Istanbul: Lost My Drumsticks (and Maybe My Mind)
okay, so istanbul. it’s…a lot. i’m elias, by the way. touring drummer, currently between gigs and mostly fueled by strong *tea and questionable kebab choices. i landed with a vague plan to “find inspiration” which, let’s be real, mostly meant wandering around looking for a decent drum circle.
first things first: the weather. i just glanced at my phone and it’s…holding steady at ten degrees, feels like nine. which, honestly, is perfect drumming weather. not too hot to sweat through your shirt, not so cold your sticks get slippery. the air is thick, though. like, you can taste the history. and the exhaust fumes. mostly history, i think.
spent yesterday getting properly lost in the Grand Bazaar. sensory overload doesn’t even begin to cover it. i swear i saw a guy trying to sell a carpet made entirely of bottle caps. a carpet. of bottle caps. i didn’t ask. i just kept walking. someone told me that if you haggle too hard, they’ll try to sell you a cursed amulet. i’m not even kidding.
“apparently, old man hasim’s shop is where you go for genuine ‘ancient’ artifacts. but my cousin’s barber said he mostly sells stuff he finds in the trash.”
found this tiny little cafe near the Süleymaniye Mosque - seriously, the most beautiful place for a coffee. the owner, a woman named Ayşe, makes this incredible Turkish coffee. it’s like drinking liquid velvet. she didn’t speak much English, but we communicated through frantic hand gestures and shared appreciation for a good beat. she pointed me towards a local jam session happening tonight at a place called “The Blue Note” (not the Blue Note, apparently, just a place with a similar name and a lot of ambition). Check out TripAdvisor for more cafe options.
my neighbors? well, they’re…loud. in a good way. lots of music, lots of shouting, lots of what i think is someone practicing the saz at 3 am. if you get bored, Bursa and Edirne are just a quick ferry ride away. i overheard someone on a local forum (Istanbul Expats) complaining about the traffic, though. apparently, it’s legendary.
gear situation is…dire. i managed to leave my favorite pair of drumsticks at the airport. seriously. how do you do that? i’ve been scouring the music shops* around Beyoğlu, but everything is either ridiculously expensive or looks like it was carved from driftwood. i heard that there’s a guy near Taksim Square who makes custom sticks, but you have to know the secret handshake. i’m working on it. Yelp has some reviews of music stores.
pressure’s at 1028, humidity’s 62%. feels…sticky. like everything is coated in a thin layer of sweetness. i think it’s the baklava. i’ve eaten a lot of baklava. i’m not ashamed. someone warned me about the street cats. apparently, they’re masters of manipulation. they’ll look at you with those big, innocent eyes and then steal your simit. it’s a conspiracy, i tell you! Here's a local guide to Istanbul.
anyway, gotta go. the jam session awaits. and i need to find a new pair of sticks. wish me luck. and send baklava.
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