good people share: no. 23
august 24: coming back from paris without having swum in the seine, always in the aisle seat, and eyeing BADBADNOTGOOD.
dear good people,
hosting the olympics is complicated, but there’s nothing quite like seeing so many absurdly dialed and diverse athletes perform at their finest, mentally and physically, on behalf of their home, across 40 sports.
after visiting paris and being part of the action, a few things remain on my mind:
the seine (and sustainability) was definitely a main character and the river was even a bit of a jerk, considering its dirty water and strong current. rain nearly ruined the $1.5 billion clean up effort, but now that athletes (and journalists) survived, who’s comfortable taking a dip in one of the river’s permanent swimming spots during their next visit?
caricature tees are back in style so the moment i saw the team usa basketball version, i was hunting for it. check out this wild story from a chef who designed and delivered 30 shirts without knowing that the entire squad would wear them after winning gold.
france put on quite the show despite more than two-thirds of adults in the country being “indifferent, worried, or angry” before the games started. the actual economic impact of the olympics has always been hard to say, no matter the host nation.
nike got its edge back, with a new campaign, “savage” commercial celebrating usa women’s basketball dominance, and an activation at the building that inspired the air max.
la28 is now on the clock — committed to minimal construction and promising big things for an (almost) ‘car-free’ olympics.
who will be the 2028 version of snoop (who nbc allegedly paid nearly $9M) or even steven neodoroscik?
paris held its first round of ticket sales about 18 months in advance of the games so la might start in february 2027. and it’s never too early for gear.
good music
this playlist is updated at the beginning of every month. it’s intended for a spectrum of moods and to be played from top to bottom. playlists dating back to 2016 are available in my spotify bio.
good content
scaffolding 101: if you live in nyc, you have a civic obligation to know more about the “everlasting scaffolding” (aka 400 miles of avoidable steel, plywood, and netting) that exists across the city.
soulection: a source of music discovery (thanks to joe kay) plus a “genre, a community and artist collective.” if you've been listening to my playlist for long enough, you won’t be surprised that their mixes on youtube are my vibe, especially when laying low at home. their spotify playlists and merch are also worth your attention.
the drinking fountain button is tragically misunderstood: “who among us hasn’t walked up to a drinking fountain, expecting a bubbling stream of life-giving water, only to experience the crushing disappointment of a measly trickle after smashing in that button?”
aisle or window: a very personal choice. rows 1 and 7 (bulkhead seats) and 4 and 20 (exit row seats) are the most popular.
all my favorite shows are coming back: season three of industry, seasons two of the vince staples show, the last of us, and shrinking.
hotel towels aren’t created equal: be honest, have you ever made a request to the front desk about towel quality or quantity?
the world's most influential novel in 2024: highlights include the retelling of huckleberry fin from the perspective of an enslaved runaway and a story about spy who infiltrates an environmental activist group.
tried-and-true methods for sorting digital photo collections: whether you're clearing photo bloat or starting a big archiving project.
restaurant etiquette refresher: show respect and no, an empty restaurant doesn’t mean you can sit wherever you want.
one more reason to travel to beautiful alberta, canada: the province is proud to have eliminated breeding populations of rats for over 70 years thanks to its storied rat control program.
final round summer sales: considering this heat, summer gear is definitely wearable for a few more months.
good shows
recommended shows in nyc (and beyond) to keep on your radar over the next few months. want to join or add to the list?
august
17/24/31: Summer Sounds @ MOMA
19-20: Mick Jenkins @ Blue Note Jazz Club
22: Poliça @ The Sultan Room
september
4: Pearl Jam @ MSG
7: Azymuth @ Brooklyn Bowl
7-8: L’imperatrice @ Terminal 5
9: Charly Bliss @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
10: Peter Cat Recording Co @ Irving Plaza
12: Rainbow Kitten Surprise @ Radio City Music Hall
13: Manchester Orchestra @ Brooklyn Paramount
13: DeVotchKa @ Le Poisson Rouge
14-19: Clairo @ Webster Hall
18: Kings of Leon @ Forest Hills
16-19: BADBADNOTGOOD @ Blue Note
20-21: Khruangbin @ Forest Hills
21: Peggy Gou @ Brooklyn Navy Yard
22: STRFKR @ The Rockaway Hotel
23-25: Common and Pete Rock @ Blue Note
24: Dabeull @ Brooklyn Steel
25: Mk.Gee @ Terminal 5
25: Ibibio Sound Machine @ Brooklyn Bowl
25: Maxwell @ Barclays Center
25-26: Royal Otis @ Brooklyn Steel
28: The Cactus Blossoms @ Mercury Lounge
30-oct 2: Remi Wolf @ Kings Theatre
30-nov 24: MCNEAL (new play staring Robert Downey Jr. in his Broadway debut @ Lincoln Center
october
2: Lava La Rue @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
2: Michael Kiwanuka with Brittany Howard and Yasmin Williams @ The Capitol Theatre (Port Chester)
3: Toro y Moi @ Knockdown Center
10: Kokoroko @ Warsaw
11: slenderbodies @ Irving Plaza
11: Nia Archives @ Brooklyn Steel
12: Kiefer @ Public Records
12: Black Coffee with James Blake @ Under The K Bridge Park
13: Marcus King @ Brooklyn Paramount
18: Vince Staples @ Terminal 5
19: Mildlife @ Brooklyn Bowl
27: PawPaw Road @ Xanadu
29: Arc De Soleil @ Le Poisson Rouge
✌️// 🙌 // 🌎