Visually-stimulating, psychedelic band Yellowbirds are having a busy spring with shows scheduled from Massachusettes to Kentucky, but Brooklyn is home.  Read along as guitarist Sam Cohen shares tid-bits about his town.  Just don’t call it Crooklyn.
What’s your town’s nickname?
I guess if you’re an enormous dork you might call it Crooklyn.
What’s your nickname for your town?
The Greater Pulaski Bridge area.
Why do you live there?
Health reasons.
Did you grow up there?
No, I grew up in Houston, TX.
If not, what brought you there?
I’d been living in a very rustic setting in Western Mass in a farmhouse with my band Apollo Sunshine.  Everyone in the band started moving out for different reasons and going to different cities.  I could either move back to Boston or try something new.
What’s the weirdest thing that has ever happened to you there?
I’ve been issued tickets for some pretty obscure things.  That’s weird.
What is your favorite local attraction (monument, park, etc)?
The Cloisters!
What is your favorite local event or festival?
Wing night.  No, just kidding. I don’t know.
What is the best time of year to be there?
Spring!  On the first warm day after winter, the brotherly and sisterly love gauge is off the charts.
Who is your favorite local celebrity?
Woody Allen.
Where is the best place to drink and what’s their specialty or happy hour?
I like Mark Bar in Greenpoint.  Their happy hour seems like it’s all day.  $3 top-shelf whiskey.
Who has the best jukebox (and what’s in it)?
Acapulco Restaurant at Manhattan Ave. and Clay, and they’ve got the system to make you feel the tuba.
Do you play music there? If so, where is your favorite place to play?
They won’t let me.  Whoever lets me.
Does where you live influence your music?
Very much.  “Pulaski Bridge” was written looking out my window, and “In our world” is about the happiness I felt when my girlfriend and I finally got our own apartment.  She’s my wife now.
What is your favorite place to see live music and what was your favorite show there?
I don’t stick to one place. The best show I’ve seen in some time was Warpaint at the new Knitting Factory.  I like Zebulon a lot, too.
What is your favorite local band?
There are so many great musicians around.  I just got into a band called Wish.  I went to see Superhuman Happiness the other night and they were great!  Been rocking a little Here We Go Magic.
What is your favorite diner or restaurant and what is their best dish?
Gonna have to go with Acapulco again.  Veggie fajitas, extra tortillas so you can share, whole beans instead of refried, no cheese, a side of jalapenos, and two pacificos.  The usual.
What is your favorite record store and what was your best find there?
I like Permanent Records and Academy Records.  I never find what I’m looking for, but stuff finds me at both those places.
What is your favorite local publication (alternative weekly, zine, website or blog)?
Brooklyn Vegan is a legitimate source.
What is your favorite local shop?
The Thing on Manhattan Ave. is the collagist’s best friend.
If you could live anywhere else, where would that be?
On a hill that I don’t have to climb or in the woods by a babbling creek.  This would need to be less than 40 minutes to midtown.