Celebrating Community
You see a permanent bench in front of a bizarre looking sculpture of guitars. A Sculpture-like apparition that might be unwelcome in some neighborhoods. It’s clear that anybody is welcome to sit at this crazy lookin spot. Anytime. At dawn there is usually all kinds of free stuff on it. By noon chairs appear. This is a place to relax […]
I don’t know what you were doing in 1983 but I know what the Melvins weren’t doing is making this record. “Melvins 1983” is whispered like it’s some kind of incantation, like it’s the name of a beast with no name, like it’s something you’d better be careful not to wish for, like it’s a monkey’s paw keychain. Or at […]
Doug Brod’s They Just Seem a Little Weird examines KISS, Aerosmith, Cheap Trick, Starz and the making of ‘70s rock megastardom. Eric and I didn’t have much to go on, but we didn’t need much, either. We were desperate tweens ready to rock. It didn’t matter that we didn’t know the band that was playing. They had the look and […]
You have to wait until nearly the end of the scrolling credits to see who the musicians are who represent the on-screen characters in Disney’s new animated movie, Soul. The movie is about a jazz pianist, Joe Gardner (voiced by Jamie Foxx), who snags the gig of a lifetime, dies in an accident, and then strives to return his soul […]
Hifi Provisions, located at 237 36th Street in Industry City, Brooklyn, is now open. Upon entry, customers will notice wooden racks, hand built by owner Matthew Coluccio, with records old and new for sale. At the back is a cozy area with velvet, art-deco chairs and an impressive, vintage Bang & Olufssen music system, which he acquired from a psychologist […]
As New Yorkers near the one-year anniversary of the city’s first Covid case, they’ve showcased flexibility, persistency and creativity while making life work under new circumstances. For those who were engaged or soon-to-be married last year, wedding plans were postponed, rescheduled, or even advanced to an earlier date due to uncertainty. Wedding Reporter, a trade organization, reports that NYC […]
While the coronavirus pandemic has hurt most businesses in New York City, it has been especially tough on the theater industry. Cobble Hill Cinema, located on the corner of Court St. and Butler St. has been closed to the public since March. The theater, which a year ago was packed with customers, is now barely getting by. “Sadly, we had […]
It’s nervy to call something the last of anything, especially when it comes to neighborhoods. But as residents of The Hill in St. Louis see it, their community isn’t just the city’s Little Italy—it’s the last one in all of America. Scusi? What was that? You can almost hear the recriminations and curses coming from North Beach in San Francisco […]
In 2014, a friend turned fifty. To celebrate, he organized a trip with friends to Paris—myself among them. At the celebratory dinner, a guest arrived late, walking into the restaurant on tottering heels. As she approached the table, men threw themselves out of their seats to help her with her coat. They quickly cleared a place for her. The party […]