My friends are the shiznit, Fairly often, I ask them to sacrifice precious hours of early morning sleep in order to drop me off at the airport. The trip to Boston was no different, except I forgot that I needed a ride and waited until the verylastminute to find one. Shout out to one of my oldest, most motivated, and funniest friends - Chris at Auto Styles - for saving the day and getting me to Lambert airport on time. After agreeing to meet in the same spot for a 9:45pm pickup two days later, I waved goodbye and set off on my 72-hour adventure.
It was my first time ever in Boston - I hadn't even connected through the airport before - and I couldn't have asked for a better guide than Boston born and raised Mike K., the founder of MCA Day, and an all-around amazing person. Not only was I privy to a personal audio tour of every nook and cranny of the city visited, I had the good fortune to spend a significant amount of time in Mike's Vinyl Parlour. There are more vinyl and posters and fliers and artwork than one can fathom, and many of them are signed by legends. From Donny Hathaway to DJ Hurricane, to the Beatles and the Beastie Boys to Run DMC and the Cold War Kids and up, down, around, and back again through all genres - the Vinyl Parlour is where it's at.
Although Boston is a historical mecca of the States, and I love history, the primary focus of the trip was DJ Hurricane's show and book signing - and those responsibilities came first before sightseeing. Although Mike and I were dashing around the city hauling posters and books, buying Sharpies and fixing last minute issues, we made sure to meet our East coast quota of Dunkin' Donuts, Southie pubs, and historical must-see's, including a photo at the State House and my feet on part of Paul Revere's Freedom Trail.
The book signing and show at The Good Life were something else. I've always respected DJ Hurricane for his musical ability, creativity, and pioneering spirit. After devouring his book, I now admire his positive perspective, sense of determination, benevolent spirit, and desire to evolve. No matter how many times it happens, I'm always amazed when I realize there are zero degrees of separation between me and some of my favorite humans - musicians, writers, artists - CREATIVES.
I bought three more of his books as inspiration and motivation for some of my creative friends doing cool things. I encourage others to consider doing the same when planning holiday shopping - "MY DREAMS CAME TRUE: AND YOURS CAN TOO" is a gift that not only gets us away from screens and involves brain exercise through reading, but also serves as a tool to help expand possibilities we consider for our lives. You can buy it on Amazon here. Proceeds support the Jam Master Jay Foundation for Music.
After making it through the line outside, fans of all ages filled the underground dance floor, from all walks of life, in a rainbow of colors, and clad in attire ranging from pressed button-downs and three-piece suits, to leopard-print dresses (holla!), and Adidas trackpants. DJ Hurricane's unique mix of old school classics and energetic dance-inspiring jams kept people moving all night. The smacking bass felt great. Hurricane put on a surprise live performance of "Elbow Room," which got everybody amped. Believe me when I say that's when it got sweaty.
In addition to hip hop legend DJ Hurricane, also in the mix was MCA Day alum Nicole, aka Mah Dukes, who hopped on a plane in LA at 5am that morning to make it to the show. Nicole is one of the most genuinely kind and wickedly cool people floating this Earth (I refuse to believe her feet actually touch the ground). A few more interesting facts about Nicole: 1. Some of her favorite musician's autographs are tattooed on her; 2. She is an incredibly caring and influential teachers; 3. I'm one-hundred percent sure our paths crossing was meant to continually inspire me to be a better person.
A few Delta Bravo Urban Exploration soldiers showed up, with my friend Bill X capturing a cool photo of me. Earlier that day he smashed a local Harvard shot from The Social Network. Check it out here and get involved yourself! Delta Bravo is uber cool.
Before heading to the airport, Mike and I took this selfie at a park that boasted an adult swingset. Sadly, they were packing it up for winter storage when we arrived. That just gives me more incentive to return to Boston!