I just got back. I've been in New York, working. I got two nights off, the only time off for the whole trip. I knew I had to spend it wisely. It was then I realised how lucky I am to have such an extended family of friends over the world; friends that have been gained through my projects and by keeping in touch with people who pass through my city. I'd been told about a gig happening in New York, co-incidently on one of my nights off...
7:30 Dibs, 8:00 Dan Fishback, 8:30 Susie Asado, 9:30 Andrew Phillip Tipton, 10:00 Nan Turner, 10:30 Horror Me, 11:00 Kat Burns, 11:30 Toby Goodshank, 12:00 Sibsi
I got to the Sidewalk Cafe and it felt like falling into the arms of the best hug ever. Nan had told me of the show, and it was *so* good to see her, both personally, and to see her solo set - now complete with rapping!! And oh, Dan... we have shared friends, and immediately after his set I knew I wanted to be his best friend, I fell head over heels. And Lisa came down to the show to say hi, and I met Yoko for the first time, years after interviewing her. And I bumped into folks that I've worked on shows with in the UK like Toby, Phoebe, and Matt. And it felt so wonderful to be alone in a strange city and wandering out into the night to this venue full of friends and love and community.
And not just for how they personally welcomed me that night, coming forward with hugs and smiles, but also the knowledge of how crazily talented they are. The awareness of this crazy-talented set of people interacting and performing and creating this music and art in such a supportive environment, in this creative community. It just felt so electric that these people who found each other in the wilds of new york and have come to work together as such a dynamic community - supporting each other, putting on shows and events, listening and collaborating. From an outsiders perspective I felt a pang of jealousy and knowledge that I don't really have that friendship community available to me 24/7. Yet so happy to be there, and feeling included and participating to the buzz of something important.
The sense of community I felt was different yet totally the same to that that I felt in San Francisco only a few short weeks before; that feeling of acceptance and love and shared worlds, and excitement and creativity, and small degrees of separation and the knowledge of how small the world can be, the sense of potential, the warmth, the wanting to forge a better sense of community in my day-to-day not just on these off-chances.
I know the greatest people. I need to stop forgetting that, cuz these connections and friends I have are just so ridiculously positive and inspiring.
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