Friday Faves 9/5: Zac Brown Band, Nitro Coffee, Chappelle, LeBron's Trademark, and Clemson

Best Activity

Last Friday my friend Roberto texted me to ask if I’d be interested in some tickets to Zac Brown Band at Fenway Park. My wife and I were free, she was excited, so we joined them for the show. While I am not a big country fan, I like a handful of Zac Brown songs, and I was excited to enjoy Fenway on an incredibly lovely Saturday evening.

The concert was a pleasant surprise, mainly because of the number of covers they played. The talent spread throughout the band was undeniable. Over the course of the nearly two and half hour set they covered one of my favorite bands, Kings of Leon (Lose Somebody), along with James Taylor (Sweet Baby James), Van Morrison (Into the Mystic), Korn (Bulls on a Parade), Def Leopard (Pour Some Sugar On Me).

It was a great way to close out the final weekend of summer.

Best Read

LeBron and Taco Tuesday (NYTimes): I am wildly biased when it comes to LeBron James. I can’t stand the guy. He’s a fantastic basketball player (probably the second best of all time) and as a Boston Celtics fan, he had been in my life for a solid decade of playoff games, both triumphant and devastating. Off the court, he’s unbearable. His dancing Instagram posts, his “proud dad” moments this summer, and his Taco Tuesday posts all make me dislike him more and more. Now he’s aiming to trademark Taco Tuesday, which is the most LeBron thing ever.

Clemson and God (SI.com): As I scoured the interwebs for some college football reading before recording my College Football podcast with Mike G., I stumbled upon this piece in Sports Illustrated. It lays out the connection between religion and the Clemson football program. These entities are so interconnected that they have been investigated for violating the First Amendment that outlines the separation of Church and State. I finished the piece wondering why my alma mater Holy Cross can’t tap into the same recruiting tactics…

Best Watch

Sticks and Stones: Dave Chappelle delivers a death blow to society as a whole in his most recent Netflix special. No one is safe during this hour of comedy. I am by no means a comedy historian, but I imagine this stand-up left people feeling the same way they did after watching Richard Pryor. It’s uncomfortable and edgy; Chappelle has never been afraid of the third rail, and it seems as if there are moments when he’s standing on the third rail as he takes on Michael Jackson’s victims, the LGBTQ+ community, and the cultural and racial shift in the war against drugs in the last decade.

It’s worth watching, but like he says, you can’t get too mad, after all, you did click on his face…

Best Listen

Now That’s a Great Story: This is a new podcast that I learned about on Twitter. Paul Kix (no relation to the cereal) is the host. In each episode, Kix breaks down a piece of writing with the author. I am currently listening to Sarah Hepola, who wrote a memoir called Blackout: Remembering the Things I Drank to Forget. I was intrigued early on because she’s discussing a story in her memoir about a trip to Paris to do a story about… Chris Harrison!! Worlds colliding!

Best Eat

Pressed Cafe Breakfast Burrito: On Sunday, we went up to Burlington, near the mall, to hunt for some potential Labor Day deals. We decided to grab some breakfast up in that area. Tiff recognized Pressed Cafe from catered breakfasts she has had at work in the past. We gave it a shot, and it did not disappoint.

I had a turkey sausage and avocado breakfast burrito. It was delicious and Pressed Cafe overall was really impressive. It felt like something that might have been founded in Brooklyn, but no, it originated in Nashua, NH (the Brooklyn of New Hampshire?). The location in Burlington is their third one, and if you live anywhere near there, or find yourself at the Burlington Mall on a Sunday (when Chick-fil-a is closed…), seek out Pressed Cafe.

Best Drink

King’s Brew Nitro Coffee: I’m a sucker for BOGO deals in grocery stores. I’ll gladly buy two items, even if I don’t need them right away, just for the rush of finding a sale. The single drink section of Whole Foods is as close to Tinder as I will ever get. There’s plenty of beverages that get a swipe right on that massive refrigerated shelf. The King’s Brew nitro coffee is the latest drink that had that delightful yellow “2 for …” tag underneath it (note, the chocolate section is the other place that always has good deals). I grabbed two cans; I highly recommend them. The can instructs the drinker to “shake well” and “pour hard.” No ice necessary; when you pour it into the glass it has that Guinness quality to it where the waves rush vertically towards the top, it’s beautiful.

What did you like from your week. Add it in the comments section!