- Drummer Daniel Edelman, of the band GOD MODE, and Karen Halpenny clean drums outside the Greenpoint location of Scientific Laboratories, a practice space for musicians, on Tuesday, Oct. 30. (Philippe Theise)
Tenants at the Greenpoint location of Scientific Laboratories, a musicians’ rehearsal space, spent much of Tuesday, Oct. 30th hauling out gear, disposing of soaked rugs, and mopping the floors after the building flooded during Hurricane Sandy.
“Everybody was in battle mode,” said Amanda Fucello, whose band rents space in the building.
Just inside the entrance at 8 Meserole Avenue, a supply of mops, flashlights, and jugs of anti-mold liquid were available for use. One tenant wore a headlamp, and recorded music came out of one of the rooms.
Outside and near the corner of Gem Street, Daniel Edelman, Karen Halpenny, and Jonathan Johansen disassembled and cleaned drum parts. Johansen, who plays with Edelman in GOD MODE, said that the instruments’ wooden shells were his biggest concern.
“Once they start to warp, the tonality changes. I don’t want to say they’re worthless, but close to it,” he said.
Another musician exited the building carrying two black guitar cases that were dripping water. He laid both down on the sidewalk, opening them and examining a seafoam bass and a light brown hollow body guitar.
Some tenants said they hadn’t lost much. Shauna Westgate, the drummer in Red Gretchen, said that her band had placed all of its equipment on shelves, which they had already built.
Musicians praised Richard Kelly, Scientific Laboratories’ owner and operator, for sending out an email on Sunday warning of the possibility of flooding during Sandy, and for placing sandbags at the front and side entrances of the building.
Despite his efforts, the water level reached approximately one foot in the corridors.
Fucello, whose band also elevated its equipment, spoke of “airing out” its space before practicing again. “[It’s] not super smart to spend hours in a room” that may contain mold and mildew, she said.
Several bands that rehearse at Scilabs, as the space is nicknamed, have upcoming shows, but none planned to cancel any. Edelman, GOD MODE’s drummer, said that he would borrow any equipment he needed for a November 9th concert, and Nelson Nunez, of the Finks, said he still intends to play two shows in Boston this weekend.
As he mopped the building’s main hallway, Chris Balogh wondered aloud about having a benefit show for the Scilabs community.
In the meantime, Edelman said that composing, rather than gigging, might suffer in the aftermath of Sandy.
“This is going to put a damper on writing material, that’s for sure,” he said.
Back at the building the following evening, Johansen said that he’s focused on repairing drums and amplifiers for now, but that his band intends to build shelving to better protect its gear in the future.
He also appreciated Kelly “breaking his back” in the cleanup effort, and said that GOD MODE plans to continue practicing at Scilabs.
“We like it here,” he said.