Folks my age grew up without home computers, and it’s odd to consider all the things we now do with our devices that we used to do differently, or not at all. My brother and I listened to Casey Kasem’s weekly radio top forty countdown, and I would tune in to Dr. Demento at night for screwball novelty songs. The world then was flooded with videocassettes, and as teenagers we passed hallowed copies of cult films from friend to friend - Liquid Sky, Suburbia, Repo Man - watching until we could recite, and probably still can, the most outrageous lines. We also shared LPs and audio cassettes. Mixtapes were a touchstone of self-expression. We skated in the town park, slam-danced at Ramones shows whenever they passed through western New York, and went to the local theater at midnight for the Rocky Horror Picture Show, an interactive American phenomenon that frightened parents and celebrated the counterculture.

Unless you count Mork & Mindy, or the super bowl, the most fascinating experiences of my childhood did not come from a monitor in our home, but rather took some doing to acquire, and nourished a desire that led to movement and engagement with others. I love our Oakland community, and I still rely on people - friends or strangers - to point me toward the art and culture I need to enjoy and understand the wilds of today. A personal recommendation is worth a hundred algorithms, and I’ve got one: THIS SATURDAY, turn off your computers and come by Oakland Yard for our SUMMER KICK-OFF ARTISAN MARKET from NOON to 5pm behind the shop at 420 40th St. We’ll have live jazz, and wine and beer, as well as food by Comfort Collective, Provecho, Plus One, and Lo-Fi Oyster Co, and a handful of vendors selling local, artisanal jewelry, houseplants, and fine art. Come join us IRL !!!

But first...THURSDAY NIGHT FLIGHTS: Austrian whites and Loire Valley Cabernet Francs
2023 Weingut STIX Gruner Veltliner 1L
2023 Heidi Schrock Gelber Muskateller
2023 Schloss Gobelsburg Schlosskellerei Kamptal Riesling
2023 Domaine de la Pepiere La Pépie Cabernet Franc
2022 Château Sainte-Marie Petite Marie Rouge
2022 Domaine du Bel Air Jour de Soif Bourgueil
Flights $15 and wines by the glass until 9pm

Gabba Gabba Hey!

Max