Incase

Soooooooooo…. about a month ago we sponsored FYF Fest Production’s CMJ showcase at Cake Shop in New York. Crystal Antlers. Male Bonding. Let’s Wrestle. Ninjasonik. As part of our sweet coverage of the showcase, we also sponsored Michael Reich’s (a/k/a Videothing.com) documentation of the night.

Per usual, Reich captured all the fearsome fun. From the footage you’ll gather it was a real sweat lodge. Go to videothing to see his frequent video coverage of underground shows happening all over the US.

We could say so much about Vice’s 15th anniversary bash. Happy to report a fair amount of noteworthy shenaniganery went down with the hard workin’ Mr. Dank & Christopher Roberts and their sundry cohorts. Exhilarating and fun? Yes and yes. Exhausting and idiotic? Yes and definitely. Which is exactly the way Vice likes a rollick to roll. This was easily the most raging Halloween/Birthday lurk in the NYC area. By far and away.

We could tell you about the mega square-foot warehouse space and its two floors oozing in mystery liquids; we could describe the inventive costumes, the sketchy lighting (i.e. none), the head crushing sound system, and the beautifully built (but quickly useless) booze-soaked mini-ramp.

We could gush endlessly about The Jesus Lizard’s genuinely mind-blowing performance. We could tell you about the overzealous security guards nearly shutting down the Bad Brains’ set. THE BAD BRAINS! We could say so much. But the Flickr photos show it all so much better.

Costumed party-goers waited an average of two hours just to get into the party. On a cold, drizzly night! Why? It was an honest to God blowout. Right after this we packed up and headed to Austin, Texas for the 4th Annual Fun Fun Fun Fest. It’s been a real whirlwind two weeks here at Incase Music & Events. Happy Boo(!)rthday Vice!

If you’ve ever been to NYC’s CMJ Music Marathon, then you know how frenzied it can be. New York’s fall weather is notoriously unpredictable. If it isn’t raining or freezing then its a heat wave. Nevertheless, come slush or hot garbage, the devoted will do whatever it takes to see their favorite bands play exceedingly short sweaty sets. As the unofficial indie rock right of passage, everybody plays CMJ at least once.

This year we decided to partner up with our friends at FYFFest Productions on their showcase at Cake Shop. Of late, they’ve been on a role with great music & charity events around the country. According to Sean Carlson, FYF’s resident Willy Wonka, “It was at capacity [400 people!] the entire night, from 12 midnight til 4AM. It was GREAT!” And with that, we say enjoy the photos. See you next year!

FYFest Productions, Videothing.com & Incase Present:
Crystal Antlers, Male Bonding, Let’s Wrestle, & Ninja Sonik
Cake Shop 152 Ludlow Street, NYC, 10002
Friday, October 23rd
12:30AM-4AM

The annual CMJ Music Marathon touches down in New York City this week, Oct 20-24th. Within a few short days thousands of bands, fans, and djs will be lurking elbow to elbow in every dank club and hipster hole throughout the city. As always, guaranteed to be mega spastic. Adding to the mayhem, Incase is sponsoring the FYFest Productions showcase at Cake Shop with Crystal Antlers, Male Bonding, Let’s Wrestle, and Ninja Sonik. Bring ear plugs and a change of shirt. GO!

Ohhhh, sigh…. four months of free barbecue & mellow buzz action has now come to a close. So sad. Last Wednesday marked Finger On The Pulse’s final Summer BBQ Blow Out at the Hope Lounge in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

From May through August ‘09, come rain or shine, brothers Greg & Darin Bresnitz provided the neighborhood with the mellowest mid-week lurk in town. Friends + FREE BBQ + free beer + legendary chefs + good tunes + free Incase products. Everybody just lazin’ around with full bellies…. Summery Wednesday nights at an indoor/outdoor lounge…. Sounds pretty good. And now, sniffle… sniffle, it is over.

Here’s what Greg Bresnitz had to say about the final BBQ (note—the reference to 250 people eating “pork belly” makes his email recap an instant Incase blog classic).

“We had great weather and one of the best turnouts for the final BBQ. 250 people came through and ate more pork belly than was humanly possible. The Dap-Kings spun throughout the night and kept the crowd moving with deep soul cuts. People grabbed up the Incase products as soon as they came in and were showing them off to each other. It was a great night.” —Greg

Thanks again to the Bresnitz Brothers, no doubt Incase & FOTP will cook up another Music & Food series again together quite soon. Stay tuned.

Upon reading Greg Bresnitz’s email recapping this past Wednesday’s Incase-sponsored Summer BBQ Blowout #3, I’ve decided we’re not gonna bother trying to explain. Sounds too hectic, too fun and way too wet. Here it is straight from Greg’s Finger On The Pulse fingers to you:

“It was a monsoon the entire day through the night. Despite that we had people standing in line in buckets waiting for Sam Mason’s food (Head Chef at Tailor). We sold out in an hour and half, the fasted of any BBQ. I guess Tailor and a recession really gets people to sacrifice comfort for amazing food. Sorry for the delay, we are painting the apartment.”

My favorite part of his email is that last bit about “painting the apartment.” In the relatively short span of nine days, Brothers Greg & Darin Bresnitz have successfully managed to party like wild manimals at Pitchfork in Chicago, play records at Swimming With Sharks in LA, and produce a BBQ during a monsoon in Brooklyn. Now they’re painting the interior of their new TV studio/professional kitchen/production office/dance party loft apartment. Of course. If you attended the BBQ, kudos for braving the weather. Chef Mason’s food is plenty worth it.

BBQ #4 happens at the Hope Lounge on Wednesday, August 26th. This will be the final BBQ of the series (and possibly your last chance this summer to lurk/score free Incase Slider Cases for iPhone & iPod). Take a zillion! Pass ‘em around.

Until then, please enjoy Nicky Digital’s photos of the BBQ series.

Incase & Finger On The Pulse Presents:
Summer BBQ Blowout # 3
with Chef Sam Mason & Harlem Shakes
July 29th @ Hope Lounge
10 Hope Street, Brooklyn, NY
7-11PM

For some reason, this year, summer feels like it is flying by. Hard to believe Incase and Finger On The Pulse are already on our 3rd BBQ Blowout. Does anyone else out there feel like the season’s already halfway over? But doesn’t it also kinda feel like it hasn’t even really begun yet? Weird. Fortunately for the good citizens of Brooklyn, all signs suggest this month’s Finger On The Pulse BBQ will be amazing. Not, like, faux-amazing. Rather, actually amazing. As in, it just might kick summer into full swing.

Here’s why:

1. Entrance to the BBQ is free!
2. Sam Mason! Just $5 bucks gets you a heaping pile of BBQ created by brilliant chef Sam Mason, host of Dinner With The Band, and one of our favorite people. Mason is a seriously gifted chef. Ask anyone who scarfed down Mason’s BBQ at last year’s event, you’ll remember your BBQ experience for many, many years to come. Not kidding! Search high & low, far & wide— we guarantee this will be the best $5 meal in town.
3. We’ve asked The Harlem Shakes to DJ. This means more likely than not, your ears will be as happy as your taste buds.
4. The Hope Lounge has a good vibe. Not corny and not uncomfortable. Go there and relax.
5. And last but not least, in addition to all that nice stuff above, Incase will be doling out boat loads of free Slider Cases for your iPods & iPhones. Piles and piles of Slider Cases. In a veritable cornucopia of vibrant colors. Take as many as you like. They look good and work wonders.

For an evening mid-week lurk sesh, it doesn’t get much better than this. Guaranteed to be easy-breezy, inexpensive, and terrifyingly filling.

Save the date, we hope to see you there.

This past Wednesday night, Williamsburg’s Hope Lounge played host to Finger On The Pulse’s Summer BBQ Blowout #2. Here’s what party titan and FOTP honcho Greg Bresnitz had to say about it (via text, no less):

“Hey man, Here are the photos. The night was great. We had over 350 people come out and we were sold out in the first 90 minutes. Les Savy Fav killed and Tim [Harrington] closed with a set of early 2000s euro gay anthems. Thanks again for the support. Tonight was amazing. Now out drinking!” –Greg

Sure enough, the FOTP BBQ once again sounds like the neighborhood’s best lazy mid-week lurk. From now through August, every last Wednesday of the month, you can enjoy a heaping plate of $5 BBQ, guzzle and dance your ass off (for example, to euro-gay anthems care of luminaries like Les Savy Fav’s Tim Harrington & Seth Jabour).

And while you’re at it, use it as an opportunity to load up on free Incase products for your iPod or iPhone. Like, LOAD UP. Take five, take ten. Spread ‘em around. Snap one on your 3G and shove the rest down your damp pants; belly full, staggering, howling wildly into the night. The next event is July 29th, hope to see you there.

Some photos by Amelia Shaw from last week’s Bicycle Film Festival in New York.

We’re sponsoring the Pittsburgh BFF next weekend July 2-4. So go see one of the films, and you might win one of our Messenger Bags.

Incase is excited to be a sponsor of this year’s Bicycle Film Festival.

The Bicycle Film Festival (BFF) is a celebration of bicycles through film, art and music. The events kick off this week in New York with a plethora of happenings. Check out John Prolly’s blog for more information.

During select stops of the festival, we’ll be giving away prizes from our Courier Collection to the winners of alleycat races and other activities, so be sure to get involved when the BFF comes to your city.

We’ll be posting updates as the festival treks across the world, so check back with us for continuing coverage.