Last night, I rushed home from my 9-5, fed my cats, grabbed my camera, and headed to Queens to an event I had been looking forward to since the beginning of July. When I arrived at The Artist Kickback Listening Sessions event at ThatHousePartyTho headquarters, I was greeted with smiles and good music courtesy of DJ Ambi G and Voodoo Lounge Underground. To add to the fun, the event was on a beautiful rooftop and catered by Smiles Catering who offered a variety of food and drinks. It had all the elements for an amazing night. Spoiler alert, it was.

For the first couple hours, the Ambi G did her job of getting the crowd in the mood to be receptive to good music. It was almost like a networking event but I felt like I knew everyone already even if we haven't met before. I think that is one of the great things about The Artist Kickback and ThatHousePartyTho events; they are safe, positive, inclusive environments that make you leave your ego at the door. The roof was filled with creatives of all types including photographers, songwriters, painters, and more. That's definitely where I want to spend a Friday night.

As the sun set over New York City, the event transformed into an intimate listening session. Oya Noire, Samoht, Kali Pop, and TruthCity shared new and unreleased music with the crowd of 40 - 50 people. Every artist showcased their songwriting capabilities as well as their great production selection. What I really enjoyed about this portion of the night was that not many people were on their phones or talking to others. The event-goers paid attention to the music and the artist which is somewhat of a rarity in today's day-and-age. I can't wait for the next one!