Was That 50 Years Ago?

I was in New York for the Bicentennial, and the city was joyous and sharing. A friend sublet a loft on West Street, and I sat in the large window watching Operation Sail 1976 go by all day. There was a party going on somewhere behind me, but I got locked into those big boats.

The tall ships felt like something hard to hide, I wondered how I had never seen one that close but there they were, softly sailing down the Hudson. The West Side Highway was still up at that time, and we used to bike and use it as a downtown playground... I was familiar with the river, this was different.

That night we went to “the beach,” which was the landfill excavated to build the towers; it would later become Battery Park City. We had friends from England in town; we walked there, brought blankets, and watched the fireworks. We joked about our past history and how England lost, but look what they gained as tourists by visiting during the States’ birthday.

I went to the movies with a friend yesterday. He took this picture of me arriving late to the Opera Plaza Theatre. We saw Peter Asher: Everywhere Man, with a question and answer afterwards with the directors. It was about Peter from Peter and Gordon fame, the British Invasion, and Paul McCartney living in his home during the rise of the Beatles. It was about a lot… his rise as a record producer. His discoveries of great songwriters and musicians, James Taylor and Carole King.

He is sharp, in his 80s, and a weird, expensive, fashionable dresser. I got caught up in his clothes.

My interest stemmed from me asking my mom (begging) to go see the Beatles at Shea Stadium. An eight-hour drive from upstate New York seemed reasonable... I wonder now how you would even buy tickets? The director’s mom was sitting next to us and asked my friend how to turn her phone off during the movie. I wondered if they make it hard to turn your phone off on purpose... with a case on, pushing two side buttons is a challenge.

My mom said no to the Beatles at Shea Stadium, but she bought me Peter and Gordon tickets. This movie showed clips of the 1964 tour. I was 12. We stood on the fold-down theatre seats and squealed. I remember the challenge of standing on the seats, and Peter’s red hair. Here I am around that age, and the arrival pic from yesterday. One must laugh.

All during the film I felt vaguely grateful that I was still alive and gently yearning for the analog world.

Okie till next time…happy 4th and summer, Darc

Here is more, if you are so inclined… I shared a story with paid subscribers about the concert I almost went to... and I wish I had pictures, because it was more Hudson River exploring. And it seems silly that you have to be a paid subscriber to leave a comment, so please send me any comments (reply to this) and I will post them for you.