Over The River...

There is something so life-renewing about spending the evening in New York City.

While I will eternally consider myself a Jersey Girl (thank you Tom Waits and Bruce), I have spent quite a lot of time in NYC.  First as a kid, when mom would take me to Broadway shows, then later as a early teenager sneaking into the city for nothing more exciting than to walk the streets and be intoxicated by the dynamic which surrounds you.

Later, there was school, work and living in the city. But the one thing which drew me into New York more than anything else was the music. The venues, both large and small offered an overflowing bounty of sounds from every genre. It still does.

Last night I was able to spend another night in the city with the end game seeing a new band. But as always, getting there is half the fun.

An easy drive over the George Washington Bridge, as well as non-existent traffic down the west side, put me in one fine mood. And the view of the sun going down over Jersey as you ride parallel to the Hudson River, always puts a smile on my face.

Getting across town can get pretty dicey sometimes, especially when the POTUS is in town. Thankfully, I missed him by one day and, even getting from one river to the river on the other side of the island, was smooth. Finding a parking space not too far from the venue was even smoother.

Meeting up with the rest of the crew, a great dive bar with $3 beers was the first destination. And the great thing about this place is they don't serve food, but you can order some in. So that's what we did...ordered delivery from a Korean restaurant, and drank our $3 beers. For those not from the area, a $3 beer in NYC is something like the T-Rex....extinct. Double that is the going rate...I know it sounds crazy, unless you've paid $17 bucks for a Cosmopolitan or fancy Martini. That's when a $6 beer seems like a bargain. But I digress.

With the temperature as close to perfect as you can get, the walk from the bar to the venue, Webster Hall, was easy and enjoyable. Now it was time to breathe in new music. Worthwhile...definitely, but more about that later.

Heading back to Jersey was pretty easy as well. Passed through the Meadowlands before the traffic from the Springsteen concert at the stadium let out. I hear Bruce was rockin' it pretty good last night too.

All in all, a good night. When it includes music, they usually are.

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