Play it again, Steve!
Councilman Steve Levin reunited with his college band, Stylofone, this weekend at Brooklyn Bowl — with the Greenpoint political powerhouse donning a flannel shirt and playing bass.
It’s almost like he fit in with his constituents!
Levin has been a big name in some circles ever since winning a seven-way Democratic primary in 2009 and going on to become one of Council’s youngest members.
But he’s best known as the bassist in the scrappy indie rock quartet that featured Jason Klauber, Simon O’Connor and Will Berman — a band that was the toast of the New England liberal arts college rock scene since 2002.
Stylofone toured for several years until its guitar-wielding archrivals, MGMT, stole Berman to be their drummer. Levin joined the band in 2002 and left in 2006, claiming artistic difference (he wanted to work in the nonprofit public sector while bandmates wanted to play music).
But Levin says he never lost touch with his rock star friends or his creative side.
“It’s a great love of mine to do music and play music,” said Levin. “We’ve had a lot of fun over the past couple of weeks.”
More than 150 people showered Stylofone with love during the coveted 1 am Sunday night timeslot. Levin got to play a bass solo before the band closed out its hour-long set with two of his favorite songs, “Nighttime” and “Hotstepper.” Even Stylofone’s old foe, MGMT’s Ben Goldwasser, stopped by to see the show and party with his friends well into the night.
Levin says he loves playing with the band, but won’t quit his day job to join MGMT anytime soon.
“I think they have their own bass player— he’s a good friend of mine,” said Levin. “It gets a little muddy with two basses.”
Reach reporter Aaron Short at ashort@cnglocal.com or by calling (718) 260-2547.
