I’m turning 35 next weekend and I want to share this moment with you.

Saturday 2/6, 4PM-9PM
@ GatherTown (event location)

📝 Marble notebook sign-up sheet 📝

I'm reflecting on the arc of the last 20 years; from my first hardcore matinee shows at ABC No Rio in a pre-9/11 Lower Manhattan up to working as the CEO of a software company that helps support small businesses and community-based organizations thrive in the hyper-capitalist wasteland that is pandemic-era 2020. With a lot in between.

At the starting point of this arc, I used to host an event series in my parents basement where the only rule was, “No spectators.” Even if you weren’t an “artist,” you had to get up and share something. Last year, as I embarked on 34, I organized a callback to that ethos; I invited a handful of my friends to join me in my loft to share anything they had been working on, or had heard/learned recently. I found the response to this invitation quite moving, and I treasure that this party happened when it did: in the final moments before we all stopped hanging out together and going to shows.

This year, as we continue to social distance and help stop the spread, I’d like to try this experiment again, in the safe and accessible virtual world.

Please consider joining me at the entertainingly confusing video-calling platform, Gather Town, and take 5 minutes to share something interesting to you. This does not need to have anything to do with us, or our friendship - especially if we haven’t seen each other in awhile. What I’m primarily interested in, is the world you currently occupy - it could be a song or an artwork (if you make or indulge in such things), or it can just be an idea that captivates you.

Going for as close to basement vibes as possible, here’s a marble notebook sign-up sheet that Simone designed for me.

GatherTown is designed for groups of people to hang out as a party but also it’s a world to explore on your own and wander about, so this should be more engaging that some Zoom chat. It's our virtual office at Withfriends.

I do not recommend joining on mobile, you will be even more confused.

The line-up is
4p: Doors
4:30: Round 1 Presentations (12 x 5 minutes)
5:30: DJ Break
6-7p: Round 2 Presentations (12 x 5 minutes)
7-8p: DJ (and Dinner Break)
8-9p: Round 3 Presentations (12 x 5 minutes)

Between presentations, I’m looking to DJ music off my Bandcamp. If you’d like to assist, please consider buying something for me off my Bandcamp wishlist (or something else on Bandcamp you like). This is nice for me, but also supports independent musicians, who need the support.

If you’d like to share something, but you’re not available for any of the open slots, there’s space to leave your name at the bottom, which a note about the item you’d like to share, when you’re available (including another day) and space for a video link, if you’re so ambitious.

If you’d like to get me a gift, consider a subscription or membership on Withfriends! Like with Bandcamp, not only is this nice for me, but it also helps support artists, organizers, and independent business owners affected by the pandemic.