To All the Corporate, Spilling Their Coffee

Japanther pretty much tore the roof off the motha. We're big (big) fans.

I Don't Want to be Your ATM

Here's a video of Care Bears on Fire performing at last Tuesday's Wrrrrock On music concert and social for NYC literacy crew, Girls Write Now. Can you believe they're just 15???

Girls Write Now Wrrrrocks

Mentor Emma Straub and mentee Stephanie Nolasco speak to the merits of Girls Write Now at Wrrrrock On 2010.

The Human Spirit Is Alive.

WRRRROCK ON was insanely rad.

Thanks to the generous support from the coolest indie publishers -- Chin Music, Coffee House, Exterminating Angel, Featherproof, Seven Stories, Small Beer, Tin House, Tyrant Books, Unbridled Books, and Verso -- as well as the amazing support from everyone who showed up and walked through the door, we helped raise $3,750 for Girls Write Now.

We couldn't have done it without the help from Care Bears on Fire and Japanther. Seriously, the two bands are, like, the greatest . . . ever.

And big ups to Joshua Mohr, who flew in from SF to emcee the event (!).

A good, beautiful time, and a grand bear-hug of thanks to everyone involved. Seriously, today was amazing. And I'm so happy.

We have such great video from the event, once I get home I'll be sure to post her on up here.

WRRRROCK ON ! ! ! !

Tonight is Wrrrrock On. We're super-stoked and hope to see you there.

(Japanther + Care Bears on Fire + Joshua Mohr) x Girls Write Now = a blast.

The doors open at 7 and the event will last until 9:30. Directions are below, so you won't get lost.

(Remember, if you can't make it, you can still support Girls Write Now through a number of other venues they have listed on their website.)

By Bus

B61 Bus

Take the B61 to the Sands St stop at Gold and York streets. Head west on York St toward Bridge St. Head about 4 blocks to Adams St and turn right. Go two blocks to Water St and make a left. Two more blocks and you'll find us at the corner of Water and Main St. Visit the [MTA site] for bus routes and schedules.

By Subway

F Train

Take the F to York Street. Coming out of the subway (there is only one exit) turn right and walk down the hill on Jay Street 1 block to Front Street, turn left and walk 4 blocks to Main Street, turn right and we’re on the next corner, at 16 Main Street.

A Train

Take the A train towards the Brooklyn Bridge to HIgh Street (first stop in brooklyn). Coming out of the subway (there is only one exit) cross the street and walk 100 steps through the beautiful little park to Washington Street. Turn left to walk down the hill 4 short blocks to Water Street, turn left and we’re on the next corner, at 16 Main Street.

2/3 Train

Take the 2/3 train to Clark Street. Coming out of the subway, head North on Henry Street, towards Pineapple Street. Walk 6 blocks and turn left at Cadman Plaza West/Old Fulton Street. Walk 2 blocks and turn Right at Front Street. Make a left at Main Street, and we’re on the corner of Main Street and Water Street.

G Train

Take the G Train to Brooklyn/ Smith -9th Street and get off at Hoyt Street- Schermerhorn Street. Connect to the C or the A Train to High Street. (1st stop in Brooklyn). Coming out of the subway (there is only one exit) cross the street and walk 100 steps through the beautiful little park to Washington Street. Turn left to walk down the hill 4 short blocks to Water Street, turn left and we’re on the next corner, at 16 Main Street.

L Train (From North Brooklyn via the City)

Take the L Train into Manhattan, and get off at 6 Avenue. Hop on the F train (6 Ave 14th Street) towards Downtown/Coney Island. Get off at York Street. Coming out of the subway (there is only one exit) turn right and walk down the hill on Jay Street 1 block to Front Street, turn left and walk 4 blocks to Main Street, turn right and we’re on the next corner, at 16 Main Street.

By Car

From Manhattan via the Brooklyn Bridge

Exit right from the Brooklyn Bridge to Cadman Plaza West; bear right at the bottom of exit ramp. Follow Old Fulton Street, curving left, down to Front Street. Make a hard right on Front Street, then a left on Main Street. We are on the corner of Main Street and Water Street.

From Manhattan via the Manhattan Bridge

Take the upper roadway of the Manhattan Bridge. Coming off the bridge, make a right turn onto Tillary Street, then another right turn at the end onto Cadman Plaza West, which becomes Old Fulton Street. Follow Old Fulton Street, curving left, down to Front Street. Make a hard right on Front Street, then a left on Main Street. We are on the corner of Main Street and Water Street.

From Brooklyn

Take Atlantic Avenue to Boerum Place heading toward Brooklyn Bridge. Boerum Place becomes Adams Street. Stay in the far left lane, and turn left onto Tillary Street. Make a right on Cadman Plaza West, which becomes Old Fulton Street. Follow Old Fulton Street, curving left, down to Front Street. Make a hard right on Front Street, then a left on Main Street. We are on the corner of Main Street and Water Street

From Queens

Heading south on the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, take the Cadman Plaza/Brooklyn Bridge exit. Turn right at the exit ramp stop sign onto Old Fulton Street. Make a quick right onto Front Street, then a left on Main Street. We are on the corner of Main Street and Water Street

From Long Island

Head north on the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, take the Cadman Plaza West exit. At the bottom of the exit ramp, all traffic turns right onto Old Fulton Street. Make a legal U-turn at the first light. Head back down Old Fulton Street to Front Street. Make a hard right on Front Street, then a left on Main Street. We are on the corner of Main Street and Water Street.

Care Bears on Fire

Care Bears on Fire will be performing at WRRRROCK ON, Tuesday, May 25, 7 - 9:30 at Galapagos Art Space in Brooklyn.

Girls Write Now

WRRRROCK ON is next Tuesday, May 25, from 7 to 9:30 at Galapagos Art Space in Brooklyn. We're getting pretty excited. So in preparation, this week we'll be spotlighting some of the groups performing, and the authors appearing.

The event is to benefit this truly valuable group called Girls Write Now. Michelle Obama named them one of the top after-school arts and culture programs in the country. As with any operation, it takes money to run, and they are hoping to raise $25K in their spring fund-raising drive.

So if you can't make it out to the event next Tuesday, GWN has 4 other ways that you can contribute to their cause listed on their website.

In the words of one of the girls from the program, here is some more on what their program provides:

"Saturday morning finally arrived. It was the first day of the Girls Write Now mentoring program. I was so happy to be part of the program. I arrived on 8th Avenue and found the building. I took a deep breath, and pushed the doors open. I was so nervous that I wanted to run back home. I entered the lobby and meekly approached the concierge. I asked for the Girls Write Now Program. He must have had keen insight because he gave me a big smile and said, "It is on the 20th floor." I entered the elevator along with several other girls. The journey up felt like an eternity. I began to fret over the usual worries such as, "Will I make a friend? Will the mentors be kind? I began to regret that I did not persuade a friend to participate in the program with me. Ding. The elevator arrived, and it broke my stream of self-doubting questions. I said to myself, 'All right, let's get this show on the road.'

"I stepped off the elevator and I was greeted by two other mentees. They gave me a warm welcome, a big smile, a name tag and a gift. I was given my own personal journal. I ran my fingers over the cover and smiled. Somehow I knew I was in the right place. I was asked to complete an application consisting of mixed questions about my background, interests, likes and dislikes. Then all of the mentors and mentees were instructed to break up into groups. I socialized with professional women who have exciting and creative careers. I could not believe that I had the opportunity to meet a woman who works in advertisement at MTV. I also met an author of a cookbook, and spoke with other journalists. I felt as if I entered a world that was never available to me before. I felt lucky.

"Later, I had the chance to participate in a discussion with women from diverse backgrounds. We discussed values pertaining to the writing field such as respect, creativity, and family. These are values that I cherish, and it was nice to share them with other women who cared. The day ended with a discussion about future events and learning the Girls Write Now Pledge. I was so excited to hear that I will have the chance to attend so many exciting writing workshops and visit places such as Barnard College. I looked at my watch and I could not believe that four hours had passed. I left the building with more confidence then I had when I entered. I also had a huge smile and a good feeling in my heart."

A Music Concert & Social to Benefit Literacy

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Lauren Cerand, LCERAND[at]gmail.com or 917.533.0103

MAY 25: WRRRROCK ON: A MUSIC CONCERT & SOCIAL TO BENEFIT LITERACY
Featuring Japanther and Care Bears on Fire in Support of Girls Write Now

NEW YORK, MARCH 17 – Two Dollar Radio today announced "Wrrrock On," an evening to benefit Girls Write Now happening Tuesday, May 25th at Galapagos Art Space, located at 16 Main Street in DUMBO, Brooklyn, from 7-9PM. Admission is a suggested donation of $2-22 at the door, with 100% of those proceeds going directly to Girls Write Now. Japanther and Care Bears on Fire will perform, and Joshua Mohr will emcee the event. Wrrrrock On is made possible by the support of Chin Music Press, Coffee House Press, Exterminating Angel Press, Featherproof Books, Seven Stories Press, Small Beer Press, Tin House and Unbridled Books.

Described as a "Performance Galaxy" by Vanity Fair and "Super hard, incredibly fast and overall inspiring" by Thrasher, Japanther has always been a band apart, running the gamut from performance art to punk rock and back again. The story behind Rock ‘n’ Roll Ice Cream (Menlo Park Recordings) is an adventure tale of exploring harmonies, writing together, and a little bit of that West Coast surf vibe whilst lurking a bit towards Japanther’s salad days in Brooklyn to draw on pop hooks and simple drum parts that make skating seem easier and bikes move faster. Japanther is a party band that brings much more to the show.

Featured in The New York Times for their "furiously energetic playing" and "similar verve" to The Runaways, in Teen Vogue for "tearing it up" and – as The OC Register needlessly notes, "way cooler than most of us were at that age" – Sophie (lead vocals, guitarist), Izzy (drummer) and Jena (bass) are Care Bears On Fire. The band are regulars on the New York and festival scene (SXSW, Lollapalooza), not to mention "Late Show with David Letterman," winning over jaded hipsters of all ages with songs that capture the experience of being a kid with attitude and humor. Care Bears on Fire are punk meets garage, straight out of a Brooklyn basement: "Nanananananana, I don’t want to be like everybody else!"

Joshua Mohr is the author of the San Francisco Chronicle bestselling novel and one of O, The Oprah Magazine’s ‘10 Terrific Reads of 2009,’ Some Things That Meant the World To Me, and the forthcoming Termite Parade, both on Two Dollar Radio. He lives in San Francisco and teaches writing.

Girls Write Now (GWN), the first and only East Coast nonprofit to combine mentoring and writing instruction within the context of all-girl programming, has, since 1998, helped nearly 3,000 underserved or at-risk girls from NYC’s public high schools develop into the next generation of writers and readers. In recent years, GWN has been profiled in The New York Times and featured on NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams. In November, the organization received a 2009 Coming Up Taller Award from First Lady Michelle Obama and the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, distinguishing Girls Write Now as one of the top 15 after-school arts and humanities programs in the nation.