Arg, matey! Pirates Festival coming to Red Hook this weekend

By Jared Foretek

Calling all Brooklyn buccaneers!

Enviromedia Mobile, a travelling nature and maritime museum in Red Hook, will throw its first ever Treasure Cove Pirates Festival on July 30 — and you won’t have to hand over a single copper piece to be there.

The festival will feature pirate theater, pirate music, pirate “edutainment,” and yes, even a pirate ship, while leaving out all the scurvy, mutiny, and rum binges.

“It’s a fantastic festival,” said Ludger Balan, the museum’s culture director. “It’s as good as any one that goes on around the country.”

Indeed, these maritime celebrations are a common occurrence in places like Northern California, Tampa, Fla., Georgia’s Tybee Island, even Wisconsin.

In what’s sure to be a highlight of the family-friendly event — beyond photo-ops with Jack Sparrow look-alikes — young aspiring sailors can meet a team of seamen who set the record for the most days at sea without seeing land (1,152 days, or three years!). Reid Stowe and Soanya Ahmad’s record-setting vessel, the Schooner Anne, will be anchored nearby for visits.

Kids will also be able to participate in a catch-and-release fishing tournament, make arts and crafts, and canoe with the organizers, who will all be dressed as “The Pirates of Red Hook” — a team of buccaneers who “plunder for the natural resources of the urban estuary,” said Balan.

So start practicing your “Arg, mateys!” now.

Treasure Cove Pirates Festival at IKEA/Erie Basin Park [Beard Street between Otsego and Dwight streets in Red Hook, (347) 224-5828], July 30, 11 am-5 pm. Free. For info, visit emmredhookpirates.blogspot.com.

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Catch these 'old-timers' at Jalopy

By Meredith Deliso

These musicians are old-timers — and they hardly have any wrinkles on their faces.

The twentysomething members of the Union Street Preservation Society don’t touch a track that’s younger than 60, and when writing their own string arrangements, strictly look to rag time and early Americana roots — hence calling themselves the “preservation society.”

“The type of music that we play generally tends to be antique — something to preserve,” said mandolinist Sara Bouchard.

On Sunday, the Park Slope-based band (that’s where Union Street comes in) celebrates its debut EP, “Spring to Rust,” a collection of bluegrass and proto-jazz-inspired songs, at — where else? — Jalopy, the Red Hook home of old-time tunes.

“We’re excited and honored to be doing the CD release there,” said guitarist Dave Leiberman. “There’s really no other place we would want to do it.”

At the release party, you can except the quintet’s own original mix of bluegrass, blues, country and early jazz, along with some newly favorite jazz standards, including “Some of These Days,” made popular by Ella Fitzgerald, and “Crazy Blues,” considered by many to be the first recorded blues song.

“This is universally and objectively the best kind of music,” said Leiberman. “Why wouldn’t anyone love it?”

Union Street Preservation Society at Jalopy [315 Columbia St. between Hamilton Avenue and Woodhull Street in Red Hook, (718) 395-3214], July 24 at 7:30 pm. $5. For info, visit www.jalopy.biz.

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Get Baked: Red Hook bakery joins gay marriage band wagon

Add another Brooklyn business that's doing its part to make weddings fabulous.

Baked is giving away a giant wedding gay to the first gay couple to confirm its getting married once same-sex marriage is legal starting July 24, reports Eater. That's a $1,000, for free! (Well, almost free: you'd still have to pay a consultation fee and delivery fee).

For the many who don't make the cut, the Red Hook Bakery is also offering 10 percent off all cakes for couples until Sept. 1.

Couples that don't win the cake can still get in on the good cheer. They're offering 10 percent off all cakes for couples that sign on before September 1.

Baked [359 Van Brunt St. at Dikeman Street in Red Hook, (718)222-0345].

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Folkin' ay! Festival returns this weekend

By Meredith Deliso

The one thing the owners of Jalopy can’t stand is turning people away. So when they were planning this year’s Brooklyn Folk Festival, they knew that the popular event needed to go big — or make people go home.

So this year’s festival will not only be in two venues — the Columbia Street theater, plus the significantly larger Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition pier — but also span three days, June 10-12 (check out the full schedule here).

“I hate turning people away, and last year we did that regularly,” said Jalopy co-owner Lynette Wiley. “This is a good solution.

The festival is essentially one long weekend of the Red Hook venue’s weekly Roots and Ruckus night — a celebration of traditional roots, blues, and folk music.

“A think a lot of people are hungry for this, they’re looking for something they perceive as real,” said festival founder Eli Smith (pictured). “People hear a lot of music on the radio that’s not human, thanks to synthesizers and people singing through computers, and they’re looking for something that they can identify with.”

The 30-plus acts include Pat Conte of The Canebrake Rattlers and Peter Stampfel of the Holy Modal Rounders; traditional banjo music from North Carolina’s Clifton Hicks; country crooner Alex Battles; blues musician Blind Boy Paxton; and Smith’s own folk band, the Dust Busters.

“The most well-known forms of American music will be well represented, but we’re also going to have music from the Balkans, the Caribbean and North Indian classical music for the first time this year,” said Smith.

The weekend will also feature workshops, films, a square dance, and, in another first, a banjo toss, a contest Smith thought up late one night wherein whoever throws the instrument farthest into the bay wins a brand new banjo.

“That’s going to be a hoot,” said Wiley. “It’s crazy.”

The Brooklyn Folk Festival at Jalopy [315 Columbia St. between Hamilton Avenue and Woodhull Street in Red Hook, (718) 395-3214], June 10 at 6 pm, and the Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition [499 Van Brunt St., near Reed Street in Red Hook, (917) 655-2980], June 11 at 2:30 pm and June 12 at 2 pm. Tickets $20 each day ($55 for the weekend). For info, visit www.brooklynfolkfest.com.

Photo by Stefano Giovannini

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It's showtime on the Showboat!

By Meredith Deliso

We were already big fans of “Showboat Shazzam,” a long-running circus series at the Waterfront Museum and Barge in Red Hook. And now that it’s cheaper, we love it even more!

When the aerialists, jugglers and contortionists return to the Red Hook waterfront on June 5, you can get front-row action for only $10 — down $6 for adults and a couple buck for the kids compared to last year’s rates.

With those savings, you might as well take advantage and go more than once.

“Every weekend there’s wholly different artists,” said Artistic Director Karen Gersch. “It’s a whole new show.”

The diverse acts kicking things off include juggler Adam Kapilow; aerialists Megan and Marui; contortionists The Sorbet Sisters; and clown Tanya Solomon.

Down the pipe, highlights include juggler and comedian Will Shaw, Gabeze Trapeze (pictured) and David Sharps, caretaker of the barge, performing a Chinese vase manipulation act (June 19); and slackrope clown prince Dikki Ellis (June 26).

On July 24, the barge docks at the foot of Atlantic Avenue, at Brooklyn Bridge Park Pier 6, with aerialist Hilary Sweeney and acrobat Aerial Emery in tow.

The site may change, but its spirit won’t.

“This is the closest children can get to the circus,” said Gersch. “That’s always our MO.”          

 

Showboat Shazzam at the Waterfront Museum and Showboat Barge [Pier 44 at Conover and Beard streets in Red Hook, (718) 624-4719], June 5, 19, and 26 at 1 pm and 4 pm, and at Brooklyn Bridge Park Pier 6 (Atlantic Avenue at Furman Street in Brooklyn Heights), July 24 at 1 and 4 pm. Tickets $10 (in advance). For info, visit www.waterfrontmuseum.org.

Photo by Deborah Grosmark

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One big art weekend in Brooklyn

By Meredith Deliso

This spring, art is synonymous with the first weekend in June.

In neighborhoods all across the borough from June 2 to 5, unique festivals will bring dance, music, workshops and, of course, art to the galleries, streets and bars of Red Hook, Bushwick, Downtown and Coney Island. It’s a choose your own arts adventure.

  

Red Hook Fest

Are you ready for the remix? On June 3 and 4, the Red Hook Fest returns to the waterfront, with two days of arts events that encourage audience participation, from photojournalism to drawing. That doesn’t mean it’s all you; performers include La Roka RPM and Full Circle, hip-hop, break-dance salsa mash up; Tato Torres y Yerbabuena, a Boricuan roots band; Paul Josephs and MetroSonics; hip-hop theater duo Climbing PoeTree; and the all-female dance collective INSPIRIT.

Red Hook Fest at PS 15 [71 Sullivan St. between Richards and Van Brunt streets in Red Hook, (718) 330-9280], June 3, 6-9 pm; Louis J. Valentino, Jr. Park and Pier (Coffey and Ferris streets), June 4, 11 am-7 pm. Free. For info, visit www.redhookfest.com.

ArtWalk

In Boerum Hill, ArtWalk takes over Atlantic Avenue on June 4 and 5 with art, live music and restaurant deals. Since forming six years ago, the annual arts festival has gradually spilled out into neighboring galleries and studios, with Downtown, Fort Greene, Gowanus, Cobble Hill and Brooklyn Heights hosting more than 200 artists at home studios and such diverse sites as Proteus Gowanus, the Micro Museum, Flavor Paper, the Brooklyn Ballet, Brooklyn Bridge Park, and, in a sneak preview, Roulette Brooklyn, which is opening this September.

ArtWalk, June 4-5, 1-6 pm. Locations vary. Free. For info, visit www.artwalk2011.com.

Bushwhack Series and Bushwick Opens Studios

It’s one mad weekend in Bushwick, with the Bushwhack Series from June 2 to 5 and the Bushwick Open Studios from June 3 to 5. The former bunkers down at the Bushwick Starr, with four days of new experimental performance art, while the latter can be found at galleries and street corners-turned-galleries all over the neighborhood. With more than 350 shows promised, they have to improvise.

Bushwhack Series at the Bushwick Starr [207 Starr St. between Wyckoff and Irving avenues in Bushwick, (212) 868-4444], June 2-5 at 8 pm. Tickets $12. For info, visit www.thebushwickstarr.org; Bushwick Open Studios from June 3-5. Venues vary. Free. For info, visit artsinbushwick.org.

Artists Day Out

Maybe it’s a coincidence, but June 4 also happens to be National Drawing Day. To celebrate, Kensington-based artist Sherry Davis is throwing the Coney Island-themed Artists Day Out at Ruby’s on the Boardwalk. Artwork relevant to the area will be shown indoors and out, and artists are invited to add their mark to the fabled bar, which closes after this summer as landlord Central Park Amusement looks to expand its theme park. Fittingly, artists are invited to fight the man and create a “Save Ruby’s” mural inside.

Artists Day Out at Ruby’s [1213 Riegelmann Boardwalk at Coney Island Avenue in Coney Island, (718) 372-9079], June 4, 1-6 pm. For info, visit drawingday.org.

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Bayou in Brooklyn

By Meredith Deliso

Bring on the gumbo, Creole and Cajun music — the Big Easy is coming to Jalopy.

From May 6 to 7, the borough’s unofficial roots music home celebrates authentic Cajun, Zydeco and blues music with the Bayou ’n’ Brooklyn Music Festival.

“The community is what I was attracted to, the idea that when people get together, they eat, they play music, they dance, they celebrate, they tell stories,” said Deborah Monlux, a Park Slope-based musician who’s putting on the festival at the Columbia Street venue. “This is not to be confused with rock swamp pop. These are the bands that are playing traditional tunes.”

To that end, there will be two days of guitar, fiddle and accordion workshops, community jams, a gumbo dinner, and, of course, music, as accordionist Jesse Lege and his band, the Bayou Brew, Cleoma’s Ghost, the Big Road Blues Band, the Catahoula Cajun Band, the Magnolia Cajun Band, and ZydeGroove turn Jalopy into a dancehall with their bayou-born sounds.

“It just grabs you and you’re in it,” said Lege. “It’s good, joyful dancing music. It’s just going to be one heck of a party in Brooklyn.”

Bayou ’n’ Brooklyn Music Festival at Jalopy [315 Columbia St. between Hamilton Avenue and Woodhull Street in Red Hook, (718) 395-3214], May 6, 5 pm-1 am and May 7, noon-1 am. Tickets $12 in advance. For info, visit www.bayou-n-brooklyn.com.

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Make Fort Defiance's muffaletta at home

By Meredith Deliso

“If this sandwich were an Olympiad, it would resemble 14-time gold medal-winner Michael Phelps.”

So write Jean Tang and Sarah Reistad-Long in their new cookbook, “The Big New York Sandwich Book,” about Fort Defiance’s much-praised muffaletta. Indeed, St. John Frizell has gained many fans at his Red Hook restaurant for his take on the New Orleans classic — piled high with Emmental cheese, provolone, mortadella, sweet soppressato, and, of course, olive salad.

And now, you can try your hand at recreating the tasty French Quarter staple, courtesy of the recipe below (though allow at least three days to create a proper olive spread).

Muffaletta

Created by St. John Frizell at Fort Defiance

Serves six

Ingredients

For the sandwich

Muffaletta bread loaf, about 1-inches round

9 ounces Emmental cheese, sliced

9 ounces mild provolone cheese, sliced

8 ounces hot coppa, sliced

8 ounces mortadella, sliced

8 ounces sweet soppressata, sliced

For the olive salad

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup vinegar

1/2 carrot, roughly chopped

3 cauliflower stalks, roughly chopped

1 celery stalk, roughly chopped

1 shallot, halved

1/3 cup kalamata olives, pitted

1/3 cup green olives, pitted

1 tablespoon chopped pimientos

1 garlic clove

4 parsley sprigs

1 teaspoon capers

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1-1/4 teaspoons canola oil

Directions

For the olive salad

Place the sugar, water, and vinegar in a saucepan to make a brine. Heat to a boil over high heat; then reduce the heat to medium and boil until the sugar is dissolved.

Place the carrot, cauliflower, celery, and shallot into a large, heat-proof container. Pour the brine over the vegetables to cover. Refrigerate for at least three days.

Remove the vegetables from the brine. In a large mixing bowl, combine the pickled vegetables, olives, pimientos, garlic, parsley, and capers. Working in small batches, add the vegetable mixture to a food processor, and pulse until chopped, but not puréed. Toss with the olive and canola oils.

For the sandwich

Slice the bread in half lengthwise. Spread the olive salad on the bottom half. Add the Emmental, provolone, hot coppa, mortadella, and soppressata. Close the sandwich. Slice into six wedges, and serve. Store any leftover olive salad in the refrigerator.

From “The Big New York Sandwich Book” by Sara Reistad-Long and Jean Tang (Running Press, 2011).

Photo by Stefano Giovannini

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Silent movies no more!

By Meredith Deliso

It’s a marriage made in old timey heaven.

On April 10, the Red Hook Ramblers will provide the Dixieland accompaniment to two silent films by Buster Keaton at Jalopy.

The early 1920s films, “Cops” and “The Playhouse,” will get the New Orleans treatment, and afterwards, there will be tracks from the band’s new album, “Something More Sinister.”

The film-and-music pairing is a natural one for the band (listen to them at the Red Hook Arts Festival below).

“Buster Keaton’s comedy was so pure and universal that the humor translates flawlessly today, and that’s the kind of timelessness we try to convey when we perform traditional jazz,” said Jason Benjamin, cornetist. “It’s thrilling to collaborate in this way with an artist from an era so close to our hearts, and there’s no better place to conjure his spirit and share our joy for his work than Jalopy.”

Red Hook Ramblers accompany Buster Keaton films at Jalopy [315 Columbia St. between Hamilton Avenue and Woodhull Street in Red Hook, (718) 395-3214], April 10 at 8 pm. Tickets $10. For info, visit www.jalopy.biz.

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Beer is Culture

Museums aren't the only places that do crowd-sourced exhibitions.

Sixpoint is doing its part to promote the arts with "Beer Is Culture," an art and design exhibition where you vote for the submissions.

Now through April 30, you can go to the Facebook page and "Like" your favorite design (the design with the most likes as of today is pictured at left by Steven Weinberg and Casey Scieszka). You can also upload your own original design that taps into the theme, "Beer is Culture," to the page's wall to be voted on.

Six finalists will be announced on May 1, with a final round of votes taking place that week and a winner announced May 7.

The top six finalists will receive a care package of customized apparel and treats from Sixpoint and other artisans, as well as annual membership to a museum of their choice. The first place finisher will also win online glory — the piece will become the face of Sixpoint's Facebook page, as the brewery's profile picture for the following year.

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Calling all bakers

Make a mean birthday cake?


Fairway is sponsoring a Best Birthday Cake in Brooklyn Contest in June and is looking for both professional and non-professional bakers to participate. 


You can sign up here by May 20 to compete, no fee required.


The best birthday cake we ever had was a rainbow cake, so if you make something like that, you'd have our vote.


Not that we're voting - the creations will be judged by Sarah Black, bakery director for Fairway, Matt Lewis from Baked on Van Brunt Street, and Lauri Ditunno from "Cake Alchemy." Winners get a prize, as well as, of course, bragging rights. 


It all goes down on June 11 at 5 pm in the waterfront park behind Ikea in Red Hook. So you have plenty of time to get baking.

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Brooklyn designers need your votes

Like what you see?

You can help get this Spiranovich Console made. Red Hook designers Will Kavesh and Emyrs Berkower, under their brand TOKENnyc, have a product in StyleFactory.com, a crowdsourced furniture startup.

You can vote for the console up until Feb. 23, and the  more votes it receives, the more likely it will get produced and sold.

You can vote for the console here.

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Is Sixpoint New York's best beer?

That's what Good says.

In a new map of the the US by breweries, the Red Hook-based Sixpoint was considered by the magazine's readers to have "the most awesome, best-tasting, sustainably brewed, independently owned, community-oriented craft beer" in the state.

That leaves out others like Brooklyn Brewery and Kelso of Brooklyn.

It's a nice shot-out for the company. Readers, do you agree with the recognition? [via Gothamist]

Photo: Shane Welch, found of Sixpoint Craft Ales. 

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'Fiddler' redux

By Meredith Deliso

Finally, “Fiddler on the Roof” gets a 21st-century reboot.

In “The Cosmopolitans,” Prospect Heights-based writer Nadia Kalman uses the iconic musical as a launching pad for a story about a Russian family that flees the Soviet Union and lands, of all places, in Connecticut.

“I watched ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ a couple of times growing up in Stamford, and, as an immigrant from that part of the world, it seemed to reflect how people saw us as immigrants,” said Kalman. “When we came over, people seemed to think we came from a shtetl. That always seemed interesting to me.”

“The Cosmopolitans” follows the Molochnik family and the marriage of its three daughters — a modern downsize from the musical’s five. It boldly begins by referencing Tolstoy’s oft-cited line, “Happy families are all alike,” and this inevitably unhappy family is comprised of one daughter who can’t help channeling the voice of Brezhnev, another who marries an exchange student from Bangladesh, making for some fun cross-cultural satire, and a third who finds herself engaged to — God forbid — a snooty Manhattanite.

Like Tevye, their poor, outnumbered father can’t even begin to understand them.

The title suggests the family’s attempt at worldliness, as well as makes a nod to Stalin’s anti-cosmopolitan campaign.

“I thought the title embodied the cross-cultural things going on in the book,” said Kalman. “I also thought it was funny that it was also the name of a fun drink here in the U.S.”

They certainly didn’t have those in Tevye’s world.  

Nadia Kalman reads from “The Cosmopolitans” at Sunny’s Bar [253 Conover St. between Beard and Reed streets in Red Hook, (718) 625-8211], Dec. 5 at 3 pm. Free. For info, visit www.sunnysredhook.com.

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DA’s spokesman sings a different tune — bluegrass!

By Gersh Kuntzman

By day, Jonah Bruno is the spokesman for Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes. By night, he plays a banjo and sings bluegrass songs about being the spokesman for Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes.

In what might be the most incongruous political double life since our crime-busting governor turned out to be a lawbreaker himself, Bruno pursues an artistic career — in hillbilly music, no less — in his off hours from informing the public of his boss’s busts, convictions and sentences.

Bruno’s new album — aptly named “Spokesman” — makes it clear how much the personal and the political are merged in this 36-year-old’s life.

The disc opens with “23 Years,” a tune based on an actual murder case (though in Queens) involving a woman who kills her husband after two decades of abuse. And the highlight of the record is “No Comment,” about a politician who calls a press conference only to issue a “No comment,” a phrase he keeps repeating, even as the ensuing “Commentgate” scandal consumes him.

“One thing: That song is not about Hynes,” said Bruno, who lives in Clinton Hill. “Our office almost never issues a ‘No comment.’ ”

Other tunes include vaguely political songs such as “Poverty Line” and “The Money Went.” And a classic of the bluegrass genre — “High and Lonesome” — also has a law enforcement angle. The title, of course, refers to the “high and lonesome sound” of country music, but in Bruno’s version, the narrator sings about how he self-medicates after his girlfriend dumps him.

“I get high when I’m lonesome/Try to get you off my mind,” he sings.

Bruno didn’t sing the lyric on that number, but not because he worried about a random drug test if Hynes heard it.

“I didn’t sing ‘High and Lonesome’ because I’m not that strong a singer!” he said.

Whatever vocal skills he claims to lack, Bruno’s reedy voice is certainly solid on the other songs, a tiny twang of Kentucky slipping into his upstate New York accent. And the band is very tight, thanks to great mandolin work by Michael Pasternak and fiddle by Sarah Alden.

Bruno’s quintet will perform at the most logical place — Jalopy — on Nov. 12, as part of a record-release party that will also feature Baby Soda.

“It’ll be a great night,” he said. “But don’t look for the DA.”

Jonah Bruno and his band at Jalopy [315 Columbia St. between Hamilton Avenue and Woodhull Street in Red Hook, (718) 395-3214], Nov. 12, 9 pm. For info, visit www.jalopy.biz.

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Dueling burlesque

We've got two great burlesque shows for you this Saturday, depending on what you're in the mood for.


First, Wasabassco Burlesque (above) celebrates six years of stripping with an anniversary bash at the Bell Housel. There's more than just burlesque on the menu - in addition to performances from the likes of GiGi LaFemme and Nasty Canasta, there'll be bullwhipping cowboys, go-go and belly dancing, snake charming, trick-roping, crooning, hula-hooping, aerial acrobatics, a 20-person sci-fi number, and numerous large-scale theatrics. Whew!


Over in Red Hook, Red Burlesque returns to Sugar Lounge for a night of risque, as well as risky, routines, as the main attraction is sure to be Justina Flash, who dances with a flaming hula hoop. 


Choose wisely!

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Dig this Django festival

By Adam Warner

This month, Jalopy gets into the swing of things.  

The classic country and bluegrass venue honors swing-jazz legend, Django Reinhardt, with its third annual Djangology Festival starting on Oct. 15.

Reinhardt died over 50 years ago, but his legacy lives on in dozens of jazz lovers who will populate the festival schedule, highlighted by Franglais, the gypsy jazz band out of Park Slope.

“I was introduced to Django in music school and quickly became obsessed,” said Ben Wood, Franglais rhythm guitarist and organizer of the event. “The often fast-paced tempo is captivating and complex, but still accessible. I proposed the idea for a Django festival to Geoff and Lynette Wiley at Jalopy and the rest is history.”

Also playing are some of the biggest names in gypsy jazz today, including Stephane Wrembel, Jack Soref, Hot Club Thing, Hot Club of Hell’s Kitchen, and Blue Plate Special, among others.

“As you might imagine, getting a chance to see so many professional musicians play this music doesn’t happen all that often,” said Wood, adding that Django’s style not only attracts curious locals, but gypsy jazz fans from all over the country.

Reinhardt, a Roma raised on the outskirts of Paris, suffered severe burns to his body, including his playing hand, after a fire erupted in his caravan when he was 18. He eventually conquered his physical limitations, reinventing the way he played his instrument to fit his needs. In the process he became one of the most revered guitarists of all time.

The gypsy jazz form, which usually includes a violin, bass, and two guitars, is the perfect fit for Jalopy’s vaudeville interior. 

“A lit-up swing band on a little stage with curtains — this music is exactly what Jalopy was made for,” said Jalopy co-owner Geoff Wiley.

Djangology Festival at Jalopy [315 Columbia St. between Hamilton Avenue and Woodhull Street in Red Hook, (718) 395-3214], Oct. 15-16 at 8 pm. Tickets $20 ($35 for the weekend). For info, visit www.jalopy.biz.

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'Punk' style

By Meredith Deliso

A “punk” annual tradition returns to DUMBO, while two new stores bring fashionable styles to Red Hook and Clinton Hill. Here’s what’s on our market watch this week.

Steampunk Day

Celebrate steampunk culture, fashion and craftsmanship at DUMBO Loft on Oct. 24. What is steampunk, you say? Think “Victorian-era science fiction,” says writer August Wahnsinger (pictured), a student in the matter.

“Anything that can be envisioned as a part of a scientifically advanced ‘steam’ era can be properly described as steampunk, going back to the works of Mary Shelley, Jules Verne and H.G. Wells.”

Helping get you there are wearable wunderkammer from Ami Nyitray Designs, unique vestments by Kristin Costa, and clothes with an old world charm from Berit New York.

If youíre looking for a new bodice or clockwork-inspired accoutrements, this one’s for you.

Steampunk Day at DUMBO Loft [Water Street at Pearl Street in DUMBO, (718) 858-9805], Oct. 24 from 11 am-8 pm. Fashion show at 4 pm, with $5 entry. For info, visit www.brooklynindiemarket.com.

Everbrite Mercantile Company

The former Atlantis antique shop in Red Hook is getting a new life. Vacant for over a year, the Van Brunt Street space welcomes Everbrite Mercantile Company, a design shop specializing in quirky yet stylish home décor and clothing that opened this week.

Owner Mollie Dash’s handcrafted vintage jewelry was previously only available on Greenpoint boutique Old Hollywood’s website. Now, her gems are joined by items that would be at home at the Brooklyn Flea, like bird’s foot bookends, a rope money clip, and a literal smoking gun — a cigarette holder in the shape of a, well, gun.

Talk about a conversation starter.

Everbrite Mercantile Company [351 Van Brunt St. between Dikeman and Wolcot streets in Red Hook, (718) 522-6121]. Closed Mondays. For info, visit www.ebmerc.com.

Brooklyn Stone Boutique

This one’s for the ladies. Say hello to the latest shop to pay homage our borough’s fine name — Brooklyn Stone Boutique.

The Fort Greene boutique carries a range of luxury brands and independent designers at affordable prices for fashionistas with a flair. Its current stock is perfect for the fall, from leather handbags by Beirn to black thigh high boots to patterned riding jackets. Beauty products and home décor items are also for sale.

Tuesdays are by appointment for personal shopping, so you don’t leave any stone unturned.

Brooklyn Stone Boutique [366 Myrtle Ave. between Adelphi and Clermont avenues in Fort Greene, (347) 763-2041]. Grand opening Oct. 16 from 2-6 pm. For info, visit www.brooklynstoneboutique.com.

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Art show asks you to get in 'line'

"Dots" by Anujan Ezhikode

By Adam Warner

You name it, you’ll see it at the Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition pier show this month.

So promises John Strohbeen, president of the coalition, which is presenting its fall group show, “Lineage,” now until the end of the month.

More than 300 artists are exhibiting some 1,200 works in every medium as they look back on their past and interpret what “lines” mean to them.

“The idea is to enlighten the viewer about an artist’s development, path and history,” said Strohbeen.

Featured artist Anujan Ezhikode of Park Slope offers one piece, “Water: A Global Perspective,” in which he arranges 300 cups filled with colored water for a vibrant mosaic.

More than just fun experiments, Ezhikode’s body of work examines memory and personal history and how both influence one’s perception of the world.

“I grew up in one place and am living in another,” said Ezhikode, who was born in India. “When you go back to a place you have been removed from, what you thought was true might not be true. Your memory changes and alters things, but the place stays the same.”

Also on hand is Boerum Hill urban folk painter Russell Mehlman, whose new piece, “The Street Entertainers,” was inspired by a photo he took in the early 1980s of two buskers, Tex and Jean. For the painting, Mehlman reversed the original image, giving the viewer a look at the audience.

“It emerged from something that I did in the past,” said Mehlman. “It owes its existence to that little black and white photo.”

In addition to the artists, the space will present a number of musicians, performing without the aid of electronics, and covering such genres as ragas, blues, piano, indie, rock, folk, progressive, and jazz, during its UnPlugged in Red Hook series. There will also be poetry readings and an international short film added for good measure.

“The music, events, and poetry readings are going to take your classic museum exhibition and put it on another level,” said Strohbeen. 

“Lineage” at Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition [499 Van Brunt St. near Reed Street, (718) 569–2506], now through Oct. 31 on Saturdays and Sundays from 1-6 pm. Free. For info, visit www.bwac.org.

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