Hey peeps! How is June already almost over? I mean, really though, where does the time go? This month has felt like a whirlwind of displacement with weekend trips to Boston to hear music, Baltimore for a bestie’s wedding, and a full two weeks of Manhattan stay-cation taking care of my parents’ periodically pesky pooch, Otto.

Stay-cation? Who am I kidding? I’ve been working my little butt off catering, temping, babysitting, and getting back in the background game with days on a British reality series, Taking New York, and NYC’s own Law & Order: SVU. Now I’ve just arrived in Clayton, GA for a short residency at the Lillian E. Smith Center, where I will work on sifting through my Taiwan interviews to find the juice. More on all of that soon.

Now, I gush about my Boston trip. And first, a little background.

In November, the night I closed the latest run of Lillian Smith: Being Heard, I ended up talking to a guy who really made me smile at a party that neither of us were supposed to go to. He was playing trumpet in a salsa band that night. We met for drinks a few days later, and Jason and I have been going strong ever since!

Jason Prover is an incredibly talented musician, and I’m not just saying that because I’m totally biased. He is the leader of his own Sneak Thievery Orchestra, which you can see frequently at Radegast in Williamsburg. He also plays with The Hot Sardines and Williamsburg Salsa Orchestra, to name a few. Now you’re up to speed!

So at the beginning of the month, The Hot Sardines played with the Boston Pops for a three-night residency. I was able to go for all three shows and it was a real treat to hear how the band and orchestra grew each night with arrangements by Bill Elliott, who I had the pleasure of sharing a table with on opening night.

The biggest treat was being able to explore Boston with Jason. Even though it was business for him, we had a lovely time. It didn’t hurt that we got to stay at the Fairmont Copley Hotel! (You can see the sweetest video of The Hot Sardines serenading the Hotel’s doggie concierge, Catie Copely here!) I can’t wait to see where we’ll go next!

Here’s a collage and video of Jason Prover and his Sneak Thievery Orchestra busking in Washington Square Park last week with NYC BABBLE Fest. Enjoy!