Welcome to Nighthawks — a biweekly series where writer Sam Brule travels to noteworthy nightlife epicenters across New York City to observe and report about the night, atmosphere, and people of the weekend. Tonight, we’re at the historic Kings Theatre in Flatbush to see Cory Wong help make funk music popular again.
If someone invited you to watch funk music in a hundred-year-old theater, you’d probably think it was some kind of joke since both funk and art deco theaters seem like a blast from the past at this point. But because of those who like to hold on stubbornly to forgotten arts, these two things can thrive in today’s world.
I arrived outside the Kings Theatre around 7 p.m. where the air was thick with strange urban stillness. The streets were almost completely vacant. The usual energy of city life was deadened by the slight glow of empty department stores. The theater’s entrance, however, radiated an inviting vintage hue, a warm amber glow that cut through the city block like a beacon.
I traveled to Flatbush to see Cory Wong — a New York-born funk guitarist who rose to popularity in 2013 after playing a few times with a group called Vulfpeck. Funk music, which used to be mostly associated with the ‘70s, is seeing a modern day reemergence due to artists like Wong and other mainstream contemporaries like Thunder Cat and Childish Gambino. From Wong’s aggressive rhythm, consistent releases, and skilled collaborators, he was able to build a fresh and younger fanbase for the genre, which can be seen at shows like this one.
The exterior of the venue was sparsely decorated with people. Most of the concertgoers had already found their way inside while a few impatient guests sucked down cigarettes and laughed lightly with their friends. Looking at all of the people outside, it would be hard to guess what type of music you’d find inside the space.
I noticed one man talking with some friends in a happy but reserved tone. His hands danced to emphasize his jokes, which were well received among the others. He wore a black shirt with a colorful and complicated graphic on it, likely another band’s merch. His pants were tan and tapered in toward his white Nike Blazers.
I made my way toward the door and through a quick security checkpoint. But then I saw it. My eyes shot upwards and I froze, momentarily stunned. The ceiling inside the lobby was magnificent — a mosaic of gold, purple, and green that arched above like a dream. The patterns danced and twisted as if the very building had been built to project the aspirations of another era. I couldn’t believe no one else was looking at it. The grandeur was absurd and over-the-top in the best possible way.
Inside the venue were more attendees dressed similar to the unnamed man outside. Casual clothing was bathed in light reflected from the decorations on the ceiling, and it was enthralling. The space was densely populated with these people but comfortably so.
After walking up a set of stairs and into the theater, I was shocked yet again. The space was more magnificent than the lobby, and that was saying something. Massive columns of intricate design jutted from the floor like frozen waves, each surface etched with swirls and curves that made no practical sense — it was beauty for the sake of it. The walls curved inward, forcing your gaze upwards. Everywhere you looked, the grandeur was intoxicating. I even made a comment out loud about my amazement, and another man in front of me replied, “I know right?”
Eager to learn about the space and wanting to kill time before the show started, I began to google the history. According to the theater’s website, it was originally opened in 1929 at the end of the roaring ‘20s before its fade into the Great Depression. It was meant to screen movies, and it felt like a final display of wealth and lavishness before the economy took a downturn.
The theater operated until 1977 when it was unfortunately closed due to low attendance. It lay in ruins for decades, but was then reopened in 2015 after being leased to ACE Theatrical Group who supported the costly $95 million dollar restoration, said the the NYC Economic Development Corporation.
Thanks to the efforts made by those who want to see the theater prosper once again, it’s back and better than ever.
After a bit of waiting and a no-nonsense performance from the tour’s opening band Couch, Wong took the stage. He started aggressively and didn’t let up once. Around him were similarly talented musicians who took turns exchanging calculated and complicated solos on their respective instruments.
Looking around me, I saw people all sitting down in a calm but entranced manner. Not a single person nearby was looking away from the performance, and the sea of heads nodded to the beat.
The music continued on for nearly two hours, and the performers didn’t seem to lose any stamina. They danced and played energetically, and the songs went on incessantly. After a while, they finally took a break, in which they started to dissect their performance and call out any mistakes they made (which were very few).
Upon leaving, I couldn’t help but be perplexed by the appreciation these people all share for funk music. Not that funk music is objectively bad or anything, but it’s definitely a genre which exists only in the time of its inception and isn’t known for much after that. To see so many people come out to celebrate a historic genre’s new look was intriguing, but that’s the whole point.
These days, music is all over the place. Thanks to instant streaming and the expansion of the internet, people can listen to whatever music they want, whenever they want. This prospect brings positive changes but can also lead to overcommercialization. Taking time to listen to an old genre of music like funk can slow things down and truly showcase the artistry involved with music of the past.
Like funk music, the Kings Theatre itself is another example of people looking into the past to appreciate forgotten artistry. Had it not been for ACE Theatrical Group deciding to spend the money to fix the theater, it would’ve been forgotten, and maybe even replaced with a much less extravagant modern theater.
Surely it can be costly and even nonsensical to spend time, effort, and money to revive things from the past like old architecture and music. But in a fast paced world like today, the simple pleasures of thoughtfulness and attention to detail made all the difference. The world may be moving away from the place that permitted such art to thrive in the past, but at least there are efforts being made to let the past live on.