Bob's Pics
Thrift store time machine.
Furnish Green is one of my favorite neighborhood stops.
There is a 1989 Batman cutout in the window, a tray of free candy and (on rare occasion) live comedy shows in the back.
But most importantly: they have lots and lots of stuff.
On any given day, the store will showcase a handful of big boy midcentury furniture pieces scattered amongst tons of random (albeit intriguing) piles of records, comics and bric-a-brac, aka Nick catnip.
Most of it is sourced from estate sales in North / Central Jersey.
“Can’t take it with you,” so it ends up here.
One of the more interesting collections I’ve seen on the floor belonged to the late Robert Poeschl, a public school music teacher and amateur photographer who worked in post-white flight Newark throughout the 1970s. Over the last year and change, FG has put his library of rare jazz publications up for sale, along with an insane archive of personally developed darkroom photo prints.
Onstage and off, Poeschl finds beauty in people and their lives.
The magic is even more pronounced when you take in the collection as a whole, juxtaposing legends from Miles to Monk with anonymous Weequahic HS students.
Everyday individuals, all worthy of a frame.
This small yet specific chunk of history could have been completely lost to a landfill after he passed. But instead, enterprising strangers sifting through a dead guy’s belongings said “woah, cool.”
Now I own Bob’s Blue Note-worthy shot of a brass horn, as well as a vibey double exposure (blurry car mirror reflection?) of a woman in sunglasses walking her dog in front of a dude who could have worked backline for Steely Dan.
Furnish Green and the Newark Public Library have shared scans of Bob's pics via Archive Dot Org (once again, thank u for ur service), but definitely pop in and cop one IRL if you can.
These tiny pieces of music / NJ history will make a fun and affordable holiday gift for any collector oddballs or photography fans in your own life.
Enjoy ‘em while they last…
Until the next person does.
“Рушана, Углами (лайв в коридоре)” — no connection to the “have u ever seen Russian cursive” memes that took over my IG explore page, just a live track from an artist I know even less about. It absolutely rips. Per Google Translate: “Four iPhones, one security camera, one gray-green corridor. Enjoy!”
emory, “dirt” (legit beautiful)
Sharp Pins, “Popafangout” (more here, digging the whole LP)
Spider-Man Goes To A Mets Game — erstwhile Muppeteer Danny Seagren passed recently, and obits noted that he was the first actor to ever play Spider-Man in live action on The Electric Company. These partially-animated skits are bugged out and make me think of Cassius’ “1999” music video.
An Interview with Lawrence, Icon of the Pop Underground (let’s gooo)
Quentin Tarantino Talks About That Time He Directed a CSI Episode
Playlists updated!