I've written (and will possibly write more) about how I didn't like New York Cool. To me it didn't operate very seriously, and there was little support from the top. On the other hand, it ended up being pretty fun. I got no few free records, and got onto the press lists for a lot of shows. VIP access when applicable.
This picture was taken at Key Bar, during the first and only (to my knowledge) meetup of the site's various writers and photographers. There were 10-15 people there, but the only one I really remember is an older writer whose name I can't recall. We had a pretty good conversation, throwing band names at each other that the other had never heard of, and I remember thinking, "Man, I hope when I'm you're age I'm writing for somewhere better than this." It's a dickish thing to think, about the guy and about the publication, but looking back I still feel the same way. That really did seem like a site for folks that were either using it to jump off into something else, or who weren't very serious.
And some of that is probably my fault.
I certainly could have tried to take on a bigger editorial role. It would have looked good for me, for sure. But I was caught in some middle area where I just wanted to go to shows, and write, and drink, and explore New York, and the work of trying to change that site into something special just seemed too daunting. That was bad for the site - it still has the same horrible layout, and it doesn't seem like its covered music since 2011 - but it was also bad for me. That lack of drive certainly stunted my own growth as writer and as a potential editor.
But here in this picture I'm still looking forward to so many free shows. There are still years ahead to think about real development. I don't yet know that looking forward is like staring into the side-view mirror, and that the future is always closer than it appears.
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