this Thursday. Siblings in sound, Ben Hixon and Stefan Ringer will be lighting up the floors (and your vinyl collection) with an all-nighter and record pop-up in Bushwick. Come for the wax, stay for the selections, steps, and views.

Courtesy of Soul in The Horn

Friday, July 25

Brownsville Old-Timers Day @ Linden Blvd. between Mother Gaston and Hegaman
7 a.m.-10 p.m.
Come on out to enjoy a celebration that bills itself as “Brownsville’s biggest event.” It starts today with live performances, DJs, and vendors, and continues on Saturday with a parade.

Concrete Husband @ Amant
7 p.m.
Amant, the contemporary art center in East Williamsburg, has a large-scale sculpture by artist Esben Weile Kjær in its outdoor lot for the next few months. As a sort of aural accompaniment to that “brutalist fairytale castle,” they’re bringing producer, composer, and DJ Concrete Husband to premiere a new, site-specific work.

Great Heat: Slander, Dillon Francis and more 
@ Avant Gardner
9 p.m.
This event started as the S20 festival, and was originally supposed to be at the Brooklyn Mirage. But as you’ve probably read, that venue’s been having some problems lately. So instead, things were re-tooled, re-themed, and shifted around into this two-day event, which begins tonight.

Natasha Diggs and D Prosper Present: Soul in The Horn featuring Grandmaster Flash, Just Blaze, Souls of Mischief, and More @ 99 Scott
10 p.m.
One of the city’s best and longest-running parties is rematerializing with a cast of absolute legends from all coasts and eras in tow Friday night. Foundational hip-hop ambassador Grandmaster Flash, Jersey’s own Just Blaze, and Bay Area rap icons Souls of Mischief, are just a few of the names on the marquee. But hosts Natasha Diggs and D Prosper, each diabolical curators and selectors in their own right, are not to be missed either.

Slumber Party Massacre II @ Nitehawk Cinema Williamsburg
11:55 p.m.
If you’re gonna trek out to a midnight movie, it better be worthy of the title: bloody, campy, and best seen with a boisterous crowd. Luckily, few films fit the bill better than 1987’s Slumber Party Massacre II, where the killer is a supernatural 1950s-style greaser with a killer guitar—literally.

Courtesy of Xanadu

Saturday, July 26

STooPS Art & Community 12th Annual Summer Festival @ Decatur St. between Lewis & Stuyvesant
1 p.m.
This year’s version of the festival has the theme of “Echoes of Greatness: Celebrating Bed-Stuy’s Hidden Gems.” To that end, there will be art crawls, performances by Kendra J. Ross Works and Soul Science Lab, kids’ activities provided by Bridges: A Pan-Afrikan ARTS Movement, healing workshops, community awards, and more. Oh yeah, and a block party to boot. The host will be one of our favorite BK personalities, Koku Tona.

Brigade’s (*Free*) Summer Barbeque @ 99 Scott
1 p.m.
The action at 99 Scott is non-stop this weekend. And it’s setting up a potential endurance test scenario in which you could conceivably hit Soul in The Horn Friday night, stay until sun up, wander the night’s vices off for a few hours, carb-load to replenish, and then head right back for Brigade’s free (with RSVP) annual barbeque to load up on all the food, drinks, dancing, and dominoes your body can handle by that point. Not for the frail, but if Thursday’s the new Friday, and Friday’s the new Saturday, then Saturday night might just be better spent getting the rest you’ve earned.

UNCUTGEMSDOTCOM Presents: A Brazilian Vinyl Pop-Up @ CWC Radio Shop
2 p.m.
Bookshelves looking a little light? Need to beef up your crates with some Brazilian grails and oddities? Well, Saturday’s your chance. The good folks at UNCUTGEMSDOTCOM are bringing the findings from their latest excavation to CWC Radio Shop in Crown Heights, which shares a fantastic sound room with Rodeo next door. Beyond the wax, there will also be DJs to score the dig, with sets from SoftSpot, Greg Caz, and UGDC’s The Grouch.

Shorts to Die For @ Brooklyn Art Haus
2 p.m.
Short films are where the major directors of the future make themselves known. This festival, as the name indicates, gravitates towards the spooky side, with films about UFOs and otherworldly encounters. Stick around until the end for a Q&A with the filmmakers.

NEMS Presents: GORILLAFEST @ Coney Island Amphitheater
5 p.m.
NEMS may be best known now for his hilarious “Don’t ever disrespect me” videos, but he is, of course, also a veteran rapper. So it’s no surprise that the lineup at this free concert is absolutely stacked, with Busta Rhymes, M.O.P., and Onyx at the top. But it’s not just veterans. DJ Drewski, known for his propensity to catch top talent extremely early in their careers, is presenting a “Drewski & Friends” set that is sure to introduce you to the next set of artists you need to know.

A Tribute to Quincy Jones: The Wiz @ Lena Horne Bandshell in Prospect Park
7 p.m.
Yes, we mentioned this in the intro. But just to reiterate: this tribute will feature a costume parade, a panel moderated by music writer, noted movie buff, and column favorite Dylan “CineMasai” Green, a DJ set, and a screening of the film.

Wheel House: A Celebration of Movement featuring Moodymann, Toribio, Lauren Flax, DJ Voices @ Xanadu
7 p.m.
Listen, by now it should be clear there are a ton of paths your Saturday night could go down. But here’s one you can hit on wheels that’s soundtracked by Toribio and the mighty, mind-melting Moodymann, and could go as late as you want.

Courtesy of A Safe Space Studio

Sunday, July 27

DrumsnButta X CMS presents: Wellness, Beats & Peace Day Festival @ IBeam Brooklyn
11:30 a.m.
This festival exists to “highlight body positivity through movement.” So, it appropriately begins with 45 minutes of movement led by Miriam Parker, before getting into performances, followed by an hour of beats. The event was created and curated by BK native Tcheser Holmes.

Road to Mycofest: Solarpunk Future @ A Safe Space Studio 
1 p.m.
The road to next weekend’s Mycofest in Pennsylvania is passing through Kings County on Sunday with a brain and spirit expanding day of workshops (mushroom papermaking, beekeeping, and natural dying) music (“soundscapes” provided by Pro and 22LovesYou), and vendors galore (Well Charged, June’s Elixir Kombucha, and more).

Summer Happenings Festival: Composure @ Coffey Street Studio
2 p.m.
This is a day of performances, all themed around the concept of “composure in the face of chaos,” a concept I’m sure everyone reading this can relate to. Performers include Stephanie Acosta, Asia Stewart, Xiaoyue Zhang, Janessa Clark, and many more. They will be doing their thing at Coffey Street Studio, as well as outdoors at nearby Valentino Pier Park.

Historic New York: Sunset Park Finntown @ Central Lawn in Sunset Park
4 p.m.
Brooklyn has countless hidden histories. Here’s your chance to explore a rather unusual one: a Finnish enclave that sprouted up in Sunset Park around a century ago. It was home to the first-ever self-managed housing cooperative in the entire country. You can read more about that here, but it’d be even better to hop on this tour and see the sites in person.

Black Chamber Folk Music (Daniel Carter, Cooper-Moore, William Parker), Watergh0st @ The Sultan Room
7 p.m.
Black Chamber Folk Music is a trio consisting of improv music legends Daniel Carter, Cooper-Moore, and William Parker. In this setup, they occasionally move away from their usual instruments to play a variety of African and Asian woodwinds, horns, and stringed instruments. Opening up is acclaimed guitarist Chuck Roth, aka Watergh0st.