Somewhere betweeen a thrift sale and performance piece, this midnight storefront appeared to be a spirit conjured from early-to-mid 2000's vanguard artist-inhabited Williamsburg. Was I hallucinating? Was I having an authentic experience?
I'd been pedaling home after a run in McCarren Park when slowly changing disco lights caught my eye. A garage sale around midnight on a Friday is curious enough an affair without disco lights. As it was too bizarre to avoid, I stopped to learn more.
I talked to the shopkeep (for lack of a better descriptor) and his partner. This garage on a corner surrounded by condos under construction is their live-work space, their home and recording studio temporarily converted into a storefront.
They had old live audio reinforcement equipment, mic clips for stands, XBox games, tennis rackets, and bike shoes. They said they specialized in selling audio equipment direct from a manufacturer in China. I heard "direct from the manufacturer" at least 5 times in the conversation. That and a pitch for their band moving service, a large van for hire to get musicians between practice spaces and their gigs. I took a business card for both operations, shook hands and went on my way.