Halfway Across the Country, Family Adventures and Scenic Memories
My parents had been staying with my sister and brother-in-law in their home, helping keep each other safe during the very early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic. Unsure of what to do during such an unprecedented time, they opted to stay put as mandatory lockdowns and widespread travel restrictions were put in place. Here in Queens, NY, things were looking even worse as our hospitals were extremely overwhelmed, and millions of people losing their jobs. Much of the early pandemic (and perhaps what remains still too) is marked by confusion, fear, and a desperation to understand the virus that had taken over so much of our daily lives. However, mom and dad had only packed and prepared to be away from home for about a three-week stay, and after six months my dad was running out of insulin and it was time to return back home.
David Byrne and Tune-Yards @Forest Hills Stadium
As David Byrne pointed out early into his show at the Forest Hills Tennis Stadium in Queens, it had been 35 years since he had been on that very stage performing with Talking Heads in August of 1983.
Interpol @Madison Square Garden
I cant remember if this was my fourth or fifth time seeing Interpol live, I just know it won’t be my last. One of my favorite New York bands to watch perform, this time I would be seeing them play at Madison Square Garden. I used to go to many shows at MSG as a teenager including Neil Young and Wilco, Justice, The Strokes and Devendra Banhart. The concerts were (often) perfectly timed so that I could go and still make curfew.
Long Distance Family, A Lot of History with Dessert
Summer lingered for longer than usual this year, the October air thick with heat and streets filled with people looking for something to do. It was the week before Halloween and while the Ghostbuster’s theme song became harder to escape in stores selling costumes and candy, my cousin Laura was visiting New York for the first time.
8 Dias En Miami
It’s been years since my last visit to Florida, and even longer since l’ve been back to Miami. Trading New York City’s uncomfortable humidity for Florida’s initially seemed questionable, but New York’s weather has been proverbially “going through it” this August and Miami was surprisingly refreshing in comparison.
Bomba Estero’s Psychedelic Folklore
Since their first studio album in 2005, electro-cumbia band Bomba Estéreo have consistently released music representative of their culture and a strong desire to relate to a global audience.
Fiona Apple’s “Idler Wheel”
When Tidal was first released in 1996 the world was introduced to the "Sullen Girl," an eighteen-year-old Fiona Apple who would soon become a Grammy award winner with little patience for fame and expectations within pop culture.