Brooklyn’s New Club Scene
By: Kris
Last Thursday, we here at Social Set attended Input, Kitsuné’s weekly party at Output in Williamsburg. We’d heard a lot about Brooklyn’s “first real club”, and it’s amazing sound system, and Fred Falke finally gave us an excuse to visit.
If you’re considering reverse commuting to Williamsburg, here are 10 things you will find at Output that you won’t find at a Manhattan club:
1. A will call line much longer and slower than the line for non- ticket holders: One thing you will see at Output that you’ll see at Manhattan clubs is obnoxious girls trying to walk in past the line, and a separate Guest List entrance. The “it” crowd we normally see surpassing lines at exclusive downtown spots were skipping the line and angering cold hipsters here too.
2. Running shoes: I understand that it’s liberating for girls to go to the club without suffering 5” heels, but pairing neon gym shoes with stockings and a dress… Come on ladies, at least rock some cute boots, this is Williamsburg, not Tucson.
3. Many, many plaid shirts: Unfortunately, Output’s “non- club” door policies keep the guy to girl ratio at about 2:1, and they’re all wearing plaid J. Crew shirts from 2 years ago. Drink at least half your drink before hitting the floor, because the dance floor is over run with dudes jumping around (or as white people refer to it, “dancing”).
4. The Bonfire: This is what we here at Social Set call a strange dance floor move that you only see done by girls with inexpensive purses or canvas totes they refer to as “purses”. At Output, we saw many clusters of girls dancing in a circle around their pile of bags on the floor, as if willing it to rain Brooklyn Lager.
5. A club layout that is actually functional and makes sense: Output has two levels, and you can see the DJ booth from practically anywhere in the club. A raised platform in the middle that would probably serve as a VIP area in a Manhattan club, doubles as a live performance space, putting the band where everyone can see, and only a few foot platform separates them from the crowd.
6. Multiple staircases, that aren’t crowded with drunks: Three staircases connecting the second floor make it easy to move around this club, or escape the overcrowded dance floor to hit the upstairs bar. Bench seating lines the entire upstairs, and isn’t a bad place to take a break (or make out).
7. That sound system everyone has been raving about: Everything you’ve heard is true! Most clubs don’t know how to make the music loud without sounding abrasive, and OUTPUT’s sound system does not disappoint. The lighting through out the club is also pretty amazing, and not one strobe or laser to be found.
8. A bar tab that won’t break the bank: The drinks are pretty inexpensive, probably because tickets cost $15- 25. The beers are canned, which came in handy fighting to stay vertical on the dance floor.
9. Security frisking people at the entrance: Unless you attend a particularly shitty type of club (we mean you, Webster Hall), you’re probably not used to having your bag checked/ being pat down. While your first assumption is to assume this is for your safety, it’s probably to confiscate those water bottle things that every one riding the L train always has hanging off their back pack. So, if your plan is to flask it, then put in a tiny bit of effort to hide it, because the security is not thorough.
10. A club clearing out at 2am: That’s right, strangely enough, the club’s upstairs was practically vacant at 2am, and the downstairs was thinning out too. It’s rare to see more people in a club at 11 than 2, so it’s safe to assume half of Output’s patrons headed to “real” clubs in Manhattan after Fred Falke’s set. One thing you will see that you see at most downtown spots worth noting is the “daddy’s little hipster” type (walkable heels, that Chanel bag every girl has, and American Apparel), and luckily for you, she’s already in Brooklyn and she likes slumming it.
Check out outputclub.com for upcoming shows and events, or “Like” them on Facebook: facebook.com/outputclub
