Kicking Off Summer With House of Vans

By Amanda Gabriele June 16, 2014

There are 100s of reasons to be crazy about summer. From the beach to ballgames, the list of things to do is never-ending. And if you appreciate live music as much as us, you know it’s also the season for free shows across the country. Which is why we’re super excited the Vans House Parties have started once again.

If you’re in the NYC-area and have never been to Vans’ annual concert series, this is the year to go. Presented by FYF, all shows are held at the House of Vans in Brooklyn’s Greenpoint neighborhood. Along with an indoor concrete bowl and outdoor skate plaza, the massive warehouse space will turn into a live music venue for six Thursdays this summer, and the lineups are killer. With acts like Chrome Sparks, The Black Lips, The Bouncing Souls, Future Islands and Holy Ghost!, these shows are definitely not ones to miss.

We attended the kickoff last Thursday featuring Charles Bradley, Mac DeMarco and Benjamin Booker, and it was a fantastic night of music. Sound filled the indoor space as people watched the show while others gathered with their drinks in the huge outdoor courtyard. Mac DeMarco even crowd surfed because he’s amazing like that.

All shows are free with RSVP and open to the public of all ages. Doors open at 7, but admission is first come first serve, so we suggest arriving early. To learn more about the Vans House Parties and to RSVP for the next show, visit vans.com.

Amanda Gabriele

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Amanda Gabriele is a food and travel writer at The Manual and the former senior editor at Supercall. She can’t live without…

Culture

Where do cigars come from? A guide to the premium tobacco growing regions

man smoking small cigar by engin-akyurt unsplash

Cigars are composed of various tobacco leaves, including fillers, a binder, and a wrapper on the outside. The tobacco that makes up those leaves is grown in a variety of regions worldwide and undergoes several processes to create the flavor and blend that is eventually rolled into a premium cigar. While many factors influence the result, mainly how the tobacco tastes when it's smoked, none are more important than its cultivation, growth, and harvest. Tobacco grown in Nicaragua will taste very different from tobacco grown in Cuba or even Indonesia. It has to do with the local climate, the soil and its contents, average sun exposure, and much more. But most cigars include a blend or mixture of tobacco leaves, sometimes from entirely different regions, like Nicaraguan fillers and an African Cameroon wrapper. So, when posing the question, "Where do cigars come from," it makes more sense to look at the regions where tobacco is grown.
The Big Five

Not all tobacco comes from the Big Five regions; however, a large majority of the tobacco leaves produced and sold, even to partners in the business, come from fairly localized tobacco growers in the following locations:
Cuba
Everyone has heard of Cuban cigars, Cuban tobacco, and the forbidden fruit, at least in the United States. Ever since the U.S. government activated an embargo against Cuban goods back in 1962, Cuban tobacco cannot be imported or sold in the country. Of course, that doesn't change the fact that Cuba is the birthplace of modern cigars and has inspired many of today's biggest tobacco producers in the world.

Culture

The best shows on Netflix to stream in May

Binge-worthy Netflix series you don't want to miss

Bojack Horseman and Princess Caroline

TV may not be peaking quite the way it was a few years back, but there are still more than enough shows out there to keep you busy. After Netflix emerged on the scene and revolutionized how we all watched TV, it was joined by a huge swath of competitors determined to take advantage of the streaming boom. All of those competitors have great stuff to watch, but Netflix is still many people's hub for all things TV. Even within the streamer, though, it can be difficult to figure out what the best shows on Netflix are.

Thankfully, that's where this list comes in. We've compiled a rundown of what to watch on Netflix, and these Netflix shows should add up to days and days of endless binging. You can also check out our list of the best Hulu series, best Amazon Prime series, best Disney Plus series, and best Netflix movies after you've made it through the series listed below.

Culture

The best movies on Hulu to watch in May

Hulu is the place to watch movies across a wide array of genres

Movie on a person's phone

There's a lot of competition out there in the streaming world, and it can be hard to shuffle through the services to find the best movies to stream right now. Though there are plenty of great movies on Netflix and Amazon still has the platform beat in terms of overall quality, many of the movies on Hulu can't be streamed anywhere else. The best movies on Hulu can be gritty, family-friendly, and even sci-fi-oriented. So if you're looking to expand your binge-watching horizons, we've found the best movies to watch on Hulu right now.

White Men Can't Jump (2023)