i tried to do handstands for you

prior to moving to nyc, i lived in athens, georgia for four or so years. two of my dear friends who still live in athens (ethan and jason) are stellar producers/directors. they created their own version of the raw, uncut, one-shot music video (as seen in vincent moon's take-away shows), which they have dubbed athens soundies. they've managed to mingle with some pretty great musicians along the way (dr. dog, punch brothers, etc).

i got a phone call about a month ago from the guys, telling me they were about to film a soundie with chairlift on the front porch of my old house in athens. i was sad, of course, that i couldn't be there to see it, but i knew they were going to capture once again (in a 4 minute clip, no less) what i love most about that town: its ability to inspire visitors and dwellers alike. take a gander at chairlift singing "bruises" beneath my tin roof... i don't think i could dream up anything sweeter.

parks & recreation

my friends and i were all super eager to take advantage of the sunshine, so we made the trek up to central park yesterday. we packed some snacks, blankets and magazines and hopped a train to claim a tiny 6' x 8' plot of grass on the great lawn. while winding through the park to get to the great lawn, we spotted one eliot spitzer (former ny governor) on an afternoon jog. oh, eliot...

we finally found a spot that was relatively uninhabited, just below the baseball fields. as the afternoon wore on, though, we found ourselves engulfed in a sea of like-minded new yorkers. there were frisbees, footballs and kites a-plenty, but my favorite sight was the blanket of people a few feet away from us. by the time all their friends had shown up, the group looked like the cast of hair with their headbands, tinted shades and fringed vests. hilarious hipsters. i'd be willing to guess they hailed not from broadway but williamsburg or the east village.


when we were nice and sun-kissed, we packed up our gear and headed back downtown. on our way out of the park, we spotted spitzer again! this time, sitting on a park bench reading. i felt like i was inside one of those "reading is cool" posters on your english teacher's wall in middle school. spitzer sightings aside, it was a lovely afternoon. i can't wait for more lazy spring/summer days in the city. six weeks until "summer fridays!"

shortest man in sweden?

if there's one thing new york doesn't have a shortage of, it's fabulous music. i decided at the last minute to go to a show at bowery ballroom this past wednesday, and i'm pretty darn glad i did. this swedish musician named kristian matsson, who goes by the moniker the tallest man on earth, played a delightful catalogue of raw, gravel-y folk songs (think a slightly twangier bob dylan). he's a tiny bit quirky, but oh-so-charming (not to mention, a damn fine singer). i hadn't heard much of his music before the show, but i was pleasantly surprised how much i dug it (and how small he is, ironically enough).

he seems like such a gracious soul, too. his response to some potentially troublesome technical problems? a smile and a wink. when things were back up and running, he thanked the crowd in muted english for their patience and said we (the audience) were so very kind. i replied with. "tack så mycket" (thank you) -- the only swedish i know. he smiled, which i like to think means he was mildly impressed. at least that's what i'll keep telling myself...

brooklyn: the burrough that reads

one of my absolute favorite bookstores in brooklyn is spoonbill and sugar town in williamsburg. nestled on bedford ave. between north 4th and north 5th, spoonbill offers some of the most inspiring reads. they have a great collection of art books (bought a neat typography book for sweet kelley), and a stellar assortment of latin american authors (bought a roberto bolano box set for darling katharine). their magazine rack is stocked with some pretty rad publications, too. they also buy used books (by appointment, i think) if you feel inclined to recycle your much-loved novellas.


once you've snagged your new read (i'd recommend no one belongs here more than you), pop next door to verb cafe for a cup of coffee and a brownie. one of my favorite things to do on a sunday afternoon is to sit outside the cafe on a nice day and flip through a new paperback. [sigh] wish i was around this weekend to do just that...