Issue No. 11 - Wandering Days. Welcome to Issue No. 11 of The Small Hours. June was a month of milestones. My oldest graduated from high school, a moment that felt both monumental and bittersweet. I’m incredibly proud of him and excited for the adventures ahead as he heads to SCAD this fall.

I also spent two wonderful evenings celebrating 30 years of Belle & Sebastian. They played Tigermilk in full the first night and If You’re Feeling Sinister the second. Both shows were fantastic, and the audience might have been the kindest, most joyful crowd I’ve ever been part of. While I preferred the “B&S Classics” set on night one, hearing If You’re Feeling Sinister performed front to back was mesmerizing. I saw Belle & Sebastian’s first-ever U.S. show in New York in 1997, and nearly 30 years later these performances felt like perfect bookends.

We also spent a few days at the beach, where I shot most of the photos in this issue with my Pentax Spotmatic. We visited the new LACMA here in Los Angeles, which I loved. It’s a polarizing space.

The month’s biggest surprise was an impromptu trip to the FIFA World Cup Round of 32 match here in Los Angeles. After South Africa qualified, my dad called to say he was trying to get tickets. Somehow, he pulled it off. The match itself won’t be remembered as one of the tournament’s classics, but sharing the experience with him was unforgettable. I worked at the 1994 World Cup and attended eight matches, including the final, so it’s been remarkable to watch how far the game has come in the United States. It’s hard not to appreciate what football has become here… even if it also gave us Alexi Lalas.

Thanks, as always, for stopping by.