Safe and Sound | The Chester | Common Ground Bar | Automatic Slims | YouTube Rabbithole
Alright @YouTheReader,
I heard this song, Safe and Sound by Capital Cities, on in the background at one of these fines-drinking institutions in New York City. Capital Cities is an American pop duo from LA comprised of Ryan Merchant (vocals, keyboard, guitar) and Sebu Simonian (vocals, keyboard). The duo first met on Craigslist when Simonian placed an ad looking for production work and Merchant responded. They started making jingles with the focus of their music for commercials and advertising campaigns, before striking gold on this hit tune. Safe and Sound was the duo’s first single which they released on YouTube on February 24, 2011. They self-produced a music video of dancing and war from the last century in chronological order. It’s really cool you should check it out, cough, cough YouTube Rabbithole below, cough, cough.
The first commercial success that came from this song actually came in Germany in the form of a Vodafone commercial. Vodafone is Europe’s Verizon.
Many are saying if you don’t like the prominent trumpet that comes in during the chorus you’re a heartless ghoul. That’s not my opinion, just what many are saying.
Safe and Sound became a worldwide sleeper hit, but it didn’t blow up in popularity until 2 years after its release. Thanks to the Vodafone commercial it charted at #1 in Germany and peaked at #8 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in ‘13.
The tune is also in the background of a Mazda USA commercial in ‘14.
When they first created the song and started marketing it for commercials, they could tell they had something. "We noticed that, when we showed it to people, there was this unanimous feeling that there was something special about this music, and we started to develop it. It took 10 different versions before we finally came to what you hear on the radio now, where we decided to add a trumpet for the main bridge part, which I think was one of our best decisions on the song. And we brought out this vintage keyboard that provides the foundation for the song. So the song really took a long time to get right, because we knew it was such an important song for us." (Source: Billboard)
Nice happy tune for Tuesday.
On to the pints!!
Guinness Challenge Season #1
@Kids don’t try this at home. Not just because you’re underage and will have plenty of pints to drink if that ends up being your thing when you’re older but also because Guinness is actually best served in a pint glass from a tap. A pint of Guinness varies depending on the drinking establishment. If the keg it sits in is rarely poured, it can lead to some underwhelming taste. Rather than stealing gimmicks, I’d like to start taking Notes while drinking Guinness. My grandfather from Connemara, who I never got the chance to meet, Thomas Davis, used to drink pints and by all accounts was a self-taught thinker. The one rule I’ve imposed on myself is that I will only have 1 pint per sitting from each establishment I review, so @AnyoneWorrying, don’t worry about my drinking habits. The Guinness Challenge is to “cut the G” on your first sip (more like a gulp and a half). If this is your first time hearing about it, I didn’t come up with the fun challenge @YouTheReader can try the next time you have a Guinness. The 0.0 to 10.0 scale will be extraordinarily nuanced but as a reference point, the only perfect 10.0 I plan ever to give out is at the Guinness Factory in Dublin one day.
Song On In The Background: Safe And Sound by Capital Cities
Notes if you can’t read my sloppy scribble: Erica is the bartender and this is her 4th week living in Brooklyn. The Chester burger is recommended. The Galocher is the recommended cocktail, a good tequila drink. The Chester has a rooftop with gorgeous views. They host a ton of parties for private events. Erica played volleyball and enjoys going to sporting events for the social community aspect. Their menu is American cuisine, they’re a bit upscale but not in your face. Sports are always on the TVs.
The Chester is the restaurant and bar of Gansevoort Hotel in Meatpacking NYC. Every weekend they do a Bottomless Brunch from 11 am - 3 pm where your free-flowing cocktail options include Bloody Mary, Mimosa, Sangria, Prosecco, and Frozen Drinks. It’s an American bistro & sports bar offering innovative cocktails, an approachable menu, and patio dining. As soon as I heard Safe and Sound on in the background I knew I had to do a bit of research on the tune. I look forward to grabbing another drink at The Chester again soon!
Song On In The Background: The Funky Sound by JUNE8
Notes if you can’t read my sloppy scribble: Massive screen projector for sports. Arthur is the bartender, been working here for about a year. The name behind Common Ground is that it’s a bit of a different type of bar in the area with a casual welcoming vibe to the place. Wings and mozzarella sticks are recommended. Watermelon margarita and Hugo Spritz are recommended. They have an Ivy disco ball. Arthur is a DJ and he produces music. Junës The Funlay Sound. The Common Grounds customer of the month was @TableJulia so shout out to her!
Common Ground brings people together. Their large screen projector would be perfect for football weekends. They have an outdoor patio that looks at the Whitney Museum and the Highline, giving you an authentic New York City street-side experience. Common Ground's vibrant nightlife scene showcases popular DJs offering drinking & dancing all night. Check out Arthur’s song The Funky Sound, he is JUNE8. I look forward to grabbing another drink at Common Ground Bar again soon!
Song On In The Background: Viva Las Vegas by Elvis Presley
Notes if you can’t read my sloppy scribble: Pedro is the bartender. He’s been here a year and a half, “I love The City.” The name of the corner bar comes from 60s/70s music. The old-fashioned is Pedro’s favorite cocktail to make. Automatic Slims has a neighborhood crowd during the day and a young dancing crowd at night. “Cool people come here.” The burger is recommended, get it medium well with the brioche bun. Pedro is from Brazil, “The City feels safer.” Pedro loves Brazil too but has been working in the bar and restaurant industry for 15 years, “No better place for a drink and food than New York.”
Automatic Slims is One Bar under a Groove, which is a phrase adapted from Parliament Funkadelic. The bar was founded in 1986 and was previously a restaurant named Mother’s going back to the 1940s. The idea behind the bar was to play the best songs all the time with good drinks and good food. It’s a spot where young people come late at night for a drink, snack, and share the night. The name Automatic Slim comes from Willie Dixon’s song Wang Dang Doodle where “Tell automatic slim” is the opening line. They have Happy Hour from 4:30 to 7:30 Tuesday to Friday. I look forward to grabbing another drink at Automatic Slims again soon!