Crown Heights – Downtown Magazine

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May is Bike Month! To celebrate, Citi Bike is providing a range of opportunities to try the blue bikes for low to no cost throughout the month.

“We want more New Yorkers to discover what our over 120,000 Annual Citi Bike members already know — just how fun and easy it can be to use bike share to get where you need to go, when you need to go there,” said Jay Walder, President & CEO of Motivate, the company that operates Citi Bike. “With more bikes and bike lanes in the five boroughs than ever before, there has never been a better time to try Citi Bike.” People can visit Citi Bike’s website to get $25 off an annual membership, which typically retails at $163 per year, throughout the month of May. What are you waiting for?

Citi Bike is also supporting citywide efforts to improve bike safety. This month, Citi Bike members can receive a complimentary Transportation Alternatives membership to support the organization’s advocacy for safer streets for biking. Citi Bike members can sign up and enter their bike key number to verify their membership.

In addition, Citi Bike is participating in a range of events and biking promotions throughout the month.

On May 19, Citi Bike will participate in Transportation Alternative’s fifth annual “Bike Home from Work” party. Kicking off from the Pearl Street Triangle in DUMBO, the “Bike Home From Work” party will include a beer garden, food trucks, interactive exhibitions, a DJ and even a tattoo shop.

On May 20, ride a Citi Bike for free as part of Bike the Branches, Brooklyn Public Library’s annual fundraiser ride throughout its sixty branches. Citi Bike is sponsoring a Bike the Branches tour, which takes you through the Citi Bike service area in Brooklyn— and allows members to take advantage of a special docking station at Central Library and any one of the hundreds along the Citi Bike route.

On May 25, Citi Bike in partnership with Bike New York and Council Member Ben Kallos will host their first Citi Bike Streets Skills class of the season. This short presentation covers bike share basics and riding tips to help get people comfortable and safe riding on New York City Streets.

Starting immediately Citi Bike staff will be stationed at Grand Army Plaza and Central Park South from 10am to 6pm every day to answer questions about Citi Bike and bicycling more broadly to encourage people who are interested to try biking in New York.

Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation (“Restoration”) will also host bi-weekly rides for Bed Stuy residents on Wednesdays and Saturdays throughout May. Free Citi Bike bikes will be available for those who want to join but don’t have a bike. Additional details can be found here.

Citi Bike expanding to Astoria, Prospect Heights, and Crown Heights this summer. Planned locations can be found here.

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Over 10 years ago, Matisyahu experienced the joy of having his first hit single, “King Without A Crown.” Not only did “King” crack the Top 30, but its accompanying album sold over 500,000 copies within a year of release. Many critics were quick to dismiss Matisyahu as a novelty artist — the lone Hasidic Jew within the reggae world — yet things never slowed down for him. He had the unofficial theme song of the 2010 Olympics. He has toured alongside Sting, 311 and Sublime With Rome. He has collaborated with a wide array of artists, including P.O.D., The Dirty Heads, Wyclef Jean, The Crystal Method, Moon Taxi, and Avicii.

Back in November, Matisyahu released a new EP, Release The Bound. In support of that, he kicked off his annual Festival Of Light tour on Dec. 14, which included three nights at Manhattan’s City Winery. Downtown caught up with Matis for some Q&A to learn more about his past, present and future; the near-future will reportedly include a new full-length album later this year. Matisyahu can be visited online at www.matisyahuworld.com and also followed on Twitter and Facebook.

What do you wish more people knew about you?

Matisyahu: That I am single. (laughs)

In putting out nine releases over the past 11 years, plus some collaborations and one-offs, you have released more music than the majority of major artists. Are you writing frequently?

M: I take opportunities to write and record in collaborations with other artists or musicians pretty much constantly. Most of my time in music though, is spent playing shows. Every two years or so I go into an intensive process of writing. For example, we came off the road in September and went immediately into writing mode. Then I spent three months writing and recording my new record to be released this spring. In a sense though, we write as a group every night when we play because If the improvisational nature of my live show. So even though we only spent three months writing and recording, we spent the better last of two years as a unit on the road creating a sound and experimenting with what the next record will feel like.

How would you describe Release The Bound to a longtime fan of yours that hasn’t heard it yet?

M: It’s a collaborative piece. Three different producers, so there are a few different vibes. It’s a typical Matisyahu melding of sounds and styles blending of genres, but it definitely leans towards a more danceable upbeat up lifting modern sound.

Do you have a favorite song on Release The Bound?

M: Don’t really have a fav. The songs are kind of like kids. Kind of love them the same for different reasons. I guess I was gonna to point to one tune it would be “Shade From The Sun.” It has a more organic sound, kind of African vibe, dancehall reggae flow.

I remember watching Jimmy Kimmel Live the night you made your TV debut. Looking back, was that an enjoyable experience?

M: YES! That was such an exciting time for me. Coming out Yeshiva and the books and the basement in Crown Heights to realizing my dreams in such a surreal way. It was also a lot of travel, and being tired, and waiting around. So it was fun and awesome and at the same time a bit of a reality check on what having a music career is made of.

For your December shows in New York, did the disco dreidel make an appearance?

M: Yes, the disco dreidel made a comeback and was in full effect at this year’s Festival Of Light tour. I love that thing. It lives in my house.

A video of you dueting with a performer in Hawaii that didn’t know it was you went viral recently. Has anything similar happened to you before?

M: Not really. I’ve heard people listening to my music before. I do love the element of surprise, though. That’s always been fun for me.

When not busy with music, how do you like to spend your free time?

M: Well, I manage myself and have four kids under 12, so I don’t really have much free time. If the weather is good and I have a few hours free, I will most likely call up my dad and we’ll go ride motorcycles up state for a bit. Other then that, I like watching my kids play sports and expanding my consciousness.

What is your favorite restaurant in your neighborhood?

M: There is a cool Israeli cafe type place where I live. They have good coffee and it’s a nice environment. It’s called Art Cafe. But my main spot is called Gypsy Donut. Great coffee and mainly just a nice destination when I need to take a walk. Actually all the dudes that work there are in a band, and I’ve even recorded vocals for “Storm Tossed,” a song I released this summer at their studio in town.

What about a favorite restaurant in downtown Manhattan?

M: Downtown, nothing comes to mind. Guess I haven’t been out for a while. Damn.

Other than your EP, what is your favorite music release of 2016?

M: That’s a tough one. Probably the new Bon Iver and then Frank Ocean in a close second. Ooohhh, Flume Flume Flume and my favorite, probably Vince Staples and Popcaan and Jon Belion, Tycho…Lots of great music out there now.

Finally, Matis, any last words for the kids?

M: For the kids: “Stay calm, breathe deep, listen to music that makes you feel better, trust your instincts, pray for a teacher, find a friend. If you have a passion spend your time in it, if you don’t, then just enjoy the ride and emphasize with your fellow humans and the environment you live in. Put down your phone when something really awesome is happening and just breathe it all the way into your soul. It will make a greater impact than capturing it for social media. Peel off the shell and love with all your heart.”