It was 2008, I was living within walking distance of Prospect Park in Brooklyn. When I saw they'd organized a tribute concert to Bill Withers, I marked it on my calendar, and I made damn sure I was not going to miss it. For as long as I can remember, hell, for as long as I've been alive, Soul music has
My wife and I had the unique opportunity to attend the latest taping in St. Louis, Missouri of Live From Here, Minnesota Public Radio's program hosted by Nickel Creek and Punch Brothers front man and mandolinist Chris Thile. It is the show that ably replaced A Prairie Home Companion. https://youtu.be/IAA5Vop-v0w The highlight for me was the mash-up of the local hockey
Max Wastler's New Christmas, 2017 on Spotify and Apple Music.In some ways, it was no different than it had been in years past. It started the day after I shared last year's mix. I heard this haunting version of "Greensleeves," my favorite Christmas song, performed by Coleman Hawkins.And so I began "Christmas 2017," a playlist I kept private, adding songs
Dock Rockers on Spotify. An avowed, unabashed dad-rocker, of late I cannot unshackle myself from these A.M. Goldilocks: not too hot, not too cold, the tunes I want to listen to are caught somewhere in between last year’s Linen Shirts & Lemonade and 2015’s Friday Night Feels. Not for night swimming nor for backyard swinging, Dock Rockers encapsulates a summer vibe all its own. This is for those
In March, shortly after I learned that two of Patagonia's iconic designs, the original pile jacket and the Synchilla Snap-T, were to be incorporated into upcoming shows at the Tate Modern and MoMA, I reached out to company archivists Val Franco and Terri Laine to see about a visit. As Outside Magazine's Brad Rassler describes his visit in November of 2016: “A 10,000-square-foot facility not far from
This originally appeared in Five O'Clock, Harry's Magazine. Eau de Quête, the Green Goblin’s Ambrosia and Threshold Punch. As the calendar flips to February, my mind turns to two things: travel and romance. I’m not talking your run-of-the-mill Poconos weekend and candy hearts, mind you. I’m talking travel and romance rooted in the adventurer’s spirit, the kind of intrepid quest famously heralded
This originally appeared in Five O'Clock, Harry's Magazine The drinking man’s guide to circumspection, consolation and celebration with your significant other… Come January you may find yourself saying to your partner, “How did we ever make it through the holidays without each other?” As I prepare for another season with my girlfriend, we realize there are three scenarios we’ll likely face again
This originally appeared in Five O'Clock, Harry's Magazine The drinking man’s guide to hosting the holidays… Hosting a well-planned holiday party takes gumption. And setting the right tone with that first “welcome in” drink is everything. Here are three scenarios you’ll likely run into after inviting your nearest and dearest to bask in the season’s warmest greetings… An Oscar Peterson Christmas The Scenario: Polite Dinner
The drinking man’s guide to holiday parties and the gifts to leave behind… The main objective as a holiday party guest should be to arrive bearing as considerate a gift as possible. And it should come as no surprise that whenever I’m asked, “What should I bring to the party?” before a person can get out the tee in party, I invariably say: “Good
I woke up this morning to a text message from Michael B. Dougherty, author of the latest post at Esquire.com. The text simply read, "BOOM." It was followed by a link to his story. It's about my journey to making the first product to carry my name, The California Shirt. BOOM is right. It's fitting that the first story about a product made from