A banner of text near the bottom gave an address and a time, with the words INVITE ONLY.
Its called the Hancock, and its what those partygoers in Queens couldnt stop whispering about.
The first impression that the Hancock makes is one of sheer immensity.
New York grunge band Pretty Sick is one of many in-the-know acts that has performed at the Hancock.Christopher Petrus
The Hancocks transformation from brownstone to DIY venue began as an accident.
Its a very New York story, Makharashvili says.
He was releasing a single and looking for a venue, and I offered up the house.
He came in and was like, I fucking love this place.
That was last winter 300 people showed up.
It was a shitshow, but in a good way.
After that, we didnt have to plan or think about anything.
People just started reaching out like crazy.
Bands play in the billiard room, and chaos is the rule of thumb.
Think shoulder-to-shoulder mosh pits, beer-drenched wood flooring, and ear-splitting distortion.
The trio are here to prepare for Mansion Burger, a community-building cheeseburger cookout at the Hancock.
They march me into the basement for a trial taste.
Doyle Smith, the bassist for Beach Fossils, fires up the stove.
In the corner, Makharashvili pours us some Budweisers.
We usually start these events withchacha, not beer, she says.
And occasionally they end that way too.
Its a Georgian liquor, super strong.
Saint Martin, a multi-instrumentalist in the Life, chuckles.
Yeah, its very powerful, he says.
I kid you not, Ive been having burger dreams, he says.
Last night I even dreamt I was holding burger meat and being carried, like this.
He assumes a Jesus-on-the-cross pose, palms turned upwards.
I didnt know where I was going, but I knew I was going forward.
It took place after hours in the basement of SculptureCenter, a contemporary art museum.
Guests traversed labyrinthian, brick-lined hallways lit with red neon.
I eventually found myself in a group crowded around a pair of speakers.
To a certain degree, the environment that Makharashvili and Nebieridze have cultivated differs from what they intended.
Attend any big Hancock event, and there will be a good number of status-seekers and Instagram-minded opportunists.
Its this particular sensibility that draws people in.
The last remnants of evening light lie still on the hardwood, and silence pervades the house.
Im struck by the quiet, the solemnity of the space.
Sidling next to me, Budweiser in hand, Saint Martin seems to have similar thoughts in mind.
Friendships, relationships, connections.
So much good has resulted from people being here.
