We are in the club, not online. That’s a mantra of Dimes Square, one of the hotbeds of culture in NYC right now. It suggests an ethos of not only being where it’s “happening,” but also not posting about it. The aesthetic is lo-fi and refreshing. The sound is punk rock and downtown. The people are definitely outside!
Social media used to be a way to amplify events. Then, events were created for social media. Now, we want to have it both ways: we want people talking about it online but somehow remaining present and not posting about the actual content.
Cake and eat it, too, anyone?
The evolution is coming. My hope for a new wave of great companies coming out of the downturn is real. I’m bullish on Apple’s Vision Pro and Meta Quest 2. These are very exciting new hardwares that will spark creativity, and both companies understand that the success of their platforms will rely on their ability to open source development and enlist the masses to build applications. The iPhone won because of the App Store and the early success of Facebook was the result of the social graph where every company, news platform, and friend could populate the newsfeed.
What we look like online next will be very interesting. I’m diving deep with Roblox although it’s a long lead process and expensive to develop on; I’m watching Fortnite’s partnerships and premieres; but I’m eagerly awaiting the Vision Pro drop. As myopic as it might look, the future of how we connect, promote, and market music could become much more mainstream.
It’s not the be-all, end-all, though. It never is!
I’m in NYC this week and it’s booming. Luckily, the power of a tiny, hyper-connected supercomputer in my pocket allows me to see it all without going to it all.
Drake is doing a week’s worth of sold out shows at Barclays and The Garden. I’ve seen Drake numerous times and can get the gist of the show with ease through social media and all of my friends and muses who attend.
The same goes for Post Malone, who did the first show at TSX’s new mega venue in Times Square this week. It looked awesome… from the comfort of my own, on-demand hand. Who wants to go Times Square when Dimes Square is so much less chaotic?
Some things are worth seeing, though.
I definitely plan to catch a viewing of Sonic Sphere at the Shed. I’m in awe of the retractable roof. What phenomenal design. And I definitely need to see how the HenNASsy bottle launch manifests tonight. I had the privilege of touring the Hennessy office in Paris last week and fell even deeper in love with the brand’s rich history and sustainable relevance in culture. This should be a special night with Nas.
I’m inspired by Jay-Z’s takeover of the Brooklyn Public Library, too. This free exhibit chronicles the artifacts of HOV’s career in an accessible, academic, public space.
For a good old fashion live experience, I’m looking forward to seeing Cassidy and Friends perform his hit web series, “Pass The Mic” at Radio City. I can’t wait to see Slick Rick and more of hip-hop’s royalty do their thing.
It’s the most New York thing in the world for New Yorkers who left New York to say New York is dead. But I’m not going to be one of those people because the truth of the matter is… it’s not. It’s alive and thriving.
No Fields Found.Also published on Medium.