portrait of the very-tired author
Hello
Welcome to The Deviant Dispatch. It’s Mo, your guide to the underground world of Brooklyn and beyond. On Wednesday I write about events for free. On Friday I write about gossip, usually for paying subscribers (just $5 a month!). If you can, please consider becoming a paying subscriber so I can pay rent. If you don’t have the coins, please just share this with someone!
It’s inauguration day, and despite the literal dancing in the street when the news networks announced Biden would win, no one seems to be planning on partying. When I polled people on my Instagram stories how they’d be celebrating, the lone response read: “smoking weed girl.” Glad we’re all feeling appropriately patriotic as we inaugurate the moderate who authored the 1994 crime bill. Mazel!! Plenty people will be making jokes on Twitter though, so get ready for that deluge in your feeds.
If you’re tuning in to this newsletter to find a place to get drunk today, I know that the bar Rebecca’s is selling BLANKETS if drinking outside in January is understandably too chilly for your tastes. Such is the state of affairs in Post-Covid NYC Bar Culture. With indoor dining understandably revoked, patrons either bundle up outside or crowd into hastily-constructed “outside” areas where the smell of a strangers cigarette reminds you how you’re all breathing the same air particles anyway.
If walking around outside after dark is your tea, the Time Out New York says that Chinatown (specifically Mott Street—between Canal and Bayard streets) is covered in paper lanterns. Sounds like a great opportunity to brown bag a beer and wander outside with a friend.
Just make sure when you’re walking around you’re not mistaken for a Black Lives Matter protestor because then NYPD will arrest you. According to Gothamist they arrested at least 29 people on MLK day. “It’s not surprising to me that it would happen. I feel like the NYPD and any other police force, they were designed to do this,” activist Tameer Peak told Gothamist. “They were designed to capture Black people even on a holiday that celebrates Black icons. They don’t care. They don't give a shit.”
As so we move forward to a new age, with the same old shit.
Xoxo,
Mo
Bush Tetras, Live On Screen
When: Saturday, 9:00 PM NYC Time
Where: https://lpr.tv/
What: Bush Tetras is an iconic all female post-punk band from 80s NYC. Their biggest hit “Too Many Creeps” remains a timeless bop. The group, (minus the OG bassist who died in 2011) will be performing on the LPR stream for you to consume safely in your apt. “I just don’t wanna go out in the streets no more” indeed.
How much: $15 (plus fees)
Subculture Party
When: Saturday 9:00 PM NYC Time
Where: Zoom ID 420-777-8888, they’ll release the password on their Instagram day of
What: Last week I logged onto this party on a whim. It’s been a long time since I danced to a zoom rave. In my experience they’ve become more and more overrun with blank screens and bored-looking patrons.
Thankfully Subculture was still at full-fantasy. There were pages and pages of young people dressed in their Hot Topic best. I spied fashion TikTok user @Virtual.Brat, drag queen Sisi Superstar, as well as couple of furries. A DJ named Graveyard Guy played grim-sounding set of gabber and techno. Later on, That Kid played stellar unreleased hyperpop songs from himself and Slayyyter. They’re having another party this Saturday and while I don’t know the lineup (the flyer will be posted tomorrow) I’ll be sure to tune in anyway.
How Much: Free
TC Superstar Acoustic Set
When: Sunday, 8pm NYC time
Where: venmo @TCSuperstar with your email address in the comments to get the secret online URL
What: The 80s-inspired indie pop band is known for their inclusion of dancers in their performances. I found out about them from the feminist music blog Slumbermag. This inclusion of visual elements means that TC Superstar is well-suited to keeping you entertained even if it’s through a screen.
How much: $12
That’s it for this dispatch. If you liked it please consider forwarding this email to a pal! If you’re the pal please subscribe. I write twice a week: once about upcoming worthy events (for free subscribers) and once about underground news and gossip (for paying members). You can send me tips about either by emailing thedeviantdispatch@gmail.com . If you care about drag queens, illegal parties, independent music/art/film/fashion, Charli XCX, and rebellion, you need to read The Deviant Dispatch.