Urban Exploring: Open Crates + Sweet Chick (Special Edition)
THE SYNOPSIS
In this Lost Episode of Urban Exploring, Guru and Ike share clips about the success and growth of Open Crates in the earlier part of 2014. The duo also spent a day in Williamsburg Brooklyn at CMJ to catch up with drummer Layton Weedeman of Courtesy Tier as he performed with his friends Isle Of Rhodes. Lastly, they grabbed grub from Sweet Chick, a soulful Chicken and Waffle restaurant also located in Williamsburg Brooklyn.
THE DISCOVERIES
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OPEN CRATES
Open Crates curates music, breaks records and builds culture for progressive vinyl heads. We vibe on all genres of heavy percussive music.
Check them out monthly in Jersey City for Open Dig, click the flyer for more details.
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SWEET CHICK
Sweet Chick's philosophy is simple: Great Food, a Cool Vibe, and interesting Cocktails at a great price.
Along with some of the best fried chicken and waffles in New York City, we're serving what we like to call American cuisine with a Southern accent: Rustic but Modern American comfort food and twists on classic dishes and cocktails, plus home-baked desserts that will make you feel like a kid again. The dining room, on the bustling corner of North 8th and Bedford Ave, is as cozy and inviting (and locally-sourced) as our food. Check them out on Yelp
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CMJ
CMJ connects music fans and music industry professionals with the best in new music through interactive media and live events. CMJ also produces a legendary Music Marathon, the largest and longest-running music industry event of its kind, in addition to live events across the US. LEARN MORE[/one_half]
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ISLE OF RHODES
Isle of Rhodes is the moniker for Rob Farren's hard hitting indie rock project. Known for interweaving dynamic stylings and virtuosic abilities, while fashioning rock with an ensemble flair, Isle of Rhodes, draws upon on blues, funk, and classical elements, with influences ranging from Gershwin, Beethoven, Radiohead, The Beatles, Arcade Fire, to Roy Orbison. LEARN MORE[/one_half_last]
LAYTON WEEDEMAN
Layton Weedeman is a drummer and DJ from Moorestown, NJ who graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Professional Music from the Berklee College of Music in 2004. He moved to Brooklyn, New York soon after with his alt-rock-indie band Courtesy Tier. As a drummer, he’s been featured on records by local artists Jessi Robertson, Isle of Rhodes and Man Made West. With Courtesy Tier, Layton has toured the US, played showcases for CMJ in New York City as well as SXSW in Austin, TX and has been named one of the top artists in New York’s indie rock scene by the Deli Magazine three years in a row. As a DJ, he goes by the alias DJ Laytonic and exclusively spins vinyl records highlighting hip-hop instrumentals from the 90’s. His mixes include music by A Tribe Called Quest, DJ Premier, J Dilla, Buckwild and Pete Rock. For more on Layton Click Here
THE MUSIC
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PAT VAN DYKE - Frequency
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PAT VAN DYKE - Swindle
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DJ CENTER -
Dem Say Ah
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HäZEL - Badoowap
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LAYTONIC - Until You Were Gone
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BIG JACK - Live @ OC
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In My Shoes ft. Andres Jimenez
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[one_half_last]Back in 2010 NIKE made a huge push on all of their vintage products and I felt the need to have a pair. I loved the silhouette, the fit, how light they were in my hands. The soles were so narrow yet they still gave me support. They also had a nice vintage patina on them, which made them look even better.
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[one_third]From a very young age, clothes and sneakers have been important to me. What I choose to wear on any given day will always let you know how I feel. The price tags never really mattered to me, it was more so about quality, construction and what the colors or brand represented. In regards to my closet, I always refer back to “Classics” or “Basics” when building my wardrobe.
In the same year I purchased these kicks, we (Tritonic – A Creative Agency) won another ADCNJ Award and I participated in a fashion blog called Hello Mr. Daily specifically as Mr. Friday.
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[one_half_last]Later in 2010 I did some traveling and my first escape was to Montreal. A mini get-away with a few of my Hello Mr. Daily friends, this trip was strictly to party and explore. The following month I went to Chicago for my creative agency Tritonic. At this time I was the creative director and principal of the agency, we were helping our client The James Hotel in Chicago and NYC. In November I flew down to Mexico to participate in my sister’s wedding, it was such a beautiful experience to be down there with friends and family. And finally my last stop was home, Colombia to be exact, visiting my family after working hard all year. It was truly relaxing to be back in the motherland with no worries at all.
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At this point in my career, it was important for me to remain excited and fulfilled in everything I did. So I matched my hard work with hard play, by exploring the world, because I’m aware that staying fresh on what’s new is important to staying creative. I also felt the need to try working on something new, something to balance myself. Having Tritonic was fun and surrounded me with people I enjoyed. But I needed another outlet, and I found that in digging and spinning music. Throughout it all, I kept traveling to places like Boston, Montreal and even London.
[one_half]DJing and Records went from a hobby to a passion, which developed into a Vinyl Culture Collective called Open Crates. We’re now approaching our second vinyl release with Pat Van Dyke being our first and DJ Center coming out in April of this year.
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Since I’ve had these sneakers, I’ve closed up one creative agency, joined another agency as a joint venture, left and started one all over again. In 4 years, I’ve put thousands of miles on these sneakers. I’ve been blessed to have traveled all over North America, South America, the Caribbean, even hit the UK with them. They’ve been with me during hard times but also at my feet for moments I’ll cherish the rest of my life.
