We passionate Beastie Boys fans have very few chances to see Mike D and Ad-Rock share a stage these days. Within minutes of learning they were scheduled to attend the unveiling of a “Beastie Boys Square” street sign on the intersection of Ludlow and Rivington Streets in New York City, I had my red-eye flight from Sea-Tac to JFK booked.
I landed just before 6 a.m. and got on the A train headed towards Manhattan, my mother’s birthplace. I hadn’t slept on the flight, but adrenaline and a killer Beastie Boys mix I’d put together helped propel me to my first cup of coffee. Conveniently, Caffè Vita has a location in Manhattan’s Lower East Side right across from my destination, so I was eventually able to chug the same extra-strength cold brew I enjoy in Seattle.