muggy city---second post

(blogger is trying its hardest to make me delete this post. bastard!)

Eli sprung for a posh hotel (the Fairmont) in Chicago and so we lived like rock stars for 2 nights, not worrying about a tip here, an atrocious parking charge there. we enjoyed the city and walked around today, despite 92 degrees and the wet blanket of air that hung over the city.
we walked by the Art Institute of Chicago. Not too expensive to go in, but we'd already exhausted ourselves and still have the gig to go tonight.....plus, a drive to Milwaukee after the gig tonight. So we decided to return to Uncommon Ground (site of last night's gig that was great, with both Steve Dawson and Damon Castillo Band laying some great music on us.) We're sitting here catching up on some rest before heading a bit further uptown to play again.



I have really enjoyed Chicago and I hope Chicago has enjoyed me. More than a few times in the last 2 days I have compared Chi-town to NYC. I like NYC, the crazy energy and the fast paced moving everything, but the first morning we walked to breakfast, I realized why I think I might prefer Chicago. It's a big city and has big city appeal with arts, music, theater, decent public transport, plenty of people to look at and tall buildings. NYC has all these as well, but Chicago has more open landscape somehow. Even though the buildings are tall, they are separated by a river and wider avenues. I feel less closed in and nervous and it felt good to be here.
We played the Apple Store on North Michigan Avenue on Sunday afternoon, August 5. WE ROCKED IT and it was fun. In the green room, Eli and I monkeyed around with their projector set up and I pretended to lecture on the societal ailments of not keeping your eyebrows properly trimmed.


We were almost late to the Uncommon Ground gig. We were lazing about, reveling in our Apple Store success....I lazily chatted with a friend. Then about 6pm (an hour before the gig started) we realized that the venue, about 6 blocks from Wrigley Field, would offer no parking, not even street parking because of a Cubs game. (they lost.) Anyway, we raced to the Red Line and made it just in time. It was a great show. The adrenaline of running down the street with my merch case, worrying about missing the gig, fueled a fun, fast performance. Props to Eli, still recovering from a broken leg, for carrying both his bass and my heavy guitar case.
This is our $10 "Bountiful Feast." Breakfast of Champions and hungry tunesters.



Tonight we drive out of Chicago. I'll be back in the area next week for 4 days of Simon and Garfunkel music. I hope it's not too long before I can return here and play again. It's been fun.