Aviva Cohen

new york! this is life!

may 3 - may 4.

i took my new holga with me because i didn’t really feel like carrying around fancy cameras, so i have to wait till next week to get the film developed. took 3 rolls of 400. we’ll see if anything actually turns out.

it rained for 2 days straight, but it don’t matter. had martin tielli’s ‘rain, rain, rain’ stuck in my head. along with every ryan adams song that mentions a street in new york. i was totally at houston & 3rd.

sunday//

cab ride through queens, borough park kosher subway: this is real!, bus tour through cobble hill/prospect park/park slope, vegan wings at red bamboo in clinton hill: totes charming area with great brownstones with some walt whitman connections, beacon’s closet thrift store finds, bedford street in williamsburg: jewish hipster island mix of kensington/college/queen, east williamsburg: tons of jesus, 3rd ward street party with phil/lisa/mak/corrinne: moved indoors but afuche and Aa repped so hard, it was a good time and felt like a toronto show.

dark was the night @ radio city music hall:

radio city music hall inside is beautiful.

my faves dirty p’s up first performing Useful Chamber and Stillness Is The Move and 2 songs with david byrne including Knotty Pine. amazing performance, amber killed it dead on Stillness. cannot wait till everyone hears this album/song.

the national sound really great with a small male choir backup made up of members of bon iver’s band, new songs are incredible and may prompt me to see them here. live mp3’s here: http://www.nyctaper.com/?p=1098

many bands backed by small wood, brass, and string section which were solid. sometimes even out shining the performer if your name is my brightest diamond. i guess sufan was too busy.

somewhere in the first half david sitek perfromed. he looked and sounded like a crooner. didn’t recognize him at all.

david byrne led in by a samba squad dancing behind them, i could watch him dance all night. performed a cole porter cover! dueted with feist and i think bon iver. i am a fan.

by the sound of applause, phil, and some reviews iv read, bon iver might have stolen the show. he didn’t for me but he was still very good though it had a lot to do with his wonderful band, those were some sweet harmonies.

feist played acoustic covers of little wings, bob dylan, etc. i was really tired by this point and took a bit of a nap, no offense feist but iv seen you play a hundred thousand times. woke up though for her duet with bon iver performing the song she did with ben gibbard on the DWTN album, it was actually pretty nice.

sharon jones and the dap kings are show stealers and show offs at being awesome. they are an incredible band and she is a world class performer. mid set breakdown homeage of james brown dance moves solidifies she is the female james brown. she received a well deserved standing O, that tiny woman took over that entire theather.

the end of the show was pretty clever. everyone got together and played an acoustic camp fire homeage to pete seeger with This Land Is Your Land. then sharon jones came back and was all hold up, let me show you how it’s done by performing her version of that song which takes it to entirely new levels. video of performance. stone cold, sharon.

show was A+ and worth the trip.

phil and i passed out after some pizza in makeda’s hotel which she kindly let us crash in. it was one of the better sleeps iv had.

monday//

coney island: would love to go when it’s actually opened but still took photos and enjoyed the boardwalk - anyone who loves ryan adams as much as i do will understand why i had to take a photo of the wonder wheel, brooklyn heights: wayyyy nice area - walked along the promenade for an amazing view of NY and the bridge, DUMBO: right underneath the bridge - area reminded me of the distillery district, manhattan: SHAKE SHACK!!! veggie shroom burger is incredible and i sat in the middle of the park to enjoy my feast even though it was pouring which included the cutest little bird taking one of my fries - hale and hearty soups for some wonderful 10 veggie soup - ludlow street for some nostalgia - tried to find peanut butter and co but never did, sad city, but got a cupcake at a kosher bakery and after taking a few photos of B & H diner i grabbed a cab to the airport.

trip was mega fun and i tried to do as much in two days as i could. brooklyn is a rad place. wish i had gotten to eat at curly’s, next time. after my third trip to NY still so much i want to see and tons of places id like to hang out at.

the end.