Erik Friedlander - Nighthawks (2014)

Tracklist

01. Sneaky Pete
02. Clockwork
03. Hopper's Blue House
04. Carom
05. Nostalgia Blindside
06. Twenty-Six Gasoline Stations
07. One Red Candle
08. Poolhall Payback
09. Nighthawks
10. The River

In September of 2012 New York City, and much of the Eastern US, was hit by Hurricane Sandy. It quickly became quite serious. Downtown Manhattan was plunged into darkness and without power for 5 days. Friedlander had set aside the time to work on Nighthawks and he quickly got used to life without power. Following the sun, he was up early and when the sun set, he’d work by candlelight. “My neighborhood was eerie and dark, and there were no streetlights, traffic signals or any stores or restaurants open. About every 10 or 15 minutes or so a police car would make an appearance, driving through the black with its emergency lights spinning, but no siren. It was in this odd environment of quiet and solitude that I finished writing Nighthawks.”
What began with Sandy and that experience of living without power led to other revelations about his new project. “I wrote “One Red Candle” and it started me thinking about night places -- places where people hang out, seedy places: pool halls, diners, gas stations, train and bus depots.” These became the environment for Nighthawks inspiring songs like Sneaky Pete (a high-quality cue disguised to look like a crummy house cue), Poolhall Payback, and 26 Gasoline Stations.
The title of the cd comes from one of Edward Hopper’s most famous paintings depicting four people in a diner late at night. A lot of what Hopper evoked: the mystery and solitude, was familiar to Friedlander. “I felt like I was living in a Hopper painting. The streets were empty and the days were getting shorter. One night an enterprising guy set up his falafel stand nearby using a generator. It was the only light source for a 20 block radius. A few people were waiting in line for a hot meal -- It was a modern-day Hopper come to life!”

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