Looking at Art
Pardon me, I’m mostly here for the conversation.
On my sixth or seventh Friday back in New York City, I realized I had no upcoming weekend plans – a great indicator that things are crawling back towards normal. No more scheduled back-in-town dinners, no tickets to we-can-finally-party-again parties. I had absolutely no plans.
Faced with a world of possibilities, I settled on an activity that almost always delivers: looking at art. I texted some friends to meet at Dia: Chelsea, where our afternoon began with intimate interactions with some spotlights and a viewing of construction porn (SFW).
Afterwards, we wandered through nearby galleries. The art was mostly fine – some of it was particularly great and some offensively bad – but only at those extremes was the conversation focused on the art we were looking at. At one of the stops along West 22nd St, we spent five minutes questioning if the office in the back of the gallery we found ourselves in was really an office, or if it was instead art.
The afternoon continued like that – peaceful meandering through mazes of framed canvas and hanging acrylic to a soundtrack of contemplative dialogue and occasional comfortable silence. It all felt so… easy.
There is something about the act of looking at art with people I care about that fosters really meaningful discussion. The formalities are replaced with opinions about the art at-hand and rather than checking my phone for a dopamine hit, I get my dose of bright colors comes from the stroke of a brush and the reflection of daylight on the white gallery walls. All that’s left is an uninhibited me, surrounded by some people’s life’s work and my smug opinion about if the art is shit or not. But it’s not the art I’m actually here for, it’s the conversation.
Clubbing Is a Lifeline–and It’s Back
In LCD Soundsystem’s debut single, Losing My Edge, James Murphy rattles off his hipster credentials, like seeing the first CAN show in 1968 and being in the DJ booth with Larry Levan at Paradise Garage. I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t spent a little bit of time thinking about what my “trust me I was cool before you knew what cool was” list. Without question, being at the first post-pandemic Mister Sunday (same party as pictured above, except an earlier one 😉) is in the conversation. Kudos to the author (who I’d very much like to be friends with) and photographer for so beautifully capturing one of my absolute favorite parts of New York City. It pains me that people spend decades in this city and never experience this part of the culture. It’s not too late.
–Andrew
Meet Me in the Bathroom
I had written something about this book, while I was still reading it, that I ultimately scrapped. I finished it last Sunday afternoon and then biked over to Four Horseman where I sat facing James Murphy eating his dinner. That’s just a fun aside. If you know at least one song by any of the following bands, you should pick up this book: The Strokes, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, LCD Soundsystem, Interpol, and Vampire Weekend. It’s a great subway read and fun to pick up anytime you have a minute. The related Spotify playlists have been the soundtrack to my commutes over the last few weeks.
–Andrew
Eargasm High Fidelity Earplugs
For over a year, a mask replaced my earplugs in my everyday carry. And while the mask is still there, I’m excited to report that my earplugs are back in my pocket. I love these earplugs because they’re clear silicone, which makes them invisible in a dark club and barely visible during the day. Plus, bonus points for their incredible customer service. I understand the stigma around earplugs – they’re not the accessory I’m most excited to show off, but I watched Sound of Metal, so they’re coming with me everywhere I go.
People constantly make jokes about how their hearing is "already shot," so they don't need earplugs at shows. This hurts us. Please wear earplugs or you will legitimately lose your hearing decades early. 😔 #plugemup #earplugsaresexyIn summary, read the New Yorker piece above, get you some Eargasms, and meet me at the club.
–Andrew
