*new shows!* ba dum ba dum bum we're back

Author

Fred Riko
April 24, 2025

yes it is in fact the case! fred riko is back live for Fred On Both Sides—a two-show run up the east coast!

next month, catch me at:

for a triumphant return after a few months laying low.

of course, I’m not saying I’ve been staying out of trouble—but that’s neither here nor there. point is, whether you can make one show or both it’s gonna be a good time.

warm weather has brought about a drastic shift in lifestyle that I must have been through dozens of times before (or 30 exactly) and still did not fail to be astonished by.

april is my favorite month of the year, tied with october. it’s at the heart of spring, it’s the month when Europe 72 kicks off, and the weather really starts to warm.

as a side note, this personal development handbook I’m reading says participating in small talk is key toward establishing rapport and developing common ground when first engaging with a new person. by recognizing the two of you are on the same page, you’ve built an effective platform to progress to more pressing matters at hand. so yes I absolutely opened this email talking about the weather.

and so from the abyss that is indoor behavior of winter I have emerged. every morning so far this week I’ve woken up early to walk a gorgeous 15 minutes to abraço, grab an iced espresso to go, and head around the corner to park myself on a bench in the loveliest spot in tompkins square park I can find. it’s bliss.

warm weather kicks off busking season as well, which is both one of my greatest sources of enjoyment and a legitimate way for me to pay for laundry every sunday, as I straighten out crumpled dollar bills to eventually feed into a coin machine. this also takes place in the park.

there’s also been an atrocious construction project on the 10th street side going on for at least two years—closing the main facilities and littering the area with construction debris for what felt like ages.

I’m sure it was necessary, but suffice it to say I’m glad to have it over. the park is back in full force as a place for nearby people to gather in search of connection. what a beautiful thing!

work on album #2 has progressed significantly in the past couple months. the final tracklist is determined, though not without last minute changes, and just a few instruments (jazz flute? cuíca?) still need to be recorded before handing it over for the mix and master.

we do have the cover shoot taken care of already—thank the homie Dom for that who also has a new photo book out you should investigate.

I’m hoping to put out a little two or three song EP in advance, giving a little taste of what’s to come. but of course with your premier status as subscribers to this email list, you get sneak peeks way earlier than that.

So check out a near-final version of the album’s closer: “Back Home on the Range”

with guitar recently recorded by my friend Ben from Kendall Street and Reggie from Fiverr! the pedal steel is a little hot … but who doesn’t love a little extra pedal steel.

that’s it for now. come to the shows. I’ll see you around!