18
BROOKLYN WEEKLY, DEC. 23, 2018
‘BETTER’
OUTPUT
KWANZAA
more active than reactive.”
The bar crawl also puts
a positive focus on spots
that are often the subject
of negative stereotypes, she
said.
“We don’t celebrate our
businesses enough and say
they have bad service, but
this is a chance to go to
all venues,” said Coddett.
“They’re all so different
— some are dive bars and
some are fancy eateries.”
Every year the crawl’s
popularity continues to
grow, and ticket sales this
year have already surpassed
the 2,800 who joined
the Kwanzaa Crawl last
year, according to Coddett’s
sister and co-founder,
Krystal Stark.
“This year we are expecting
4,000 people, and
we’ve exceeded sales from
last year with 2,900 tickets
already sold,” said Stark.
Most of the locations
from the last two crawls
have joined in again, the
sisters said.
But there are several
GETTING BETTER ALL THE TIME: Paige Smith-
Hogan will host, produce, and perform at “Next
Year I Will Be Better,” a New Year’s resolutionthemed
comedy show at the Brick in Williamsburg
on Dec. 26. Kate Gehrmann
new additions, including
Negril BK, Nzuri Lounge,
and the Slope Lounge,
among others.
Local businesses have
been especially thrilled
with the results of having
a giant crowd coming out
on the day after Christmas,
traditionally a slow time,
said Coddett.
“We had one owner in
particular who hadn’t even
been open for a year and
was a fi rst time restaurant
owner when she participated,
and she welled up in
tears saying that we helped
saved her business,” she
said.
The siblings said hearing
that type of testimony
is not only rewarding, but
a clear example of the positive
effect the crawl has
throughout the year, by
exposing the businesses to
new people, said Stark.
In Brooklyn, participants
will gather at an
early- or late-afternooon
meeting location, where
they will be divided into
teams.
Each group will set out
on a different route to visit
at least four bars, many of
which offer drink and food
specials.
This year the sisters
will also add social-media
awards for best outfi t, dopest
venue, best disc jockey, and
other categories, judged
from the hashtag #KwanzaaCrawl2018.
Coddett said that the
Crawl is a great event that
people should join, whether
they celebrate Kwanzaa or
not.
“It’s an opportunity to
do something positive, to
have fun — but for a good
cause and have fellowship
with like-minded people,”
she said. “It’s just a great
experience where we make
you feel pride in being
black and celebrating each
other.”
“Kwanzaa Crawl”
Brooklyn meet-up at Boys
and Girls High School
(1700 Fulton St. between
Schenectady and Utica avenues
in Bedford-Stuyvesant,
www.kwanzaacrawl.
com). Dec. 26; 12:30–2 pm.
$35.
And at Kings Beer Hall
(84 St Marks Pl. between
Fourth and Fifth avenues
in Park Slope). 4:30–8 pm.
more money,” said Paige Smith-Hogan. “I
thought, maybe if I host a stand-up show
where I say my resolutions on stage, I will
actually be able to do those things.”
Smith-Hogan plans to kick off the show
by passing judgement on the resolutions of
audience members.
And although the show is comedic, she
expects that attendees will be particularly
sincere about their aims, given the nature
and timing of it.
“It’s the day after Christmas, so I feel
like anyone who comes is going to be really
dedicated to New Year’s resolutions
instead of being with their families,” she
said. “This whole show is an exercise in
earnestness.”
She and a squad of four other comedians
will then perform short stand-up sets
about their goals for 2019. Among them
will be Smith-Hogan’s roommate Gabe Nathans,
who has resolved to take more risks
in his comedy career.
“I want to try more weird things on
stage and just go for it,” he said.
Smith-Hogan said that she also has
some more personal resolutions in mind,
including being kinder to herself and cooking
more.
“I want to do less negative self-talk.
I want to write for a half hour every day.
And I want to never buy lunch — I only
want to pack it,” she said.
But will the funny people actually keep
the promises they make themselves?
“I hope so,” said Smith-Hogan, who then
corrected herself. “Yes, we’re going to!”
Only time will tell.
“Next Year I Will Be Better” at the Brick (579
Metropolitan Ave. between Lorimer Street
and Union Avenue in Williamsburg, www.
brooklyncc.com). Dec. 26 at 9:30 pm. $7.
Continued from page 1
Continued from page 1
week, according to manager
Andres Torres, who
confirmed the vinyl shop
will stick around after
Output closes.
On Dec. 13, some locals
noticed a blank billboard
that appeared on the roof
of the property, which
workers putting fi nishing
touches on the store said
will soon bear an advertisement
for Halcyon.
Schwartz, however,
won’t be sticking around,
because he sold Halcyon
to new owners a few years
back, he said.
He and Output’s other
owners credited the club’s
staff, deejays, and loyal patrons
for keeping it open
all these years, and said
the spot’s sudden closure
is the result of several factors,
including changing
social trends and fi nancial
challenges.
“This sudden turn of
events may seem shocking
to many, but for those of us
watching from the inside,
we have seen the writing
on the wall for some
time,” the owners said in
their tweet.
The club’s founders declined
to comment further
on their decision, instead
pointing this newspaper
to their tweet — which
suggests they may return
to the dance fl oor somewhere
else down the line.
“What comes next we
do not know, but rest assured
the beat will go on,”
the tweet read.
New Year’s Eve party
at Output (74 Wythe Ave.
between N. 11 and N. 12th
streets in Williamsburg,
www.outputclub.com).
Dec. 31, from 10 pm to 8
am. $90.
Continued from page 6
RUNNING OUT OF TIME: Nightclub Output will close on New
Year’s Day, but record store Halcyon will remain in the building.
Photo by Julianne Cuba
/www.brooklyncc.com
/www.brooklyncc.com
/www.kwanzaacrawl
/www.outputclub.com