REMEMBER WOODSTOCK? Buckets of rain, some good music yadda-yadda. Well, last week's Webstock have many of the same elements. Held on July 18 at the Frying Pan in the Hudson River--New York's hottest new media party spot these days--it was sponsored by NYC Citysearch, Canadian Consulate General, WebCinema and others.
It featured a torrential rainstorm at midnight and lots of young folks (new media kidlets) in the standard grunge uniform: plaid pants, halter top, thick-soled -sneakers, and a bunch-o-bands (some worse than others). Glancing out along the Hudson, I spoke with Matt Lederman and Bill Fisher of RogueMarket, Jason Ordway and Ian Wood of CNNFn, and Brian Hack of Ruder Finn. Roy deMamboe, of deMamboe Interactive commented: "the band played serious sad grunge music as the crowd watched on with intense satisfied malaise." Internet vetern David Frackman nodded seriously in agreement. It wasn't all that bad -- this was another charity event for the National Cristina Foundation, and Chef Ashbell's spicy Cajun cookin' sent us home with happy bellies of jerk chicken.
LEAVING WEBSTOCK meant crossing a potential minefield: dodging lake-sized puddles, an Emergency Medical Services Unit was carrying out some poor minnow who fell on his head, and two of New York's top new media firms were apparently engaged in a rumble. I won't name names, but did overhear one person shout while several others were embroiled in head-locks "You don't want a scene." Could it be they meant this "Scene"? Gotcha!
* check if this was june 18
(Appeared originally in @The Scene in the @NY newsletter)
A chronicle of the people and events in technology, internet and media since 1997, mixed in with snapshots of musings and observations.
