Picture it. New York City, 1997. (Midnight In Chelsea)

Carly Emerick Living in Manhattan's Chelsea Region (1997)

Picture it. New York City, 1997. 

Here I am all doe-eyed but street smart trying to make my songwriting dreams a reality. I was 24 years old and living in the Chelsea section of Manhattan. I lived directly across from the notorious Hotel Chelsea. (Remember Sid and Nancy?) I was lucky enough to have a friend who was able to get me into this very small but quaint penthouse studio apartment. I was struggling just to pay the rent so I had no money to furnish it. I slept on the floor in a blue sleeping bag. However, I did have my music-making equipment set up and that was all that I needed. 

Behind me is my trusted CrossWave synthesizer the Ensoniq SQ-80. It's been my main go-to bread-and-butter synth ever since I purchased it. With its easy-to-understand built-in midi sequencer, I still find myself today composing on it. I have to admit, however, that I spend more time these days composing in Pro Tools.  

My look here is influenced by rock bands like The Cranberries and Sixpence None the Richer. Pamela Anderson was big on Baywatch and having tiny eyebrows was the trend. Around my neck is a Swatch watch. I wore it so much that the wristband broke. However, even then that didn't stop me from wearing it. I found a string that fit through the screw holes and wore it like a useful fashion accessory. My watch became my necklace. It was just another testament to how broke I was. 

One night, after fumbling over a few piano chords, I found myself having writer's block. So I decided to go out and grab a bite. I needed to get some fresh air. When I got back in, the doorman at the front desk was all a buzz about Jon Bon Jovi filming right across the street from us. I excitedly got into the elevator with my sandwich in hand and pressed the top floor. I knew that I had the perfect view of the street and the hotel from my window. From there, I could easily see Jon. The film crew had him lit up and bathed in light. He was at the window just strumming away on his guitar. Behind him was the brightly lit Hotel Chelsea neon sign. It reminded me of how close and yet how far away I was from success. The irony wasn't lost on me.

There I was looking out my window at one of the biggest rockstars on the planet. He was making a tremendous living making music yet here I was barely able to make ends meet. Not only were we on opposite sides of the street, we were on opposite sides of success. I sat there watching him play feeling sorry for myself. 

A few months later, while browsing titles at a record store, Jon's new CD single "Midnight At Chelsea" caught my eye. I walked over to the import section and picked it up. I immediately thought, oh so this must be the song for the music video that he was filming that night. I stared at the black and white stark cover art. I couldn't help but notice that Jon looked unhappy. Then I took note that the jacket that he was wearing on the cover was very similar to the one that I wore. I sighed and thought to myself maybe we're not as worlds apart as I initially thought. I turned the CD over to see the track listing and read that it was from his new album called Destination Anywhere. If Jon Bon Jovi seemed as lost as I was then maybe there was still hope for me yet.

Big love, Carly xoxo 🍬🍎🟦

For reference, here's a picture of that
Jon Bon Jovi CD that I mentioned in this post.