Hurricanes, Hipsters, and Freebies

One again I have a little backlog of half-finished stories I’ve been starting and stopping for the past week or so. I really need a job that allows more time for putting around on the internet and typing up little stories of banal minutia.

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Hurricanes win 1st Stanley Cup
Carolina comes through in Game 7 with a 3-1 win over Edmonton, bringing the trophy to land of NASCAR.

That was a headline and teaser from USAToday. First of all, congratulations are certainly in order to the Carolina Hurricanes (pronounced Herr-i-cuns if you’re from the NC coast) for winning the Stanley Cup. I’m mostly a fair-weather sports fan, and even though I appreciate hockey I rarely follow it except for the odd playoff series/ excuse to go to a sports bar. I definitely love to see Carolina teams do well for themselves, though, and I’ll back any team from NC in competition against any team from any other state*.

*Not binding. Certain restrictions may apply.

But the ‘Land of NASCAR?' Come on. Surely the Tar Heel State has contributed more to our union than just advancing the pursuit of driving REAL fast in a circle. The Wright Brothers, Great Smokey Mountains, Carolina Panthers, Outer Banks, a hornet’s nest of rebellion, Duke Lacrosse! I would have even accepted “Bible Belt” for half credit.

A few more gems from the USAToday article:

“Defensemen Aaron Ward scored … and that seemed to ignite the loud Carolina fans, many of whom had been out tailgating before the game. Carolina fans tailgate like they are going to a college football game.”

“One sign in the crowd simply said: ‘Redneck hockey.’”

Way to reinforce the stereotypes, sports fans (although I must admit the tailgating quote makes me rather proud of my fellow statesmen).

On the other hand, the Carolinas and the Southeast in general seem like natural hockey markets, if only in their similarities to Canada. Carolinians and Canadians each have bizarre accents, like driving pickup trucks, love drinking beer, and are especially fond of mullets. Hockey has found its home away from home.

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So hip…ster.

I live on the fringe of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, the heart of which is the New York hipster Mecca. For those of you new to the hipster scene, I suggest this article from Wikipedia for a quick, if somewhat brusque, intro.

Sometimes I love the area. Galleries, music, cafes. It can be a very lively, stimulating place full of Ars Gratia Artis and interesting characters. I’m finding it’s also a very easy to place to become disillusioned with the whole scene. In social settings where hipsters herd I'm often struck by the superficiality of it all. The conversations seem to focus on how great it is to like independent art and music, not how great independent art and music actually are. Hipster Gratia Hipstis.

I’m taking guitar lessons from a guy in Williamsburg who is also a newbie in the area, though he blends more hipsterishly with the patchwork than I. He was looking for an apartment (then renting couch space from a friend) and asked about the area where I live, which is, again, out on the fringe.

“Are there a lot of…” He paused ever so slightly, digging for the right word. “…artists?”

I had to keep from laughing. It seemed too much like how Liberals started adopting the new moniker “Progressive” once the former became such an effective tool of vilification and derision during the 2004 presidential campaign.

To be fair I think he genuinely wants to be surrounded by artists of all walks, immersed in a place where new ideas and artistic creations abound; where there’s a communal rising tide of ART! Maybe it’s just the skeptic in me, but I don’t think he’ll find his Eden here.

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I’m excited about all the upcoming free stuff that New York offers in the summer. I’ve made a big calendar of events I want to attend and have even penciled in a few really expensive concerts or shows (just in case). Free movies in Bryant Park! Free concerts in Central Park! Free movies at Hoboken Pier A! Free outdoor drama all over the city! Free book readings and poetry classes! Free museum days! So much culture and entertainment for shoestring budgeteers! Or $35 for Ani DiFranco in Central Park? $55 for Fiona Apple and Damien Rice? Hmmm….