The "old school" center of gravity in LIC is PS1, the first and boldest entrant into the open spaces in Queens. PS1 has done a lot over the years to introduce LIC to the rest of New York, and one of its greatest achievements is surely the 5-year-running summertime Warm-Up music festival hosted annually in its courtyard.

Every Saturday for nearly 3 months each Summer, PS1 invites the general public to come and party down in its recess-ground-cum-hipster-hangout, complete with wading pools and other hot weather accoutrements.

Indeed, it hasn't been the general public that patronizes Warm-Up. It's a rather younger and hipper set on the whole. Last year, the lines were very, very long and the crowds very large. Warm-Up is a major annual event for young people. And that can only mean it is a few years before once-idealistic Wall Street lawyers start showing up wearing their Armani Exchange mesh tops.

For the moment, anyway, Warm-Up showcases cutting edge music in a fabulously free-spirited setting. The beer isn't overpriced either, at a reasonable $3.50/glass.

We'll put up details on Warm-Up 2003 when they are announced. But for the moment, enjoy these galleries of Warm-Ups past.

Superfuture's pics from Warm-Up 2001 give you a feeling for the event. Please, don't wear Banana Republic chinos that day, these pics seem to say.

DJ Spooky's snapshots from his performance recently at Warm-Up. See the large image to the right.

PS1's publicity site from 2002 and the archived music and schedule from 2002 is here to download.

Super Hyper Demon Child's pics

A visiting SVA student takes a few pics

Daniel Haworth's photos speak of a young, reckless fellow having a good time.

The architects who designed the beach-style construction for a recent Warm-Up and the pictures of their plans.

More of a feel for the imported sand and surf