NYC Here Greg Goes

Well it's off to New York tomorrow morning for the Audio Engineering Society conference. By now I've been to a handful of these style of conventions, and this is my second AES. These soirees are bizarre little parties. Most in my industry are high level nerds with a passion for showing off and bragging. Add an infinite amount of booze and you have a very interesting mix of humans.


We just got word in today that on Friday Jayson and I will be partying at the legendary Avatar Studios for their 30th anniversary. With Bon Jovi. Cool. Last year we got to party with Steve Miller, the dude from T-Rex, and Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top in San Francisco. My goal this year is I'd like to at least meet Les Paul and at best take the man out to dinner. So I'm packing my best pocket protectors and massaging my liver, the party starts at 9:30am!


Ignoring all the cool recording studio parties, famous faces, kick ass hotel room in Times Square (I'm staying at The Crowne Plaza Times Square http://www.manhattan.crowneplaza.com/ Check it out!) I'm really looking forward to hanging out in New York. I spent 22 years in Philadelphia and for some bizarre reason never bothered to make the trip. Last time my department made the trip they got to witness pot delivery services complete with business cards and menus, but minus me. I don't know what to expect but I can assume late nights, lack of sleep, tons of liquid debauchery, and some good ole fashion East Coast livin'!


We've been invited to some cool studio parties, another one that I'm stoked about is Electric Lady Studios in The Village. Electric Lady is literally the studio that Jimi Hendrix built after receiving his recording bill the year before he passed away. He built the studio to avoid racking up more expensive bills, and died a few months after building completion. BBQ at World Wide Audio, Quad, Legacy, and a fistful of other legendary NYC studios.


Last year we did San Francisco which was way way cool, and the big comparison I'm interested in making between the two recording hubs is the crackheads. SF had some of the most amazing, captivating, and best dancing drug addicts I have ever seen. One of them approached my team and sang us the Roto-Rooter theme song before declaring to us and the cafe we were at and the world we live in that he had in fact just shit himself. Can you top that New York? I've already been instructed by several studio managers on the phone today to make sure that I keep my wallet in the front pocket of my pants, which was a quick blatant reminder that many studios are located in the hood, could my first mugging also be during this coming week of recklessness? Well go company dime go, I heart company credit cards. Me getting mugged would be the likeness of raping the elderly, it's still rape but it'd be pretty fruitless. Depending on what you're into I suppose. See you in New Jersey, Newark here I come!