Okay, so about ten minutes ago we just arrived back from the McCarren Park pool after the end of this Sunday's JellyNYC pool party, one of the last ever, ever. We only got inside the pool starting a little more than an hour ago, getting to see most of Black Lips' set. (Great music, but very disappointing to see the band's mature behavior: what, no urine?)
But get this: We heard all of today's concert at home from our open bedroom window. And from our open office (AKA second bedroom) window. We heard it perfectly clearly, and we have never heard the music at the pool before. What gives?
(Photo courtesy the indispensable Feast of Music)
Is the McCarren pool sound system on steroids now? Was today's show surreptitiously sponsored by Beltone? Has the wax in our almost- sexagenarian ears suddenly disappeared?
We walked over to the pool after lunch, getting to the main gate, still closed, at precisely 2 p.m. according to our (embarrassing Virgin Mobile) cellphone.
There were people waiting on line, of course, and we followed the hipster trail north on Lorimer Street, and then around the path around the pool as the crowd, one or two abreast, kept to the perimeter to let us walkers pass. (No more lining up on the Driggs Avenue sidewalk, we guess.)
The line snaked all around the Leonard Street side so that the end of the line was stretching toward Bayard. Eventually the snaking line would be an uroboros, we figured, so we just kept on walking home. But the canned music was still pretty clear, and when we got upstairs to Dumbo Books HQ and lay on our bed, we could discern the songs from the first set on almost perfectly clearly.
Now maybe we just haven't noticed this before. Perhaps our A/C has been on and our windows closed every Sunday before this.
We did enjoy the sounds as we read the Sunday newspaper, did some work, rested, had dinner, etc. Of the bands, we liked King Khan & the Shrines the best, though it would have been nice to see what he was wearing.
The scene was fun late in the day when we were actually inside the pool grounds: we just walked in, no line, and were simply told not to stand behind the pool in the center and just move to one side. We had an unobstructed view just a few feet away.
The Black Lips were going strong, toilet paper rolls and balloons tossed around from the very full stage (maybe over 40 people onstage) to the tightly-packed crowd below, but even from way back where we stood, the music was louder than we'd ever heard it before. With the final long reverb after the band thanked everyone for coming, we saw about a dozen people leaving holding at least one ear.
Maybe the pool's powers-that-be knew we were all standing outside during the MGMT set last week and wanted to make sure we heard everything today?
At least life's wonderful now that we know we can rely on one sense, hearing
when neon blurs my sight
I'm guided by strange lights
I'm rattled and im stunned
as i walk into the sun
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