What’s your town’s nickname?

Big Apple

What’s your nickname for your town?

NYC. Bklyn. W-burg. GPT. Nothing too creative, basically text-style abbreviations to sort out where we’re going to meet around town. Andrya likes to call it “The City of Dirt & Dreams.”

Why do you live there?

Right now we both still live here to play music with the other. Also because even after 12/13 years it’s hard to find anywhere else with so much to offer.

What is your favorite local attraction (monument, park, etc)?

The small park at the end of Grand Street in Williamsburg has an aura of calm reflection. The growing number of taco trucks also is a warming attraction… Endless Summer @ Bedford and N6th, El Diablo Tacos @ Union Pool. Anywhere where you accidentally look up and see the most gorgeous east coast sunset over the city —- nature’s gift.

What is your favorite local event/festival?

Fond of the NYC International Pickle Day Festival. Also every single venue that has outside shows in the summer, from Central park to parking lots under train tracks in Bushwick = awesome.

What is the best time of year to be there?

Easily Spring & Fall. Best weather of anywhere. Summer has a certain survivor’s gritty pride, and winter is a brutal bleak spell. Though there are ALWAYS amazing shows, exhibits, things to see hear do — so no complaints.

Who is your favorite local celebrity/personality?

The steady stream of wackos that travel in & out of West Nile… where one of us spends a lot of time.

Where is the best place to drink and what’s their specialty or happy hour?

Daddy’s, when DANA BELL is working the bar. Check out her art here.

Who has the best jukebox (and what’s in it)?

Daddy’s also has a nice jukebox, lots of old country & curious rock + classic rocksteady musical biscuits. Even more reason to go hang with Dana Bell. Although she’ll probably be happy to take requests & DJ off her iPod, if you’re polite.

What is your favorite place to see live music and what was your favorite show there?

The show makes the place, and there’s always so many unofficial (& official) venues operating at any time that the charm of the shows being hosted usually takes it to the next level more so than the actual place. But always of interest are Monster Island/Secret Project Robot, Death By Audio, Cakeshop, Silent Barn, West Nile… The epic 4/20/09 Knyfe Hyts record release show @ Secret Project Robot was one for the record books.

What is your favorite local band?

Who could have just one? Sightings, Kynfe Hyts, Pterodactyl, Marnie Stern, High Places (recently moved to west coast), Magik Markers (half the band at least), These Are Powers, Antimagic, Red Dawn II, Awesome Color, Air Waves etc.

What is your favorite diner or restaurant and what is their best dish?

Supercore’s lunch specials…. right price, + yum. Also their Green Tea Au Lait — soymilk optional.

What is your favorite record store and what was your best find there?

Permanent Records rules, check out their website by JMBOTRN. Andrya’s roommate Ted just came home from there with the Eno Mobius Rodelius (Cluster meets Eno) album After The Heat. Last three songs on Side B are a collector’s gems. Good find Ted. Thanks Permanent.

What is your favorite local shop?

Food & food-related: Marlow & Sons! The deli on Bedford and Grand where you can get Kombucha for $3.50 instead of the $5 elsewhere. VINNIE’S PIZZA on bedford —- the vegan options are amazing. The Garden in Greenpoint – if you catch the sales you can get awesome organic/whole food for cheap. Bulk counter is top shelf stuff for nothing.

What is your favorite local publication (alternative weekly, zine, website or blog)?

Showpaper, bare bones listing of shows, featuring great new artwork with every issue. Major kudos to Showpaper.

1. What’s your town’s nickname?
Williamsburg.

2. What’s your nickname for your town?
People call it all sorts of things. We call it Brooklyn.

3. Why do you live there?
Mainly because the bars are open until 4am, but also because we had become tired or bored with wherever we had lived previously and NYC seemed like a welcome change.

4. What is your favorite local attraction (monument, park, etc)?
McCarran Park is a sweet spot in the summer time. The babe to dude ratio is something to be seen. Everyone pretty much grabs a frozen margarita from an adjacent bar, and chills out and drinks all summer. There also used to be McCarran Pool, which was a public pool in the 30′s turned killer show spot. A lot of good/big bands would come though, and a lot of the shows were free. Sadly, it’s no more. Soon to be merely a pool again.

5. What is the best time of year to be there?
Spring/early summer. For all the reasons previously mentioned. People are so over winter by that point that all they wanna do is get wild. There are usually a good 5 BBQs a day one can hit if you are resourceful.

6. Where is the best place to drink and what’s their specialty or happy hour?
On a couch during football season is number one. Or any sports bar, they usually have some good wing/pitcher deal.

7. Who has the best jukebox (and what’s in it)?
I have no idea about jukeboxes. People use iPods these days. Or have live DJs. There are plenty of spots with good iPods/DJs.

8. What is your favorite place to see live music and what was your favorite show there?
I could say Union Pool or Glasslands or Don Pedros or something. Those are easily the best places to play around town, and I’ve seen good shows at all of them, but I’m gonna go with a heavy hitter. Madison Square Garden. That place is just cool. I saw Petty there last year, and that shit was just epic.

9. What is your favorite local band?
There is a bunch, but standouts are Alana Amram and The Rough Gems, and The Stalkers.

10. What is your favorite diner or restaurant and what is their best dish?

Food around here is too expensive. I prefer my meals homecooked.

11. What is your favorite record store and what was your best find there?
The best one around here is probably Academy. I have too many finds to remember the best one, but I will say that as of yesterday our record was in the $5 bargain bin, so go grab it.

12. What is your favorite local publication (alternative weekly, zine, website or blog)?
I used to read the Daily News regularly, but after awhile it gets annoying because their sports section only talks about New York teams, and not being a native New Yorker, I could give a shit. So I read The Onion now. They always have a stack at Clem’s, and that’s the kind of news I can get behind.