It’s December in New York City, a time of year when its residents are famously known to hibernate. We often opt for nights alone over venturing the inopportune weather to hang out at a bar or club puffer blanket coats and boots weighing them down. This particular rainy and cold evening night in New York City could’ve followed a similar fate but Staged Haze writers and New York City residents, Ilana Michelle Carmi and Jesse Roth chose another path.
We arrived at Paulie Gee’s in Greenpoint for their partnership event with The Wild Honey Pie and Spindrift. Longtime collaborators with The Wild Honey Pie and synthpop band St. Lucia, led by husband-and-wife duo Jean-Philip Grobler and Patti Beranek, provided the soundtrack for the evening. As we entered the landmark pizzeria we were met with a warm and cozy environment. The Wild Honey Pie team greeted people serving smiles, festive outfits, and a table scattered with stickers, lighters, and temporary tattoos.
It felt less like a sponsored event and more like a house party thrown by people who actually wanted you there. As the world becomes more fragmented and artistic communities on the internet are infiltrated by billionaire-financed AI, events like these remind us why they are insurmountably important.
Launched in 2009, The Wild Honey Pie began as a music blog and has since grown into a creative agency and community known for hosting intimate parties and producing music-driven collaborations with musicians, chefs, and brands across the country. At their events they collect donations for a charity of choice, and this night was about helping to raise money for Friends of Karen, an organization close to founder Eric Weiner’s heart, that provides emotional, financial, and advocacy support for children with a life-threatening illness and their families.
The hypnotic promise of free food took over us and immediately upon entering and getting our wristbands we beelined for pizza. Pepperoni, cheese, vegan slice with beets, all delicious. The event was sponsored by Spindrift and we sipped their delicious Ginger Ale & Shirley Temple dupes.
As we waited for the crowd to filter in from the rainy exterior, we struck up a lovely conversation with two girls, Emma and Sara. They called themselves Spindrift’s biggest fans after winning tickets through the brand’s Facebook post, and strategically lassoed THE Paulie Gee into conversation with us. We were so awestruck it was more like we were more spectators to the conversation than participants. It was essentially like meeting the Martin Scorsese of pizza.
He shared some Paulie Gee lore mainly related to the repurposed garage door that was flipped sideways and now looks like…a regular door. He even rattled off a list of his favorite pizza shops across the city. If not for the show following that, our night maybe would’ve peaked then and there.
About an hour in St. Lucia came out to start their set. The band was in their signature monochrome jumpsuits, this time white. They had just released the second part of their Fata Morgana double album, Dusk, but the set list was filled with songs spanning their entire career. They opened with “Closer Than This” from When the Night before jumping into “Falling Asleep” from March’s “Fata Morgana: Dawn,” a song that, despite its name, makes you want to dance. They hit on their 2016 album Matter with the absolute bop that is “Dancing on Glass,” which seemed perfectly appropriate for the setting (despite the floor being made of not glass).
They finally touched on their most recent release by playing “Lights Off” and “Summer Nights” and the disco vibes made everyone forget it was pouring outside. These songs were sandwiched in between another debut classic “All Eyes On You.: They gave us a sample of their 2023 album Utopia with the song “Touch,” which followed the upbeat theme of the evening.
One of the most impactful takeaways of the evening was how impressive it was that a 5-piece band squished into a compact dining area could still emit such a powerful sound and presence. It’ll be really appropriate when early next year they play Brooklyn Steel, a space they have proven they’re more than equipped to fill in bodies, energy, and sound.
The climax of the show for both of us was when they played their most well-known track “Elevate” and we finally got to join in with everyone singing all the words. St. Lucia smartly ended their set with “Rolling Man,” a song that, as indicated by its title, gives major “Rolling on the River” vibes. Needless to say we felt like we were in Church (with a capital C). It was a perfect note to end on, and truly encapsulated the feeling that we had during the whole set, that we were amongst a small community of people who love music, engaging with others, and of course, pizza.
By the end of the night, it wasn’t just St. Lucia’s performance that stayed with us, though it was excellent. It was the feeling of wanting more of this, more rooms like this, more events that feel human instead of transactional. It felt like one of those small moments that sticks with you long after the night ends, and a pretty perfect way to ease into the holiday season, festive cookies included.
Photos by Emilio Herce
Words by Jesse Roth and Ilana Rubin
Excellent article that shares the spirit of every TWHP event. That’s why the events sell out in minutes and provide an experience like no other.