No Headphones Thursday

I’m plugged in when I’m at my desk. Earbuds in, music to the two level and I’m rockin’ all afternoon. But lately I feel like I’ve become plugged out of my working life. I thought the world was over when my iPod died 2 years ago and that I would never be able to stomach a commute or walk down the street without listening to music. But I’ve survived. In fact, I welcome the city’s sounds to act as my music while getting from Point A to Point B.

So I’ve started having “No Headphones Thursdays” where I don’t wear headphones, all thanks to an article I read last week on Thought Catalog. I can still listen to music, but it has to be through my speakers, so it’s not all-encompassing my surroundings that I can’t hear my phone ring. And it was going well until this song came through, because all I want to do now is put on headphones, play this on loop and have myself a little dance party.

Youngblood Hawke— We Come Running

Plug in and Chug along

Found this in NYT last week, but just haven’t had time to write about it. I love bike riding, I love crowds of people enjoying themselves and I like music. So why not combine all three?

Reason #38743843 why I want to be in NYC this summer (the other has everything to do with the community pianos everywhere in the city called “Play Me, I’m Yours“): Joyride.

The concept is simple. The group picks songs, everyone loads up their iPods with the playlist and when they all start the ride, they all hit play. Everyone rides along at their own speeds. But the cool part is, what you’re hearing is what the person next to you is hearing. So you can rock out, and compare bike moves with your neighbors.

While I have yet to fully take the leap into the biking world of Chicago (I only ride on LSD), I think something like this would make me more apt to ride around town (should the roads be blocked of course). Biking can be a chore and something very stressful in a city full of buses, cars and people. This is a way to bring back the ease of bike riding days.

My favorite scene in Now & Then is the one where Thora Birch cues up her radio on her bike and they cruise down the road singing Knock Three Times. That and I would like to think it’s very easy to turn your everyday life into a musical sequence. Watch it and just try to tell me you don’t feel the same way.