Event Poster, via Buzzfeed

Details are just now emerging about Saturday night’s Occupy Williamsburg “Occu-Party.” According to NY Daily News, fifty protesters set up camp at The Bedford, a vacant residential building on N. 8th and Driggs, where they threw garbage cans and spray painted anti-police slogans. When police arrived at 11 p.m., one protester pepper-sprayed an officer, while others threw bottles that injured five other officers. Police arrested four protesters and charged them with obstructing government administration, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, and inciting a riot.

Village Voice staff writer Nick Pinto was on the scene that night and tweeted continuously about the action as it unfolded. Here’s Pinto’s perspective of how things went down, in chronological order:

At 207 N 8th in Williamsburg, an “Occuparty” — squatting in a half-finished luxury apartment — is getting underway. #OWS

Maybe 50 people in the ground-floor apartment. Whole building seems vacant, 75% renovated. Many hope this lasts past tonight.

Police are here, with flashlights. “Guys drop all the beers, that’s it.” not clear they get the scope of the invasion.

Glass on the front door just got smashed. Cop has his nightstick out. “I swear to god, get out of here!”

First arrest, a young woman. Bottle thrown. Cops badly outnumbered. This is getting crazy fast.

Police calling in backup as they push the crowd down 8th. Two cruisers here now.

Possibly the strangest song title, definitely my favorite track off of their latest album.

This Thursday MTV will debut its new series, I Just Want My Pants Back, a scripted show about young twenty-somethings living in and around Greenpoint. The series is based on the 2007 book by David J. Rosen and a “sneak peak” of the pilot episode aired back in August. I got my hands on a press screener of three episodes. Here’s what to expect, spoiler-free.

The basic premise: Jason, a shaggy-haired guy a few years out of college meets a girl at a bar and takes her back to his one-bedroom off the Nassau G. They have a crazy night together and in the morning, she absconds with his pants. He’s hooked and becomes preoccupied with finding her, which distracts him from his job as a receptionist for a media company. (So far, minus the falling victim to pants thievery, this is my life.)

Jason’s sidekick is Tina, a foul-mouthed, crop-topped blonde who engages in some sexual misadventures of her own. There’s also Stacey and Eric, an interracial couple living together and going to grad school. The four characters have been friends since college.

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Attention kickball, trivia, bowling enthusiasts, or anyone else that enjoys playing competitive games along with the consumption of alcohol:

If you didn’t already know, Full Circle Bar on Grand Street is home to Brewskee-Ball, a game that involves drinking and good ‘ole fashioned skee-ball (duh). Tonight the bar will be hosting the Brewskee-Ball Winter Skeeson Kick-Off Jamboree, which means FREE SKEE-BALL for anyone and everyone that decides to show up. And wait, there’s more: from 7-9pm, enjoy an Open Genny Bar featuring Geneeson Cream Ale, Geneeson Tall Boys, and Genny Light.

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Real Estate

The reading on the Most Blogged About Shows This Week thermometer is clearly pointing to indie. From a Chinese buffet in Queens to the Allen Room at the Time Warner Center, kids in tight jeans will be enjoying some good music. Before we get into it though, we’d like to thank all of our readers who came out to My Social List’s first show at Shea Stadium last week. Ava Luna, Total Slacker, Caged Animals and Osekre & the Lucky Bastards all played thrilling sets to a totally packed audience

Speaking of Chinese buffets, Todd P has assembled a great show at K&K Supper Buffet on Saturday night. Real Estate, The Babies, Black Dice, Dogleather and DJ sets from Oneohtrix Point Never and Ducktails for $5? We’ll definitely be there.

He may have had a bit of a rough year, but Thurston Moore is performing as part of the American Songbook at the Allen Room on Thursday. If the Time Warner Center is too fancy (or expensive), you can check him out in Hoboken at Maxwell’s the next night.  With the status of Sonic Youth not completely clear, this may be turn out to be a great opportunity for his next big thing.

Finally, Glasslands continues to prove to be the best-booked venue in New York, with three shows on our top 10.  Check out The Hundred in the Hands tonight, Salva on Saturday and Megafortress on Tuesday. If you’re really ambitious, on Saturday you can sneak next door to 285 Kent to check out Blouse, Cosmetic, New Lines and Mosaic.

On to the top 10 shows for the next 7 days…

10. Blouse @ 285 Kent Ave w/ Cosmetics, The New Lines, Mosaic
Tuesday, January 31st at 8:00pm – all ages, $10
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Bistro Petit

Here’s your regular food & drink openings round-up. This round-up brings a new coffee shop, great new French food, and various Mexican joints.

Bistro Petit: Time Out New York says: “Jean Georges alum Seung Park combines his French training with his Korean background at this diminutive Willimasburg takeout spot. Expect East-meets-West crossover dishes, like kimchi bouillabaisse, made with local, seasonal ingredients.”
774 Driggs Ave. Brooklyn, NY 11211, 718.782.2582

c/o Gothamist

Mercado on Kent: Gothamist says “Wood-fired cooking, as seen at hot spots Tertulia and Mas (la grillade), is having a big moment: This Spanish market-style restaurant brings three more tinder-fueled ovens to Williamsburg, less than a block from Isa’s own flaming hearth. Chef Peru Almandoz, a native of San Sebastian, Spain, works two wood-fired ovens in the open kitchen, while Johnny Peralta (Balthazar) uses one to roast his loaves in the downstairs bakery. Diners can perch at zinc-topped bars and choose from pintxos—Basque tapas, like croquettas and Padrón peppers—or settle into a communal wood table for large-format Northern Spanish fare, including suckling pig and a two-pound grilled rib eye called chuleton. To drink, choose from biodynamic and organic Spanish wines, hard apple cider and creative cocktails, like the Urumea (rum, Averna Amaro, clove syrup, lime juice) and the Duke (cognac, Carpano Antica, dry vermouth, served over an Earl Grey ice sphere). In a few weeks, a market, inspired by the retail-restaurant hybrids of Spain, will open in the back of the 80-seat space to sell charcuterie, cheeses, oils, homemade breads and churros with hot cocoa made with grated chocolate, milk and cream.”
291 Kent Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11211, 718.782.8810

Santos Anne

Santos Anne: At first we were a bit skeptical about the French/Mexican fusion, but after our meal at Santos Anne we can safely say that it’s one of our favorite new places. We had veggie tacos and steak, both were amazing and the prices are hard to beat ($15 for a full steak meal)! The ambiance of Santos Anne is cozy with turquoise walls and lit candles scattered across the room. There’s live music on the weekends, and if you’re lucky a free tarot card reading.
366 Union Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11211, 718.486.6979

St. Austere

St. Austere: Thrillist says “An “honest, unpretentious, and laid-back drinking and dining experience” that somehow isn’t Red Dog and leftover pizza on your couch, Saint’s narrow, industrial, al fresco-able space is outfitted with a slim metallic bar up front and communal wooden tables in back, where international small plates of Wahoo tartare, and porchetta- & sweet-pickle-filled Cubans can be paired with vino by the glass/half/bottle, and Euro-suds including St Feuillien Triple and Pinkus Mueller Pilsner.”
613 Grand St., Brooklyn, NY 11211, 718.388.0012

WhirlyBird

Whirlybird: Gothamist says “The legions of Brooklynites who travel to Austin for South by Southwest every year have come across a distinctly Texan (and distinctly delicious) specialty: the breakfast taco. Breakfast tacos (which involve some combination of scrambled eggs, chorizo, cheese, and peppers) have sadly been in short supply in Yankee territory, until now: meet Whirlybird.

Opening up shop in—where else?—Williamsburg, Whirlybird is the brainchild of musician Jeff Bailey, who’s played in indie mainstays Phosphorescent and Virgin Forest. Having toured through Austin many a time, he decided that Williamsburg, rife as it is with musicians and hungover people, would benefit immensely from the addition of organic breakfast tacos and locally-brewed coffee. If the above photo is any indication, he’s probably right.

Whirlybird will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends, with tacos going for $3-4 and coffee for $2-4. Stop by their grand opening tomorrow (Saturday) from 4-7 p.m. for a taco and solo sets from members of Deer Tick, Phosphorescent, and Virgin Forest. Early reviewers have praised the cafe for having “Zero bullshit, great taste, and a tiny framed portrait of Andy Kaufmann by the milk station to boot.” What more do you need, Williamsburg?
254 S 2nd St., Brooklyn, NY 11211, 718.208.8555

BlackBrick

BlackBrick: Beautiful new coffee shop serving Stumptown coffee, Jacques Torres hot chocolate, and coming soon-fresh baked goods.
300 S. Bedford Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11211

via retrofitness.net

Retro Fitness, the gym franchise known for its cheap price and unique workout environment, is opening its first Brooklyn location next month on Berry Street and N. 3rd. Retro Fitness describes itself as a “modern gym” with a “retro price” and could be exactly what North Brooklynites are looking for – a middle ground between running loops for free around the McCarren Park track in the middle of winter and having to shell out big bucks to get fit. Retro Fitness memberships are $19.99 a month.

The franchise has been around since 2004 and has over seventy locations, most of which are on the east coast. Each location has amenities like indoor tanning, a smoothie bar, a bike valet, and the “RetroTheatre,” a space “that houses cardio equipment such as treadmills, elipitcals and recumbent bikes, all arranged in a stadium-theatre like setting, and plays movies on a gigantic screen throughout the day.” The facility is 25,000 sq. ft., 90% of which is underground.

According to a press release, the Berry St. location “is the first of several locations planned to open in the region during the next 36 months.” The gym will open in mid-February, but no one at the gym or in PR could tell us a more specific date. Memberships are currently available for pre-sale. “We look forward to establishing ourselves as Brooklyn’s gym of choice for residents,” said owner David Ragosa in the press release.

In case you haven’t heard of Steve Duncan, he’s a “guerilla” historian and photographer who has made a name for himself exploring parts of New York City that you probably didn’t even know existed. In the latest installment of his Undercity documentary series with filmmaker Andrew Wonder, Duncan hops over a barbed wire fence, pries open a manhole, and climbs down to the ancient sewage extension tunnels below Bushwick.

Well, the tunnels aren’t quite “ancient,” but they date back to the bygone days before brunch at Northeast Kingdom and whiskey shots at Tandem, before Brooklyn was even a part of New York City. In the 1880s when the sewer extension was built below Knickerbocker St., the area was known for its breweries. The tunnels carried wastewater from the breweries to the East River, Duncan explains in the clip, ankle deep in (clean) sewage water.

The whole outing is illegal, but Duncan provides a special view into our historic city. More on Gothamist.

Singing over a Deerhoof vs. Evil jam called “No One Asked to Dance,” David Bazan (from Pedro the Lion! from Headphoens!) has crafted the new song “No One Asked Bazan to Dance.” It’s side A of the split 7″ series that Deerhoof are curating, featuring a bunch of indie rock heavy hitters. Check out the song below, and order the 7” HERE.

Matthew Eisman Music Photography

Every other month, I go on an obsessive Young Magic rampage. It’s been going on for a year and you’d probably notice this if you’re socially connected with me. It’s quite unhealthy but I’m fine with it and I hope they’re fine with it. Young Magic is a trio experimental band from Brooklyn. My interest back on them ignited when they released  their second music video. This video is for “Night In The Ocean”, which will be on Young Magic’s forthcoming album Melt via Carpark Records. Produced by Newfoundland Tack, the visuals in “Night In The Ocean” involves a switch of a lovely couple doodling on each other’s skin and mesmerizing scenes of the ocean. The vintage color edits compliment their heavily synth-ed tunes. Throughout the video, abstract shapes keep appearing and I’m not sure what that means. Do you? Watch the video below and get hooked.