DINE | PURITAN AND CO. | CAMBRIDGE
We love Boston. Sometimes we fly into BOS when heading to visit our factory in Maine, and when we do, it’s yummy food-time! Lunch is lobster everything, and then we always shoot for the twenty minute jaunt for dinner at Puritan & Co. in Cambridge. They serve “New England fare,” with most ingredients sourced from local farms and all local beers. The joint gets its name from the predecessor at 1166 Cambridge Street, the Puritan Cake Company, a bakery that stood on this spot in the 1930s, ‘40s and ‘50s. You’ll love this history and character! Their Sunday brunch is a religious experience as is the Prime Rib Sunday. If your crew is up for the 6 course seasonal meal then do it, no questions asked, but you all gotta participate. Otherwise the daily oysters and lobster toast (yes, more lobster) are a must. It’s a casual place, so if you’re wanting to pass as a local, wear your Redsox hat and say, “Wicked!” with a Boston accent at a volume loud enough to be heard.
VISIT | FRIST ART MUSEUM | NASHVILLE
The Frist Art Museum is located in downtown Nashville (we love DTN!) and is so worth the visit. Be sure you have a few hours for it because it’s always that good. The city’s treasured art deco building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984, so the building itself is a piece of art. The current lead exhibit is two of our best ever artists choices, Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, and there’s also the stunning Mexican Modernism from the Jacques and Natasha Gelman Collection. The current upstairs exhibit is titled, Monsters & Myths: Surrealism and War in the 1930s and 1940s. In addition to the revolving exhibitions, the museum holds a generous amount of revolving education programs, lectures, music, and workshops, and they’re all pretty incredible too. Museums and the assiduous people working behind the scenes carry on their shoulders the education, importance, and blessing of these historical works, and we’re responsible for helping to keep this priceless beauty alive for future generations. So whether it’s the Frista or any museum near you, please go.
GO | BLACK PUMAS | MOHAWK
Are you familiar with these guys? They’ve sold out two shows at the Mohawk and a third one was just added. If you haven’t heard them then turn them on right now. If you know their tunes and live in or around Austin but haven’t seen them live, then get these tickets. Their original connection has been deemed “mystical” - in 2017, Grammy Award-winning guitarist/producer Adrian Quesada had recorded some instrumentals in his Austin studio, and he started looking around for a vocalist. He knew a lot of singers, but he wanted something different. Eric Burton was in California but had recently made his way to Texas, growing up in a church getting heavily involved in musical theater. For years, they both played their music on the streets, (one on the Santa Monica pier, the other on 6th Street in Austin) before they came together in holy union. Hip-hop meets soul meets folk, the Black Pumas are what music needs these days. They are Motown but not retro and they imitate no one. This is what happens when a seamless spiritual connection of talent and focus melds with willingness and true power. While you wait for the show you can check them out here, playing their track “Colors” live.
WATCH | THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING
Produced by Geena Davis, the new documentary This Changes Everything is a deep dive into gender disparity in Hollywood and the entertainment industry at large. Stacked with staggering statistics and first hand testimonials from renowned actors, executives, and industry veterans, the film is a sobering wake up call toward equality and inclusion. As the film takes its title from the unfulfilled promise of Davis’ female driven projects, it doesn’t come off as a screaming battle cry as much as a factual straightforward presentation of reality based on true events. When Thelma and Louise came out it was largely touted as a critical and financial landmark. Davis has heard the phrase, “This changes everything,” echoed throughout her own career. It mirrors both the relentless hope for change and earned skepticism of the actress’s Hollywood experience. A cinephile is sure to delight in Davis’ spirited debate and call to action around empowering female driven stories and minority groups in film. We think the subject matter is of utmost importance, and this can be dangerous ground to walk on, especially in tinseltown, so good on you Ms. Davis.
LISTEN | SINGLES FROM DEAD OCEANS
We love spinning playlists in the HELM store and when one of our favorite labels releases one, we’re always amped. Whether or not this list contains any of your top choice acts, the latest singles from Dead Oceans does contain some of ours, so we think you’ll dig it either way. Wait, why is the label called Dead Oceans? Bob Dylan! “I’ve been out in front of a dozen dead oceans...:” Ok, so this collection features Slowdive, Kevin Morby, Bleached, Alex Lahey, Julianna Barwick, Strand of Oaks, Mitski, Japanese Breakfast, Ryley Walker, Phosphorescent, The Tallest Man on Earth, Marlon Williams and many more. If you like the kind of jams you can just turn on and let roll all the way through, then we think this compilation is just right for you.
DESIGN | MOCKINGBIRD MADE | BUDA
Actor Daniel Day Lewis said that, “There is nothing more beautiful in all the arts than something that appears simple. And if you try to do any goddamn thing in your life, you know how impossible it is to achieve that effortless simplicity.” Laura and Jeff Daly are a creative, energetic, and enthusiastic married duo who have achieved this sought after simplicity. They recently relocated their Austin based workshop and showroom to Buda, TX and it is superb. The old building they refurbished is simply sublime, and their fine crafted, made-to-order, (and made in house) custom and authentic furniture is gorgeous. The quality and attention to detail is unmatched, and the way that they’re able to elevate modern classic living for their clients is extraordinary. You can see some of their work in noteable press here. Oh, and did we mention that they constructed the custom steel shelves in our East Austin store? Yep!