Listened to Guillermo del Toro in conversation at the Portland Art Museum: Last week, PAM CUT’s Amy Dotson eagerly interrogated Guillermo del Toro in the Portland Art Museum’s Grand Ballroom. Some extracted wisdom from the beloved filmmaker: on his once aimless obsessions, “We go through the road of life and gather useless things that eventually make our stories”; on embracing imperfection, “I don’t fear artificial intelligence, I fear natural stupidity”; on advice for his 8-year-old self, “Put down the cupcake,” and “Be patient […] it feels good to be old.” Some floors below the theater where del Toro offered his musings, there is an eerie, off-limits tunnel (I call it PAM’s Labyrinth—get it?) which attaches the museum’s main building to a nearby wing. Said wing currently hosts Guillermo del Toro: Crafting Pinocchio—the reason for del Toro’s return to the city. The exhibit saw its first edition at MoMA, but it really belongs in Portland, which housed most of Pinocchio’s making and serves as a hub for a vast community of stop-motion storytellers. PAM notably supplemented the base of its New York counterpart with massive sets from the film, a replica of ShadowMachine’s puppet hospital (trash, monkey butts, and all), and personal stories about its making from the artists themselves. The puppet paradise is on view at the museum through September 17.
—Megan Hullander, Print Managing Editor

Attended Document’s Pride party hosted by Feeld, Ludovic de Saint Sernin, and Mia Khalifa: I remember when I was a weird little kid from Worcester, Massachusetts. I loved to go on trips with my parents to New York and obsess over my imagined future life here, illuminated by the lights of Times Square. NYC, baby! On Tuesday, we worked with Feeld, LdSS, and Mia Khalifa to throw a dinner at the EDITION and an afterparty downstairs, featuring sets from Alima Lee, Goth Jafar, UNIIQU3, and Katie Rex, with a surprise B2B with DJ Volvox. I’m still in active recovery.
—Colin Boyle, Chief of Staff

Saw The Cure at Madison Square Garden: I’ve never really understood big stadium concerts, and have honestly avoided them for most of my life. Ideally, all of my favorite bands would play intimate listening parties at unique and inspiring venues, for a crowd of 10 to 15 people (friends and family of mine only). There’d be a meet and greet over dinner afterwards. However—happy to report that my first experience at Madison Square Garden was indeed magical. I secured cheap tickets from a friend to The Cure’s sold-out Wednesday show, a few hours before they came on. The number of people they fit into the venue was quite literally staggering. The people-watching reigned supreme. There’s something about those parents who clearly don’t care about the band, holding the hands of their kids who are dressed in full looks with insane amounts of eyeliner, that makes me emotional? The merch line was two hours long. Unfortunately, I know this firsthand. (The poster was cool. What can I say?) The music sounded amazing, as well. They did two encores.
—Syd Walker, Assistant Art and Photo Editor

Attended Sinderella Queer Ball: It’s Pride Month! I went to Queer Ball at 3 Dollar Bill, admittedly fairly late as it started at 6 p.m.; they were deflating the bouncy castle and packing up the cotton candy stand by the time I arrived. Luckily, I caught a backyard set by Orion Sun, and after that, BBYMUTHA and Talia Goddess in the main hall. The vendors were a highlight: My girlfriend had a manicure and I got a tooth gem—the last of the night—from Moon Rox. Security came to shut it down, but the technician was like, “We’re in the middle of a dental procedure,” and he was like, “Okay.”
—Morgan Becker, Digital Managing Editor

Bought a Midea U-Shaped AC unit: Sourced from my favorite destination in the Metaverse (Facebook Marketplace), my AC unit has served me well over the past two years. But my Frigidaire arrived at the twilight of its life—its acoustic effects now conjure sonic comparisons to spaceship launches and bear growls—just as the late spring air began to bloat with heat. So, at the beginning of the month, I used my aforementioned shopping site of choice to find a new, quieter unit; transferred trains three times to meet an Eastern European woman in Astoria; paid her in cash still flat from the bodega ATM; and arrived home with a new, Midea U-Shaped AC unit. Its unique design promises to cool my bedroom without sacrificing my view—or, at least, the idea of the view that an open window promises. In my Manhattan apartment, the “view” is mostly accidental eye contact with my neighbor. Its unique design also means that I am having trouble finding someone willing to install it. So far, though, the unit has served as a very handsome, industrial floor decoration to counter my otherwise coquettish interior design sense. Its cooling powers remain to be seen.
—Olivia Treynor, Editorial Intern