Today I sat in a dim, musky corner of a restaurant bar in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Good Dog Bar exuded an original and intimate setting that became intensified with the cold rain and wind of the city. In the corner of the bar I sat with a steaming bowl of macaroni and cheese surrounded by good friends and a waiter filling up waters every time a someone drank more than an inch of water. As I sat in this corner, alternative rock set the ambiance of the entire restaurant, and with the restaurant, it set the mood of the city for me.
Upon thinking about how the music from this bar became the soundtrack of Philadelphia for me, I began to think of other cities and their soundtracks. While soundtracks can change depending on when you visit the city, I decided to make a compilation of cities I've been to and what song I feel describes their mood during the time I visited them.
1. Philadelphia
While Philly encapsulated alternative rock for me, one song that stuck out as the song of Philly was Juveniles by The Walkmen. The song exhibits softer rock tones, but perfectly captures my time there. I hear it and now think of walking busy streets with friends, Philly cheese steaks and sneaking onto the top floor of a hotel just for the beautiful view of the city.
2. Boston
Boston is one of my favorite cities on this entire planet, so it's hard for me to think of one song that captures the city for me, but if I had to try it would be In A Perfect World by The Sam Chase. This was practically the only song I listened to while traversing the city, but it captures something for me. It captures a feeling of hope, aspiration and adventure. Boston is a place of dreams and aspirations for me, and like this song, makes my heart heavy and light at the same time.
3. Ann Arbor
My visit to Ann Arbor consisted of a lot of different things, but the one of the most prominent ones is the winding roads it took me to get there. Another Story by The Head and the Heart was the song of the roads to Ann Arbor. Ann Arbor is hidden book stores, a beautiful southern-looking house on a bike ride and high school show choir performances for me, and for some reason, this song contains all of those memories.
4. New York
New York is kind of a faded memory for me because I visited it about ten years ago, but I suppose it just feels like time travel to me to think of a song that portrays the city. While it may seem typical to use jazz to describe New York, Beyond The Sea by Bobby Darin can make any mind wander to the bright streets of that city. New York is enchantment, late-night dessert and "I ♥ New York" t-shirts, and Bobby Darin brings these memories back to life.
5. Edinburgh
Scotland is a place of celestial beauty that I can't even begin to explain. As the capital of Scotland, Edinburgh resonated with me in a way no other city ever has, and for that reason it was difficult to pick a song, but Sleep On The Floor by The Lumineers sings Scotland back into my consciousness. I felt nostalgic the moment I stepped in Edinburgh even though I had never been there. I felt the same way about this song, so I knew they were connected.
6. Delft
Delft is a city in the Netherlands that is a bit lesser known than Amsterdam or Rotterdam, but holds significant memories for me none-the-less. My dad is Dutch, so I've spent a fair amount of time in the country, but Delft is always a place my family is sure to visit again and again. I think the pure reason for this is so my mom could buy a teapot for her collection, but the city holds much more than that. It holds memories of my sister and I as children eating small, puffed-up pancakes and buying wooden shoe keychains all the way to my teenage self eating those same puffed-up pancakes at the same restaurant and table. This city, while far away, has seen me grow up and I think of it when I hear Love Love Love by Of Monsters and Men.
7. Lima
Lima, Ohio is the city I am from, so there is an endless playlist of songs I could come up with to capture this city for me. It holds so many ugly and bad memories, but so many wonderful and touching ones as well. As much as I was scrapping to get out of it, it's still where I'm from, and I love it for being there. It's hard for me to pick one song that explains this city for me, but Holocene by Bon Iver I think sums up most of the feelings I have towards my city. I love Lima and I hate Lima, but it's part of who I am.
