My friend Jessica was moving away and I already hadn't seen her in months. It's hard to keep up with good friends in New York, even if you live about a mile from each other. I promised to make her a random sandwich before she left for L.A. Our schedules clashed and smashed together, but we finally found a time. She invited me to a small, casual show she was playing with another band called Psychic Twin. I went to a nondescript loft building at the edge where Bushwick and Williamsburg kiss. Up, up, up about four flights of very long stairs and I found myself in a very welcoming living room.

I found Jess and she was loading in many keyboards. We caught up a little while she ate her bresaola sandwich. She introduced me to Erin, the singer from Psychic Twin and we hung out, sitting on the floor. What happened next was nothing short of a New York moment. About thirty people gathered around a small stage in the living room and a band started to play. All of their undivided attention. Not a clink of a glass or a tss from a beer can.  How amazing it felt to be around these bands and people who love music.

One Thousand Birds is a mixing studio and sound design company who hosts this monthly get-together as "OTB: LIVE!" Three bands play 20 minutes, much like CMJ short sets but in this warm and intimate atmosphere. I had noticed that barely anyone descended down those four flights of stairs through the whole night. They must be hungry! I spoke to Laura and enthusiastically volunteered to bring food next time in exchange for donations.

Two birds but not quite a thousand, I had a brunch photo shoot scheduled for St. Patrick's Day with my friends Mo and Ramsey. Why not double everything and bring it to OTB later on? 

• St. Patrick's Day Brunch Menu
• Tomato Confit
• Kale salad with lomo chips
• Beet relish
• Duck fat colcannon
• Shortcut corned beef
• The Marrows ginger molasses cake by Mo

Later on this past October, we had our first cold snap and I arrived with two batches of soup. I've found that people who are passionate about finding new music are also open to new food experiences. Upon entering the kitchen, people would exclaim that it smelled like fall. 

Sign up for the OTB Live! mailing list here. 

I owe it all to Jess! Check out her band Via Audio and latest album NATURAL LANGUAGE:

Other bands I've discovered through OTB: