There are already a handful of high-profile metal festivals that take place every year – Maryland Deathfest, New England Metal and Hardcore Festival, Heavy Montreal, all the way up to Roadburn and Wacken overseas, to name a few. But despite having a vibrant metal culture that supports countless bands, music venues, and heavy metal spin classes, Brooklyn hasn’t had its own metal festival – until now. Starting next Thursday (18) and lasting for four days, the inaugural Uninvited metal music festival and art exhibition will take place in the Gowanus. Presented by the NIHIL Gallery, the festival will feature bands including Weedeater, Orchid, The Shrine, Bloody Hammers, Black Cobra, The Skull and Bl’ast!, who haven’t played a show in New York City since CBGB’s was open. Even Wino will be playing an acoustic show as part of the fest.
Held in a lot adjacent to the NIHIL Gallery, a former bus repair shop, Uninvited will feature 29 bands over the course of the four-day festival, targeting not just metal fans, but skateboard, motorcycle and art enthusiasts. In the gallery itself, there will be an art exhibition featuring artists including David Paul Seymour, Ben Venom, Lee Trice, Norman Reedus, Wolftits and Cicero deGuzman. On Saturday (20), Show-Class Magazine and Biltwell will host an afterparty, which is where Wino will play.
The band lineup alone should be enough to get people to come out, but Uninvited will also have food trucks, a bar, a skate ramp, and camping will even be made available. “I’ve spent my entire career organizing and producing bespoke events in high fashion,” Eric Chavez, owner of Chavez Design, Lavender Lake, and NIHIL Gallery says. “I’m excited to apply that level of expertise to metal, skating, bikes, and art, as these are all equally close to my heart. This part of Brooklyn is ripe for an event like Uninvited. The environment has this raw energy that I’ve enjoyed translating into a festival atmosphere.”
Tickets for the inaugural Uninvited Festival are available here.
