Yes, the Red Hook, Brooklyn Ikea opens on Wednesday, in two days’ time.
Yes, they’re doing some crazy promotion thing where the first 35 people in the store will get a free couch.
Yes, there are already people camping out in line.
I camped out once at RFK for Grateful Dead tickets in 1993 (I think it was ’93…Traffic was the opening act, so JW what year was that?). I knew a lot of people going to the show (and to camp out), and I figured I should experience the fabled Dead show at least once before Jerry died. Camping out was a lot of fun, almost a party unto itself, with various parking-lot shenanigans and goings on. I didn’t sleep much and the next day while driving home I had to repeatedly slap myself in the face to stay awake.
If you’re curious about the shenanigans and goings on at the Ikea camp out, racked.com is live-blogging from the line; they’ve got an embedded blogger who’s fifth in line.
It may be overstating the obvious, but these people must really really really want an Ikea couch.
UPDATE – from one of my favorite blogs of the moment: "Red Hook Blacks Line Up To Rob First 100 IKEA Customers."
I know Sting opened up in ’93. I think Traffic was ’94.
I might head up there and sell some hetty veggie burritos in that Ikea line. 1 for 3, 2 for 5!!
No, that’s right, it was Sting! Then I went the following year with my gf at the time and saw Traffic. Sting was weak. And I bet burritos would sell like potcakes…hotcakes.
Blasphemy. Jerry came out and played some Police covers with Sting. That was an unbelievable spectacle for a lifelong Police/new Dead fan.
Sorry to be so blasphemous. I will make up for it by posting some pictures of that 1966 Jerry guitar we just hung out with in Nashville. Amazing.