Cody & the Big Apple (blog 2)
To say that I’ve hit the ground running in New York is the understatement of the century, but I haven’t been running in years (I don’t apologize for terrible jokes like that). From concerts to work to exploring the city, every day I’ve been here has had at least one major event, show or goal that I’ve needed to accomplish. Getting a view into the opposite spectrum of college radio, from a label or promotion company’s point of view, has been one of the biggest eye-openers. For those who are unfamiliar with how companies like the one I’m interning at work, promotion companies essentially work with labels or bands to send their music to college stations across North America, who then contact those college stations and ask them to spin that artist and put them on their charts. RSU Radio goes through CMJ, which is pretty much the Billboard 200 charts of independent and alternative artists in college radio. In order to spare you details that may bore you, I’ll say that it’s time consuming and fun, especially when you’re working with great people.
Since there have been so many days I’ve been busy, I can briefly touch on some of the highlights to spare you a wall of text (call me Ishmael): The past few weeks have been incredibly concert-heavy, and a few bands I’ve wanted to see since I was young have fortunately been in town (I think NYC has a couple of places to go to concerts, and only a few coffee shops). For post-rock fans, Scotland’s own Mogwai at Webster Hall was one of the most stellar shows I’ve ever been to, and being a massive geek for these guys since I was a teenager led to one of the coolest nights I’ve had up here. Other shows that I went to that were fantastic (bands you should check out) were the Olivia Tremor Control, Laura Stevenson and the Cans, and Metric.
On the more cultural side, a friend and coworker invited me to the Hare Krishna parade and festival in Manhattan. To put it briefly: I’ve never felt more out of place and at home at the same time. A lot of people, a lot of activity and a lot of fun (the food was also incredible). If you aren’t familiar with the context of the festival, read up online, as it’s really interesting for those who enjoy reading theological and philosophical material.Getting into literature (specifically, alternative literature), I had the chance to visit a poetry reading at the Stadium Gallery featuring internet madman and dubstep/Justin Bieber enthusiast Steve Roggenbuck. For those unfamiliar with his work (or alt-lit in general), I implore you to look him and his fellow writers up. His unrivaled online presence, as well as his chaotic and nonsensical videos and surprisingly insightful and touching poetry (which unapologetically destroys grammar and spelling rules) makes the art form fun and exciting even for those who find poetry boring. This evening had some top-quality talent and passion that made for a pretty fantastic way to spend a Friday night.
As my laptop battery slowly draws to 5%, and my power chord nowhere to be found, I end this brief update on my journey through New York City. It’s cold, raining heavily, and a perfect time to walk 10 minutes and back to get a slice of pizza, because I think that’s how my ancestors did it. Stay tuned for more updates, concert recaps and awkward subway stories right here at RSURadio.com, courtesy of the former music director and Grammy award winning reggae artist. -Cody
