Moon Kissed’s Guide to the Best Music Venues in NYC
Published 08/02/2021
In Moon Kissed’s first year as a band, we played over 150 shows in New York City alone. We would sometimes play two shows in a day, traveling between boroughs as if we were on tour, all for the love of performing. For this guide, we chose venues that shaped our experiences as NYC artists. There are so many venues we love, but these stand out for the warm and formative memories they gave us. —Khaya Cohen
Moon Kissed is Emily Sgouros, Leah Scarpati and Khaya Cohen. The video for their single "Bubblegum" is out now.
1
Queens Brewery
1
1539 Covert St.
We were coming from a live video recording session at a nearby studio space and we wanted to get a drink, so we wandered into Queens Brewery with all of our gear. The Ridgewood space is a sprawling warehouse with brewing tanks in the back whose rustic pipes wind across the ceiling and above the bar. There’s a large projector screen for movie night and all the games you could imagine, including Cornhole, which we played all night. The beer is smooth and comes in a fat glass. After our second or third round I went out to get all of us a dinner of deli sandwiches. When I got back, my bandmates, Emily and Leah, were on the stage next to the bar setting up their gear. They yelled, “Come on, Khaya, we’re playing a set!” The bartender gave us enthusiastic permission and we played an impromptu show. We gained some new fans that night. —KC
2
Gold Sounds
2
44 Wilson Ave.
Moon Kissed played our most pivotal show ever at Gold Sounds to a room of just four friends, who were all on the guest list. Gold Sounds is a low-lit Bushwick dive and usually chaotic, yet has some of the friendliest staff I’ve ever yet. Through the years we’ve hung out many a time sipping $5 Miller High Lifes, playing pool and taking pictures in the photo booth before a gig. At that momentous show, which was probably on a Monday or Tuesday pretty early on in our time as a band, we were insulted by a sexist patron. We were all in terrible moods and just wanted the night to end. No one showed up for our set. Then there was a moment backstage where it clicked: we could either have an awful show and let our moods get the best of us, or we could step up and overcome it. For our four friends, we unleashed the most energy we had ever performed with to date. We jumped around, on and off the stage and threw our shoes into the audience for the first time (a fun stunt we’d continue pulling for the next year or so). It was through this gig that we realized our power: no gig is a dumb gig, we play music because we love it and we can and will command a stage that no one is watching. —KC
3
Our Wicked Lady
3
153 Morgan Ave.
In February 2020, just before the pandemic shut down the City, Moon Kissed spent every single weekend of the month playing at Our Wicked Lady. The venue hosted a battle of the bands with a cash prize and a slot at their SXSW showcase, and we made it to the finals, coming in second place. The club is hidden among industrial scenery on Morgan Avenue in Bushwick, the only storefront on the block past the train tracks. On the lower level they host small shows and karaoke, and the bar is decked out in neon. Upstairs is the bigger, partially covered outdoor stage, with tropical decor, making it the spot for the summer. The sound up there is incredible, and it was a pleasure to play so many times in a row. —KC
4
Union Pool
4
484 Union Ave.
At Williamsburg’s Union Pool, patrons have the choice of hanging out in the large outdoor patio area (with a taco truck), at the main bar or in the back room by the stage, adorned with red velvet curtains and chandeliers. The best nights of our lives have been at Union Pool, which hosts a monthly Pat Pride Party, organized by JD Samson of Le Tigre, MEN and Crickets. We played our first album release show at Union Pool in October 2019. The room was jam packed and we crowd-surfed, then got to dance all night—their DJ selection never disappoints. —KC
5
Elsewhere
5
599 Johnson Ave.
Elsewhere makes all artists who play there feel famous. There’s a green room, the sound is immaculate and they always have artists come hours before the show to soundcheck. The space has multiple venues: the sleek, dark interiors of Zone 1 and the Hall, and the rooftop. All three stages turn into dance floors with different DJs after hours. —KC
6
Mezzrow
6
163 W. 10th St.
A memorable night for me at West Village club Mezzrow was going with my two bandmates, Khaya and Emily, to see Sullivan Fortner playing piano. I remember looking at these two people whom I had known less than a year and feeling as though we had spent lifetimes together. It felt as though every person in the room was tacitly engaged in the same intimate conversation; when Sullivan cracked a joke on piano, we all laughed in silence and nodded. In the dimly lit room, I was glowing with a shared adoration for music and the feeling that I was finally home. —Leah Scarpati
7
Smalls
7
183 W. 10th St. - basement New York
Smalls, the sister venue of Mezzrow, is a basement space known for its intimate shows that feature some of the best jazz talent New York City has to offer. It’s the kind of place where you might find yourself deep in philosophical debate at 3am. I met my soulmate at this venue, so I believe it’s a good-luck charm. —LS