The Standard Has a Broken Speaker
Inside the halls of 848 Washington St., you’ll find an eclectic assortment of paraphernalia. From dildos to designer toothpaste, The Shop at The Standard Hotel shocks tourists and Murray Hill couples alike. I spend 40 hours a week roaming the gift shop, dodging awkward/ annoying questions. (Did I just dox myself?)
During peak hours, Friday and Saturday evenings, patrons from Le Bain’s sunset hours spill into the shop, filling the space with their drunk energy and hilarious conversations. The flow of dialogue here mirrors the energy of the space: a mix of confusion, curiosity, and pure chaos. Here’s a taste:
But notice there’s a new addition to the flow chart: What happened to the music?
Yes, the hotel with a legit record label, the last cool discotheque in Manhattan, and a resident DJ on payroll for the lobby... has a broken speaker in the gift shop. Broken promise after broken promise, the speaker is still kaput. They don’t know what happened. It’s been two weeks. My guess is as good as any.
At first, no of music was a relief. The silence was peaceful until the first customer walked in. Suddenly, the deafening silence gave me hearing damage. Out of necessity and part to capitalize on the opportunity, I brought in my own speaker to work. Now, here’s what I’ve been listening to...
Playing music for such a broad audience has made me rethink the concept of hotel music altogether. I find myself questioning what The Standard’s musical identity really is. It’s forced me to use the free time at my fun, but often boring, position to dive deeper into the connection between The Standard and music. I'm trying to find the through line. I’ll report my findings in a future blog post.
For now, though, I’m stuck iPod DJing. My mission: walk the line between playing songs for a 20-something guest who cool-guyed me and not completely scaring the 50-something businessman on his New York trip (I earn commission.)
Armand Van Helden is my cheat code right now.
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