We dropped in for the preview of Jolene ahead of its exciting opening weekend to give you a taste of this sultry, intimate lounge in Brooklyn.
Brooklyn is the heart of the electronic music scene in New York and is no stranger to new and reinvented spaces. In just the last year or so, we’ve seen the opening of SILO, the opening and expected expansion of Brooklyn Made, a partnership between Teksupport and ArtsDistrict BK in a new space, and the redesign of Brooklyn Mirage, just to name a few. The common thread here is that all of these are in the Bushwick area, while neighboring Williamsburg, no stranger to nightlife, hasn’t seen a lot of new blood.
Enter Jolene Sound Room at the sparkling new Moxy Williamsburg. The hotel is the brand’s first foray into Brooklyn, and Jolene is an extension of the success the hotel brand has had, capturing a hot and hip young crowd in Manhattan. Jolene is a partnership between Bar Lab Hospitality, Space Invaders, and Link Miami Rebels that takes a sultry retro theme into a neighborhood more often focused on being slick and modern. Our first taste of the space confirms that it’s a welcome addition to the scene, with lush banquettes, velvet curtains, warm lighting, and a well-dialed-in sound system. It’s especially nice to see a focus on the sound when some of the local venues clearly have not taken this as seriously.
We are thrilled for this adventure. We have always appreciated the love affair between Miami and New York. The opening of Jolene gives us an intimate room with impeccable sound to foster and nourish the ever growing nightlife of Brooklyn.
Coloma Kaboomsky, Link Miami Rebels
The first of the Jolene concept is already up and running in Miami, and this is the first extension of the brand. The concept was originally inspired by the “fierceness and femininity of Dolly Parton.” There was undoubtedly a fierce femininity to the space during the preview, capped with a female DJ for the evening. Upcoming acts include Eli Escobar, Analog Soul, Justin Strauss, Justin Strauss, and DJ Spinna.
Despite the Miami connection, Jolene looked to Brooklyn local Will Buck with programming. The aforementioned sound system was designed by Nicolas Matar and Scott Ciungan of Phonic Technologies, who are also no strangers to NYC, having previously installed at Cielo and Output. The team claims the sound design “involved the careful study of a venue’s acoustics and the selection of finishes for optimal sound quality,” and this really does seem to be the case. I very specifically moved around the space, including directly under individual speakers, and was quite impressed with the sound all around.
Take a look at the upcoming schedule, and be sure to check out Jolene Sound Room before it starts to sell out!
