Dagon download.jpg” alt=”-1″ width=”346″ height=”259″ />For music snobs everywhere, Superglued’s 50 Shows in 50 Days challenge might seem like the sort of dream job conjured for romanticized indie flicks featuring pale and quirky leads, but NYU alum Nick Haycock can attest to the challenge’s veracity. This summer, after being tapped by the site through NYU’s CareerNet (sidenote: I had no idea CareerNet offered jobs so awesome), Haycock and his fellow show enthusiast, Katharine Sloss Hartman, took to the streets of every borough to explore what free music the city had to offer. Braving a horrendously rainy June and still managing to balance a part time job at a tech company, Haycock completed his mission on August 14th with a final show at Pier 54. After the jump, an interview with Nick about his sometimes awesome, sometimes grueling 50 in 50 experience.

Jessica Roy: How did you get involved with Superglued’s 50 shows in 50 days project?

Nick Haycock: There was an ad for the project on NYU career net as a paid internship. I thought it would be a really cool thing to do. Rush, one of Superglued’s founders, interviewed me and I guess I impressed them enough to get the job.

JR: What were some of the best shows you saw?

NH: The last day of the Afropunk festival when Janelle Monae opened for Saul Williams was one of my favorite shows. I also really liked Casiokids: their live energy was crazy. I would love to see them again sometime soon. Dirty Projectors were also really amazing live. Every member of their band is an incredibly talented instrumentalist, and they do great vocal harmony arrangements.

JR: Was there ever a moment when you were like, “Fuck this, I can’t see any more concerts.”

NH: Haha, yeah there were definitely some of those moments. I had another part time job at a company that makes cell phone applications while the project was going on, so I worked sixty or more hours every week. Sometimes I just wanted to go home and chill out rather than see a show. One day that stands out was when I got drenched on my way to see Polvo at South Street Seaport only to find out the show had been canceled due to weather. Then I had to go to another show eighty blocks away, and I waited in line for three hours to see Dan Deacon, but I didn’t get into that show either and had to scramble to find a third show.

JR: What are some of the best and worst places to see music in NYC?

NH: Prospect Park and Stuy Town are my two favorite summer venues for free music. I don’t really like the Studio at Webster Hall, especially because it is $7 for a PBR there.

JR: Did you meet any interesting people along the way?

NH: We got to interview Nils Edenloff of Rural Alberta Advantage. He is a really cool dude. For the most part, I just got to know people I already knew much better by seeing them at multiple shows throughout the summer.

JR: What are you going to do now that you’ve graduated and have this interesting experience under your belt? Any plans to attempt to be a music critic?

I was a music business concentrator at Gallatin and I am hoping to get a job in music marketing or artist management, but I want to keep writing about music on the side.

NH: I have this one scheme on the horizon to promote Superglued by breaking a Guinness World Record, but I don’t want to reveal too much about that at this time.

JR: What are some cool bands you discovered that you think people should check out?

NH: None of these bands are really new, but if you are not already familiar with Casio Kids, Janelle Monae and Yeasayer make sure you check them out. Terry Lynn was an artist I had never heard of; she does Electro Dancehall, and I was really impressed by her. I didn’t see him live, but I have been a fan of Jay Electronica for a few years. Download his “Style wars” mix tape if you like hiphop.

JR: What was your favorite part of the experience?

NH: It might sound corny, but my favorite part of the experience was the music. I saw such a wide range of artists from legends like Femi Kuti, Bela Fleck and Burning Spear to established acts like Saul Williams and Ted Leo, to up and comers like Terry Lynn and Casio Kids. I saw so much music that I never would have seen had I not been obligated to, and it really enriched my life. New York is a really expensive city, but there are a lot of great opportunities for free entertainment if you take advantage of them.