Dear Rachael Ray:
When I first heard that you were doing one of your SXSW parties in Brooklyn, I’ll admit, I was pretty dubious. The Bell House is within walking distance from my house, so I figured I’d at least go and check it out, grab some free food, and hear Freelance Whales. I hope you can understand my initial skepticism about your event. As someone invested in keeping the Brooklyn music scene fresh, seeing a television personality and a large company like Snapple sponsor music at one of my favorite venues is a little disconcerting.
When I arrived at the Bell House a little before noon on Saturday, I was surprised to find a long line already formed outside, mostly full of excitingly chattering grandmas and middle aged women. It was so wonderfully warm and sunny, and an unusual crowd seemed ready to have a nice afternoon. Once it opened, we all wandered into the block surrounding the Bell House to find all sorts of food vendors (many of them from Brooklyn Flea), picnic tables, plentiful bottles of water, an outdoor stage, and delicious free Ommegang beer and vodka. A mix of people started to trickle in: many of your fans, young Freelance Whale fans, people who live nearby, Justin Townes Earle fans, and people who just like free food. I sampled all of your vegetarian options (so delicious!) and grabbed a free beer to watch you kick off the day’s music. I was surprised at your seemingly sincere and heartfelt welcome, your very kind words about Brooklyn, and especially by the fact that you enthusiastically took your own photos of Freelance Whales’ excellent set, until you went inside to enthusiastically watch Justin Townes Earle. I saw you freely chatting with fans, and I gotta say, props Rachael Ray. Mad props.
Freelance Whales sounded great. Justin Townes Earle sounded great. Motel Motel also sounded pretty good (love those harmonies, can’t always get behind the songwriting). Not all the bands were exactly my cup of tea, but they were good choices for the diverse crowd that your event drew. I’ll admit, the breadth of people that showed up made me realize how homogenous these shows I go to sometimes are. Three beers, three bands, and three slices of free pizza, and I was completely happy. Thank you for a really lovely afternoon. I hope you come back to Brooklyn again soon, and I sincerely apologize for doubting you. Excellent event.
Sincerely,
Madalyn
