Weekend Guide: LAILA!, The 233 Record Fair, and a Saint James Joy Halloween Block Party

By Shawn Setaro

After a number of deceptively warm weekends, the weather has finally turned and, as October comes to an end, it seems like fall is finally actually starting. Sadly, that means our extended season of street fairs, outdoor theater, and nature exploration is all but over. That doesn’t mean the fun is done, though. In fact, it’s only just beginning. This week, we’ve got a wild bunch of indoor events, from new takes on Greek classics to the best in new trans filmmakers; from bad dates to battles between horrific monsters (and honestly, is there really that much of a difference?); and from Rip Van Winkle to reggaeton. Check it all out in the latest edition of the Weekend Guide.

Courtesy of Laila!

Thursday, October 22

Ghostemane’s AM.FM Album Release Show @ Market Hotel
7 p.m.

Ghostemane began his career as one of the most fascinating figures of the so-called “SoundCloud rap” wave, combining the Memphis-influenced sound of the scene with metal and hardcore. Then, following many twists and turns, he disappeared for years, starting around the turn of this last decade. Now he’s back with a new era and a new album to go with it.

Shorts: Having a Great Time Being Trans Lately @ Nitehawk Cinema Prospect Park
7:30 p.m.

NewFest, the annual New York LGBTQ+ film festival, continues this weekend with a program of short films by “some of the most lucid trans voices of our time.” Among the filmmakers are My Panelli & Serena Hommes, Yaz Josiah, Drew Burnett Gregory, Ethernet Wang, Sofia Angst, and more. The screening will be followed by a Q&A.

words a god had taught him @ Box of Moonlight
7:30 p.m.

Sophocles’ Ajax just had an excellent adaptation over at Jack. But something about the play—one that focuses on public humiliation, war, the place of foreigners, and the rewards and risks of overconfidence—seems to be resonating these days, though we can’t possibly imagine why. Anyway, this version, by Alex Oleksy, puts the ancient Greek text together with “found language and songs from American military history.”

Club Genius: An album release party for LAILA!’s We’ll Never Be This Young Again @ Sanders Studios
9 p.m.

Pull up and pour out in celebration of the sophomore album from LAILA!, the all-caps singer, producer, and prodigal daughter of local rap hero yasiin bey. Be warned, though: the party (which requires an RSVP) is for “chalant people only,” which is to say, there’s no standing room at this studio throwdown in Clinton Hill.

Courtesy of Purgatory

Friday, October 23

In Pursuit of Life, Liberty, and Happiness: Reimagining American Democracy @ Brooklyn Museum
11 a.m.

This day-long program features urgent and vital conversations, poetry, performance, and more, dedicated to showing us how to build a more expansive, dignified future. You can see Miriame Kaba, Queen Jean, Nicole Sealey, Moses Sumney, and many more, including Chelsea Manning, who will deliver the keynote address.

Kafou Gallery Presents: “Dòmi. Leve. Jwenn” Artist Talk with Deenps Bazile @ Kafou Gallery
6 p.m.

For the past 35 years, the 18th-century ceremony of Bwa Kayiman that sparked the Haitian Revolution has been commemorated by the Haitian community every year at Prospect Park. All of that has been captured by artist Deenps “Gran Bwa” Bazile, who will be on hand to discuss his work and what it means for a community to keep a story alive.

PLAYDATE @ Brooklyn Children’s Museum
6 p.m.

If you’re looking for something free and fun for the little ones after work on Friday, head over to the Crown Heights kids’ museum. The inaugural edition of this all-ages fete will feature custom screen-printing, tooth-gem installations, face painting, a rooftop roller rink, and music provided by the borough’s own Donwill.

Jill Lepore Presents: The Rise and Fall of the Artificial State @ Old First Reformed Church
7 p.m.

Jill Lepore (or “Pulitzer Prize winner Jill Lepore,” as we hope she makes everyone call her after taking one home a few months back) has a new book about how Big Data and algorithms are destroying both democracy and our own capacity to think. Hear her talk about it with The New Yorker’s Andrew Marantz.

The 3rd Annual Horror Night @ Purgatory
7 p.m.

The Bushwick club’s annual Horror Night returns this weekend with a live recording of a The Blob reading, followed by sets from Trash Rabbit and NEJ, as well as raffles for prizes and a costume contest.

Arcángel: La 8va Maravilla World Tour @ Barclays Center
8 p.m.

Arcángel is a pioneer in the musica urbano world, with a two-decade catalog of hits to back him up. He’ll be bringing all of them to Barclays on this tour to support this year’s La 8va Maravilla.

Courtesy of Public Records

Saturday, October 24

All The Papers Have a Very Big Value @ FMFM
11 a.m.

Palestinian designer and cultural worker Layal Srouji will be leading this film screening, discussion, and workshop. Things start off with a documentary about the restoration of Palestine’s first Arabic printing press established after the Nakba. Then, using techniques found in the film, participants will create their own miniature printing machines.

233 Record Fair co-hosted by Shawn Dub @ Public Records
11 a.m.

Looking through vinyl from some of the best local vendors while awesome DJs spin? For some of us, there is literally no better way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

Beats for Treats: A Saint James Joy Halloween Block Party @ Saint James Place, between Gates and Greene
Open streets at noon, music at 2 p.m.

Fort Greene’s father-son power DJ duo is getting into season’s spirit(s) with this all-day block party on a strip of Saint James that should prove familiar to their legion of fans and neighbors. Free music and dancing (powered, of course, by Karlala Sound System, resident purveyors of giant pink speakers and olympian decibel levels) will provided, so as long as you bring an unopened bag of candy for the kids (and probably even if you don’t—but why be that guy?)

Chinchilla @ Baby’s All Right
7 p.m.

The British singer and rapper has been making noise, both in her home country and overseas, since debuting in 2019. She’ll be showing up to town on the back of a number of striking (and strikingly varied) recent singles, including this writer’s favorite, “Irrevocably Changed.”

Psychosis: Mike Servito, Sister System, Acid Mama, beewack @ Dead Letter No. 9
9 p.m.

Psychosis continues with the second of its planned four parties. Per the name, get ready for things to get wild, distorted, and not a little weird. Mike Servito closes out the night, spinning all the way until 3:30 in the morning.

Courtesy of Littlefield

Sunday, October 25

Lucha Libre Promotions Presents: Día de Muertos @ The Brooklyn Monarch
3 p.m.

Check out the best Lucha show in the area on an appropriately festive day. Performers include Mr. Piñata, Tarzan Duran, Mike La Torre, Las Pesadillas, and many, many more.

Impossible But True: An Immersive Musical Theater Experience @ Old Stone House of Brooklyn
3 p.m.

This fun musical looks at the American Revolution from a new point of view: Rip Van Winkle’s. The show imagines what the war might look like as seen from his sleepy village. Make sure to show up early so you can get a free sample of “flip,” the cocktail popular in colonial times.

Godzilla vs. Megalon @ Alamo Drafthouse Brooklyn
7 p.m.

This classic in the Godzilla series features a showdown that’s not just monster-versus-monster. The climax is in fact a two-on-two group battle that stands among the series’ most memorable, and there’s no other way to see it than on the big screen.

The Crude Mechanicals Present: About Last Night @ Littlefield
8 p.m.

We all know that dating stories are only good when the date itself is bad—and the worse, the better. Hear a number of local performers tell their hilarious stories of dates gone off the rails, and then hear a musician turn each woebegone tale into a song.