High Collaboration at Brooklyn Bowl
Relix x Whalebone apparel launch, Bearly Dead sets showcase the spirit of doing things together
Image courtesy of Relix x Whalebone.
September 10, 2012, that was my first experience at Brooklyn Bowl. We were treated to the electronica/funk/psychedelic sounds and improvisations of Kick Rocks, with their stacked lineup of members from the Disco Biscuits, Dopapod, Brothers Past, and Lotus. If I recall, the show lasted a couple of hours, but what I do remember is how significantly I felt the onstage collaboration.
Brooklyn Bowl has been my favorite venue since that night. With a capacity of around 1,000, it’s a playground for adults: the performance space, the lanes, the focused-on-but-not-dedicated-to-barbeque restaurant, and the lounge by the entrance/exit. I’d never seen self-serve water stations at the ends of the bar before noticing them there. That’s innovation, but frankly, it’s just another innovative part about the place that sparked the boom in combining bowling with live music. It happens to be a LEED-certified building, too.
When invited to the recent launch party for apparel designed by Whalebone, in conjunction with Relix, I was excited. Pumped. The clothing brand describes itself as “experts in coastal comfort”—apparent by the surfer vibe of the short-sleeved T, but also by touching any of the three pieces. The Whale skull & Roses graphic on the back of the hoodie, which Peter Shapiro was rocking, is super nice. This event marked the culmination of the collab, a celebration, because the real collaboration had occurred on the journey.
To Brooklyn Bowl. December 9, 2025.
The Grateful Dead is maybe the most collaborative collective of musicians ever. Everyone earned songwriting credits, most of them sang, the story is well known. No need to provide further detail, but I will submit their partnership with Robert Hunter as my lone example of collaboration here. His lyrics, matched with Dead music, speak for themselves.
Only one type of band would fit the bill on that chilly Tuesday evening, and Bearly Dead fired it up despite the industrial ceiling fans in Brooklyn Bowl always spinning. Plus, like the casual nature of the Whalebone gear, the outfit has a layer of comfortability that extends beyond the familiar music. And if you want to impress me and energize me right away, then a “Feel Like A Stranger” opener goes a long way. “Deal” was also a highlight in Set 1, with solo after solo and the pair of guests that took the group to eight. Songs seemed to get longer in the second set, fine by me, and it was guitarist Nick Swift who became the focal point. He sang lead vocals on some key tracks, but his playing from stage left drove the proceedings a tad more than the other stellar musicians. “Scarlet Begonias” and “Turn On Your Lovelight” were lovely x 11. And between tunes, hearing pins get knocked down never gets old.
It’s amazing how many Dead-related bands exist…and how many of them are so good. I’ve seen local or regional acts in and around North Jersey, all have been above average to awesome. The Grateful Dead’s music challenges players while allowing them room to reinterpret, if the desire is there. It’s during these times that collaboration must be open, pure, a two-way street or a multiway avenue, for a resulting positive outcome. And Bearly Dead is, without a doubt, a positive outcome that you should soak up soon.
Kris Alvarez joined me for the night at Brooklyn Bowl. He’s a photographer whose eye I appreciate, with no bias even if he’s a close friend and a colleague. This Relix x Whalebone deal presented us with an opportunity to collaborate in a way that might hold more meaning than, say, taking the headshots of me that we’ve discussed. It’ll happen, but that won’t require my words in black and white. Unlike here, though with my mid visual skills and an iPhone that’s a few generations behind, Kris’s pro setup and unique focus are big in helping bring color and life to all things Dead.
Bearly Dead 12/09/2025 Setlist
1: Feel Like A Stranger, U.S. Blues, Ramble On Rose, Sing Me Back Home, Mr. Charlie*, Deal*, The Music Never Stopped*
2: That’s What Love Will Make You Do, Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeleoo, Scarlet Begonias^ > Fire On The Mountain^, Viola Lee Blues > St. Stephen > Rhapsody In Red, Turn On Your Lovelight^
E: The Golden Road (To Unlimited Devotion)
*Honey Marmalade on vocals, Ben Pinnola on saxophone
^Ben Pinnola on saxophone
Get your limited edition apparel here!
Photos courtesy of Kris Alvarez.