Honoring Michael Pellew and LAND Gallery
Tuesday May 10, 2016, 8:00pm
Saint Vitus
1120 Manhattan Avenue, Brooklyn New York
Facemelting live set from NATUR
DJs Brandon Stosuy (Pitchfork), journalist Fred Pessaro and JD Samson (Le Tigre, Men) spin punk & metal jams
Raffle hosted by author Laina Dawes (What Are You Doing Here?)
Free / Suggested Donations
Landofmetal.org // #landofmetal // fb event
Taking place on Tuesday May 10th 2016, LAND of METAL is an evening celebrating the art of local metal maniac Michael Pellew and DUMBO’s LAND Studio & Gallery —The League Education & Treatment Center's unique nonprofit day habilitation program that teaches life skills to adult artists from across the neurological spectrum. On the eve of Pellew’s birthday, LAND of Metal will provide one truly Awesome dude with his first concert —in one of New York City's best venues, Saint Vitus.
NATUR, defenders of true metal, will be melting our faces off with a special live set. DJs Brandon Stosuy (Pitchfork), journalist Fred Pessaro, and JD Samson (Le Tigre, Men) will spin punk & metal classics throughout the night. Raffle host Laina Dawes will announce winners of some really rad prizes. Working cooperatively with LAND’s Sophia Cosmadopoulos and Matt Murphey, LAND of METAL is being produced by Ben Sisto & Duncan Rich.
Pellew's drawings and sculptures are humorous ruminations on pop culture. His playful line quality and imaginative cultural observations are simple and succinct. With one pass of his hand he can depict joy, humor and clever character. His subject matter is NYC trains and buses, fashion design, “punk funk freaks from the East Village and around the TriState area”, and pop portraits of favorite singers and performers. His characters capture a direct sense of style and spontaneity. Pellew’s studio practice is based out of LAND Gallery, a program for artists with dual diagnosis (developmental disabilities and mental illness).
LAND studio is a unique nonprofit day habilitation program that teaches life skills through the modality of art. LAND (League Artists Natural Design) was founded in 2005 by the League Education and Treatment Center (LETC) and serves as both studio and gallery for 16 adult artists with developmental disabilities. At LAND, artists develop their skills in a nurturing environment, while their work is marketed to the community in a vibrant and inclusive manner. LAND artists work with painters, sculptors, fiber artists, animators, designers and others who value creative collaboration. LETC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and internationally recognized agency for evaluation, treatment and education of children and adults with disabilities.
NATUR (live) Joey Baloney, The Mexicutioner, Dino Destroyer and Tooth are on a mission to destroy false metal. Worshiping at the altar of Seventies and Eighties heavy metal gods, Natur combine the dynamic riffing of early Mercyful Fate, epic arrangements of SeventiesJudas Priest and Manilla Road, the ingenious and quirky storytelling of Roky Erickson and the attitude of classic Motörhead.
Laina Dawes (raffle host) is the author of What Are You Doing Here? A Black Woman’s Life and Liberation in Heavy Metal (Bazillion Points, 2012). A music and cultural journalist, her writings can be found on Cuepoint / Medium, Mtv Iggy, Refinery29, Spin, Wondering Sound, Decibel and other print and online publications.
JD Samson (DJ set) is one of NYC’s most enduring creative forces. Since first capturing the public’s attention in the early 2000’s as a member of the pioneering feminist electropop band Le Tigre, Samson has gone on to work in almost every conceivable medium and with partners ranging from Ursula Mayer to Pussy Riot. Her constant dedication to posi vibes has lead to her recurring parties —Pat and Scissor Sundays—being beloved New York City institutions.
Brandon Stosuy (DJ set) is the Director of Editorial Operations at Pitchfork. He is a music curator at MoMA PS1 and the Broad Museum in Los Angeles, and curates Pitchfork's showcases and events, along with the annual Basilica Soundscape Festival in Hudson and the ongoing Tinnitus Music Series. He has a children's book, Music is...., forthcoming on Simon & Schuster in October 2016. He lives in Brooklyn, with his wife and two children.
Fred Pessaro (DJ set) has been an Editor in Chief, writer, DJ, and photographer in various incarnations for as far back as he cares to remember. You've seen his work via NPR, The New York Times, Decibel, Vice, Terrorizer, Brooklynvegan, Time Out, Metalsucks, Invisible Oranges, East Village Radio, Village Voice, Fuse, and more. You have definitely seen him at a lot of shows.
Greenpoint’s Saint Vitus features a big, beautiful black mahogany bar tailor-made by and for neighborhood bartenders / goers with an affinity for punk, metal, hardcore, and all things Rock. One of the most welcome additions to the Brooklyn music community in recent memory, the space was masterfully designed and built by Matthew Maddy and regularly hosts the most exciting and relevant shows in town.
