Campfire Corner
A mixtape for forever happy trails.
I’m Married Now
Well, not as I’m writing this… but certainly by the time you’re reading this. In fact, my ass is in Dublin right now (then off to Galway and London) on a bit of a honeymoon. Y’all have any recs?
Kristin and I worked hard as hell on every little detail of the wedding. Can’t wait to get some pics back so we can share, but if you want a little peek behind the curtain, see the program I made below. I taught myself how to use Affinity Designer and spent well over 100 hours making every minute detail of this theme park-esque map (inspired by 1960s Disneyland). I’m beyond thrilled with how it came out.
I also poured so much time into the wedding website, and it is full of silly jokes. I think it’s very fun.
Kristin was a dream throughout the entire planning process. She is an organized production wiz, and none of this would have happened without her (yeah no shit, Brady, whom would you have married?).
Like I said, this wedding is the single largest creative undertaking I’ve ever put out into the world, and I’m going to take November and December to recharge. Looking forward to my little hiatus. A reminder that the entire archive of mixtapes is still online, and there are many great ones worth revisiting. Feel free to browse by genre here.
What y’all wanna see in the new year?
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Campfire Corner
Created for forever happy trails.
*****
I was speaking with a coworker recently about our favorite bars and he asked me what I valued most: quality of dining, service, or atmosphere. I’m firmly in the atmosphere camp. I’d rather drink a High Life and well bourbon in an expertly curated environment than the finest cocktail in all of New York in the most sterile room in the world. Of paramount importance in that atmosphere, to me, is soundtrack.
I’ve got a soft spot for singing cowboys. If you have followed this project for a while or know me at all, I don’t think that’s much of a secret. I’m not talking about country singers in general (although, yes, also not a secret that I love them). I’m speaking about the specific singing cowboy archetype of 1930s/40s Hollywood. I’m talking about Gene & Roy & Patsy in rhinestone suits and big fancy hats and guitars and campfires and maybe a little Español.
For the wedding’s pre-ceremony cocktail hour, I wanted to assemble a collection of songs in this vein to give it an Old Hollywood (by way of Rio Grande) flair. My wardrobe was inspired by this era. The decor was inspired by this era. So too must the music.
I find these songs romantic, largely because they romanticize the American West, even if this version of the West was a pure fantasy. I love the fantasy. I hope you’ll get lost in the spirit, grab your darlin’ and hit the dance floor for a little swing, then grab a seat by the campfire for our bedazzled heroes’ stories and songs.
Happy trails!
*****
Love you all. Hope you enjoy!
Join Me: Listen to Tim Platt’s Teeth Like Beak
Tim Platt is one of the funniest, most talented people I’ve ever met in my life. His comedy taps into such a specific lane that I can confidently say that you’ll never find anything else out there like it. His songs are simple and sweet in a way that reminds me of some of my favorite folk singers. I’ve been listening to his record nonstop since it came out, and I can’t wait to buy it (via Bandcamp Friday?!?!?).
RIYL: animals, songs, jokes, animal songs with jokes
Check out my favorite song from the record, “Halloween.” (this was hard to pick. every song is so good.)
Some Other Things I Love
(that you might love too!)
October Baseball - It is the best and most treacherous time of the year for a baseball fan. Baseball gets a lot of grief for being long and boring, but I encourage anyone who feels that way to tune into October baseball. It is a different game. Every moment matters. It is unreal. The games that have happened already have been eventful and dramatic and just spectacular (those Mets are something, man). I am going to try not waking up at 3am Ireland time to watch the Guardians play but a deep part of my soul will want to.
Kissa Kissa - This bar opened in my neighborhood somewhat recently. It’s a jazz vinyl record bar with a strong focus on unique cocktails. I… love it? No duh? Talk about a place with atmosphere (and quality of dining and service to boot!). Let me know if you want to drop in and grab a drink sometime soon. I’m almost always down.
Criterion Collection - This is not a unique recommendation for this issue of the newsletter. I think I’ve recommended it in one way or another at least three times now. I just think they do such an excellent job curating movies every month. I’d happily cancel every streaming service save this one. Really loved the New Hollywood collection and very excited to catch up on Winona Ryder films this October.
Ghia - I’ve really been enjoying these non-alcoholic aperitifs lately. It’s lovely ending your night with a drink but you don’t always want that drink to leave you dehydrated, drunk, or otherwise affected at all. Still, I love a bitter, fizzy boy. Strong recommend.
MAZEL TOV 🥳