Caring means sharing
So I went, or rather attempted to go to two shows this weekend; both in Prospect Park.
The first, Friday July 9th featured the West Coast fusion rock group Ozomatli. I arrived at the show just as the band was coming onto the stage. The crowd was enthusiastic but friendly.
I’d like to anonymously thank the group of girls standing in the aisle to my left for selflessly sharing their “cigarettes” with me. I was not familiar enough with the band (nor sober enough) to give a coherent review but hey, summer’s about having fun. Plus, as the editor of Wandering NYC, I could never bring myself to fire me!
Contributor to Wandering NYC Catherine “no middle name” Rodriguez has generously compiled a play list from the concert which I’ve posted below:
“I don’t know the order and I couldn’t tell you what was first or last other than that they finished their concert like the do every single time – chanting OZOMATLI, YA SE FUE, YA SE FUE as they come down into the crowd with their instruments.
1. Chango
2. Can’t stop
3. Malagasy shock
4.Nadas por free
5.Elysian persuasion
6.Ya viene el sol
7.Cumbia de los muertos
8.Believe
9.Here we go
10.45
11.Afterparty
12.Saturday Night
13.La Gallina
14.City of angels
15.La Temperatura
16.Dos Cosas Ciertas
17.La Misma Cancion”
the Roots: So underground they can't be seen
The Roots and Talib Kweli show on Sunday the 11th, an after party for the last game of the first African World Cup was a very popular event. So popular that by the time I arrived people were no longer being allowed in. Compared to Friday, the neighborhood was utterly mobbed with people trying to see the crowd favorites.
I was with my friend Watson waiting to meet a third concertgoer; an old friend of mine Cee, coming off the F train. I stopped in Dizzy’s on 8th Ave to get a couple of cold drinks to go. At some point, the hostess directed the line to go along the counter instead of out of the door where it was headed. I waited patiently for a few minutes and just as it was my turn to go a young, thin woman with hairy arms following the “old line formation” cut in front of me. Now, she knew full well that there was a line, she could see me behind the guy who had just gone. I was already sweaty and irritated, I had the anxiety that comes with having to meet someone in a crowded place. I decided to just let it go. After the fur-armed line bandit received her order and left, it was finally my turn. I asked for a large iced green tea and a large cup of iced water to go. The man at the cash register gave me my answer. “Oh, we’re out of ice. We have to send someone down to the basement to get more; it’ll be a few minutes.” WTF! Watson who was waiting outside, entered Dizzy’s and listened to me tell my side of the story.
Watson and I met up with my friend and we all learned that show would be a no-go. Cee had received a text from a group of her people inside saying that attendees were no longer being allowed in the park; they were turned back due to overcrowding. We decided to head back to Watson’s nearby roof deck which was right across the street from the concert albeit on the wrong side of the roof. I’d like to say that were able to get great eagle-eye view seats to the concert but no, we couldn’t even hear much except for the tremendous roar of the crowd as the Roots and Talib Kweli took the stage.
Wandering NYC 