The lineup for this summer’s House of Vans parties in Greenpoint reads like a carefully curated selection of bands from the Vans Warped Tour — plus a few stellar acts that would never quite fit on that annual punk-focused festival. Pulling together an eclectic bill was the point, with renowned promoters FYF enlisted to create the calendar.
“We definitely wanted to reach out to the punk and hard-core fans that Vans has associated themselves with, but also … broaden it from the indie rock to the electronic,” says David Peterson of FYF, who serves as manager of the House of Vans. Acts as varied as punk veterans 7 Seconds (tonight) to garage/soul band King Khan and the Shrines (July 26) to Sub Pop electronic artist Washed Out (Aug. 2) will perform at the space this season.
April Vitkus, Vans’ director of lifestyle marketing, sees the wide-ranging concerts as a natural extension of the company, which has been catering to the skateboard/surf lifestyle since 1966.
“FYF really understood how to mix up the old and the new, and that’s something that is so true to our brand,” Vitkus says. “We have new consumers who love this brand and what it stands for today, and then we have people like me who have been wearing Vans for 20 years and still wear Vans. FYF started coming up with these awesome lineups. … So the crowd [at the House of Vans parties] is a mix of young and old. And nostalgia versus modern is what Vans is all about.”
Know before you go
House of Vans, a community center of sorts serving as a skate park and host to concerts and art events, is located at 25 Franklin Street in Brooklyn.
The House of Vans parties, now in their second year, are all-ages, open to the public and free. You must RSVP for each show at www.vans.com/houseparties.
Even if you have RSVPed, show up early, about one hour before showtime, to ensure
entry.
Complimentary drinks are available at each party. Local food trucks will be providing eats for a charge.
The lineup
Thursday: H20, 7 Seconds, Tournament
July 26: King Khan & The Shrines, Nicky Da B, The Everymen
Aug. 2: Washed Out, Chairlift, Lemonade
Aug. 16: Cursive, Titus Andronicus, Love As Laughter, Joyce Maynor
Aug. 29: Turbonegro, Baroness, Doomriders, Nightbirds
