in which two of my rock n' roll heroes decide to pay a visit

I dreamt that I was returning home to New York City on some kind of business. I can't remember what exactly I was there to do. But instead of being picked up at the airport by my parents, like I usually am, I was met by Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth. I'm not sure why they were there. I had this dream two days ago, so it's a bit foggy, but I was just unintentionally reminded of it now.

The three of us were supposed to do something in the city, but first, they had to drive me home to Staten Island to see my family--my mother's side--who were gathered at my grandmother's house. I think it was the day before Christmas, and I was going to see everyone the next day anyway, but they still wanted me to drop by so they knew that I got in okay.

I suppose in this dream reality, Kim, Thurston and I went way back. And I guess, in a sense, we do, because I have been listening to their music for a very long time now. They're not always in my CD rotation, but I do always come back to them. But even though we went way back in the dream, we weren't really more than just good acquaintences.

At my grandmother's house was a handful of aunts and uncles and my mother, and my grandmother must have been there somewhere, but I don't remember seeing her. We were all in the kitchen at one point, and I remember feeling a little uncomfortable about having two underground rock heroes mingling with my decidedly not underground rock family, most of whom are well into their 60s and beyond. But other than a few awkward moments, things seemed to be okay. Kim seemed to be adjusting to my family better than Thurston, who always seemed aloof and difficult to me in interviews.

I did my best to keep the meeting brief. I was to see my family the next day anyway, and since I hadn't seen Kim and Thurston in a while, I really wanted to get going and spend some time with them. Then, as I announced I had to use the bathroom before we left, someone said something that must have rubbed Thurston the wrong way, because he retorted with a statement that could have been taken as insulting, though I wasn't sure if it was, if he meant it or if he was just joking around. I moved quickly into the bathroom to take a rather long piss and wondered if the members of Sonic Youth would be waiting for me when I was finished.

[Photos by Stefano Giovannini]