Remembering New York City’s 1977 Blackout: The Talking Heads Were BBQing and Grandmaster Caz Looted a DJ Mixer

On July 13, 1977–a sweltering summer night, 40 years ago today–lightning struck a Con Ed cable draped over the Hudson River, about 40 miles north of Manhattan, setting into motion a series of electrical failures that soon left the entire city of New York without power.

By the time the power came back on…