I’m writing to you from the airport, where I live now! I just got back from a beautiful five-day trip to London for the No Gods No Mayors live shows we did (more on that in a sec) and now I’m off again for some family stuff in the midwest this weekend. The airport! They got everything here. Coffee. Bathrooms. You name it!
From top: Nova, Me, Riley, our musical accompaniment Myles
RE: LONDON! What a time I had. I had never actually met my cohosts Riley and Nova before in person? I’ve known them for the better part of a decade I think, and we’ve been working together for almost two years, but it was such a lovely experience to hang out IRL and hug and high five and eat and walk around and laugh. I also want to thank everyone who came out to any of the shows, everyone we met at the merch table after the shows was so friendly and cool and enthusiastic. A person came dressed up as a cow! I also got to meet Myles (of Me Rex), who did such an admirable job being our Paul Shaffer and supplying live music to meet our insane demands. Incredible time, what a dream, I’ll never forget it.
I also have to recommend Sir John Soane’s museum if you’re ever London. Our friend Elijah basically pointed a gun at us and told us to go there knowing it would be extremely my shit, and guess what: he was right! It reminded me a bit of the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia if you’re familiar, just a single rich guy’s idiosyncratic vision of how his collection should be viewed. Behold, my stuff! It’s got the same problems as any other museum with regards to, let’s say, the provenance of certain items (this mf had a real Egyptian sarcophagus in his basement) (read Simplicity if you want more Mattie Museum Thoughts) but there was something so alive about the place, I think because mostly it was built in a way that he liked to have parties there (if any of you are having candlelit sarcophagus parties you legally have to invite me). There was also a real sense of humor to it, despite it being generally insane in there, there was for instance a whole room devoted to making fun of gothic architecture, because he thought it was stupid, complete with an overly ornate tomb and memorial to a pet dog. Cool as hell building. And, like a lot of London museums, totally free!
Appearances Etc
The Metropolitans event I moderated lat night for AM Gittlitz’s book went really great. You can still catch it streaming reruns on nytv.live for the next few days I think.
May 7: I’m reading some comics for the launch of the new issue of Picnic!
June 6-7: TCAF
Frog and Peach Report
can you believe i have to leave the house sometimes
i’m taking peach with us actually
Best Stuff I Ate in London
One quick thing. London is great and the weather was really nice! Please pick a side that everyone agrees to step to when someone is coming at you on the fucking sidewalk please. Chaos. Madness. What’s happening.
A bread with like, little anchovies (?) on it at, Brat
Everything (?!) at Akoko
Yoghurtlu at Mangal 1
Salt cod, XO, and labneh at OMA
Sausage roll at Ginger Pig
Black dal at Dishoom
Thanjavur chicken curry at Tamil Crown
April Comics, from my Patreon
PODCASTS!
No Gods No Mayors rolls on! The live shows will get parceled out on the Municipal Benevolent Feed. Just five bucks a month!
Temporal Culture War is finally about to hit another SHRAN.
Odds and Ends
Hopped on Quorators to talk about some big city politics.
