A few blocks from where I live on the edge of the East Village is an old storefront with curtains that stay permanently down. Inside, my neighbor Raymond plays his piano and minds his own business, as he’s done in the storefront for the past 50 years that he’s lived there. I ran into Raymond during the peak of the quarantine, and he told me that what I’m experiencing right now, is the way downtown Manhattan was in the 70s. The quiet, empty streets are something that he hasn’t seen here in a very long time. After weeks inside, I called Kai to film for a few hours one Saturday afternoon, to try and capture the energy that Raymond told me about. starring kai roper directed & shot by josh charow music by kid hastings title by tatum dorrell sfx by romain sturma & camille thomas