Near Death Experience (let's do it again!)

This past weekend, I had signed up to ride in the 40-mile course of the Tour de Houston.  And that was my intention when I got to the starting line on Sunday morning... but... it's only 20 more itsy bitsy miles to ride the full 60-mile course.  Right?

So yeah, I rode the whole dang course and while it seemed like a REALLY bad idea about 35 miles into the ride, by the time I crossed the finish line, I felt super happy and accomplished about the ride.  66 miles!

I was surprised by my average speed because nearly the entire time down to the lake, I was battling a strong head-wind - it got to the point where I simple put my head straight down and pedaled without looking up - just following the lines on the road to ensure I wasn't going into a ditch.

The ride back to the starting point was a completely different story in that the head-winds were now behind me and I was freaking GOING!  Once I hit that stride, my confidence boosted and I was pedaling like no tomorrow. The route went super close to the house where my sons and their mother live, so once I got near, I sent a message and they were out there to cheer me on!  It's important for them to see their parents active in community events as it's a healthy way to share our enthusiasm.

During the ride - when I wasn't being smashed in the face with head-winds - I had a fantastic, hard rhythm going through my mind (I think it was inspired by The Notorious B.I.G.) and I did my best to capture it via a voice memo.  I'm going to double track the drum machine for the demos I'm making - recording a second take in a different part of the room - so I can experiment with getting a bigger tone.

Also, for the record - my trousers are not ripped on the sides in the photo of me with my sons.  Those are zippered vents on mountaineering stretch trousers.  I find these much better (and durable) for bike riding and skateboarding than the Castelli pants I also picked up.  The Castelli pants are nice to look at and feel good, but don't have that durable feel to them... I'll have to post about the two later.  

After the ride, I went home, showered off, and then rewarded myself with my favorite comfort food - Indian food!!!  Dahi puri and a masala dosa along with a mango lassi (see pic below).  I went to one of my favorite spots, Honest Indian Food, and just quietly enjoyed the amazing food.  Went home and - basically - passed the fuck out.  Hopefully I can get on the drum machine this week to try and capture some of my rhythm ideas.

Since I almost died on this ride, I felt that I should try again... like this upcoming weekend... in Hempstead, Texas at the Pedaling the Prairie event.  This time, I'm feeling ambitious and signing up for 54 miles.  Ha ha... guess I'll see what happened when I reach that half-way point.  :)

All of this bike riding is leading up to the massive 150 mile ride that is the Texas MS150.  I did the ride last year and felt an euphoric sense of accomplishment when I was done.  I believe I'm far more prepared for this year's race than last year as I now know what to pack and what to leave behind.  Last year - I carried a back-pack with my bike tool, extra snacks, extra shirt, and some other stuff.  I didn't realize that at each stop, I could load up on what I needed (even minor bike adjustments) without carrying a bunch of stuff with me.  I'm on the Saint Arnold's Bike Team again too.

Oh yeah - my sons and I went to go check out Doomsday Wrestling this past Saturday night at Urban South Brewery.  I mean... how could I NOT take them.  Live-action wrestling with a bunch of characters is the stuff dreams are made of.  They enjoyed it even though it got REALLY loud inside.

That remind me, I should check out some Urban South brews the next time I'm at Beers Looking At You.  And now, here's a few more beauty photos from my day at the races!

At the finish line - death or glory!!

Dehi puri and masala dosa

Coffee & Bikes ;)

This weekend - I'll be riding 40 miles in the Tour de Houston and also checking out Doomsday Wrestling with my sons!  But first, how about some coffee?  

The last time I was in San Antonio, I stopped by Black Laboratory Brewing as I enjoy their stouts after a long bike ride.  While I was there, I also picked up a bag of their Ethiopian coffee that they have used in some of their beers - which I think is a brilliant idea to have both available.

First - the beer!  Their Vanilla Joe Coffee Stout is truly a beautiful brew.  It's made using Costa Rican coffee, which is an excellent choice for a smoother drink.  I find Costa Rican coffee has a bright, honey-like profile that's great for lattes, so blending it into a stout beer is a good choice in my book (blog).  And yeah, this beer delivers the goods.  It's smooth and delicious, dark but not heavy - as in filling.  A fantastic brew that deserves your attention.  :) 

Since I'm a fan of Ethiopian coffees, I couldn't resist picking up a bag of their light roast.  The Ethiopian Sidamo Natural is not a bean I'm very familiar with, although it's (apparently) commonly used by coffee shops.

I find the flavor profile of this bean to be not as robust as a Yirgacheffe (not many beans are) but still gives a distinct character... almost like a dark red wine feel. I also pick up hints of vanilla and smooth milk chocolate.  I'm not so sure about making a cold brew out of this roast... I think I need something a bit stronger for that... but overall, this is a great light roast for your morning routine.

Speaking of mornings... this Sunday I'll be biking 40 miles (maybe more if I'm feeling it) in the Tour de Houston!  I participated in this event last year as my first ever bike "race" and I loved it - although it was fucking grueling due to strong headwinds. This year, the route goes from downtown to Clear Lake, which is going to be great as I've taken that route before with the Saint Arnold's Bike Team.

I didn't pick up a bike jersey for this ride... but I might do it anyway as they look pretty slick this year.  But more importantly, I'm excited to be riding again and being a part of a larger effort.

I kind of wish I could listen to music while I ride as I want to keep listening to my latest demos of songs that I'll be recording in May.  Still a lot to do with these new batch of songs!

Noble Coyote Coffee - Cenfrocafe co-op

Today is a great day to post about my new coffee love!

While I was in Dallas a few weeks ago, I picked up a few bags of beans from the highly regarded (and highly recommended) Noble Coyote Coffee Roaster in Deep Ellum.

Side note 1: While on break from the tradeshow I was attending, I was actually looking for Elevate Coffee Trading Company - which, according to Google Maps, is located at Main Street Garden Park.  However, that site is a pop-up location and not an actual storefront.  When I called the number on the website, Michael from Elevate answered and schooled me on the Elevate site situation - but then... Michael took the time to text me a few excellent recommendations of places to go check out for coffee and coffee beans!  That's pretty amazing customer service.

Side note 2: Noble Coyote is right around the corner from Rainbow Vomit and Deep Ellum Brewing Company - both are worth checking out while you're in that area.  Okay, back to the story.

I picked up a couple of regular sized bags of beans and then saw this little sampler from the Cenfrocafe co-op from Peru.  Aaaand... since my Dad was born in Cajamarca, Peru - I thought it would be neat to check out coffee from his home town. 

 

This is a light, smooth coffee that does not have a strong flavor profile.  It definitely has that milk chocolate thing going on - but I'm not picking up the green apple essence as noted on the bag.  For sure, it's a creamy and light brew without a lot of character.  

This can be either good or bad, depending on how you like your coffees.

If you're the type that enjoys adding creams and flavors to your brew - then this coffee is PERFECT since its flavor profile is smooth enough to blend with anything you throw at it.

However - if you're a straight black no chaser kind of coffee drinker, then you might be disappointed with the lack of strong character from this coffee.  It's good, but leaves me wanting something with a bolder, more pronounced profile.  I'm glad I tried the sampler version of this coffee - since it's from my Dad's home town, but it's not a bean I'll be returning to.  

Instead, I have an AMAZING coffee that is on my list for the next time I'm in Dallas and/or in Austin and what follows is the object of my desire for today's post.

While I was walking around downtown Dallas, Michael from Elevate recommended that I check out the Bernie Bean Coffee Company - located just outside of the main downtown area.  While at the Bernie Bean, I picked up a cup of their Costa Rican coffee (labeled as Don Flor Coffee) and it was... religious!  I loved it so much, that I went back the next day to get another cup.  While chatting with the barista - she mentioned that they get their roasted beans from the Greater Goods Coffee Company in Austin and that the Don Flor is a re-label of Greater Goods' Take Me Home.  I didn't think to ask why Bernie Bean doesn't buy from a Dallas-based roaster, but I'm grateful that I now have a new roast to hunt down and "bring home"!  (see what I did there?)

TLDR: Peru - 0, Costa Rica - 1 

Back to back gigs in the Houston area? Sure!

Unexpectedly - I have two gigs in Houston this weekend that just fell into my lap a few weeks ago.

I had planned to take February off from gigs so I could focus on writing new material and get into shape for upcoming rides.  But since both shows are in Houston in one weekend - why not?  I'm going to use these gigs to test out new music that I'll be recording in Chicago in May.

Dana Ives are New Orleans and have a fantastic post-rock sound.  Hard to say exactly who they remind me of, but they have that mid-90s Matador / Merge Records style that I'm happy to see come back into style!  

I haven't performed at the 19th Hole (Spring, Texas - just north of Houston proper) in many, many years - so I'm curious to see what's new in that area.

On Sunday - which is also Superbowl Sunday - I'll be performing at a place called The Compound which is in the East End of Houston.  I *think* I've been there once while on a bike ride around the End End - and it reminded me of the markets I used to go to in Matamoros, Mexico / Brownsville, Texas.  Lots of good food and a weird / wild assortment of stuff for sale.

The bands for the Sunday show are mostly hardcore and punk - but I'm kind of floored that two are from Greece!  Like... how did THAT happen?  I'm pretty hyped to be part of this line-up even though I'm not really a hardcore / punk band.  Hopefully they like what I'm doing so I can go tour in Greece one day!

My next series of gigs are at the end of March - so I'll still have a lot of time to keep working / fine-tuning music as well as get several more bike rides in.

The Bike That Stole My Heart (State Bicycles)

While it may not be the fanciest bike out there, it's perfect for me. ☺  As of today's post, I’ve logged 1,700 miles on it and every mile on my road bike from State has been rewarding.

Backstory: When I was much younger, I used to take apart (aka destroy) my toys as I wanted to see what was inside... what makes these things do what they do so effortlessly?  I grew to appreciate the work that was inside the toy as well as the work that went into the exterior.

Fast forward a few decades and I'm now taking apart my guitars and amplifiers - not only because I want to see what's behind the curtain, but also because... well... sometimes stuff breaks.  After taking my gear to a repair shop a few times, I felt the need to do it myself.  So I did... and it was exciting!!!

Inside the guitar, I found a little self-contained universe of wires, magnets, capacitors and controllers.  The problem I faced when trying to repair and/or replace parts of guitar and amplifiers is that I never actually understood WHY they were in there to begin with.  I vaguely understood how this collection of things processed signals and worked their magic. 

So I asked repair techs and my engineering friends to share some insight (explain like I'm 5) and that's when the "why is this here?" and "what does this do?" questions turned into understanding and appreciation of how these miracles of electrical engineering worked together. 

Fast forward again to the 2020 pandemic and I'm stuck in my apartment looking at my bike.... I've got a bunch of tools and I'm feeling a little restless. So... I decided to take apart my bike and see how this thing works!  

After watching dozens of YouTube videos by Zach Gallardo and Park Tools, I tackled each piece of the bike to learn about bike maintenance and repairs.  And, much like with working on guitars and amps, if I couldn’t figure it out, I could take it to my local shop and get a pro’s opinion.

Here’s a look at the original specifications of the bike as received and then a note below of the upgrades.  Perhaps this will be helpful to anyone searching up this information in the future.

State Bike – 4130  (as of 2020)

• Cheng Shin Tires (CST) 700x25c
• Cheng Shin Tires (CST) tube 700 x 25/32
• JOOD Handlebar - 25mm wide.  600mm across. 
• KMC Chain - 96 links  1/8"
• Langhang Crankset - 46 teeth 130bcd
• Tri Diamond freewheel - 16 teeth
• Wellgo M248DU pedals
• Brakes - unknown, no markings.
• Gineyea bottom bracket - 103mm wide, 68mm bottom bracket width
• Wheel bearings – unknown. 6000RS

As of today's post, here’s what’s on the bike now

• Specialized - Armadillo Elite 700 x 28 tires
• Goodyear bike tubes (can’t recall the specs) – presta valve
• KMC – K1 (wide) chain
• Chromag - Scarab pedals
• Shimano - Ultegra BR-R8000 Brake Calipers
• Thomson Masterpiece Setback Seatpost (27.2)
• Thomson Seatpost Collar (28.6)
• White Industries - 16t freewheel
• Appleman - 2XR Crankset - 155mm
• Wolf Tooth - 110×5 BCD, 42 tooth, Drop Stop-A
• Kogel - BSA30 (cross) bottom bracket
• Acer – 6000RS ceramic nitride bearings

I plan to go into details about these upgrades (or "upgrades") over the next few months because I'm weirdly nerdy about this kind of stuff.

TLDR: I like to take things apart.

Porch Culture Coffee (2nd bag) and a new Grateful Dead live album (Dave's Picks 45)

Yes!  A new bag of coffee is ready to be opened and enjoyed at my home.  Let's dive in!

Today I am posting about the second bag of coffee I picked up in Tyler, Texas at Porch Culture and its name is as much of a mouthful as its flavor profile: Aurelio Villatoro Campamento Alto from Guatemala.  Here's a link to the coffee grower and his farm.  Guatemala coffees tend to be smooth and rich, so I was curious about this roast for a milder coffee experience.

Right away I noted that this coffee truly delivers.  It is smooth and has a melted chocolate feel with dark berry tasting notes. There's nothing complex about this roast but that doesn't mean it's boring.  I recommend not adding anything to this coffee such as milk, sugar.  Nope.  Just enjoy it straight up as it's a smooth and pleasant brew without an acidic bite.  Well done!

So while I'm digging the coffee, I'm also digging hard on the latest release from the Dave's Picks series by the Grateful Dead.

I've been listening to the Grateful Dead for a few decades now and was lucky to catch them in DC at RFK on July 13, 1989.  Even though my first show was in the late period of the band, I truly admire and enjoy the 70s era best... specifically late '71 to early '78.  So, when the announcement came out about the dates for the Dave's Picks #45 - I was ready!  

What sells it for me from the 70s are the beautiful tones and feel of the songs that they would play.  This set lacks the here-goes-nothing sonic experiments from the 60s and early 70s, but the playing is absolutely top notch with very, very few songs repeated over two nights.

I love listening to the Dead because I like their pace. Their songs never get too fast and sometimes their music blends into the background to the point of being sonic wallpaper.  But that mellow vibe of their songs, their playing, their sound... it gives me comfort during long drives on the road or when I'm just chilling at home.

Also, because of their pace, I tend to hear Grateful Dead's music in my head while I'm riding my bike to keep my cadence at a reasonable and steady pace.

Speaking of touring and races... I have three major bike rides coming up in March and April as well as a mini tour getting scheduled for late March.  And then in May, I'm back in Chicago for more touring as well as studio recording.  Yikes!

TLDR:  Guatemala coffee is good and I love The Dead!

My fight with alcohol abuse

For a brief time in my life, I was an alcoholic.  It was not a proud time and it certainly wasn’t a fun party.  I would wake up and start drinking alcohol, sneak in either a beer or drinks during lunch, go home and pour another drink until it was time for bed.  I guess you could say I had turned into a functional alcoholic as I waited until the weekends to get completely blitzed.  Looking back on that time, it’s embarrassing and sad.  What pulled me out of it was (a) getting away from people who encouraged my drinking and (b) the 2020 pandemic.

When the lockdowns were happening in Houston, I was alone in my apartment with my bike, record collection and my day job (via online).  I had stockpiled liquor and beers and coffee for what we all believed was going to be a brief pause in day-to-day life.  

As the days moved on, I began to move away from drinking alcohol all the time and, instead, focused on reading for work and riding my bike more.  I got to a point where I didn’t touch any alcohol for two months and I was incredibly proud of myself because I was moving into a new chapter of being healthy and active while focusing on important life things such as my sons and my career.

Fast forward to a year later and I can now enjoy a beer or two without the need for getting hammered.  I’ve learned how to moderate my alcohol consumption to a point where I know to stop and just enjoy it.  I still don’t drink mixed drinks very much at all… mainly dark beers and, it’s usually just one.

Having said all that, I will say that I had help and I highly, highly, highly recommend doing the same if you find that you are also in that place in life.  My therapist gave me a lot of work to accomplish but also provided me with a safe space to express what I needed.  I sometimes look back on my alcohol years with regret, but I continue to cognizant of stopping myself and focusing on the road ahead as I still have so much to discover and learn!

TLDR: I like to chill with a beer every now and then.

Spurcycle - Original Bell (guaranteed for life?)

A bike bell may seem like a cute accessory for your bike - but it's super handy on crowded trails in urban areas - or even when you're just wanting to say hello to your fellow biker!

Like everything else, I did a bit of online reading and was down to either the Knog Oi Luxe Bike Bell or the Spurcycle.  The Knog looks so cool, but most reviewers liked the Spurcycle for it's loud (cuts through the mix) but pleasant tone, serviceable parts, and the lifetime guarantee.  That last part didn't factor to much for me until very recently.

I bought this bell in September 2020 and it remained a faithful and sturdy companion on my State bike until one night when I was out riding.  I was about to flick the hammer of the bell when I noticed the lever was... gone!  I have no idea when it happened or anything, it just randomly came off during the ride.

When I got home, I checked the Spurcycle site and saw the lifetime guarantee disclaimer.  So... I emailed them about the missing lever and asked about repair options.  The bell itself was still perfectly fine, I just needed the lever mechanism replaced.

Spurcycle was quick to respond - although a bit pedantic.  They offer a replacement kit for the lever but I was missing the spring as well.  So, they asked me to send it back for an inspection and repair.

When it arrived at their place, their contact person sent me a message about the condition of my bell.

"We received your Bell today. There is a decent amount of corrosion forming on the Dome, so I'm putting together a replacement Bell that has a protective clear coat over the black DLC." 

Cool, eh?  However - what's really interesting is that Spurcycle sent over my original bell with the repaired lever AND a new bell.  I wasn't expecting that!

So 1000% kudos to Spurcycle on their attention to their customers and for their outstanding bells.

Porch Culture (Tyler, TX) - Kamwangi Factory Peaberry Coffee

While I was in Tyler, Texas for a gig at The Green Room last November, I stopped by Porch Culture to try their coffee and just chill until my AirBnB was ready.  It was a beautiful, sunny November day with a bright sun and deep blue skies... perfect for quiet contemplation and coffee.

I have tried a few different roasts of Peaberry beans and while I like the coffee from it, it's not part of my regular selection of coffees. It's good, but the Peaberry coffees have lighter notes that are more in line with, say, an afternoon cup rather than a cup to kick-start your day.

This roast of the Peaberry bean from Porch Culture is very much in line with what I expected - and that's a great thing.  It's light and has sharp citrus notes.  The finish is mild, but still has floral notes.  This coffee is a great complement to an afternoon scone or muffin.  Some roasters (including Porch Culture) note spices in the roasted bean, but it's not obvious to me.

Here's a link to a roaster in Stockholm that talks about the roasting process at Kamwangi Factory.  And here's a highly technical post from a roaster in Northern California that shares information about the farm, the roast, and scientific details about the bean!

Overall, this is a great, light afternoon coffee.  It's good to have a bag available for occasions where a full, hearty roast would be too much.

Stockhausen and The Amplified Riot - a beginning

The Amplified Riot started off in January 2020 as a three-piece garage / krautrock band.  Just your basic guitar, drums, bass thing with an occasional synth thrown in for weirdness.  In those first few months, we had crafted seven songs and working on fine tuning those songs for gigs and a release of some sort later in the year.

Then the 2020 pandemic happened and things slowly down to a grinding halt.  However, that didn’t stop me from working on new ideas and recording demos at home.  As time passed and the future of civilization looked like it was unraveling each day, I kept working on music (and riding my bike a lot) with the anticipation of getting back with the band mates as soon as we could.

But the months dragged on.

Finally, when we could finally meet and start jamming again, it appeared that EVERYONE had the same idea.  And each of us got busy with other, more established bands.  But I still liked the songs we made together and wanted to test out the idea of playing them on my own.  Hip hop, rap, trill, electronic artists all use drum machines and backing tracks without remorse and it’s commonly accepted to do so in those genres… why not with rock?

I still liked the name too, but I wanted to extend it out to make it almost ridiculous for a one-person band to have a long band name.  Eventually, I decided on Stockhausen and The Amplified Riot - as a way to pay homage to the band's beginning as well as call out to one of the most influential modern composers.   

From there, I began to rearrange the music to accommodate just me and a drum machine and started testing out the music at small gigs around Houston.  The results were interesting and encouraging so I kept it going with building touring schedules and (eventually) booking studio time.  

Every once in a while, I consider adding a bass player to play gigs with me since I feel the live sound could certainly use some low end frequencies.  I suppose we shall see what happens, but for now – it’s just me on the guitar and my trusty drum machine.

TLDR: all about the start of the band.

January

Got a couple of gigs and rides lined up for January that I am eager to post about.

Saturday the 21st will be in Dallas at Three Links in the Deep Ellum district with Moon Phase (Houston), True To Form (Houston), and Wish Kit (Denton).   

Deep Ellum has changed a lot over the past four years from being a kind of dive bar district with a lot of savory and "interesting" characters to now being a very slick, urban setting with shops, bars, and restaurants that accommodate tourists.  While the district has lost a lot of its dirty charm, it still has a good amount to offer if you're looking in the right places.  I love stopping by Deep Vellum Bookstore, Murray Street Coffee Shop, Nylo Wool Vintage Clothes, and Merit Coffee.

And then, a week later, I'm in San Antonio on Saturday the 28th at Saige Cave - which is a punk house show.  I love house shows, but I worry about the PA capacity since I rely on the house PA for the drum machine.  I'm eager to perform with Gauze, Could Be Worse, Florish, and Gult (all from SATX).  I love that the gig poster references Johnny The Homicidal Maniac. 

The trail system around San Antonio is no joke as it's an incredible... almost zen-like trail system. They have an amazing system that circles the outside of the city as well as trails stemming out from the downtown area.  But also, there's a wide range of topography along the trails that feels like you're not in Texas at all.  I really can't recommend it enough.  Start at Eisenhower Park and go in either direction - it's so worth it!

Also, I make a point to stop by either Black Laboratory Brewing or Philoçoffee (both if I can!) when I'm in San Antonio.  Not only does Black Laboratory have fantastic beers on tap (and canned) - they also have limited batches of coffee beans available that are used in their brews.  Philoçoffee is a quiet and friendly little cafe that serves up great coffee plus a limited but well-crafted food menu.  It's not a place to go if you're in a hurry - but it's so dang worth it!

Oh right... I need to mention a couple of rides I have this month!

I signed up for the Texas MS 150 to be held at the end of April.  This will be a 150 miles ride over two days from Houston to College Station, TX.  I've signed up (once again) to be part of the Saint Arnold's Brewery Bike Team, which is an absolute honor.

My first time doing this ride was last year and it was a serious learning / growth experience.  I tested my body and mind to push further than I had gone before and I felt more accomplished than ever before.  AND... I did the ride on a single speed (the State bike) which many people claimed was an absurd and crazy proposition... but I DID IT!

So... I have a group ride coming up with the brewery team on Saturday (planning on 41 miles) and theeeeeen, I have an Alleycat Race for Sunday the 29th with the Coffee and Bikes group.  Much excite!

If you're keeping tabs - I'm in San Antonio on the 28th, playing a gig at a punk house show, and then participating in a bike race less than 12 hours later in Houston.  WTF is wrong with me?  I suppose it's all part of the thrill of testing my mind and body once again to a near-death experience with music and biking.  You gotta stay tuned to see if I survive.

TLDR: Gigs in Dallas and San Antonio with rides in Houston rides.  

Bicycles and Music

My recent passion for bicycling came about like many Americans – during the pandemic. Of course, I have been riding bicycles all my life and I vividly remember when I was seven and I rode my bike without training wheels for the first time.  It was terrifying but also liberating!

I got back into bike riding in 2018 when I was given a Trek Earl that was collecting rust and dust at someone’s house.  The Earl is a heavy beast – almost 30 pounds of steel. It’s a single speed and (at the time) was all I ever wanted: simple and fun and looked great. It had a 44/17 gear ratio and a split frame body (and a bottle opener!). I used my bike to casually ride around Houston and just have some personal time.

As I kept riding, I enjoyed it more and more and so, I starting tracking my miles. THEN I decided to buy a second bike to keep at my office because I worked in an area of Houston where great trails for walking and biking are easily accessible. Plus, my office is close to where my sons live and the three of us could go riding together after school/work or on weekends. 

So, I ordered a State Bike (a 4130 in “perplexing purple”) and didn't give it much thought beyond the State being a nice secondary bike.  

But once I had the bike assembled and gave it a test ride around the neighborhood, I was instantly in love! It is much lighter than the Trek (21 pounds v. 30 pounds), had slightly thinner tyres and was also a single speed. But the bike felt so… svelt.

I changed plans and brought the State to my apartment and took the Trek to my son’s place. Then all hell broke loose with the pandemic and I was stuck in my apartment with a perplexing purple bike, my record collection, and my cell phone for work. 

And it was around that point where biking changed from being a casual activity to one where I would track miles, challenge my body and mind, and dive deep into parts to make the bike “better”.  I'll talk more on the "better parts" aspect in upcoming posts. 

TLDR: I like riding my bike a lot.

Metropolis Coffee Company (Chicago) - Kenya Thiriku

This morning, I opened up the final bag of coffee I had picked up in Chicago back in OCTOBER.  Yes, I know it's January and this bag of whole bean goodness has been waiting since October 11th to finally see the light of day again, so here we are.

You may ask yourself, how long can a person store a sealed bag of coffee beans?  Let's ask!

While I was in Chicago, working on recordings for the next album and getting some gigs done as well, I picked up bags of coffee from several roasters and all of them have been outstanding!  Fortunately / unfortunately, I started this blog well after I had drank through all of them except for this final bag from the Metropolis Coffee Company.

Metropolis is not a coffee shop, per se.  It's a roaster that sells a wide range of coffee to large and small shops around the Chicago region (and beyond in select cities). Their storefront is small and they offer regular consumer bags of coffee (and complementary cups of coffee to try) for people wanting to grab a bag and go.

My AirBnB was about a block away from their office and on the way to the recording studio (Electrical Audio) - so I picked up a few interesting bags to try out.

I'm a fan of East African beans and medium roasting styles, so I naturally gravitated towards Kenya Thiriku.  The description says that it's "wildly aromatic, tangy, and complex like passionfruit, guava, late summer tomatoes, ginger, and lemongrass."  

Right off the top, I agree that this coffee is super fragrant and has a pleasant, ripe, fruity aromatic character.  It's so fragrant that my downstairs neighbor sent me text this morning commenting that my coffee smelled good.  That's a major endorsement!

As I'm sipping - I'm tasting sweet, dark fruit notes with a  clean, almost cleansing finish.  And yeah, I'm tasting the guava-like notes both in the front and within the finish.

In the front, it certainly has that ripe, fruity essence that's pleasant and not too sweet.  Medium roast is the way to go with this bean as a light roast would be TOO sweet and a darker roast might accidently squash some of those delicate notes found mid sip.

I didn't know anything about Thiriku bean production, so I looked around and found this fantastic site that explains the area and the process it goes through to get into your cup!

I can't help but think about the Fritz Lang film "Metropolis" (as well as the Motorhead song of the same name) when I look at this bag in the morning.  Imma dork, I know it! 

TLDR: This coffee is highly recommended.