Music shapes a trip. It fills in the margins. Adds texture. Gives present moments and future memories something to grab onto. When you do it right, you’re not just making the travel experience better. You’re giving yourself something to return to later. Months from now. Years from now.
You press play, and suddenly you’re back there.
Driving up the PCH.
Sitting around a fire.
Looking out at something that doesn’t feel real.
It’s like gifting your future self a memory.
For our Gentlemen’s Trip to Malibu, the music started in the car. The drive from LAX to the Agave House took about 90 minutes. Mostly along the PCH. Windows cracked. Sunroof open. That kind of drive.
I didn’t overthink the playlist. No genre rules. Just one filter: Does this make me want to nod my head? The kind of song that makes you purse your lips, lean back slightly, and just… bop.
A Sampling of the Playlist
Here’s a sampling of what made the cut.
- “Dracula” — Tame Impala
- “Alive!” — Bakar
- “Are You Looking Up” — Mk.gee
- “Scared” — Fred again..
- “Lawyers, Guns and Money” — Warren Zevon
- “Sofa King” — Royel Otis
- “Lemon” — Still Woozy
- “Baby Drive It Down” — Toro y Moi
- “Simply Are” — Papooz
- “Strands Align” — Night Moves
- “Long Way Home” — Luke Christopher
Albums That Carried the Trip
Call me old fashioned, but I still love albums. Not in a music-snob kind of way. More in a practical sense. Albums are efficient. You press play once, and you’re done thinking about it. No skipping. No searching. No breaking the moment to queue something else up. Perfect for dinners. Games. Long conversations that don’t need a DJ.
These were on repeat at the Agave House:
- Bar Mediterraneo — Nu Genea
- Caravelle — Polo & Pan
- Loveseat — Still Woozy
- None of This Matters Now — Papooz
- Double Life — Night Moves
Happy listening, gentlemen!
