The Essential List: Charlie Blasberg
Charlie Blasberg is a producer at Antfood living in Brooklyn. He grew up playing the piano and loves all keyboard instruments, especially the Hammond Organ. Charlie spends his time playing squash, practicing the piano, and checking out plants at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.
Lifestyle
o Place of birth: Born and raised in Boston.
o Staycation: Brooklyn Botanic Garden (even in the winter), shopping for vinyl, going to concerts and movies.
o Vacation: I love experiencing new cities, but if it’s winter time my ideal vacation gets me out into the mountains.
o Pet: I don’t have any pets at the moment, and don’t plan to purchase, adopt, or father any in the foreseeable future. If one were thrust upon me, I’d prefer a hound -- basset or blood.
o Place of work: The Antfood studio on Jackson Street in Brooklyn.
o Place of workout: Shout out to Open Squash on 39th St.
o Side project: My band, Charlie Blasberg and Immortals. I also have a sock puppet musical in the works, but don’t hold your breath on that.
o Mode of transport: Citibike and Subway.
Culture
o Artist: I was introduced to an Austrian cartoonist named Paul Flora while on vacation last year and fell in love with his work. After a heated online bidding war, I am the proud owner of a Paul Flora.
o Musician: Stevie Wonder.
o Commercials / music video director: Antfood did a project with Donnie Bauer from The Mill for Subway back in 2022. Throughout the process, I was blown away by his vision and have followed his work closely since.
o Film director: Martin Scorsese.
o Film: School of Rock. This was also the last film to make me cry.
o Series: Either Seinfeld or Curb depending on my mood.
o Commercial: My favourite commercials growing up were ESPN’s 'This Is SportsCenter' commercials. My personal favourite is their Manny Being Manny spot.
o Music video: 'You Can Call Me Al' by Paul Simon.
o Board game: Chronology is super fun, though it may technically be a card game not a board game. I won my first ever time playing, so I generally associate the game with good times.
o Book: Sabbath’s Theater by Phillip Roth
o Podcast: I loathe all podcasts and wish people would stop recommending them. I’ve yet to find one that I can tolerate for more than 10 minutes. The nonstop dialogue within my own head is generally enough to keep me amused.
o Newspaper (off or online): I’m a subscriber of the Boston Globe and read it everyday.
Food and Drink
o Breakfast: Egg and cheese on a roll, salt pepper ketchup.
o Restaurant: The River Deli. Cash only Italian restaurant in Brooklyn.
o Cheap bite: Pizza.
o Working lunch: Whatever I didn’t finish for dinner the prior night.
o Favourite dish: My mother makes phenomenal matzo ball soup. The matzo balls are fluffy and light and the broth is salty and delicious. I’ve been to many seders and nobody has been able to match it.
o Signature dish: I make a mean salmon, great for weeknight dinner. On special occasions, I’ve become known for making latkes, always served with a dollop of sour cream and four drops of hot sauce.
o Snack: See 'Working Lunch'.
o Guilty pleasure: Every now and then, I treat myself to a chopped cheese.
o Bar: The Bearded Lady in Prospect Heights.
o Drink: Depends on the time of day!
Kit
o Phone: iPhone.
o Computer: MacBook that is still chugging along.
o TV: see 'Computer'.
o Headphones: I use Audio Technica M50x headphones for focused listening. I’ve found they have a nice, unbiased sound.
o Camera: see 'Phone'.
o Where you document an idea: Voice memos.
o Smart clothing: I have a grey suit that my grandfather gave me that I wear whenever I have the chance.
o Footwear: My not-so-white-anymore Nikes have emerged as my everyday shoe.
o Watch: see 'Phone'.
o App: I play Connect 4 on my phone a decent amount. I once lost 13 games in a row, and vowed to myself: never again. So I practice pretty diligently these days to stay sharp in case a game ever breaks out.
o Website: whosampled.com
o Analogue work tool: Pen and parchment. There is no better way to signal that someone has your undivided attention than to take handwritten notes.
