#223: Billy Jones
Billy Jones on Survivor, The Dollar Bin at Academy on Oak St, Oversharing, and more.
Cool people like cool things, which is why we asked Billy Jones to share a taste of his taste on Perfectly Imperfect.
Billy Jones is an occasional DJ and the owner of Baby’s All Right, the iconic Brooklyn venue that’s hosting the Perfectly Imperfect Two Year Anniversary Party this Saturday (10/22). In his twenty year career he’s helmed legendary clubs like Elvis Guesthouse & The Dance, and even managed Aaron Maine (aka Porches). Chances are that even if you’ve never been to Baby’s you’ve probably seen their unique light wall in the background of Instagram posts or frequently read about the venue in music scene blogs. That’s because it’s not your average touring band stop, it’s the nucleus of a local community that also draws bigger acts such as Spoon, Dev Hynes, and Hot Chip. At the center of it all is Billy, someone who’ll program a five hour Caveh Zahedi marathon back-to-back with Porches and The Dare. Lucky for us, Billy is here to tell us what he’s been into.
Note: Our party is sold out online but there’ll be limited tickets at the door!
Without further ado
Billy Jones (instagram)
📺 Survivor
For years, I harshly judged anyone who watched this show until my girlfriend, Natalie, convinced me to tune in and drop out. It started innocently with the incredible Season 37 which featured Mike White (White Lotus, Chuck and Buck, etc) but very quickly escalated into me triumphantly conquering a brief spell of depression with the aide of 42 seasons of the greatest reality show of all time.
💵 Dollar Bin at Academy on Oak St.
Time and time again I’ve found amazing gems digging through this musical honey hole. Sure a cover might be tattered or an LP could have some surface noise but you can seriously build a world class collection alone from just Academy’s dollar bin. (Example finds, Ahmad Jamal - Jamal Plays Jamal (VG+), Sagittarius - Present Tense (Promo), Etta James - At Last (First Mono), Sylvia Striplin - You Can’t Turn Me Away 12”)
🌎 Sharing Locations
For so long no one was going anywhere and now that everyone is going everywhere it’s fun to see where they are and who’s around. I think we should all share our locations with each other. If you’re reading this right now please share your location with me.
⚖️ By-The-Pound Goodwill in Long Island City
If your energy is up and you’re in the right mental space you could easily come home with 100 plus pounds of amazing shit at a penny on the dime. People there are fucking nuts so be prepared.
🌉 The Williamsburg Bridge
I’ll admit it, it’s not the prettiest bridge but it’s the best bridge goddammit. Without it I don’t think I could have made it through the past 20 years bouncing back and forth between my two most beloved zones in NYC. Though, I wish I could’ve been up there in 61’ to see Sonny Rollin’s blowing to the cosmos after he got clean.
🗣 Oversharing
I’m pretty sure you’re supposed to say, “Good and you?” when someone asks, “How are you doing?” Not me. I love taking this opportunity to honestly unload exactly where I’m at on the ever swinging pendulum that is my constantly shifting emotional/psychological/spiritual state. Try being completely transparent next time someone cracks open this door to a potentially true human connection.
🤐 Zip-up hoodies
I’m constantly surprised that people still wear un-zipped hoodies, myself included. Why not opt for the version that you can take on and off with such ease?
🎥 AMC in Battery Park
It’s always empty, it’s always cozy and you can sneak burgers in from the Shake Shack next door. After, if you want to process and talk it through with your date or friends, the exit dumps you into the hyper-posh space age lobby of the Conrad Hotel. Chilling there feels like being an ant stretching out in first class on a Virgin redeye.
🎶 Live Music
If you’re looking for an easy fix on taping into the immediate present there’s no better way than going to see Live Music. Go see 𝓛𝓲𝓿𝓮 𝓜𝓾𝓼𝓲𝓬 tonight.
Follow Billy on Instagram
Follow Baby’s All Right on Instagram
Buy tickets to the Perfectly Imperfect Party on October 22nd.
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