I love touring and being on extended travels but it’s always great to take quick weekend trips that are in and out so that you can find yourself sleeping in your own bed before the start of the new work week rolls around. I just landed in from Boston where I was scheduled to play the wildly fun Soulelujah dance party which was as fun as always (stay tuned for a photo recap), and in addition to making people dance, I was on a mission to link up with the man who built an empire of fresh baked goods and who’s 80’s nostalgia runs deep in his blood, the baker himself, Johnny Cupcakes. Most know Johnny for his unique t-shirt and apparel brand Johnny Cupcakes, his keynote speaking engagements or through word of mouth in a tell a friend to tell a friend fashion but I wanted to connect the dots and stories of everything from 80’s movies to our respective industries, from our weird obsessions in collecting what some categorize as oddball things to our love of 45’s, there’s no doubt that Johnny is a unique human being and it was great to spend a few hours talking shop. As DJ Paren of Naptown Soul Club puts it, “good humans connect” and that what we did.
After scooping me up from the hotel we grabbed lunch at Restauranteur Barbara Lynch’s highly recommended Sportello for an amazing Italian meal. Everything on the menu is freshly made with some very unique dishes which seals the deal on why people love eating here. Following lunch, Johnny gave me a tour around the city as we headed to his brick and mortar operations of the Johnny Cupcakes store which had an amazing layout and design resembling a full on bakery (complete with a buttery fragrance in the air), a wall of ovens and full refrigerators which housed products on display. After leaving the store it was time to do a little digging and check out the homies at the newly opened Vinyl Index shop. It’s always great to see fellow DJ’s and creatives go the extra mile to open up shops, especially in the vinyl world. After all, who better to own a record store than the DJs and collectors themselves?
There’s something special about the collective of artists and creatives in Boston and trips like this are always motivating and inspirational for me being around people who get it, people who are bringing something unique and personal to the table and just good humans in general which have become a rare thing these days. If you’re ever in the Boston area, be sure to stop by and show love to both Johnny Cupcakes and Vinyl Index, two shops made from their passions and love.