new york, new york.
i think the thing i love most about new york is how fast everything happens, and how late everything happens. it’s a city that won’t take your shit and it’ll have you falling head over heels in love with it, even when you’re just sat staring out of a window, or even when your feet are bleeding because of the amount of god damn walking you have to do. i feel homesick, and i can’t stand the thought of staying here in my shitty little town for more than three days because it just doesn’t and won’t compare to the city.
obviously, we did the touristy things, like times square and the empire state and broadway and (attempted) central park (though it was just too cold) – but it was the east village that stole me away. williamsburg was incredible, too, but i found a home in the east village and i’ve never felt this way about a place before. we also scored tickets to the celebrity beach bowl (hi chace crawford) and saw parachute and walk off the earth live. that was pretty awesome.
the main reason i flew out was for this ridiculous dumb band called drowners. i’ve been listening to them since the week before they release their ep, before they’d even had a facebook page and before they’d secured their final lineup. i’ve watched from across the other side of the pond as they play in tiny venues, to open for bands like the vaccines and foals and arctic monkeys and then to circuit their way through all of the major festivals – and then they announced a release show, and it only felt right that i go, because it wasn’t going to be something that would happen again. seeing them headline a SOLD OUT bowery ballroom (jack later told me they’d crept 651 people in) was magical. i made some amazing friends that night, and i’m not going to forget it.
i got to say hi to them afterwards (or, more like they got to say hi to me. “are you abbi?” “are you the girl that flew from england?”) and it was pretty lovely having the chance to talk to them after only having brief internet encounters. matt was humble and nervous and didn’t understand what was happening, and neither did i. i’m also pretty sure there was a cheeky flirt considering he asked me to meet him at the bar after the uk shows and told me his favourite drink (not so subtly). jack was charming and ridiculous, lakis was the most wonderful and a little erratic, but absolutely wonderful. i spoke to eric the most. about his work and his favourite bands and new york and i found him so wonderful. i think what’s great is that my favourite band are now my friends.
i cried when it was time to leave. i’ve never felt more at home in a city i only know a handful of people in. i have plans to go back next year, and i’ll get to see the boys in a couple weeks, but it’s not good enough. i feel like england does not and will not ever compare.
rachel, thank you for providing me with hours of inside and ridiculous jokes (I DON’T LIKE COMEDY, I DON’T LIKE GHOSTS. the 6/e trains. “you’re welcome”. your strange yet wonderful love for coffee and peanut butter. my $3 water. 2 cheeseburgers. spaghetti hoops on toast. the williamsburg guy. being hit on every single god damn minute of every single god damn day. those stairs. music in the showers. “milk or sugar?”). it wouldn’t have been the same without you. i’m glad we got to do this together.
i’m sad and overwhelmed and happy all at once.
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