Tag chicago
We had fun in Chicago, which was in the upper 70s when we arrived friday afternoon. Our Airbnb was just a few short blocks away from the lake, so we dropped off our bags and then spent some time at the shore. Lake Michigan looked suspiciously like the ocean. We had dinner at a Korean-fusion place called Del Seoul (the kimchi fried rice with spam was fantastic). After Lambchop, Karen and I took a short bus ride to visit Billy Sunday, a cocktail bar with a vast collection of vintage and contemporary amari. This was a beautiful place that surprised me with its lack of pretentiousness.
When we woke up saturday morning, it was pouring down rain and in the low 40s, but we nevertheless had a delightful and leisurely morning, eating a very pleasant brunch then walking around Lincoln Park Zoo and Lincoln Park Conservatory. (The rain kept the crowds away, and I’ll take rain over crowds any day.)
Karen and I made a trip to Chicago last weekend to see Lambchop touring in support of FLOTUS, and of course it was a wonderful time—about as weirdly-laid-back as the other time I’ve seen Lambchop play, and about one hundred times more laid-back than any other show by any other band I’ve ever seen. Delightfully quiet—quiet to a point where you begin appreciating the band’s musicianship in an uncommon way. They played (nearly?) everything on FLOTUS, plus a few Is a Woman-era selections, and finished with that great cover of “When You Were Mine”. Sui generis.
Mountain Goats at the Vic Theatre (Chicago, IL, 27 october 2012)
2012 has been a great year for live music. Here is further evidence: October 27, I drove to Chicago with friends Ian and Andrew to see the Mountain Goats. We slept in sleeping bags on Olivia’s apartment floor, got up early and went to Covenant PCA the next morning (which was a beautiful experience in its own right), and drove all the way home! A terrific jaunt. I could go on forever about tMG. They were amazing. tMG forums friend Thom recorded the show, so I’ve got a little memento. It was my first time in Chicago, and though I didn’t see a whole lot of the city, I enjoyed it a lot. The Vic Theatre was a pretty cool venue and I ended up quite close to the stage, which was great. And there’s really no topping a Mountain Goats show. Personal highlights included: “Wild Sage”, the full-band “Mess Inside” and “First Few Desperate Hours”, and (of course) “Tetrapod”. SO WORTH IT.