Venue Review: THE SPACE PALACE

http://www.facebook.com/TheSpacePalace

846 Myrtle Avenue Basement, Brooklyn NY

(Between Marcy and Tompkins Avenue)

Recommended Booker: 

Johnathan Granoff (jonathan@ellisashbrook.com)

Backline/Sound: Drum kit, bass amp, and key amp, pa, mics; Better than average sound.

Vibe: A supercool basement with professional lighting, DJ and barmaid. Think of it as the party your older hipster sister has where she invites all of her great artsy connections, including those strange exchange students from Sweden. 

Capacity: ~150

Clout on the NYC Circuit: I am pleased to say with every fiber of my being that this is the kind of scene hipsters DROOL OVER. Why? This is quite literally and figuratively an underground project. Psychedelic rock group Ellis Ashbrook aren't satisfied just drenching the NYC scene with their rich orgasmaudio - they've decided to bring the scene home, and are the hosts of a monthly "Space Palace" party, featuring awesome bands you may have not heard of but won't want to stop listening to.

Internal Draw: Party usually starts around 8pm; expect it to get crowded by 11pm until the show's over around 2am.

Pros: Where to begin? As a musician, this is the very definition of supercool. This is a band-run event, so you know that the sound guy will actually care about what you sound like because, well, it's his soundboard and he'll be using it to play with his band, later. This event also features great local musical acts not exclusive to rock (bands previously performed include The Disappointment, Orange Television, SCS Funk Band, The Shills, and yours truly with The Moment). You can expect an element of the avant-garde and unusual musical ensembles to compliment the eclectic ambiance Ellis has so effortlessly cooked up. Ellis Ashbrook has their own lyric-screaming/turntable-owning fan base which means you can expect a more or less built in crowd, $5 tickets (ALL proceeds go to the bands!), very, very cheap drinks (PBR, party punch, etc. for a couple of dollars a can/cup)...there's just a plethora of pluses to being a part of this operation. Even if you don't get booked there, it's a damn cool thing to be doing on a Friday night. Bands, take note, just as I have: the scene isn't really dead, it just needs new life breathed into it. This is a perfect example of what the scene is, at its best.

Cons: It is an intimate space nestled in a basement, so it can be very difficult to find. There are no signs. Just make like a mole and follow the sounds and smells. You'll find your way. :) Also, it's a monthly event, booking availability is probably severely limited. Upside is that you'll probably have a psychic Roladex of new music friends by the end of the night just through osmosis.

Overall Impression: You might want to make this party your thing to do. A++++.

(Me, enjoying some Space Punch with a kick before SJATM's set @ Space Palace, 9/28/12. Chris King, photog.)

(Orange Television, performing live @ Space Palace, 9/28/12, with live art/light by Liquid Art Lab. Sylvana Joyce, photog.) 

(Ellis Ashbrook throwing down before a huge crowd, 2/26/11, photo courtesy of Ellis Ashbrook/The Space Palace)