Slope Weekday Events Spotlight: January 18-20
Winter blues begone! We have a bevy of offerings — including guided meditation comedy, Bowie karaoke, and olfactory thrills. Below are some of our favorite events from around the area.
For even more things to do around Brooklyn, and to add your own upcoming events (some of which we’ll feature in this roundup in the future!), check out our calendar.
Families Celebrate Africa
When: Monday, January 18, 2:00-4:00pm
Where: Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture, 53 Prospect Park West at 2nd Street
What: Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture offers a fun filled family event to celebrate African music and dance, with African face painting, crafts and costumes. Simba Yangala and the dancers from JungleDom will guide children of all ages through a relaxed African dance lesson, followed by a performance that welcomes the participation from both, children and adults. Proceeds from this class will help provide scholarships for BSEC’s Ethics for Children Classes.
How much: $15. Tickets available here.
MLK Day Interfaith Prayer Service “Lift Every Voice and Sing”
When: Monday, January 18, 7:30pm
Where: Old First Reformed Church, 729 Carroll Street (at 7th Avenue)
What: In observance of MLK Day, Old First will host Interfaith Music and Prayers together with The Brooklyn Bangladeshi Muslim Community, City Councilmember Brad Lander, Resurrection Presbyterian Church, All Saints Episcopal Church, and Congregation Beth Elohim. Light refreshments to follow.
How much: Free.
Sponsored Event: Gymnastics Classes & Camp Open House
When: Monday, January 18, 1-6pm
Where: Prospect Gymnastics, 1023 Church Avenue (at Stratford Road)
What: Come meet our staff and learn about our programs. In person registration for spring classes and winter/summer camps will be available. If you want to enroll in classes and haven’t had a chance to do a trial class yet, we will be conducting mini 30-minute trial classes. Pre-register for a trial class by emailing zoe@prospectgymnastics.com. Space is limited. First-come, first-served., 3:30pm– Parent & Tot trial class, 4:30pm — & 4 years old trial class, 5:30pm — 5 – 10 years old trial class.
Halyards Cinemateque – Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban + Drinking Game
When: Tuesday, January 19, 8:00pm, prompt start time (the movie is long!)
Where: Halyard’s, 406 3rd Avenue at 6th Street
What: It’s Harry’s third year at Hogwarts; not only does he have a new “Defense Against the Dark Arts” teacher, but there is also trouble brewing. Convicted murderer Sirius Black has escaped the Wizards’ Prison and is coming after Harry.
How much: Free.
Nick Coyle’s Guided Meditation
When: Tuesday, January 19, 7:30pm (door), 8:00pm (show)
Where: Union Hall, 702 Union Street and 5th Avenue
What: Namaste, friend. You’re stressed out. You’re tense. Your life’s a joke, you’re broke, your love life’s DOA. Well why not join Nick Coyle, one of Australia’s smallest wizards, as he leads you on a very primal guided meditation, (despite being completely unqualified) after a sell out season at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. With Eugene Mirman, Claudia O’Doherty, John Early, and Maeve Higgins.
How much: $6, tickets available in advance. 21 and over. This event will be mixed seated/standing. Arrive early for best seat selection.
Ritual in Scent, an Illustrated Lecture with Alexis Karl
When: Tuesday, January 19, 8:00-10:00pm
Where: Morbid Anatomy Museum, 424 3rd Avenue (at 7th Street)
What: Ritual in Scent will be an olfactory and artistic exploration of ritual spanning from Ancient Egyptian and Mayan culture, shamanism, voodoo, magical herbalism and modern witchcraft. Focusing on the oils and incenses extracted from specific resins, woods, spices and florals, we will experience the power of these fragrant elements that guided people throughout history in incantations, lifting the veil between spirits, and casting spells. We will smell the precious, ancient resins of copal, ambergris, frankincense and myrrh along with pure essences of a melange of flowers used in spells and healing, and experience ancient magical potions prepared for the talk.
How much: $8, tickets available in advance.
Humans Against Music: David Bowie Karaoke
When: Wednesday, January 20, 9:00pm
Where: Freddy’s, 627 5th Avenue, between 17th and 18th Streets
What: This month Humans Against Music pays tribute to the late, great David Bowie. Please join us for an all-new David Bowie karaoke song list that spans the decades. Reminder: There’s no teleprompter here — the lyrics are on paper, and your cue is Mr. Tokyo Rosenberg, giving you meaningful gazes and occasional sign language interpretation! Your lo-fi vixen of voiceless music and your ethnic sidekick technician, H-Bomb and Tokyo Rosenberg!
How much: No cover, but comics must purchase at least one item from the bar for a 7-minute set.
The Curhachestra and The Mandingo Ambassadors
When: Wednesday, January 20, 8:00pm and 10:00pm
Where: Barbes, 376 9th Street at 6th Avenue
What: The Curhachestra (8pm) plays the music of trombonist, guitarist and composer Curtis Hasselbring. The Mandingo Ambassadors (10pm). In the 1960’s and 1970’s, the government of Guinea engaged in a campaign known as Authenticité. It was a drive to create a new musical movement that would be specifically Guinean, but would include the modern wonders that were the electric guitar, the electric bass and the drumset. Musicians were given instruments and orchestras were formed. Surprisingly, the results proved mesmerizing and a myriad new bands were born. Many of them would go on to have a profound and lasting impact on African music.
How much: $10, at the door.