We had an absolutely PERFECT spring day on Saturday, May 4, 2013.
Hopefully through a combination of my words and images, I can give you all a little taste of the feeling of pure energy and joy that this event gave to me. Because my heart is literally bursting with pride. And joy.
That being said, here we go.
The Brand New Adam Yauch Park
It’s incredible what music can do for humanity. It has the unique and unwavering ability to uplift and enlighten and create a strong bond between total strangers, uniting people from totally different parts of the world who may have never have met or become friends otherwise. The more I travel, the more that I see that it’s consistently true, and it amazes me every time I see it. The power of the bond that music creates can span generations and continents, and it’s something that I adore documenting. The next two blog posts will be based on some incredible times recently had in New York City surrounding the memorial of one of my all-time favorite musicians and humanitarians, Adam “MCA” Yauch of the Beastie Boys, a major catalyst of this musical bond that I so love to document. I am so honored to be able to present the following content. 
If you are a regular follower of my blog you’ll know that last year when Yauch passed, it hit me and so many close friends pretty hard. It felt like the end of an institution, the end of our childhoods and put a ton of things into perspective. It feels like it’s “grown up time” now, and we must remember that while we are here today, we are not guaranteed tomorrow. We have to make the best of right now.
On Friday, May 3rd, 2013, I had the distinct pleasure of witnessing a New York City park officially be christened “Adam Yauch Park.”
We are engaged!!
Well kids, it’s official. After almost 9 years of dating, Jim proposed to me over Valentine’s Day weekend. I couldn’t be more thrilled with everything.
We went to Wildwood, NJ to spend the weekend at the beach (I just adore the beach when it’s empty), and he popped the question to me on the beach at sunrise, with my grandmother’s wedding ring in hand. I could hardly believe it and probably stood silent for a good 30 seconds. I was so in shock and wanted to remember the moment so badly that I forgot to answer.
“Um… hello?”
Of course I said yes, and I just had to share with you all. We are pleased as punch.
And no, we haven’t set a date yet.
Alright, what’s up everybody? Yeah I know. It’s been rather silent here, and for that I apologize. We’ve had a challenging few weeks here in NJ.
I’m based in central NJ, sandwiched just between two of the hardest hit areas in the path of Hurricane Sandy. To my north, the devastation in northern New Jersey and New York City is staggering. To the south and east, my heart absolutely breaks for the total loss so many are experiencing. It’s like a sick dream I can’t wake up from. A total rebuild of certain towns like Seaside (among others) is necessary and thousands of people have been displaced from their homes. And it’s getting COLD out now.
I don’t like to get involved in heated political discussions via the internet. I’d rather talk with you face to face so we can really get into the nitty gritty. We can avoid the whole name-calling game because the internet gives some folks a false sense of security when they can hide behind a keyboard. But sometimes (like right now) meeting face to face is not an option.
So here’s what I’m going to say: I’m going to leave my personal beliefs to the side for a moment and soapbox this instead because it applies to all of us.
Presidential candidate opinions aside – if you care about our country YOU HAVE TO VOTE IN THIS ELECTION. NOT VOTING IS NOT AN OPTION.
The deadline to REGISTER and/or UPDATE your voting registration is 21 days before an election.
If you have MOVED or GOTTEN MARRIED or CHANGED YOUR NAME – you NEED to UPDATE your voter registration so that your official ID/driver’s license matches what is in the voting records. It literally takes 2 minutes to fill out and print out the form, tape it shut and put it in the mail.
Well, it’s been a while, hasn’t it? I fully admit (again) that I totally suck at blogging on time. This summer and fall has kept me running between NYC and NJ so much so that I am fully admitting that Brooklyn and I are in love. Sigh. Please, don’t tell New Jersey. She’ll be jealous.
There are lots of pics in the queue and I’m working on posting them in the coming week. Hold on to your hats because there’s some epic stuff coming!
But for now, I had to share this incredible video that my friend Ryan Banks posted from the Beastie Fan Celebration. I contributed my stills to his video and it is a perfect recap of the day spent reminiscing.
If you weren’t able to join us, this video should give you a pretty good idea of what the day was all about. Enjoy!!
Our group on the walking tour
Where on earth do I begin?
I’ve been percolating on how to properly put into words the sheer bliss I feel after having one of the most fun yet exhausting weekends in a long, long time. If you’ve been following my blog you know that I’ve been dealing with the passing of Adam “MCA” Yauch of the Beastie Boys and have been trying to assemble an organized effort to get fans together to share in the memories and music.
This weekend, August 5, 2012 would have been Yauch’s 48th birthday. To honor the band and man that shaped so many of us, my new friend Jason Palk decided to hold a Beastie Fan Celebration in NYC on the eve of Yauch’s birthday. We began the day bright and early by going on a walking tour of the NYC landmarks that were crucial to the formation of the band. We saw some awesome sights and had a fantastic time – all while sweating profusely in the intense August heat.
Solid Gold Hits at the Ivy Brown Gallery, NYC! Featuring the work of Sunny Bak and Cey Adams
Following MCA DAY so many wonderful things have transpired. I am so happy to have met some incredible new friends who share many of the same interests, had a few great trips back and forth between NYC, saw some incredible artwork (more on that in a moment, I promise!), and saw the realization of a dream completed. All in all, I am feeling pretty good.
So if you’re feelin’ good and you’re feelin’ right… uh… somebody step up and grab the mic…
Couldn’t resist that one. It fit so perfectly. 
After NYC’s MCA DAY wrapped, organizer Mike Kearney headed home to Boston, where he proceeded to reinforce, decorate, and expand upon the Beastie Boy fan message easels that were on display at MCA DAY. He connected with some tremendous folks in Boston who helped him add some of the hundreds of messages that poured in from Beastie Boys fans from all over the world via email and facebook. His mission: make sure it gets to the band. And this week, I saw it happen.
This is what MCA DAY was all about.
A Word From The Management:
Oy. This post has been a long time coming. I had to do this in spurts because if I thought too long about it, I’d break down and cry. It’s now been a few weeks and I’m working on processing my grief. Every time I thought I was done writing, I had to go back and add more. And revise. And cut. And reword. Truth be told, this is pretty long. But, there comes a point where you just have to stop and just put it out there already. So, here goes.
Knowing how to use a camera has taken me so many places I never thought I’d go, and has introduced me to a world full of so many interesting people and places and quite frankly, I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
Per my last post, my world was rocked earlier this month when I heard of the passing of the legendary Adam Yauch, MCA of the Beastie Boys. A colleague told me the news in passing over lunch – she saw it on her smartphone – and the bottom just fell out.
Today I found out we lost Adam Yauch, affectionately known to the world as MCA of the Beastie Boys.
I’m still working on putting my thoughts into words, but all I know is I can’t stop crying. I’ll update the blog when I’ve had a chance to wrap my mind around this tremendous loss, but for now I want to reach out to my readers and say as loudly as I can… HUG YOUR LOVED ONES AND HOLD THEM TIGHTLY. RIGHT NOW.
If you love someone and haven’t said it yet, make a move.
If you see an injustice, step in and make a difference. Try to make it right.
Do something to bring more light and positivity into the world.
RIGHT NOW.
My terribly broken heart goes out to Adam, Mike D., Yauch’s wife Dechen and their daughter Tenzin, and all of the millions of fans out there who feel this so, so deeply and know the magnitude of this loss. We have lost a great musician and an excellent human being.
Rest in peace, dear friend. Until we meet again. <3
