crackerCAM-nicole atkins and the sea, mercury lounge

crackerCAM was on location at mercury lounge last night to catch nicole atkins and the sea. nicole atkins, the talented singer-songwriter who headlined our first friction show, was performing songs from her latest EP, bleeding diamonds. the crowds enthusiasm and anticipation over her performance heightened as nicole atkins took the stage. this of course was unsurprising to those familiar with her singing, which secured her status among the top 10 artists to watch in rolling stone. her delicate voice and melancholy lyrics were nicely framed within the ethereal chords in bleeding diamonds. equally mesmerizing was her haunting croon and pensive lyrics in neptune city, a personal favorite. i’m glad the evening’s drizzle didn’t stave off the masses because nicole atkins’ talent is certainly one to be enjoyed by all.

neptune city (in a different city version) (via indoor fireworks)

pic of the week – rubix cube in the sky

unless you’ve been under a rock since the turn of the millenium, you’ve noticed that nyc’s landscape is in the midst of an architectural makeover. not only are lux condo’s springing up in the polished and skyscraper saturated areas of midtown, but they’ve also invaded the hipster enclaves of the lower east side, williamsburg, and long island city.

while waiting for a table at brunch on clinton st, i took this picture highlighting the strange juxtaposition of new and old lower east side buildings. the 16-story “blue” looks less like a high-end dwelling than the offspring of a smurf and rubix cube from of tron. at this rapid pace of development, what’s a hipster to do… move to philly? wait, that’s a touchy subject.

pic of the week – where’d you get those?

in a city rife with obvious social and economical contrasts, it’s not surprising to see polished jimmy choos next to shredded chuck taylors on the morning F train. who cares? however, much like stumbling upon frogger at a local laundromat, you’ll occasionally spot a pair of shoes that evokes blissful nostalgia. i’m talking about old school kicks.

remember those silly rubber halfdomes pertruding from the tongue that magically allowed you to dunk on your 7 ft jerryrigged bball hoop? yeah, well so do countless sneaker fanatics who scour eBay religiously for these rare urban accessories. check out my buddy’s sick collection of 120+ vintage sneakers and this ill pair of air filipinos.

so which ones did you rock back in the day?

crackerCAM-new zealand and tahiti

crackerCAM was on location in new zealand and french polynesia in early december. this cracker spent almost three weeks touring middle earth where i hiked along snow capped peaks, feasted on pb&j lunches, and nearly drowned in a river. won’t lie, it was a great time. the icing was a four day stopover in tahiti where i was fed grapes by a polynesian swimsuit model. ok, now replace “grapes” with “saltines” and “polynesian swimsuit model” with “unshaven bboy”. a truly once in a lifetime experience.

check out the rest of my pics here.

crackerCAM | williamsburg street art

while crackerCAM is on location in the land of hobbits (we’re all jealous), i thought i would fill in for him. this past sunday, i took advantage of the nice weather to stroll around williamsburg and capture all the amazing street art, including a couple of recent bansky pieces. started out with brunch at bonita with some excellent huevos rancheros. then headed north snapping shots along the way, but not before stopping at academy records and my favorite skate shop in nyc, kcdc. they just moved into a new space and the mini-ramp is looking sweet as ever. kudos to amy and her crew! more pics after the jump…

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crackerCAM-high line, ny

crackerCAM was on location at the high line, an elevated railroad that spans the west side from 34th to gansevoort. the high line once directly serviced many nyc factories during the mid-20th century until interstate trucking became all the rage and outpaced rail transport. carpeted by weeds and threatened with demolition, the high line will soon be reborn as a public space that blends its raw infrastructure with bold architectural elements.

as part of the railroad’s preservation, the friend’s of the highline and parks department enlisted volunteers to assess the plant population and collect seeds so that the various species may be reintroduced to the restored space or to other parks city-wide. so crackerCAM joined the ranks, set aside the canon slr, and exercised his long-neglected green thumb… but not before sneaking in a few shots.

crackerCAM-open house new york

crackerCAM was on location at various open house ny (ohny) sites this past weekend. once each year, ohny reaches out to historical landmark agencies, design firms, and private residences to host an event showcasing the city’s rich architectural landscape.

unlike previous years, i did not stock my bag with granola bars and plot my route in GIS to maximize site visits. instead, i enjoyed a 1-hr private tour of a late 18th-century dutch farm house in prospect park, took in some rays at the top of the grand army plaza arch, and got my fill of water supply history at the water tower in washington heights. its events like this, and friction shows, that remind me how amazing our city really is.