Americana & Honky Tonk Hots
American (the brand) seems to be getting a much-needed facelift.
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Instagram stories of my acquaintances reveal a shift in Saturday night preferences among urban trendsetters: from dark techno clubs to Desert 5 Spot, a new Williamsburg bar offering "a little bit country, a little bit rock n' roll." With line dancing, a mechanical bull, and Sunday vintage markets, it's an approachable entry point for city kids (read: me).
And if you’ve gone to Skinny Dennis (you have), your tunes were probably spun by DJ Moonshine and DJ Prison Rodeo, who started the Honky Tonkin’ in Queens event at Gottscheer Hall in Ridgewood that Emma Alpern wrote up earlier this year:
Watlington and Nichols are convinced that it has all reached a boiling point — and Honky Tonkin’ in Queens is selling out every time. “I feel like people just wanted something like this,” Watlington says. “I had somebody tell me at the second show, ‘This is like the Studio 54 of now.’”
The Cool Hot crowd's newfound interest in country aesthetics recalls
‘s article on fashionable young women posing with guns - a blend of irony and sincerity. The other day, my own feed corroborated: the too-cool-to-be-straight Bushwick model friends of my equally cool 22-year-old coworker sporting low slung camos holding hunting rifles.
What’s really piquing my interest here is what seems to be a massive 180 of personal brand for Cool Hots. The past few years have brought about a steady decline plummet in chicness of anything adjacently American, while an infatuation with European culture among urban sophisticates seems to sky rocket; we have preservatives and big portions and they have skinny cigs, entire summers off, and better sunscreen.
Something seems to have reignited interest in American iconography. Lana Del Rey rode in to headline Coachella on the shoulders of a biker, seemingly giving us the all-clear to resurface the imagery of her earlier work, with it’s open roads, flowing American flags, and nods to the style of 1960s stars like Jackie O and Marilyn.
And it’s hard to mention those storied women and not think of JFK, whose grandson, Jack Schlossberg, has channeled the familial charm and wit to take the online scene by storm. Schlossberg’s quirky TikToks have people questioning whether he’s running a bit, or if he’s actually a bit off. From the beginning I’ve hypothesized he knows exactly what he’s doing; his videos as political correspondent for Vogue are conversational, yet informative and communicate that it’s cool to care about American politics and the American legacy.
Enter the Walz Harris HOTY (hat of the year) that raised $1 Million dollars and sold out in 30 minutes —obviously the campaign cashed in on the Midwest of it all, highlighting Walz’s roots and connection to classic middle class American values, but it’s bound to become a coveted accessory in a downtown scene near you. I can’t think of political merch that’s had this much play since the Bush Reagan tees of ‘84.
There’s something about camo, guns, and being around for the reign of another Kennedy heartthrob that makes me feel like we’re all going to start buying Budweiser for the pre.
Insert me in cowgirl boots