Medea Hoar on pussy riot & Lamb of God, by Medea Hoar

Welcome to the March Edition of “Tits up Brooklyn!” March is reported to come in like a lion and leave like a lamb…What does that actually man for us music lovers? Does March arrive like the Stray Cats (rockabilly) and leave like Lamb of God (heavy/dark metal)? Or perhaps like Pussy Riot (punk) and leave like the Electric Sheep (female fronted classic rock)? How about this:

March comes in like Pussy Riot and leaves like Lamb of God!  HA!

So, as many of you are aware, lots of us have a “day job”, those activities we partake in to pay the bills. Some of us also find that music, though expressive, doesn’t provide enough of an outlet for our creativity. Some also paint, create digital art, some write (nudge nudge, wink wink) and others delve into photography. What a wonderful match it is too, when a musician takes off the guitar, puts down the mic or steps out from behind the drum kit to photograph what they love. And that is what our TUB column is partially about today.

In months past I have written about Krebs & the Maynard Gs, a delightfully talented bunch hailing from the isles of Manhattan, Brooklyn and parts north. One member of the band, bassist Micheal Jung, is as prolific a photographer in black and white as he is with a bass slung around his shoulders. On a blustery Saturday night in February the local sweet and savory bakery, Betty’s Bakery, hosted the First Solo Exhibit of Mr. Jung’s photos for all to enjoy.

Micheal Jung exhibited approximately 30 black and white photos at his first ever solo show on Feb. 22 from 7-30 – 9 pm, displayed on the walls of the beloved bakery. It only took a few people in the venue to make the space very crowded. The supportive friends, bandmates, etc…waited patiently on the cold sidewalk until there was space for them to go in and view the photos.

Micheal Jung plays in a number of bands, Krebs & Maynard Gs of course, but also Mustafina, Alice Donut and Gojumo, which affords him the unique opportunity to capture music as it’s happening with his camera lens. However, just a few of the photos reflected these opportunities. His eye caught city life in all its beauteous gritty glory, including a breathtaking panorama of the city scape that was the centerpiece of the exhibit.  How wonderful it was to experience yet another type of art on a Saturday.

Earlier in the month I did manage to get out and hear some fine troubadours on Val/Gal/Palentines Day, however you want to refer to the holiday dedicated to expressing love in all it’s forms. And just for the record, why is the holiday in the bitterest, coldest and shortest month of the year? Inquiring minds want to know….

I spent that night at Katie Curley’s Sad Song, Happy Hour: Battle of the Sad Songs, very apropos for many of us in the Lonely Hearts Club on that day. Gracing the stage with Katie Curley was, Stephanie Hall, Alan Lee Backer and Carolann Solebello. While 3 of the 4 performers have graced the stage at Young Ethels many times, this was the first time I had a chance to catch Carolann Solebello, and what a tasty treat that was! Each singer accompanied themselves on acoustic guitar while performing some of the saddest songs in their repertoire, with the audience voting on the best/saddest at the end of each round. Prizes included candy hearts, guitar picks and more.  A common theme in many of these saddest included drinking too much alcohol and the irony was not lost on this lady. Alan Lee Backer performed the melancholiest of songs “Whiskey Lullaby” by Bill Anderson and Jon Randall. I may never forget how he crooned “S/he put that bottle to her/his head and pulled the trigger.”  Too many memories of people gone too soon. The highlight of the evening was when Stephanie Hall played a song with lyrics by her late father that she put music too. Not a dry eye in the house. A sad song bonanza, and kudos to Katie Curley for giving us all some warmth on a cold, cold night.

We have much to look forward to in March in Brooklyn, as Spring brings longer days and fun nights.

Arcana plays at Prospect Bar & Grill on Thursday March 6^th 8 pm. This venue often has local musicians on Thursday nights and it’s a great place to start the weekend off right.

But if you want to break up your week, head to Mathilde’s at 20^th and 5^th Ave. for Bluegrass Wednesdays, each and every week. This is a new night for a jam in Brooklyn that just debuted in January.

And keep in mind that the green-eyed monster, St. Patrick’s Day, rolls around on March 17, with festivities starting on Sunday March 16^th with Dark Streets, playing the music of the Pogues at Mama Tried as part of their St. Patrick’s Day tour.

Finally, mark your calendars for June 21^st – Smudgefest 2025 with details in the next Tits Up Brooklyn column.

With that, I leave you, my darlings. By the time we meet again it’ll be springtime and hope springs eternal for this musical muse. Longer days, warmer nights, brighter clothes (and days) ahead and all the world at our fingertips. How fortunate we are to live in bodacious Brooklyn. Rock on with your bad selves and know that you are adored by your very own Medea Hoar.

#bkmuses

Betty’s Bakery, 221 Prospect Park West, Brooklyn (Park Slope)

Prospect Bar & Grill, 545 5^th Ave., Brooklyn (Park Slope)

Young Ethyl’s, 506 5^th Ave., Brooklyn (Park Slope)

Mathilde’s, 676 5^th Ave., Brooklyn (Gowanus)

Mama Tried, 787 3^rd Ave., Brooklyn (Greenwood Heights)

A Star-Revue Contributor