Hello dear readers, it’s been a while. Sorry about that! I was busy falling in love, and we all know how time-consuming that can be. The past several months haven’t all been roses and whatever. Bad things have happened too, tragedies even. But parallel to those bad things happening, we went to the moon and back. We went to England. Like everyone else, we went to Tokyo.
Proof of Tokyo
Also like everyone else, I have an addiction to dopamine I’ve been combatting. After looking around at all the things TikTok convinced me to purchase (I’m really such a sucker), I downloaded an app to block social media certain times of the day. I’ve started meditating most mornings. I’ve gotten worse at responding to texts, DMs, emails. That worsening goes double for responding to voice notes.
As I find my way back to myself, I have been surprised many times over by the process. To be more present can be overwhelming, but I guess I was always a sensitive person, for better or worse. Some afternoons I feel like I’m on drugs (to clarify: I’m not). Mundane moments are coated in surreality. If I’ve made it out to sound like I’ve transcended, sorry, that’s false. I’m still hopelessly addicted to my phone, reflexively reaching to fill every quiet moment. But in the moments I’ve let stay quiet, the difference I’ve experienced is profound.
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A few days ago, back at home and on earth, I was dropping smoothie ingredients into the blender for My Love (ML) and me. Bananas, frozen mangos, milk, spinach, and Jay Robb®’s vanilla-flavored whey protein isolate with other natural flavors.
Smoothies are a nice option for someone with an unreasonable aversion to/fear of cooking—like me. And Jay Robb has been my guy since I first entered the smoothie game, give or take ten years. There are some people in your life who it’s sort of…the less you know, the better? The sometimes charming, other times pitiable alcoholic customer. The deli guy whose smile can get a bit too wolfish. You know, you get it, we all have those regular characters we keep at a friendly distance.
Jay Robb is the muscled-up, soul-patched, bandana-wearing face of what I have found to be the tastiest protein powder brand, and I’ve never cared to know more about him beyond that. ML was beckoned over when I realized (too late) that I’d re-assembled the blender wrong. Jay Robb watched over our cleanup with his everlasting thumbs up.
ML was taken with the image he saw sitting on the counter. He picked up the packaging and, against my will, started reading the back to me. Its contents are dutifully transcribed below:
Jay Robb, “The G.O.P.” (Guru of Peace) here and I want to invite you to join my “Hang Loose” Peace Movement. Yes, I am picking up where the Hippies of the ‘60s left off with a new movement to promote peace and love around the world.
And then—
“HANG LOOSE”—THIS ALBUM ROCKS Check out my rock album, “Hang Loose.” This album is chock full of hard-rock songs that spread the message of peace and love. Available on all streaming platforms. Just search my artist/stage name “The G.O.P.” and the album name is “Hang Loose.”
For a decade, Jay Robb had been residing in all my successive kitchen cabinets. He’d been protecting me from the taste of raw spinach, supplementing my protein deficiencies. And yet, I never really knew him.
I can’t overstate how strange it felt in the moment to be played the self-titled track from his debut and ultimate album (also against my will). It was as if Jay Robb had just peeled himself off the package and stepped into the kitchen. An unsubtle reminder of the trails of breadcrumbs scattered all around. Delightful to think of the richness at the end of every thread. And yet, some stones are better left unturned. (Too many metaphors, or just the right amount?) But also, please, can someone else listen to this song?
Tomorrow I’ll be playing my first show of the year at Night Club 101, self-dubbed as “NYC’s hottest venue for live music.” I like this place. It looks good, and it sounds even better. I guess, come for the music, stay for the primary colors.
My set will be exclusively comprised of unreleased songs (except for maybe like, one song), and I will be accompanied by my dear friend Logan Chung on guitar. WHAIT will open the show, and Pleasure Systems will close. Buy your ticket here.
Love love your writing, and can't wait to get to know Jay.