Matthew Avedon

WHAT WOULD THE TITLE OF YOUR AUTOBIOGRAPHY BE?
Can I Pet Your Dog? The Matthew Avedon Story.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE THING TO DO ON A SUNDAY AFTERNOON IN NYC?
If I’m not playing a brunch gig then it’s very simple: coffee, dog walk, coffee, jiu-jitsu, EAT.

IF YOU COULD CHOOSE ONE PERSON TO SHOW YOU “THEIR NEW YORK CITY,” WHO WOULD IT BE AND WHY?
I confess that as an official NYC townie, I’m all set in my ways.

WHAT OR WHO HAS INSPIRED YOU RECENTLY AND WHY?
All my fellow musicians, artists, service industry people who are struggling to keep their heads above water while the rest of the city doesn’t seem to understand the realities of the “gig economy.” Seeing friends keep on their path in the face of impossible circumstances helps keep me going!

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE NYC RESTAURANTS? WHAT DO YOU ORDER WHEN YOU GO?
I am a dirty diner connoisseur and can tell you where the best sloppy burger in any neighborhood is. Just like New York pizza, it’s not about “the best in town,” it’s about “the closest to me.” I don’t expect everyone to agree… 

WHAT’S YOUR GO-TO SPOT IN NYC FOR DRINKS?
I can’t confess that!  

WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE NYC BRUNCH SPOTS; WHAT DO YOU ORDER WHEN YOU GO?
You can’t beat the Roxy for brunch. Great food and even better music! I hear the Saturday guitarist is NOT to be missed… Quality dog watching as well.

WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR ART FIX IN NYC? DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE ARTIST?
I won’t pretend to have a favorite but the MOMA does not fail.

WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE LATE-NIGHT HANGOUTS IN NYC AND WHY?
As the jazz capital, there’s always a late-night jam session happening with some of the best musicians in the world you’ve never heard of. I’m preferential to the Monday night jam I host at St. Mazie in Brooklyn. We keep a welcome environment and the music is always top quality. Outside of that, you can find a good, weird time in any bar if you really want to but The Django at the Roxy hotel always has world-class musicians and super tasty drinks. 

WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR UNDER-THE-RADAR MUST-DO RECOMMENDATIONS FOR NYC VISITORS?
What people don’t think to do enough when visiting is to just wander the streets. That’s the best part of NYC, just being able to walk anywhere. You can’t beat it for finding the real personalities of neighborhoods. Wear comfortable shoes, get lost, double back, leave the guide book at home and give yourself an entire day to get nowhere in particular. 

WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE NYC STORES AND WHY?
I’m not a big shopper but I will absolutely spend an afternoon pretending I’m going to buy a $10,000 guitar at one of the great shops in the city. TR Crandall, Retrofret, and the Guitar Shoppe are my go tos.

WHAT MUSIC ARE YOU LISTENING TO THESE DAYS? WHO ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE MUSICIANS?
I’m honestly all over the place in my listening but as far as contemporary artists I’m really liking Jonathan Kreisberg and Pasquale Grasso for jazz, Sturgill Simpson and Jason Isbell for country/Americana, Flatbush Zombies and Run The Jewels for NYC hip hop, and High On Fire has been steady on my metal list for the last decade, at least. That being said, I’m on an early ’60s Peter Greene/Fleetwood Mac kick at the moment…

WHAT ALBUM OR SONG WOULD YOU CONSIDER YOUR PERSONAL SOUNDTRACK TO NYC?
It’s a toss-up between Wu-Tang or Simon and Garfunkel. I’M NOT JOKING. 

WHEN YOU THINK OF NYC, ARE THERE ANY PARTICULAR EMOTIONS OR MEMORIES THAT IMMEDIATELY COME TO MIND?
All of them?! This has been my home for my entire life and there’s too much to say. Covid took a real toll on the city’s personality and culture but it has bounced back strong in some really interesting and creative ways. Anyone that says New York is dead can go ahead and keep thinking that, it probably wasn’t for them to begin with.