Welcome to the Sugary Scoop, my free weekly newsletter where I help you see and experience the magic of NYC that I love so much through curated events, experiences, artists, and community stories.

What’s new this week?

Ready. Set. Go.

Community Week NYC is finally here!

After months of planning, 100+ organizations will host nearly 150+ events across all 5 boroughs and all manner of social activity in a span of about a week and change.

During this time, it’s my hope that this collective effort to rally the social fabric of NYC will inspire people to get out of the house, do what they love to do and perhaps meet some people they would otherwise never meet.

Merriam-Webster defines community as “a group of people with a common characteristic or interest living together within a larger society”

So this is my formal invitation to you…

…explore this magical city, find that common interest, and just maybe make a new connection or two along the way.

There is no time like the present.

I genuinely hope that you will all embrace this opportunity and join us in the effort to create a more connected, accessible and inspired city.

Click HERE to begin your journey…

Sugary 🍬

Field of Dreams

It’s around 4am on the eve of the first “official event” for Community Week NYC.

I’d be lying if I told you I wasn’t equal parts nervous and excited.

Months of planning, significant resources spent, tens of thousands of fliers, texts and emails distributed, plus endless posts ad nauseum on socials.

Will it work?

“If you build it, they will come” or so the saying goes…

Well we built it…

…will they come?

One of the first things we lose as adults is the inspiration to play. 

The rigors of responsibility and daily obligation shackle our minds in a form of languishing amnesia.

Mister Rogers once said, “play is the work of childhood”

In many ways, Community Week NYC is an attempt to inspire people to relive a form of childhood innocence.

A chance to play…anyway you like…

…and ideally play with others (nicely of course)

Spending time for a rousing game of backgammon, a revitalizing group run, an intimate dinner party or catching the latest art exhibit with fellow art aficionados are just as important if not actually more so than any work related report you could ever file or email you could send.

You know the common saying, “go touch grass” as an inspiration to disconnect?

I have a different saying, “go touch humanity” as an inspiration to go reconnect…

…with people

…in real life.

and that’s what the whole purpose of Community Week NYC is.

When DK and I first came up with the idea back in 2024, it was an answer to the question of why there were endless weeks that celebrated individual industries but nothing that celebrated our social communities which frankly represented who we were in a more natural sense.

Naturally, we felt called to do something about it…

…and naturally there were challenges along the way, not the least which included my hospitalization which delayed the project until Spring of this year.

Point is, there have been so many peaks and valleys to this saga in making Community Week NYC a reality.

It’s certainly as much a planned endeavor as it is a leap of faith. 

I am confident though that the vision will ultimately align with the effort.  It won’t be a perfect match, but nothing this ambitious ever is.

I am super proud of the fact that we took an idea and manifested this moment.

That is priceless.

In community we trust…

Sugary 🍬

Motion Picture House: Kid A Mnesia

Admittedly, I’m not much of a Radiohead fan.

My idea of a Radiohead experience has thus far been mostly limited to listening to poor renditions of Creep in an accumulated amount of karaoke bars over the years.

So when I learned about this new Radiohead cinematic experience about to make its way across North America from Motion Picture House, I figured this was my chance to get a crash course on the venerated discography.

At its core, Kid A Mnesia is an audio visual concept that is a creative exploration of both the Kid A and Amnesiac albums and the complementary visuals Thom Yorke and Stanley Donwood created in the form of doodles, phrases, maps, and propaganda  to fill out this demented universe.

Upon entering the experience you will quickly find yourself surrounded by oversized versions of original art, lyrics, and stylized visuals that are inspired from the esoteric minds of Thom and Stanley.  

When you work your way into the main hall, four massive screens surround you along with an ominous timer that ticks down like an explosive ushering towards an untimely end.

Once the clock hits zero, the experience envelops you and what follows is a fever dream laden with metaphors that…as best as I can tell, reflect on the inner journey we are all going through and a cautionary tale on misinformation and the grave nature of the times we live in.

This is just my interpretation of it all and I’m sure there are different perspectives on this, but let’s just say it’s a wild journey. 

The official site describes this production as an “upside-down digital/analogue universe.”

No notes on that one.

I urge you to do a bit of homework before engaging with this experience because a bit of history in this case actually does help.

The music from these two albums aren’t exactly the easiest on-ramp when compared to albums such as OK Computer…but it’s honestly by design.  

Cold, alien, fragmented, emotionally dissociated, haunted, surreal and moody are the words that come to mind.  

It is a literal anti-commercial commercial and we’re a long way from mainstream pop acceptance here. There’s a LOT of fiber in this diet…

…but I will say that they are a sonic complement to what is both seen and felt in this experience. Spatial design was a key component clearly in the creation of the digital exhibition and every sonic element has a visual component and vice versa.

Kid A Mnesia won’t be for everyone, but it was never intended to be. 

For those that would like to explore the depths of sonic and visual motifs that straddle the edge of the innovative and perhaps a touch of madness…this is exactly your jam.

But whatever you decide, understand that this exhibition is certainly an event, and one that encapsulates and expands upon the soundscapes of two of what many critics agreed to be among the most influential albums of the 21st-century…and most certainly of rabid interest to fans of the band.

The exhibition will remain in NYC until June 28th before it heads to Chicago, Mexico City and San Francisco in that order.

Regardless of your opinion on the exhibition, ultimately, I think it is worth checking out both for edification and expansion.  While none of these songs will ever make it into a karaoke queue, it certainly has left an indelible impression on the world nonetheless and so I ask…

What do you think ends up being more important in terms of cultural influence?

…alright, I’m gonna get the mic ready…Creep is about to play…and I got some singing to do ;-)…

Sugary 🍬

Fabrik is a home for communities and where everyone has a place to belong. With spaces designed to feel more like your living room than your office, Fabrik’s 'third spaces' are vibrant hubs where you can come together in real life, explore interests, forge meaningful connections, and enjoy a sense of community.

Sign-up here to experience a free trial at Fabrik.

Weekly events at Fabrik HERE

Thank you for taking the time to read to the end!

I hope you found something inspiring and meaningful in my content and until next time, explore the possibilities of NYC.

-Sugary

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PS. Don’t be shy and hit reply and tell me how you’re doing!