“I would see more black people with mohawks than I’d ever seen my entire life. You see people who you thought you were the only one of.” -P.O.S., musician
From August 25-26 the 8th annual Afro-Punk will go down in Brooklyn’s Commodore Berry Park. This will be a full-on culture fest for not only the afro-punk scene, but to also do the Brooklyn borough proud. The local DIY community will convene for the Afropunk Spinthrift Market, featuring more than 80 designers with fresh, one of a kind goods straight from the hands that made/upcycled them. Also convening will be some top amateur skaters in the Nike Battle For the Streets Skate Competition, motorcycle enthusiasts at the Gentleman’s Shop and Denim and Chrome custom bike show, and food truck foodies galore. The music will of course be going strong soundtracking the whole scene, with headliners like TV on the Radio, Reggie Watts, and Erykah Badu, plus these guys who we recommend as a must to check out:
Body Language – Their name may as well be ‘Instant dance Party,’ but Body Language is pretty accurate, as their songs make you want to let your dance moves do the talking.
Phony Ppl – Right out of Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, Phony Ppl is a collective of rappers, singers, producers, and musicians who seamlessly lock in together like musical transformers to form one smooth beat making megatron. They’ve already been profiled by MTV UK as “International Ones to Watch,” and we have to say we agree.
Sinkane – Sudanese born, Brooklyn-based Ahmed Gallab has been a live band member of Yeasayer, Caribou, Eleanor Friedberger, Born Ruffians, and Of Montreal. Now he’s got his own live band to back him up as Sinkane. This could be your new summer dance jam.
Cerebral Ballzy – More on the punk tip of afro-punk, Cerebral Ballzy embodies much of what the festival is all about, paying homage to skate legends, and having the energy and spirit of the kids who want to think and explore for themselves.
Toro Y Moi – This is some chilled out funky melodic shit, right here. The bass really drives the sound, but it wouldn’t be Toro y Moi without the beats, Chazwick Bundick’s smooth vocals, and of course, his dance moves.
All events are free, so it’s just first come, first served. To get there, you can take the B, D, N, Q, or R Trains to Dekalb Avenue Station; the F Train to York Street Station; or the B57, B62 & B69 Buses to Commodore Barry Park.
