Dear Reader
I’ve been struggling to express how much I miss New York right now. The New York I moved here for — the New York that’s filled with people, with energy, with a hum of life on the go. I miss the serendipity of walking out on the street and bumping into someone I hadn’t seen in a while. I miss listening to podcast on the subway and having it be interrupted by, “It’s SHOWTIME!” I miss the feeling of being late to go somewhere but having to stop, just briefly, to take a quick pic of a new mural. I miss the small mom & pop shops that were still hanging on, keeping the character of the city intact.
This column by the NY Times’ Roger Cohen really captures though, what I miss, the things I am — we, New Yorkers are — willing to forgive, if New York would only come back.
I know I did not thank you enough for those clear winter mornings, for that dive I love on West 26th, for your tolerance, for your open arms, for the sun glinting on the Empire State Building, for your ampleness, for New York Noodletown, for your secrets slowly revealed, for your endlessness, for your boldness, for your churn, for the Met Cloisters, for your humanity, for your wit, for Coney Island, for the water towers, for the Staten Island Ferry being free, for banking over the city into LaGuardia or J.F.K. and seeing you and thinking this is home, for taking me in as no other city ever could.
I’m not sure what it’s like in other parts of the world, but I know the impact of this has affected the fabric of cities all over the globe, and its going to be up to each one’s inhabitants to help stitch it back together, somehow.
Here are some of the entertainment options I’ve gathered for you today:
1. It’s Cinco de Mayo here in the US, the celebration of Mexican resistance and culture. California-based band Ozomatli will be playing a livestream fundraiser for musicians, 5pm PST/8pm EST. Known for their upbeat energy, Ozomatli adds this event to their Worldwide Quarantine Block Party, presented in conjunction with the non-profit House of Blues Music Forward Foundation.
2. In keeping with the theme, feminist icon and legendary labor leader, Dolores Huerta, hosts Reclaiming Cinco de Mayo with Dolores Huerta, an online event in which she will look at the importance of reclaiming the holiday. For more details, head over here.
3. Diplo and Dillon Francis (whose You Do You is a great wear-a-mask theme song) will also be playing a DJ set for the occasion.
4. If you’re an Il Divo fan (and sometimes you just need classical crossover vocals in your life) you can join them on Facebook for another special live streamed event and Q&A!
5. Tori Amos’ book, Resistance: A Songwriter's Story of Hope, Change, and Courage releases today, and the singer will be doing a live “book-signing” event at 9am PST/12pm EST. You can submit a question ahead of time as well, if you like!
Thank you for reading - as ever, your comments and suggestions are most welcome!
Also, feel free to share this with anyone you think might like it. Also, shout-out to St Vincent for her 2017 New York track. It’s taken on quite a different poignancy now.
I’ll leave you with the audio version of the column I mentioned from above, in case you missed it on The Daily the other day. Click on the image to play it.
Stay safe, stay sane
Your neigbour
Nadia
Thanks for my daily dose of culture