you meet the nicest people by accident.
my original plan this night was to catch terrace martin at the blue note last minute. unsurprisingly, the gig was booked. the bouncer tipped me off to a place down the street, so i checked it out. it was an underground dive bar that happened to have a live jazz trio performing. i was immediately drawn to the energy of the room. it was filled with a young college crowd drinking, playing billiards, chess, and other games. i grabbed a beer, watched the set, and before long, i came across these kind folks hosting a chess tournament. they were playing wagers as donations for their diy club. they’re very young, but sharp.
we played many games and talked for hours. about chess, about the city, about jazz and blues. i gave away a lot of money that night.
there’s something so exciting about walking into a random bar by chance, in middle of new york, quarter to midnight, sitting down and playing endless blitz rounds with people i just met, 3 minutes on the clock, 2 minutes on the clock, 1 minute on the clock… surrounded by a constant buzzing chatter competing with the loud crashes and rolls of a live drum solo. there’s nothing quite like it.
special thanks to m.j. for the birthday pizza.