Wild times at Our Wicked Lady with Michelle LoBianco

By Sean Maldjian, Contributor
All photos by, Michelle LoBianco

Meet Our Wicked Lady (OWL)

Since 2015 Our Wicked Lady has been a bar that was founded with the artists themselves in mind. Known for their summertime rooftop concerts, artist’s studio spaces, and stellar tacos Our Wicked Lady has made a huge impact on the NYC arts community. In our latest interview, we sat down with the fantastic photographer Michelle LoBianco (@brooklynelitist) to chat about the venue.

Right now Our Wicked Lady is running a fundraiser to help keep the doors open in the future. Check it out here, or perhaps buy one of their amazing sweatshirts here.

Do you love or hate the bar at Our Wicked Lady? Why?

I have mixed feelings about the bar at OWL because some of my best friends work there but it gets so packed they basically need an army of bartenders on a regular night.

Where is the best place to eat after seeing a show at Our Wicked Lady?

I would just eat at OWL, they have some legendary tacos and wings at the bar that have really stepped up into that next level.

What is your favorite genre or kind of artist to photograph?

I typically like a gritty punk show but the Summer Soul Fest was definitely a blast. I would say I enjoy The Advertisers Show and Duke of Vandals shows the most at OWL.

At concerts what camera do you shoot with most often?

I usually pack 3 cameras to shoot- sometimes 4 if it's a band I am paid to shoot - Canon MKIII, Yaschica T4, and a Holga with a flash, Olympus slide face.

If Our Wicked Lady had a perfume what would it smell like?

This question really makes me laugh - it would smell like Irish Spring and Whisky for sure - maybe hints of leather.

What other photographers' work has influenced you most?

I would say Juergen Teller/ Bruce Gilden for aesthetic and Luigi Ghirri for patience and composition.

What kind of crowd does Our Wicked Lady attract?

OWL attracts all the homies - the vibe is very at home and most bands practice in the OWL studios and live nearby. So many bands support each other and the venue supports the whole scene. It’s a wonderful gem and they surely deserve all and any support for everything they've done and to this day continue to do with their OWL TV series.

Any final comments about Our Wicked Lady?

I think it's important to thank Our Wicked Lady for all the shows they curated, all the support and love they bring to the music scene, and I just want to say the venue is very close to my heart and continues to be.

Interview, Visual ArtistSean MaldjianFebruary 18, 2021visual art