October is always one of the months I miss New York the most. Not only is the weather that perfect "just chilly enough," but October is also the time the city is taken over by CMJ, one of today's most outstanding music movements (and yes, I speak in hyperbole...a lot).
If you haven't been to CMJ, imagine South by Southwest, but actually getting in to the shows. It's a matter of space. While Austin (God bless it) tries its damndest to create venues where never before imagined (parking lots, churches, bathroom stalls, whatever), it doesn't hold a candle to the number of (literal) doors New York can open to accommodate such a musical marathon. And if you interpret this as a knock on SXSW...you've got me all wrong.
The fact is, walking through the Lower East Side of Manhattan during CMJ offers such an unparalleled opportunity to walk into (yes, walk into) any number of shows to be blown away by a band whose name you never knew. It's that abundance of (relatively) undiscovered talent, combined with the accessibility of so many of the shows, that makes CMJ a can't miss for any music lover of "what's next."
I'll always love you, New York.
http://www.cmj.com/marathon/
