"I am obsessed with the vibe and music scene in New York in the 70’s. Rock was at the height of its decadence, glam rock was emerging along with disco and hip hop, and if that wasn’t enough, punk came along and punched the whole scene in the mouth.
I am continually drawn to this era due to the diversity and artistic impression that seemed to be flowing through NYC. Right in the middle of all this was the emergence of Kiss. I was once again introduced at a very young age by my brother who stumbled upon Kiss Alive 2 and played it until the needle wore out. Kiss became an obsession in my neighbourhood and Halloween started to look like a Kiss concert. I was always costumed as Ace Frehley, right from the start. I can’t tell you why I was drawn to him, but I was. My first Kiss/Ace record (and possibly my first record overall) was a 45 of “New York Groove” with “Snow Blind” as the B-side. Looking back, I can say with conviction, NYG was my first favorite song. To this day that song remains on high rotation in my car and studio.
The background of this piece is not without calculation. I’ve been fortunate enough to travel to many cool cities throughout the world but my favorite city by far is NYC. The background reflects my favorite time of day in the NYC; There’s always a palatable buzz in the city, but that energy seems to shift gears in early evening. As theaters in midtown start buzzing, and the cocktail lounges, pubs and restaurants start to fill up, there is a sense of anticipation that overcomes me…whatever the night brings, “it’s gonna be ecstasy, this place was meant for me”. - Stickman
