Years ago, I got an email.
It was from JQ of the Q Brothers Collective, a troupe of hip hop theatre artists I had admired since my years at New York University, when I discovered their hit, The Bomb-itty of Errors. These guys were doing hip hop musicals more than a decade before some other folks who’ve gotten rich off of it. It turns out JQ was a fan of DaBearsBlog and just wanted to share that with me. I was fucking jazzed.
Years later, his friendship is one of my favorite things to have come from this site. He and his brother have been to Josie Woods for a Bears game. I’ve had beers with him all over Chicago. I’ve spent Christmas at his family’s house. The whole crew are some of my favorite people on the earth.
So who cares, Jeff?
When I decided to start building partnerships with DBB, I thought about Chicago institutions I love. Malnati’s (check). Billy Goat Tavern, and Old Style Beer (pending). Then I thought of the Q Brothers and their family’s legendary pharmacy, Merz Apothecary. (You can read the remarkable history of this institution by CLICKING HERE.) I am by no means expert when it comes to any of the products they sell. However, the woman I live with is. When Sarah and I travel anywhere – East Hampton, Paris, Trenton – I know she’s not going to be able to walk by the local pharmacy without at least a 20-minute venture inside. If she swears by Merz, Merz is the real fucking deal.
Recently I bought these things they sell called Shambars. They look like bars of soap but they replace shampoo and conditioner. I was dubious. This made no sense to me. Then I tried them. And they’re pretty fucking incredible.
