Returning to Brooklyn, New York for the fifth consecutive year is A Murder of Crows. Serving as New York City’s annual Goth and post-punk music festival, the event brings together DJs and some of the genres’ most iconic bands for a celebration of darkly inclined live music and entertainment. Included with the festivities will be The Dark Market, “a darker approach to shopping for clothing, merchandise and memorability.” Major highlights of the festival include the buzz-worthy reunion of 2000’s post punk band Blacklist. It will also feature the first New York appearance of Kælan Mikla, the all-female Icelandic trio, who also will be opening for The Cure at the Rose Bowl the same week.
Held at the Brooklyn Bazaar, 150 Greenpoint Avenue, Brooklyn, New York, The weekend celebration takes place August 31st and September 1st, 7:00 PM to 4:00 AM each day. Two-day admission starts at $60 and VIP packages can be purchased for $85 that include an official festival t-shirt, a tote bag, poster and commemorative pin. Details on performers, event information and tickets are available at https://www.redpartynyc.com/amoc.
Five years have seen A Murder of Crows come from humble beginnings as a small, local event to the New York City Goth scene grow into an all encompassing festival with performers from around the globe, a vendor section (The Dark Market) and scene renowned DJs from all over the world hosting club events. Festival Producer Sean Templar describes this collective as “quality over cruelty!”
“’ A Murder of Crows’ festival is all about throwing a great party and having a good time,” says Templar. “But we also want to make sure that it’s always all-inclusive, a place where everyone can express their own unique personalities and musical tastes in a safe and secure environment.”
Templar has been a staple in the New York City Goth scene for over 20 years, building his reputation as the main organizer of the influential and long running monthly Goth and post-punk club event called The Red Party. Over the years, he has booked some of the industry’s most iconic bands while also helping emerging new artists of the subculture scene, at a time when no one else would.
Back in Black
Blacklist, which will be reuniting for the first time since their break-up eight years ago, headlines on Saturday evening. Founded in 2005, Blacklist quickly gained a cult following and was responsible for bringing back to New York the guitar driven ferocity that contrasted dramatically with the pulse-pounding rhythm of the electronic age. Their lyrics often draw upon popular philosophy and historical events as well as lovelorn feelings reminiscent of early Killing Joke, and Asylum Party.
Among Sunday’s highlights will be Ash Code. The band will be making their New York premier, entertaining the crowd with long time dance floor favorites like the Goth-fueled synth songs, “Dry Your Eyes” and “Nite Rite”. Also making their New York premiere on Sunday is Kælan Mikla, hailing from Reykjavík, Iceland, that has been making big waves within the underground music scene. Known for their dark melancholic sound and intimating stage presence, they will be appearing hot off the heels of opening up for The Cure at the Rose Bowl on the previous day, August 31.
Additional bands include The Hunt, Twin Tribes, Cruex Lies, Sonsombre, Otzi, Fangs on Fur and The Long Losts on stage both days.
The festival will also feature multiple DJs spinning a variety of sounds ranging from classic Goth to modern EBM. These include Sean Templar himself, as well as festival regulars like England’s Martin Oldgoth, Long Beach’s DJ Dave Bats, New York’s Xris SMack, and DJ Matt V Christ.
A ‘Dark’ Affair
Looking for that perfect piece of taxidermy to hang on your wall or a new mourning veil? The Dark Market will be open, keeping your toes bouncing as the music plays and the DJs spin. The festival will also dedicate an entire section to independent vendors of clothing, jewelry and home décor. Keep your lifestyle up in perfect spook and “beauteous gloom” – and all for a great cause. Once again, 100% of the vendor fees will be donated to The Sophie Lancaster Foundation. For more details on the foundation please visit: https://www.sophielancasterfoundation.com.
“We always thought it bizarre that New York was lacking a proper Goth music festival,” said Templar. “Germany has its massive city-wide Wave Gotik Treffen. England has its long running Whitby Goth Weekend. This music is celebrated all over the world, so why not in New York?”
About the Red Party
Now celebrating its 13 th anniversary, The Red Party was founded by Sean Templar “on a bet” in 2007. A Murder of Crows is the Party’s annual celebration “of all things Goth, post-punk, and everything in between.” Meanwhile, Templar and his partners continue to host a monthly, more intimate version of the event around New York, ensuring that it is inclusive, not only to the young and old, “in the know” fans, but also to the curious and uninitiated. All Red Party events are dedicated to creating an environment where one can dance to the songs that are rarely played on the radio, as well as to the new, emerging music of subculture genres – and where everyone can have a good time in the process. The Red Party also plays host to various post-punk, Goth, and deathrock concerts in the Manhattan-Brooklyn area. For more information about the The Red Party, visit https://www.facebook.com/nycredparty/