They're saying five to seven inches in the city.
Some people actually like this crap. Managing editor Elizabeth Donovan, for instance, is all about it. She'll come into my office on an unusually warm winter day with a frown on her face and say, "I wish it would snow."
"You wish it would snow?! Are you frigging out of your mind, woman?" That's what I say to her. My mom is another one. She actually called me up today to tell me it was snowing, like I couldn't tell. I slogged through the gray and sloppy mess on my way to the train station and listened to her syrupy message: "Hi Stevie. I just wanted to call to tell you it's snowing. And it's beautiful! Have a great day."
Blech. I just don't get it. Sure, it looks pretty for about five seconds, but then we're left with days of slippery sidewalks and slushy streets and mountains of exhaust- and piss-stained ice. What's there to like about that?
We were supposed to enjoy our first Annual New York City Analog Drunkards Convention. Due to the foul weather, however, we have decided to postpone. Stereophile forum member, "selfdivider," wrote:
In the future, I imagine this drunken analog waltz growing into something weird and wonderful like 1998's Mermaid Parade, where naked women rode upon elaborate parade floats and tossed cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon into the hands of young children. But, for now, no such luck—thanks to the pretty snow.
Afterwards, I would have gone to SOB's for Sammy Ayala's 75th Birthday Party. Ayala was an original member of Rafael Cortijo's band, a Puerto Rican folk group which had great influence over New York City salsa and continues to inspire musicians and music lovers today. Yomo Toro would be performing with Ayala. On cuatro, a guitar-like instrument with ten strings arrayed in five courses, Toro's riffs are lightning-fast, melodic, and simply stunning. I've been looking forward to the show for months. I would take my Sixpoint buzz down to Varick and Houston and dance the snowy night away.
Cancelled. Ayala is a grandfather, after all, and we wouldn't want him slipping in the pretty snow.
Sigh.
Yeah, I hate it.
It is pretty, though. For a little while.
Instead of all this fun, I will enjoy the next best thing. I will listen to music. On the hi-fi.
This idea of mine was actually spawned by Jeff Wong, so if it ever develops into a monstrous annual convention, I would like to nominate Jeff Wong as the honorary parade master.The plan was to meet at Union Square, near Henry Kirke Brown's equestrian George Washington statue, at 3:30 this afternoon. We would hit Sound By Singer and In Living Stereo—the only dealers on our shortlist who'd have an analog setup available for us—before heading to First Avenue's DBA for some hand-drawn cast-conditioned ales. Yum. Today's menu includes Sixpoint's Brownstone and Bengali Tiger. Double yum.Anyways, Jeff kindly suggested checking out some analog gear together, to show me the ropes, and I thought it might be fun for some of us NYC-ers to get together, see & talk some analog gear, and go get drunk afterwards at a happy hour somewhere. All too readily, Stephen Mejias expressed his interest in this get-together, primarily fueled, no doubt, by his drinking problem. And I'll be there for sure, as well.
