​"A lot of people from the old days carry guns. One of these days one of these suburban kids is going to say the wrong thing to the wrong person."
—Longtime Williamsburg resident Sunny Chapman speaks to the Times about the gentrification that's been affecting her neighborhood for the better part of the past 10 years, and how some people might be on the verge of a mad-is-hell moment, in a lengthy story on the Brooklyn neighborhood's growing pains. Much of the Times piece is about the Open Space Alliance's concerts at East River State Park, which have ticked off some residents because of lingering crowds and the way they take over the public spaces with porta-potties, early-kickoff soundchecks, and blockages of the playgrounds. (There's also a dismissive reference to "bridge and tunnel" people now coming from Manhattan, which ha.) This year, the shows have been limited to 15 and will operate under a host of constraints: "no weekend shows in July and August... five of the concerts will be free, including four that are intended to be quiet: two children's shows, a comedy performance and a classical concert." Soundchecks will also begin at noon, as opposed to 10 am. And let's hope that there's extra screening for firearms in the shows' environs, because yipes.

​Via Sonic Youth's Twitter comes this wonderful bit of news: The iconic New York rockers will storm the beaches of the Williamsburg Waterfront on August 12. Joining them will be the supergroup Wild Flag, made up of Sleater-Kinney members Carrie Brownstein and Janet Weiss, as well as Mary Timony (Helium) and Rebecca Close (the Minders). Tickets for the gig go on sale April 29 at noon (SY's official site has more information), and will surely sell out quickly.

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​Anyone who has ever walked down Bedford Avenue in the middle of a weekday knows that everyone in Williamsburg has no job. Further proof? A newly ongoing loudness war on North 5th, between one neighbor who just can't stop bumping Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream," and another who just can't drown it out, whether with earplugs or headphones or some other, presumably less glossy music, turned up as high as it will go. The punchline? This daily conflict is taking place at the untoward time of 11 a.m. We actually love Katy Perry but perhaps this is excessive:

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​Right now, there is not just a flood watch but also a high surf advisory and a high wind warning in effect for Brooklyn this evening, where Belle & Sebastian are scheduled to perform on the Williamsburg Waterfront. Their set starts at 8:15 p.m 8 p.m.; it is virtually a guarantee that it will be raining heavily by 9, if not long before then. But at the moment, Open Space Alliance for North Brooklyn is maintaining that the show will go on:

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On Sunday afternoon, FIFA will crown the 2010 World Cup winner. At that very same time, Jelly NYC will be hosting its first Pool Party of 2010. To immerse yourself locally in the World Cup final experience, all you need is a football-friendly liquor-licensed establishment, a large-screen TV, and the determination to secure a barstool by noon. To participate in this weekend's Jelly NYC Pool Party, all you need is a KFC Double Down sandwich, a Borat thong, and a bottle of chafing lube. But -- fake suspense -- that's not all. In order to prepare adequately for this weekend's Williamsburg Waterfront free show, here are a few other things you should know:

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​The second benefit show on the Williamsburg Waterfront after Faith No More will feature Nas and Damian Marley, reports Free Williamsburg. That's good news indeed--Marley had a couple of great Summerstage shows years back circa "Jamrock," a song that sounds just about perfect circa July 31st, when this show is happening. And Nas, outdoors in Brooklyn, with the weather all balmy and nice? Well that'll probably just be mayhem. Tickets go on sale Friday, with a presale on Thursday. Cop 'em here.

Get ready to see a whole lot more of this scene. Illustration by M. Wartella.

​"There's still some paperwork, but as far as state parks is concerned, there will be concerts," state park director Rachel Gordon told the Brooklyn Paper. It was the Department of Parks and Recreation's announcement six weeks ago that the Jelly NYC's future at the Williamsburg waterfront was in doubt that sounded the alarm in the first place. Looks like some very public pressure from New York's senior senator and the grumbling of all kinds of community groups and dissolute Brooklynites was what turned the tide, although everybody's now keeping mum on what exactly the hold up was. "It's good to know everything's right on track," said a bewildered Alexander Kane, founder of Jelly NYC. "It'll be our coolest year yet." We eagerly await Schumer's presumably awesome and triumphant statement.

Update: This thing isn't quite over yet. From Schumer's office: "They have a much more positive attitude but we still have to work out a lot of details. This is progress, not a victory or a done deal. We need to keep the pressure on until it's done."

http://www.flickr.com/photos/animalvegetable/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

The N8 space, back in its Supreme Trading days.

Two weeks ago, a press blast announced that Annie would be DJing N8 this Thursday night, but if there's some sort of Williamsburg-bartender betting pool regarding the chances of this actually happening, don't waste a penny on it. For one, the North 8th space that was formerly Supreme Trading had an official City Ordinance on the front door as of Saturday afternoon. For two, N8's phone number is currently disconnected. For three, the date is no longer on the Norwegian-pop singer's official MySpace page. And coincidentally, Annie is now slated to spin vinyl at the Tribeca Grand this Saturday night, on a bill that includes a live performance from our homies Boy Crisis. (RSVP here.) The bigger question, then: will N8, which had been quietly hosting dance parties over the last few months, ever open again?

Download: Annie, "My Love Is Better" (Sunkh Knight remix)

M. Wartella

CMJ isn't the only avalanche this week. It's also the Voice's Best of NYC issue, when we bestow imaginary awards like Best Rapper Twitter Feed, Best Radio DJ, Best Rock Club, Best Guitar-Shredder, Best Music Critic (ahem). If you pick up the print issue, across from Rob's essay about Brooklyn music/bands/future book titles, is a lovingly detailed illustration of a Jelly NYC Williamsburg Pool Party scene. The drawing comes courtesy of M. Wartella and features cameos from a Coconut Sipper, a Cut-Off Trustfunder, Darren Mabee, Terry Richardson, the World's Fastest Nudist, and a Club Animal. A bigger version is here. Look closely, you just might see yourself.

Sam Horine

Seems like just yesterday we were lamenting Jelly NYC's draconian decision to outlaw rattlesnakes, hand grenades, and whoopie cushions from the Williamsburg Waterfront during this summer's string of Pool Parties. Yet here we are, six Sunday shows and two rain interferences later, and there's been no trench warfare, reptilian-caused deaths, or major incidents of joke-shop flatulence reported this summer. (So good on you, Jelly NYC.) That streak continued this past Sunday with Prince Paul, Gravy Train!!!, dd/mm/yyyy, Del the Funky Homosapien. Sam Horine's photos from the event are over here; your grade of the saggy-bodied amputee inkjob above, on a scale of one-to-five bad-dragon tattoos, can stay in your head, thanks.