All summer/drinking water

Because apparently I’m a sucker for any song with “summer” in the title, especially this year, I have had this song on repeat for a week now:

It’s sponsored by Converse. So, whatever, big deal. It’s not like they’re succeeding in selling me anything. I mean, at last count, I happen to have a staggering, all-time high, seven pair of chucks in rotation right now. But all that came well before they put Beth Cosentino in a pair of hi-tops.

For this summer, which I have completely unironically taken to calling (in my head, at least) The All-American Summer, due to its great confluence of baseball games (three so far!), camping outing, theme park trip, music festivals, beach time, fireworks, cookouts, graduation, wedding, outdoor movies, copious Brooklyn Summer Ale swilling, and ongoing reunions with dear old friends, I’ve been rocking a pretty boss iTunes playlist, which contains no shortage of The Boss, along with Beach Boys, Beasties, Beach Fossils, Op Ivy, Gold Motel, Sharon Jones, Little Joy and more, including this awesome collection from DJ Jazzy Jeff called “Summertime: The Mixtape.” You better believe that Fresh Prince “Summertime” is on there.

We were blasting this playlist from the speakers on the roof on July 4, laying down a cool audio breeze over a hot day of grilling and bottle-poppin’, and, in the middle of “Born in the USA,” the fireworks over the Hudson began, just visible enough from our rooftop over the Manhattan bridge. Everyone clustered around the lip of the roof to gaze and gawk as the track changed, randomized itself, shuffled to one of the 183 songs on the 8.2 hour playlist, and the next song started playing: Jimi Hendrix’s “Star-Spangled Banner.” Everyone thought I planned it, but it was wholly a coincidence.

You do us well sometimes iTunes. But this still doesn’t explain why you insist on putting “Uncle John’s Band” in my “Punk” Genius mix.