Brooklyn Wildlife Summer Festival 2013

By Gloria Fox

Alongside a massage table, crafts and t-shirt vendors, as well as immersive dance troupes, including Sans Limites Dance, there was the music…  excellent music coming from independent bands and singers, all part of a music scene that is cresting with powerful energy and talent in Bushwick, Brooklyn. Someday I expect to say about a few of these bands: “I saw them back when….”

Kudos to Chris Carr and Keith Edward Lay for masterminding the ambitious 60-band line up for Brooklyn Wildlife Summer Festival at Bushwick’s Paper Box last weekend.

Beyond a doubt a multi-culti happening, there was just about every pop genre and blending of styles, with a strong hip-hop/rock bent.

I started out unfamiliar with most of the bands, and left a converted fan.
 

Punk and Rock & Roll bands that impressed were Silicone Sister and Rebelmatic. Silicone Sister have a dark and heavy sound, while Rebelmatic have a diverse, complex sound that brought to mind everyone from Red Hot Chili Peppers to TV On The Radio. Super high energy with two amazing guitarists mixing up lead and rhythm, Rebelmatic are sure to make their mark.

Mancie, an almost all-girl band with a male drummer, played an awesome set. They have a sort of Sleater Kinney thing going on, it’s totally cool.

 

I liked Deathrow Tull. With three singers they are a mash up, rapping with animal masks and combining harmonic choruses and amazing keyboards. They were fun and crazy, basically a party on stage. I’ve been listening to the song Sucker Punch ever since.
 

Last but not least, legendary Buckshot, a veritable rap genius brought the house down, ending the night at two a.m., and the 12-hour marathon festival.

It’s this kind of event—Brooklyn Wildlife Summer Festival—that makes me love NYC. Only in these out-of-the-way warehouses will we find the newest most original sounds and talent encompassing a much wider cultural net than ever before. That’s Brooklyn, a place where a music festival, consisting of independent artists, are given much needed exposure. And that is truly and honestly pretty dope.