nyc freakquencies
bossa, paragon, market, the lot etc.
I trip and fall through LA and land in New York, into a nonstop sprint through the next week and a half.
There are no flights to LaGuardia, so I’m at JFK. I haul my suitcase up five flights of stairs, and Sarah makes me dumplings.
It’s Friday, we do our usual routine of bagels and coffee, before settling in to work a bit. We get dinner at Beco, drinks at Birdy’s with Dora, and get scooped out of the long line into Paragon by Juno.
I sleep in as much as I can the next day before meeting Juno at Lorimer. We get matcha, lunch, and hit a few record shops. They’re looking for techno, I’m looking for new wave. I freak out at the GU in SoHo (I didn’t know they had stores outside of Japan) before heading home in the rain.
I recharge for 30 minutes.
We go to a birthday party at Carousel, and then to Bossa to catch some of Isaac’s set. Oren joins us, we head to Market and meet Frank to see DJ Assault. The rest of the night is predictable: late-night text, late-night pizza, cappuccino with almond milk & a hot oat latte the next morning.
I sleep for most of Sunday, getting up briefly to go to Win Son bakery with Sarah, before crashing again.
Monday is hard, there’s a lot to catch up on from California. I get through it. We head to the movies to see The Drama, ending the night at Maracuya.
I get my computer work out of the way and head to Lorimer. Isaac meets me on the platform, and we head to the city. Cappuccino with almond milk and an oat matcha with cherry. We go to the Guggenheim. We look at shapes. We look at textures. We go to the park, look at the water, and talk about music. We catch the end of cherry blossom season before taking the train back to Brooklyn.
I meet Sarah and head straight back to the city. We get dinner at Nom Wah Tea Parlor, the oldest dim sum spot in NYC. The scallion pancake is amazing. We have a cursed night at Clandestino.
We get as much work done as we can the next day, and I try to rest as much as I can. Kylie arrives tomorrow, and I’m saving my energy.
After she gets in, we walk over to The Lot Radio, Jeffrey Sfire is playing, we both love the work he did with SOPHIE.
I do errands with Sarah: Japanese skincare at Senti Senti, and issue #48 of 032c, the winter 2025/26 edition featuring Deftones from McNally Jackson Books.
I go home, eat leftovers, and head out to meet Frank and his friends for a drink. They’re singers, and are about the head on tour with Lenny, and we geek on music nonstop. After a few drinks, we get a text invite to a party in the city, and jump in a cab.
The guest list situation is heinous; we’re on the list, but there’s a long line of rappers live-streaming, at least three different people claiming to be the DJ for the night, some guy offering to do a “free HQ video of the party” showing off his gear as “proof,” and a never-ending stream of negotiations with the bouncer. We manage to get through.
Maya arrives straight from painting class, art supplies in hand. I text her to walk in confidently; she’s on the list, and she skips the line, no problem. We don’t stay long; the party is, unsurprisingly, strange.
We head to The Magician, and then Johnson’s, sharing frozen drinks and taking Polaroids until we decide it’s time for bed.
It’s Friday, show time. Kylie and I straighten our hair; we’re matching blondes. She’s wearing wings on her head, I’m wearing a dress I got in Tokyo.
We head to soundcheck at Market. The staff are sweet, we realize we’re the only live act, and our set is pushed back so that we’re not starting right at doors. (Thank you, Baxter.) The set goes really well, friends are screaming in the crowd, the train passing behind us in a haze of neon lights.
We hit the bodega, I find my favourite horchata coffee, and we go to Frank’s place. We usher everyone onto the train and back to Greenpoint, where we skip the line at Gabriella’s. I lose track of Kylie and look over; she’s in Amanda Lepor’s booth. Frank, Jill, and I head next door to check out a friend’s set at a cowboy bar before getting pizza and going to bed.
I get breakfast at Kellogg’s before sleeping in till it’s time to go out again. I make sure I’m packed for my flight the next morning.
We meet Frank and his friends, send some links, and head up to Tommy Fleece’s rooftop party. We catch ideasforconversations’ set, we run into everyone from the night before. Matt takes a picture of Kylie and I, we watch the sunset.
Kylie & I by Matt Weinberger
Kylie joins her friends, and we take a cab to get Thai food closer to Freakquencies. Jason joins us, sends a text, and we skip a 5-block line (thank you Harrison).
I get a cute drink at the bar, Matt takes a picture of Jason and I, we say bye, and head to Paragon for Jason’s set. We miss Charli’s surprise appearance, but I make friends at the club regardless.
Maya joins me in the booth and we dance until I have to get on another plane, back home to Montreal.