Words by Jason Lee
We all been there (right…right?!?) like where you been with a sig-o for a substantial period of time and despite things being all hunky-dory you start yearning for some ch-ch-ch-changes however vaguely and tho’ you think you’re hiding it from yr pretty thing pretty well they know you too well not prone to missing the not-so-subtle signals as in your negligent neglecting of their “needs” shall we say and you wonder why they’ve been such a queen bitch lately…
…then lo’ and behold one morning you’ll wake up with a start to find a Dear John/Dear Jeanette letter stapled to your forehead (seriously, you really need to ease up on the Everclear and no we don’t mean the spiky ‘90s alt-rock hitmakers) saying they’ve run off to Bora Bora an insurance claims adjuster and suddenly you realize how good you had it all those years with a hot-to-trot hottie at your beck and call but now it’s too late…
…which is exactly what yr gonna feel like if Brooklyn independent music mainstay Our Wicked Lady goes under cuz here again we’re talkin’ about a fine girl but she ain’t gonna stick around forever if you don’t start showing your love by attending some of the many kickass shows and other events they book on the regular from day to day, week to week, month to month, and year to year solely for your pleasure…
…and you’re gonna seriously miss that sweet, sweet rooftop with the retractable roof that allows you to listen to some fine, fine live music with a summer breeze wafting through your chest hair not to mention the intimate bar downstairs where cool shiz happens on the regular like karaoke and open jams hosted by the Brooklyn Drum Collective cuz hey in case you haven’t noticed there’s been a cascading series of local closures of nightlife venues lately which tend to act something like a contagion and there appears to be another outbreak the likes of which not seen since the darkest days of Covid an once it all reaches a certain tipping point it’s not unlike a melting polar ice cap that that can’t be magically restored once it’s gone…
…cuz guess what times are hard and we’ve all seen recently how tenuous or worse than tenuous shit can get when proper care isn’t taken in the looking after of our long-standing institutions during said hard times like how in a solipsistic society in decline the high price of eggs can lead inexorably to the dismantling of the administrative state and the downfall of democracy to boot so please don’t let your pettiness and easy distractibility get the better of you and lull you into overlooking the waning of a golden age cuz believe you me that shiz is waning and soon we’ll all be drowning not waving and once it’s all over it ain’t coming back…
…so why not check out some of the great shows and other entertainment that OWL is so well known for like the all-weekend benefit that’s happening this coming Sat & Sun (February 1st and 2nd) or the annual Winter Madness Battle of the Battles scheduled across a couple weekend later the same month so in other words no shortage of opportunities to catch overstuffed musical showcases featuring scores of cream-of-the-crop NYC bands and see how fun it can be battling the forces of darkness…
…but heck why stop there when you can also go check out OWL’s weekly Tuesday night jam sessions hosted by the Brooklyn Drum Collective or some other middle-of-the-week night when you may very well discover your new favorite band cuz there’s magic happening at Our Wicked Lady all teh time or heck apply all we’ve said above to your fave under or not-so-under the radar musical venue or arts organization of your choice and no doubt it’ll equally apply…
…expand this ethos out to other independent businesses and vibrant outlets for grassroots artistic expression and community building that make this city worth living in cuz that’s how the struggle works folks it’s from the bottom-up at locales where you can see “bottoms up!” otherwise we may as well all move to [insert city that you wish to disparage here] where the cost of living may be cheaper but where your best hopes for a good time on a Saturday night are gonna be going to see the local Bon Jovi tribute band play for the upteenth time at the local strip mall which nothing against “Bohn Jon Bovi” and the plight of working musicians but with all due respect even Heather Locklear fresh off her 20th stint in rehab is likely to get bored with that routine before too long…
…so now’s the time to do you your thing folks and show up for OWL and other local music venues that could most certainly likewise use a leg up and may equally be on the ropes before long at a moment’s notice and just remember nurture what you have need of cuz the need will only grow exponentially if not nurtured in other word it’s all for your own good so be goddamn selfish for the collective good which should be a win-win in the end and in the name of all that’s gloriously unholy, Save Wicked Lady!