Elsewhere Is Rocking in Bushwick

Godspeed You! Black Emperor at the Hall on November 17

At night, this part of Brooklyn appears to be a desolate nowhere. At 599 Johnson Avenue, however, Elsewhere has brought life to an otherwise dead New York City street for the past five years. Formerly a warehouse, like most everything else in the immediate vicinity, Elsewhere is a popular art gallery, event space, music venue, and nightclub in the industrial sector of Bushwick.

The roots of Elsewhere began in the early 2000s in Glasslands, an art gallery and live music club in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. That venue closed in 2014. Glassland’s owners, Rami Haykal and Jake Rosenthal, moved their concept deeper into Brooklyn, signing a long lease on a building a few blocks from the Jefferson Street subway station on the L train. Years in the making, Elsewhere opened on Halloween 2017 and celebrates its anniversary every year on that date.

Elsewhere is a 24,000+ square-foot, three-story building with five distinct spaces. The main floor features the Hall, a 1500-capacity open space hosting live music and disc jockeys. Zone One, a smaller performance space, sits alongside the Hall. In the courtyard, a staircase leads to the Loft, the smallest of the venue’s space, and the Rooftop, a 3,000 square-foot open-air space which opens annually around Memorial Day.

More than an event venue, Elsewhere has become a gathering space for the diverse communities in Bushwick. Elsewhere's programming is reflective of its communities, ranging from international DJ sets and dancehall icons, to Middle Eastern parties and Asian LGBT+ communities. Elsewhere is a conduit for a more progressive and uplifting culture, elevating collectives like Everyday People and Papi Juice.

In a competitive industry dominated by corporate giants, Elsewhere miraculously has survived as an independent operation. Live music and disc jockeys perform in Elsewhere’s various venues almost nightly. The bookings are diverse, from hip hop and techno to indie pop and art rock. The venue specializes in underground and creative art. Below are a few of the artists who performed at Elsewhere in the past week.

Elsewhere's concert listings can be viewed at https://www.elsewherebrooklyn.com/events.

Bartees Strange at the Hall on November 15

The Pom Pom Squad at the Hall on November 15

Pinkshift at Zone One on November 17

Manas at the Hall on November 17

Jigsaw Youth at Zone One on November 17

Jhariah at Zone One on November 17

Spring Silver at the Hall on November 15

Money Over Zombie at Zone One on November 15

Dazegxd at Zone One on November 15

Ghais Guevara at Zone One on November 15

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The Manhattan Beat covers New York City's live music circuit. All articles are written by Everynight Charley Crespo. All photographs are taken by Everynight Charley Crespo, except when noted otherwise.

For a list of Manhattan venues that are presenting live music regularly, swing the desktop cursor to the right of the home page and click on the pop-up tab "Where to Find Live Music."

For a listing of upcoming concerts for live audiences, visit The Manhattan Beat's November calendar.