plum picks
INDIE + ECO-FRIENDLY FAVORITES FROM THE MUSIC WORLD + BEYOND
CONRADO is a sustainable shop and design studio with infinite cool and personality nestled in an old stone bank building on Martha’s Vineyard, MA. Take the time to find Conrado online…you’re welcome.
SEA BAGS creates one-of-a-kind bags made from upcycled sails in a ramshackle building on the wharf in Portland, ME. I bought a tote bag in the shop that one of their fine craftspeople had just finished stitching…it’s a treasure. Here my little #19 bag, a Sea Bag made from a sail with that number, peeks out of my Freitag bag (see below).
STRICTLY DISCS is an uber cool independent music store out of Madison, WI. While you’re checking out their vinyl and CDs, pick up some of their upcycled coasters made from retired records. Win-win.
The NEWSFEED CAFE is an awesome cafe at the Boston Public Library’s central branch in Copley Square. It’s the perfect place to write, read, catch up on news via the WGBH studio, and munch on yummy avocado toast.
MICHAEL CASLA is the cowriter and producer of HOW WILL I KNOW WHEN I KNOW YOU. Check out his independent record label, Casla Music, at caslamusic.com.
ROCKIN’ THE SUBURBS is a podcast, a fest, and a really cool streaming radio station. I dig the Sunday Papers (Sundays, 10am - Noon) hosted by Keith Jacobsen, and there are plenty of other programs to rock you. I had the good fortune of playing a tune during one of the Rockin’ the Suburbs Zoom jam sessions one day during the Covid shutdown.
THE COOLIDGE is the quintessential nonprofit, indie cinema, celebrating film and community in Brookline, MA, since 1933. I’m a proud carrier of The Coolidge’s Film Buff card.
Me and my favorite bag from FREITAG, bought with love and care in Hamburg, Germany, though this photo was taken in Montreal. (Photo by Scott Kennedy.) Freitag makes sustainable bags from recycled truck tarps.
BOSTON CALLING is an incredibly fun music festival held on the grounds of the Harvard Athletic Complex over Memorial Day weekend. When the 2020 festival was canceled due to COVID-19, the organizers had the moxie to reuse the unused 2020 wristbands in 2021, which is plum awesome.
I am a co-lead vocalist with THE CIRCUIT BREAKERS band. The band plays fan-favorite songs for dancing and singing along that span several generations. I have become particularly well versed in casual 1970s rock.
THE CONQUEROR VIRTUAL CHALLENGES are a clever way to track your runs or workouts of choice. Plus, they plant a tree somewhere on Earth each time you complete another 20% of your challenge.
Located in Madison, WI, ZIP-DANG is one of my all-time favorite indie shops, chock full of handmade, upcycled, and vintage goodness. Here I am headless modeling in an Orangyporangy skirt and Zip-Dang upcycled sweater back in the day. (Photo by Natalie Bass.) You can find Zip-Dang online, too…shop small, shop often!
SETRE NARAMACHI in Nara, Japan, is a cozy, beautiful, eco-friendly, must-stay-at hotel, complete with fantastic staff, a bio yard, and resident chickens. A plum indie gem!
Innovators in Lowell, MA, have transformed an 1800s textile mill into MILL NO. 5, a space of reclaimed storefronts, creativity, and community. The LUNA THEATER’S charming cardstock tickets make great bookmarks!
