Brooklyn Bowl is located at 61 Wythe Avenue, between North 11th & 12th Streets, just two blocks off of the East River. It lies in the Williamsburg/Greenpoint area of Brooklyn, three blocks east of Williamsburg Waterfront, just west of McCarren Park, and five-and-a-half blocks north of Music Hall of Williamsburg. It opened on July 7th, 2009, and has since expanded to larger satellite Brooklyn Bowls in Las Vegas and Nashville.
A converted factory, the entrance to Brooklyn Bowl is an outdoor corridor after the ID check and metal detector (with an outdoor smoking area on the sidewalk), before the proper entrance. However, indoors, Brooklyn Bowl is far classier, with well-buffed wood paneling. The main entrance leads into a wide indoor foyer, which includes a small, separate restaurant, stairs up to very nice bathrooms, and a desk where one gets a lane/rents bowling shoes, because it is an actual bowling alley, as well as a concert venue & restaurant. To the left of the main entrance, following a short hallway, is the bar to the left, and the stage floor to the right. The actual stage is at the far end of that, with the actual bowling lanes to the house-right (note: can only enter that raised area if bowling).
Brooklyn Bowl seems to be trying to be all things to all people, and not just in the obvious fact that it’s a concert venue/restaurant/bowling alley (Union Hall has bocce ball…). The restaurant is a little incongruous, though does a good fried chicken. The venue wants to tap into the Williamsburg concert-going crowds, but is cleaner & fancier than your old Williamsburg venue, more the more upscale Williamsburg of today. The stage being perpendicular to the bowling lanes does mean bowlers can watch concerts (but not anyone in the restaurant, though they can certainly hear them), but leaves the stage floor long and narrow, and the stage isn’t quite raised high enough to be completely visible from the back. The bar is very nice, including a wide beer selection on tap. The mash-up would seem over-ambitious and confusing at first, but has definitely come to work (even as other Williamsburg haunts have shut down).
Capacity: 600
21+
Address:
61 Wythe Avenue (between North 11th & North 12th Streets)
By Subway:
L train to Bedford Ave. – walk 4 blocks west on North 7th Street, 4 & 1/2 blocks north on east side of Wythe Avenue
G train to Nassau Ave. – walk 5 blocks west on Nassau, 1 block west on North 14th Street, 2 & 1/2 blocks south on east side of Wythe Avenue
QRO Coverage:
-Red Baraat, with Samir Langus, March 9th, 2024 – Red Baraat photos, Samir Langus photos
-Gogol Bordello, with Hard Core Highwayman and Incendiary Device, December 29th, 2022 – Gogol Bordello live review, Gogol Bordello photos, Hard Core Highwayman photos, Incendiary Device photos
-Ibibio Sound Machine, with Sinkane (DJ set), October 22nd, 2022 – Ibibio Sound Machine photos, Sinkane photos
-Talib Kweli, with Dudley Music, October 14th, 2021 – Talib Kweli photos, Dudley Music photos
-Lee Fields & The Expressions, with Adeline, January 9th, 2020 (Winter Jazzfest) – recap, Lee Fields & The Expressions photos, Adeline photos
-Sleigh Bells, December 31st, 2019 (DJ set) – photos
-Los Campesinos!, with Nervous Dater, July 9th, 2019 – Los Campesinos! live review, Los Campesinos! photos, Nervous Dater photos
-Spin Doctors, November 8th, 2018 – live review, photos
-Tank & The Bangas, July 20th, 2017 – photos
-Soulive, June 15th, 2017 – photos
-Femi Kuti, July 28th, 2016 – photos
-Wyclef Jean, March 22nd, 2016 – photos
-Antibalas with Angelique Kidjo, February 11th, 2016 – photos
-The Go! Team, January 21st, 2016 – photos
-The Joy Formidable, October 15th, 2015 (CMJ) – CMJ coverage, photos
-Deer Tick, with Joe Fletcher, December 28th, 2014 – Deer Tick photos, Joe Fletcher photos
-Deer Tick, with Robert Ellis, December 27th, 2014 – Deer Tick photos, Robert Ellis photos
-We Are Scientists, with TEEN, November 20th, 2014 – We Are Scientists live review, We Are Scientists photos, TEEN photos
-Beach Fossils, with Small Black and Colony House, October 23rd, 2014 (CMJ) – Beach Fossils photos, Small Black photos, Colony House
-Born Ruffians, with The Spinto Band and Turf War, June 16th, 2013 (Northside) – Born Ruffians photos, The Spinto Band photos, Turf War photos
-Hank & Cupcakes, April 3rd, 2013 – photos
-DIIV, with Magic Trick, January 13th, 2013 – DIIV photos, Magic Trick photos
-The Drums, with Chairlift, August 22nd, 2012 – The Drums photos, Chairlift photos
-MNDR, with Foxes and Mr. Little Jeans, July 14th, 2012 (Popshop party) – live review, MNDR photos, Foxes photos, Mr. Little Jeans photos
-EXITMUSIC, June 16th, 2012 (Northside) – Northside coverage, photos
-The Mystery Jets, with Grand Resort, June 11th, 2012 – The Mystery Jets live review, The Mystery Jets photos, Grand Resort photos
-Man Man, with Diamond Doves, June 5th, 2012 – Man Man photos, Diamond Doves photos
-We Are Scientists, with 1,2,3, April 25th, 2012 – We Are Scientists photos, 1,2,3 photos
-Doodlebug (of Digable Planets), with F Stokes, December 20th, 2011 – live review, Doodlebug photos, F Stokes photos
-Strange Design & The Big Apple Horns, December 16th, 2011 – photos
-Yeah Yeah Yeahs, with Royal Baths, Heavy Trash, Reverend Vince Anderson, and Stabbing Eastward, December 16th, 2011 (Jonathan Toubin Benefit) – Yeah Yeah Yeahs photos, Royal Baths photos, Heavy Trash photos, Reverend Vince Anderson photos, Stabbing Eastward photos
-Dum Dum Girls, with Xray Eyeballs and DIVE, December 1st, 2011 – Dum Dum Girls photos, Xray Eyeballs photos, DIVE photos
-Great Divide, with Jones Street Station, August 26th, 2011 – Jones Street Station live review, Great Divide photos, Jones Street Station photos
-The Stockholm Syndrome, August 13th, 2011 – photos
-Cracker, with Wormburner, July 24th, 2011 – Wormburner live review, Cracker photos, Wormburner photos
-Hooray For Earth, July 16th, 2011 – photos
-Cibo Matto, with Sxip Shirey, July 12th, 2011 – Cibo Matto photos, Sxip Shirey photos
-Bear Hands, February 27th, 2011 – photos
-MiniBoone, with Ava Luna and Miracles of Modern Science, January 26th, 2011 – MiniBoone photos, Ava Luna photos, Miracles of Modern Science photos
-Bear Hands, October 20th, 2010 (CMJ) – photos
-Yo La Tengo, with DOM and Screaming Females, October 19th, 2010 (CMJ) – CMJ coverage, Yo La Tengo photos, DOM photos, Screaming Females photos
-Midnight Juggernauts, with Teengirl Fantasy and Yawn, July 24th, 2010 – live review, Midnight Juggernauts photos, Teengirl Fantasy photos, Yawn photos
-WOOM, June 25th, 2010 (Northside) – Northside coverage, photos
-U.S. Air Guitar, Brooklyn Regionals, April 9th, 2010 – photos
-Your Nature, March 1st, 2010 – photos
-ArpLine, Class Actress, February 17th, 2010 – ArpLine photos, Class Actress photos
-No Age/Deerhunter/Dan Deacon ‘Round Robin’, with Ed Schrader, White Rainbow & Infinite Body, August 2nd, 2009 (relocated Pool Party) – Round Robin live review, Round Robin photos, Ed Schrader photos, White Rainbow & Infinite Body photos
