The First Recording - Side A: 1965 (The Forever Tapes)

Set in 1960s Chicago, The First Recording – Side A follows two young men, Daniel Vargas and Artie Price, as they navigate identity, connection, and survival in a city that is not built to hold them.Daniel arrives in Chicago with little more than a duffel bag and the hope of starting over after being rejected by his family. He finds a roommate through an ad promising “No Questions,” and soon forms a fragile bond with Rick, who later embraces her identity as Vivian under the mentorship of a defiant friend named Marcus.Daniel’s world shifts the night he hears Artie Price sing at The Ashland Room. Artie’s raw, aching voice becomes the “sound of survival,” drawing Daniel into a connection that moves from smoky clubs to sunlit afternoons exploring the city. Over the next year, their relationship deepens into a devoted partnership as they build a sanctuary of music, tenderness, and chosen family.But outside their apartment walls, danger is constant. Raids, unrest, and the threat of exposure shadow every step they take. As the city tightens around them, Daniel and Artie must rely on each other, and the music that brought them together, to withstand a world determined to silence them. Read more