Hi!

Recently, I found myself thinking a lot about what it was like to grow up around punks and musicians in the DIY music scene. I’m not sure why this was top of mind (My 40th birthday next year? The increasing number of grays in my hair? Impending political and environmental collapse? Who knows 🙂‍↕️), but it was just one of those things that came up last week and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since.

From my teens until my early thirties, I spent most of my free time in and out of basements, warehouses, and practice spaces, watching my friends play with their bands, or playing shows with my band, and watching people I respected —and was in many ways awed by, blown away by, in love with — making art of all kinds. The walls of the warehouse my best friend lived in through our twenties were covered in living art, and there was always someone, no matter the time of day, playing music. Sleep was optional.

Now that I’m in a different phase of my life — bedtime is now 9pm, when the opener of the show used to go on at 9pm — I think a lot about the joy of being in the music and art scene. Yes, I think it was youth that convinced everyone to just MAKE STUFF, ALL THE TIME, but it also came from an alternative way of looking at the world. Why wouldn’t you make stuff? If you want to do something, you just do it.

That, I realized, is what has carried over significantly into my adulthood, from years of watching people make music with wacky instruments they built and pieces of art with pink foam and songs that were almost so unlistenable that they became cult hits, at least to a certain crew of weirdos whom I love. I made a ton of stuff in my twenties — whole hard drives of songs and art and writing exist somewhere — with no real intention, just excitement about the making of the thing.

If you want to do something, you should just do it. It’s more lame to not do it, actually.

This is a long preamble to tell you how we’re celebrating our second birthday party at Downtime: our first and hopefully annual art show. We threw a huge party last year, but this year I want to celebrate the act of making stuff because you want to make it. So we’re currently seeking submissions for our show. Check details at our Instagram, or below.

We Are Looking for a Dishwasher!

We are still looking for a dishwasher. Here’s the breakdown: Thursday through Sunday, 8am to 4pm, $15/hr, plus tips to meet a guaranteed $20/hr. Health insurance! Free food! A very nice and convivial workplace. Email info@downtimebakery.com if you know someone or want to apply!

Free Starter

Every Thursday, we have 6 containers of free starter to give out, with instructions on how to feed it. Come get yours today.

Thursday Loaf

This week’s Thursday loaf is our maple wheat sandwich loaf, rolled in oats. It’s a perfect sandwich bread. Like Arnold’s but no preservatives or bad stuff.

That’s all!

xo,

Dayna

Dayna’s What’s Up Corner

I am reading To Smithereens by Rosalyn Drexler and I am obsessed. A story of a female wrestler in the 70s with all the snappy language of Bukowski and none of the loser shit? Sign me up. I am also reading Sylvester Stallone’s memoir. Hey, balance is important. I had a dream last night that I went to a museum of old technology and got to play around with Minidisk players and old Ipods and it reminded me that I want to reread Station Eleven, one of the best books ever written. Anyone read her newest, Exit Party?