Chicago Adventures and Pitchfork Music Fest

Recently Mary and I took a nice long weekend trip to Chicago to see the city and the 2009 Pitchfork Music Festival. Our good friends Pete and Kelly joined us for the journey. We were pretty excited to experience Chicago seeing that Mary has never been and I've only been once when I was a child.

Thursday 7/16

We flew into Chicago and arrived in the early afternoon. We checked into the Hyatt hotel right on the loop downtown and were impressed with our room, especially since we got a steal of a deal on Priceline. $65 a night, say what! After a little travel decompression it was time to wounder the city. We walked down to Millennium Park to view the sculptures and the scenery. This is truly an amazing area, they were setting up a concert at the amphitheater and families were sitting on the beautiful lawn enjoying a picnic dinner, wine and all. After seeing "The Bean" and the spitting sculptures we walked over to Grant Park. Unfortunately it started to down pour but I think it was natures way of saying..."You are on vacation, quit walking around, look to your left...see that bar? yeah, that bar! Go sit down and have a beer, take a load off" so that is exactly what we did. By the time the glasses were empty the rain stopped (for a little while).



For Dinner we made our way over to Greek Town and had an amazing meal at Athena's. Pete having grown up near Chicago and his moms side of the family being Greek insured us that this will be some of the best Greek food we've ever had. I'd have to say I agreed. We finished the meal with some baklava and a little ouzo to wash it down.

After dinner we met up with a friend of Kelly's from law school at a bar call Wells on Wells in Old Town across the street from the Second City Theater.

Friday 7/17

We started our day with an amazing breakfast at this little place called "Orange" which came highly recommended from a couple different people. We all enjoyed our meals but we came to the conclusion that Mary had the best breakfast, the Coconut-infused French toast skewered with fresh strawberries and pineapples, topped with honey and served with coconut-mango salad. I will now be one of the people highly recommending this place!



In the afternoon we took a really cool and informative architectural cruise down the river through downtown. The cruise was about an hour and half and supplied us with some amazing views of the city and loads of history for each building. Even though it's touristy I'd recommend this tour. Heck it was Pete's 3rd time on the tour and he enjoys it every time.



After the Cruise we walked down to the Original Gino's Pizzeria for some true Chicago style deep dish. We tried a couple different pies and they were very good. Nothing but loads of cheese, sauce and crust. As usual our eyes were bigger than our stomachs and we waddled our way to the train to head towards to the White Sox game.



It's no secret that I hate the White Sox but I love outdoor baseball. Unfortunately the Cubs were away so you have to take what you can get. I kind of felt like I was cheating. But all in all it was an entertaining game and I was glad to see the ballpark.

Saturday 7/18

Saturday morning was filled with shopping on Michigan Ave and State Street. We went to the State Street Macy's which used to be one of the Marshall Fields I support at work. It was fun to finally see the place after hearing about how large it is.

We met up with Pete and Kelly and took the train to Wrigleyville. I finally got to see Wrigley Field...just look at it in all it's glory...why the hell are there giant sized cut outs of Rascal Flatts blocking the iconic Wrigley Field sign...Damn. We had lunch at the Goose Island Microbrew pub. Lunch was good and the beer was better. I sampled 4 Goose Island brews that I have not tried before. The Indian Pale Ale, Summertime, Nut Brown Ale and Harvest Ale. The winner being the IPA.



Finally we are on our way to Union Park for the main attraction, The 2009 Pitchfork Music Festival!

5:15 - Yeasayer. This is the 2nd time I've seen Yeasayer now and they do not disappoint. I will continue to make it a point to see them whenever they come to town. I can't wait for the new album because I am really digging the new songs they have been playing live.

6:15 - DOOM. Alright, so I was super excited to see DOOM (formerly MF Doom) for the first time. I was very impressed with his set. Hip Hop can be very hit or miss live but DOOM sounded great. To my disappointment I later found out in the Chicago Tribune that DOOM was lip syncing the whole set...damn.

7:25 - Beirut. We found a nice relaxing spot to the side of the stage for Beirut, it was perfect for this set. Beirut's heavy instrumentation was very good live and you'd swear we were watching an outdoor concert in Spain or France. It was a nice hour departure.

8:40 - The National. What an amazing show! The crowd of thousands was captivated. I've never heard so much silence in a crowd that large before during the songs. I found myself wishing I would have seen then in Minneapolis the night before we left for this trip.

After the show we took the train back to Wrigleyville for a night cap. Just after we arrived the Rascal Flatts concert got out. The streets were flooded with drunk girls in cowboy hats and jean skirts and polo'd douche bags. We ended up finding a quite tucked away patio at a bar called "The Dark Horse" which was actually quite nice.

Sunday 7/19

Started with a nice self guided walking tour around the Wicker Park Neighborhood. We saw some cool old houses and did a little window shopping. If we could afford to live in this neighborhood I think we would.



Meanwhile, back at Pitchfork...

2:30 Blitzen Trapper. I'm a fan of their album but I don't know...I started losing interest about halfway through their set. I think a setting like The Turf Club or something similar would be better fitting.

3:20 Pharoahe Monch. Set sounded very good live. Tons of energy and he seemed to really have the crowd going. No lip syncing either like DOOM

4:15 The Thermals. Meh, I'm not mad that I watched them but would have been fine not watching them. It gave me some time to just lay down on the blanket and relax. They did a Nirvana and a Green Day cover...kind of lame.

5:15 The Walkmen. Awesome! Vocals sounded great. I would love to see these guys at a club next time they are in town. Solid set list.

6:15 M83. Now I've heard the these guys are extremely boring to watch live from a couple of my friends. Well I would have to completely disagree. They had tons of energy on the stage and looked surprised at how much people were digging them. I wish I didn't listen to my friends and gone to see them when they were at the Triple Rock this spring.

7:25 Grizzly Bear. The band I was the most excited to see. I was a little worried though since they are so harmony heavy on their albums that it wouldn't sound half as good live. Well from the first song on they sounded amazing. These guys are true musicians. I am counting down the days to their show at First Ave. I felt a little bad for them because The Flaming Lips were setting up on the other stage and they kept shooting off confetti and the crowd kept looking over to that stage taking the attention away from Grizzly Bear.

8:40 The Flaming Lips. Umm, wow. What an experience. The show starts with the band walking our through a giant trippy vagina and then Wayne (singer) walking out onto the crowd in a inflatable ball. Pure entertainment. Confetti everywhere, giant balloons and great videos playing on the screen behind them on stage. I would see these guys every time they come to town from here on out.



Monday 7/20

Fly home...Sad

June Album Reviews

Dirty Projectors: Bitte Orca, Rating 8.5

The Dirty Projectors are yet another great experimental rock band out of Brooklyn, NY. I swear creativity must flow through tap water there. "Bitte Orca" certainly doesn't fall short of creativity and it demands your attention. Dirty Projectors have 3 amazing singers two female and one male that make some really interesting harmonies. I have a feeling people will give this album one listen and dismiss it. Some of my favorite new bands took a few listens to fully appreciate and then love it such as TV on the Radio and Yeasayer.

Mos Def: The Ecstatic, Rating 8.2

Mos Def's debut release "Black on Both Sides" is and amazing album but every since then Mos Def is not doing it for me...then came "The Ecstatic." Mos Def uses music from all over the globe on "The Ecstatic" from India to Iraq to Mexico and American funk. His laid back flow keeps you engaged though the whole album. This could be the hip hop album of the year.

Regina Spektor: Far, Rating 6.0

More of the same from Regina, piano driven quirky songs (including one where she sings like a dolphin) and a strong voice. A few of these songs will make the iPod but all in all not a great album.

Sunset Rubdown: Dragonslayer, Rating 7.6

Yet another "Wolf Parade" side project. I don't know if these dudes in "Wolf Parade" know what it's like to make bad music, seems like everything they touch is gold. "Dragonslayer" is filled with long epic rock songs that just pull you in. This is one to play loudly in the car, you'll be so sucked into the songs you'll be at your destination before you know it.

Bibio: Ambivalence Avenue, Rating 8.0

This album was a nice surprise from a DJ/producer I've never heard of before. "Ambivalence Avenue" can easily be summed up as an elctro-folk-funk-dance album, haha. An easy listen from start to finish. "Bibio" has the same feel as "Air" or lighter elctro groups. I'd put this album to read a book but might have to get up between chapters to dance.

Wilco: Wilco (The Album), Rating 7.7

Well the name of the album kind of says it all. Wilco's new album almost feels like a journey through their career. Listening to "Wilco (The Album) I find my self saying "oh this song is very "Being There" or I could hear this track on "Yankee Foxtrot Hotel." I'd give this album to someone who was looking to get into Wilco and tell them to let me know there favorite songs. From that I'd be able to tell them what era of Wilco they might more. All in all a solid effort by Wilco, not their best album by far but one of the better ones.

May Album Reviews

St. Vincent: Actor, Rating 8.5

"Actor" is like no other album I've heard before, and I love it. Annie Clark really shows her unique instrumentation on this album. My favorite song "Marrow" Starts with a flute/clarinet flurry and then all of the sudden you are like "when did NIN get a female singer?" Distorted sax, violin and guitar take over to a heavy beat. Then you move to a song like "The Party" which has a nice singer songwriter feel and showcases Annie's voice. I am a big fan of St. Vincent and this album, give it a shot!

Peaches: I Feel Cream, Rating 6.6

What I love about Peaches is I know exactly what I am going to get when I listen to her albums, dance grooves with dirty in your face lyrics. "I Feel Cream" falls right in suit. This album is probably her best as far as production goes and is well rounded from start to finish. "Talk to Me" is a great tune and is possible the first Peaches song that has been able to receive radio play.

John Vanderslice: Romain Names, Rating 7.1

To me John Vanderslice is one of those artist where I'll listen to their album, really like it, move on to a different album and for get about them. I find myself checking my iPod whenever Vanderslice comes on to see who it is because I really like it. Maybe I haven't given Vanderslice the listening time he deserves. "Romain Names" is a solid example of how good of a singer/songwriter Vanderslice is and his instrumentation's are light, bouncy and fun.

White Rabbits: It's Frightening, Rating 7.3

Produced by the lead singer of Spoon Britt Daniels it's easy to hear the similarities and influences of Spoon on "It's Frightening." This percussion heavy album is fun to listen to and has some great heavy pop tracks on it. But I usually find myself about half way through the album wanting to put Spoon on, which isn't a bad thing. If you are a fan of Spoon I am 90% sure you will like this album.

Jason Lytle: Yours Truly, The Commuter, Rating 7.1

"Yours Truly, The Commuter" is the first solo album from Grandaddy's lead singer Jason Lytle. To be honest I hear very little difference between Lytle's solo stuff and Grandaddy which is fine with be because I was bummed when I heard they broke up. I find Lytle's music very cosmic sounding, like it could almost be an alternative sound track for 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Green Day: 21st Century Breakdown, Rating 3.0

It came out, I don't care, it will win lots of grammys.

Grizzly Bear: Veckatimest, Rating 9.4

An all around amazing album. The best Grizzly Bear album and they make really good albums. Perfect harmonies and great song structure. The songs "Two Weeks" and "While you Wait out for the Others" are near perfect songs. This is one of those albums I will never tire of, whether it's 10 weeks, 10 months or 10 years from now.

Phoenix: Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, Rating 8.7

"Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix" reminds me of when I listened to The Stokes "Is This It?" for the first time. It's nothing new but it's done so well it sounds it stands out on it's own. I wouldn't be surprised to see a handful of bands to have that "Phoenix" sound just the we got a bunch of Strokes sound-a-likes in the early 2000's. Every single song on this album could be a radio single, it's that good. Pop-rock can't be done much better than this.

Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse: Dark Night of Soul, Rating 7.5

This album that may never be released due to legal disputes with EMI but is available to stream and download online. Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse bring together a collection a indie stars such as Jason Lytle, Wayne Kramer (Flaming Lips), Iggy Pop, Black Francis (Pixies) and Julian Casablanca (The Strokes) to sing over their music. Not a great album but a good album. It's a fun mash up of a lot of great artists, it's worth a listen.

April Album Reviews

Hold Steady: Positive Rage, Rating 5.2

As much as I love The Hold Steady and as much as I love seeing The Hold Steady live, a live Hold Steady album really disappoints. I'm not really surprised either. Seeing The Hold Steady live is an experience, one I think everyone should go through sometime in your life. You get to see 5 great musicians that absolutely love what they do and they pull the crowd right into it with them. This experience does not carry over to a live album. True fans put it in you collection just to have, others stay away.

Bat For Lashes: Two Suns, Rating 8.3

If you are fan of artists such as PJ Harvey, Bjork, Kate Bush and early Tori Amos, Bat For Lashes is right down your alley. This album caught me by surprise. I wasn't familiar with the band but thought I'd give it a shot. First listen I was hooked. Amazing voice and some intense dark grooves. The Track "Daniel" will probably be somewhere in my top 5 tracks of the year.

Prince: Lotus Flow3r/MPLSound, Rating 2.1

Hmmm, where do I start. I am a huge fan a of Prince (who isn't). I've even been patient with he last few releases because embedded between a bunch of mediocre songs there are some gems. but this double CD could be the worst material I've every heard from Prince. To be honest I couldn't find a song on either album that keep my attention all the way through before skipping to the next tune. Prince, I would like to tell you the same thing I told Ryan Adams, Fans don't care about the quantity of music you release, it's the quality that keeps us coming back.

Metric: Fantasies, Rating 7.0

Have you ever listened to an album by the band "Stars" and go "Man, I wish this was better. They have the right idea but just can't pull it off"? if so, buy Fantasies by Metric. If you have no clue what I am talking about, buy Fantasies by Metric. You'll like it. It's a great pop album that sounds like it's had it's corners bent a little.

Lady Sovereign: Jigsaw, Rating 6.2

Jigsaw is a whole new feel from British rapper Lady Sovereign. SOV's debut album was a good hip hop album filled with some great tongue in cheek lyrics backed with contagious beats. On Jigsaw SOV takes a more dance/club turn. I would say Jigsaw has 3 or 4 solid tracks the will make the iPod and be played loudly at a party.

Bill Callahan: Sometime I wish I were an Eagle, Rating 8.0

Let me start out by saying this album won't be for everyone. Callahan's voice is one of those you embrace or you hear it once and your done with it. For me his low dark voice fits the instrumentation on this album so well. Each song is a great story pulls you in and then after you are done with it you say "I'm glad Bill is like this so I don't have to be."

Camera Obscura: My Maudlin Career, Rating 7.9

Camera Obscura is probably best summed up as great pop music. I thought My Maudlin Career was decent on first listen but the more I listen to it the more and more I enjoy it. At times it has 50's girl group sound to it but then on the next track might go a little country or maybe a ballad. I hate to say this but Camera Obscura might make me start listening to Belle and Sebastian...eek.