🍬 Sugary Scoop: Superconductor

Welcome to the Sugary Scoop, my free biweekly newsletter where we help you see and experience the magic of NYC that I love so much through curated events, experiences, artists, and community stories.

Let’s get to this week’s Scoop!

🍬The Scoop 🍬

• UPCOMING EVENTS

• WHAT'S NEW

  • THE SUGARY EFFECT

  • PAST EVENTS

    • AND DON’T SAY I DIDN’T TELL YOU ABOUT…

  • NOTABLE NYC EVENTS THIS WEEK FROM OUR FRIENDS

September 4th @7:00pm (Midtown East): RDI & Sugary Present - Sensible Disagreement — The Political Spectrum Unraveled (Space: powered by empathy. discussion series) - With the traditional Left-Right divide having gone the way of the dodo, join us for a spirited discussion of what the future will look like for America’s political spectrum. Are common sense solutions across party lines still possible? Can we cooperate despite the political rhetoric that would have us focused on fighting each other? With insight from diverse speakers, this evening promises to be a lively and enlightening affair.
_{(Social Battery Level: Very High Extrovert - Crowd Size 100-150)}

September 10th @6:00pm (Chelsea): An Evening…with a Touch of Whimsy — Come join us to celebrate the opening of Manhattan’s best kept secret and newest hidden experimental speakeasy bar loosely inspired by Alice and Wonderland. Join us down this rabbit hole…you won’t regret this one!
_{(Social Battery Level: Medium Extrovert - Crowd Size 30-40)}

September 11th @7:00pm (Williamsburg): Unsent Letters Proeject - Write to Read Salon IV — The Unsent Letter Mailbox creates artistic anonymous spaces to transform the unexpressed into opportunities for authentic human connection. ​We will be hosting our next interactive anonymous letter reading with an intimate group of people. Together, will navigate the strangely dark, loving and whimsical cultural underbelly of New York City.
_{(Social Battery Level: Medium Ambivert- Crowd Size 20-30)}

Plus 2 pop-up events on 9/14 & 9/15 from 2-6:30pm in Madison Sq Park! Follow us on IG for exact location.

September 18th (Chinatown): APEX for Youth Fundraiser Happy Hour —  Come join us for a happy hour supporting APEX for Youth, an organization that provides opportunities for minority youth from lower-income families across the five boroughs. This time, we're here to raise $1,500 for the Apex Youth Basketball Camp, benefiting middle and high school students. Every drink you purchase brings us closer to our fundraiser goal—so let's toast to a great cause!
_{(Social Battery Level: Medium Extrovert - Crowd Size 30-40).}

September 21st (Bushwick): So Long to Summer Soiree — Join us for a lovely casual gathering as we kick off Climate week informally with a sustainable BBQ utilizing ingredients that are sourced from sustainable local producers curated by Local Roots NYC.
_{(Social Battery Level: Medium Extrovert - Crowd Size 50-75).}

September 24th (Soho): The Best ___ You Ever Ate…(A Climate Week experiential tasting) — Join for a tasting experience of what it REALLY means to be “farm to table”.  Sample produce from a grocery store versus a sustainable farm source guided by Wenjay Ying, the founder of Local Roots NYC who has spoken at the United Nations about integrating Sustainable Development Goals into her farm-to-table business. Experience the vibrant flavors of local produce in an interactive tasting, followed by a farm-to-table dinner featuring locally sourced ingredients paired with regenerative wines.
_{(Social Battery Level: Medium Ambivert - Crowd Size 30-40).}

September 28th (South Williamsburg): Soul Brunch — We are teaming up with Rafael De La Cruz as well as the ladies of YesBabe! to bring you an epic day and night party.  Come get your groove on to amazing music from a host of incredible DJs, sample some delicious bites and party the day and night away in great company.
_{(Social Battery Level: High Extrovert - Crowd Size 150-200).}

_{(Space is very limited for each of these events so if you’d like to attend to any of these events, please hit the RSVP button below sooner than later!)}

You may have heard the news by now, but the Sugary community has a default HQ. 

DK and I are proud members of Fabrik which is a ‘third space’ that caters to community builders. All are welcome, however the gorgeous space has attracted a diverse group of people that believe in community and gather along a variety of different interests and agendas. The venue has already played host to a variety of our events and it feels like a perfect environment that is conducive for both collaborating + gatherings.  

Fabrik is a home for communities and where everyone has a place to belong. With spaces designed to feel more like your living room than your office, Fabrik’s 'third spaces' are vibrant hubs where you can come together in real life, explore interests, forge meaningful connections, and enjoy a sense of community

As Fabrik begins its roll out they are definitely looking for community builders and seekers to join their space.

And we’re thrilled to help them get the word out because we’ve honestly had a wonderful experience and the value for what you get is truly beyond. $150 per month…I mean seriously. 

Compared with anything that’s out there right now, it’s the best deal bar none.

In total transparency, we are getting a referral credit for anyone that we bring in (all Fabrik members do), but I’d never do something like this if I didn’t actually believe in it and was an active member as well.

They are offering a free week so you can come and experience the space yourself HERE.

_{Quick note regarding the scheduling of the newsletter.}

_{We will now be issuing out newsletters at the top of each week versus the 1st and the 15th as originally planned. This move is mainly to avoid some of the irregular release dates that start to occur over time periodically with some newsletters, becoming only days apart instead of a weekly cadence, which was the original plan all along. Months are on a four week cycle typically and this should ensure more consistency with the weekly cadence.}

THE SUGARY EFFECT

Superconductor

About a month ago, some close friends and I headed to Tanglewood in the Berkshires to see the legendary John Williams in concert.

I have been a fan of William’s work for as long as I can remember…from the blaring fanfare of title credits from a galaxy far far away to the galloping cadence of a hero’s advance reminding us that relics “belong in a museum” (or back with its people), to the haunting sorrow of a violin solo reminding us…never again.

I can’t remember a time in my life where the cinematic genius of this man had not touched me profoundly in some way shape or form.

This particular performance would be the 5th time I would see Williams in concert and there was an added bonus…an old friend would be joining the maestro at the conductor’s stand. 

Ken Masur, the son of legendary maestro Kurt Masur was set to guest conduct alongside Williams that evening.

I eagerly booked 6 tickets several months out and assembled a crew of close friends to share the experience with shortly thereafter.

On the week of the show, I received word that one of my friends couldn’t go due to family reasons…

…then another. 

The intent had been to make a weekend out of the whole experience across the Berkshires but with two folks bowing out at the last minute (and one of them voluntarily involved in the planning of said weekend), it just created a less exciting traveling dynamic than I had originally envisioned.

To make matters worse, the forecast called for moderate to heavy rain on the night of the performance. It seemed even nature wasn’t on our side.

(Thankfully our tickets were underneath the shed so we had cover but still, it wasn’t an ideal situation to say the least.)

I was worried that this experience was not going to live up to the hype.

When we arrived at Tanglewood, I claimed our tickets, and donated the two extra tickets back to the house to distribute to those who “might be in need”, not wanting them to go to waste.

When we sat down, I eagerly flipped through the evening’s program to see what selections were going to be performed:

Stars Wars, check. 

Superman, check. 

7 Years in Tibet, check. 

The Adventures of Tin Tin, check. Sunday Night Football and NBC Nightly News theme, check. 

The Olympic fanfare…very apropos for the year, check

As my eyes glanced upward I noticed my friend Ken’s name on the program conducting the 1st half of the program which was thrilling, but it was the second name that gave me pause…

David Newman.

Wtf?!  What happened to John? No shade to David whatsoever (a legendary conductor in his own right) but we were clearly here to see John and he wasn’t listed for tonight.

I could feel the heat rising between my ears as I got nervous.

As the evening began Ken made the announcement that I feared…John had taken ill that week and given his age (92 years young) his people didn’t want to risk a cross country flight so they made a last minute decision to cancel his appearance.

My “master plan” was coming apart at the seams.  

I had sold my friends on seeing Williams conduct and now he was absent from his own concert! (Plus all the other things that had gone wrong)

I felt a bit embarrassed and nervous…I didn’t want this weekend to be a let down and it seemed like everything was going south fast and I couldn’t fix it.

This was the mental state I was in by the time the first stroke of the conductor’s baton fell.

Yet once the music started, it brought me back to a healthier perspective.  I noticed that my friends were really enjoying the concert and it almost seemed like the concert itself was a patchwork representation for our own weekend journey culminating in this moment.

By the second half, the rain had started and those on the lawn were starting to get rained on. As the music resumed, an elderly couple in makeshift ponchos approached our row. They were soaking wet and started making their way down the aisle slowly towards us…and sat down in the very seats I had donated back to the house. The look of relief on their faces conveyed a powerful and unspoken gratitude.

Turns out the Tanglewood staff started to use donated tickets and available seating to bring as many people in from the rain as they could…bravo.

As the concert concluded, a series of 3 encores brought down the house, the Imperial March, Indy’s love theme and E.T.

As everyone began to shuffle out of the venue, I’d arranged for us to be VIP guests backstage to meet Ken (shout out to my friend Ellyn Kusmin, Artist Liaison at Tanglewood for helping with this). When we arrived at the gate, we were greeted by a young lady who simply waved her arm welcoming us in after I announced my name and she said , “Sugary, your name precedes you…welcome and right this way.”

Very pleasant. Very impressive. Very demure.

And there, as we entered the Green Room, stood Ken in plain civilian clothes.  We spared no time for pleasantries and instead went right in for the bear hug befitting decades of friendship.  

Years back when I was still in college, I’d been referred a unique opportunity to teach a wedding dance to a couple, it ended up being Ken and his wife Melinda and as a bonus I also got to teach Kurt and his wife Tomoko their dance as well stealing quick dance lessons in the green room of the New York Philharmonic literally right before he went on stage to deliver another unforgettable performance.

When I recounted the story of how we met to my friends, Ken reminded me that he and his wife just celebrated their 20th wedding Anniversary and they still think of their first dance that I taught them all those years ago. So crazy how fast time flies.

Ken was now principal conductor for the Milwaukee Symphony orchestra as well as serving with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and I was just so proud of what he had achieved.

As we left the grounds and began our ride back to our hotel, I looked at my friends and could feel that they had a wonderful experience.

It came as such a relief but it made me realize…

The amount of times we get to share  something special with those we care about is limited.

I’d lost sight of that, consumed by an expectation of a designed experience when the experience itself WAS the design, no matter the  unexpected developments that occur along the way. It’s all added notes for a future recounting anyways…like this very moment.

Ultimately, it wasn’t the Berkshires, the music, or even Mr. Williams himself…it was the company and the shared experiences that are the most precious things to be present for.

It’s the greatest soundtrack of our lives.

PAST EVENTS

August 15th: Sugary x Tradisyon: A Kamayan Feast — Over 10 of you showed up to enjoy an absolutely sumptuous feast as Chef Anton and his crew created a massive spread that was a delight for the senses and left everyone rolling out the door with the amount of food offered. Truly a special culinary moment!

August 20th: Town Hall II — Nearly 20 of you joined us as we hosted our second town hall at AMA Raw Bar East Village.  It was a dynamic and engaging evening as we presented our vision for the community and took in suggestions 

August 22nd: Write to Read Salon III — Our most successful salon yet! Over 25 of you joined us for an incredible evening of anonymous stories ranging from the heartfelt to the hilarious. It was a truly memorable affair!

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

Danica Dora

Danica Dora is an interesting find.

I first came across this Nashville based singer during three the trailing credits to the Netflix documentary Skywalkers: A Love Story.

Her vocals drew me in with a hypnotic and unmistakable blend of Stevie Nicks and Lana Del Rey set to the moody and atmospheric backdrop of Eric Kinny’s sonic tapestry, it certainly caught my attention and I decided to explore further.

What I discovered was a sound that was somewhat different than this first introduction. 

Most of Danica’s songs are “adult lullabies” of a vintage folkish feel with an unmistakable country twang delivered with a semi-lethargic pacing and a vocal tone that is breathy, measured yet smooth. 

Yet certain songs convey a capacity to stretch the fabric of her artistry towards the darker and moodier vibes conveyed in Last Goodbye.

All in all, it’s gonna be interesting to see how Danica shapes her sound in forthcoming releases balancing these two directions.

I suggest you stay tuned to what this artist has in store…

I Don’t Leave You (most popular)

Last Goodbye (lesser known song)

Wind Has Blown (newest song)

NOTABLE NYC EVENTS THIS WEEK FROM OUR FRIENDS

Mon. 9/9 - Fintech Is Femme Creator Summit: NYC’s Premier Event for Founders, Business Leaders & Creators: RSVP HERE

Thu. 9/12 - Social4TheWin - The Creator’s Wardrobe - Standing Out in Fashion and Beauty: RSVP HERE

Tue. 9/17 - THE CLIMATE IS PSYCHEDELIC: Expanding Possibilities & Pathways for Lasting Change: RSVP HERE

Wed. 9/18 - Call to Gather Classes: RSVP HERE