Checked on Chicago

So, yeah, as the post about the Pitchfork festival would suggest, I was in Chicago the other weekend to see what was up. On Friday I went to a Cubs game, my first in six years. Last time I saw them they lost to the Angels like 15-0 (not an exaggeration, just having trouble remembering the exact score) but this time they beat the Rangers 6-0, including a 5 run inning.

Always dissing Green Bay, even at baseball games. That's how much we hate you!

Headed to Oak Park on an Oak Park-bound train with a Visit Oak Park ad

Don't worry, I had Johnnie's

On Sunday I checked out Emily's church, which is held in a school in the city. As you can see, it is in a very rough neighborhood.

In my absence, Mom had been researching new places to eat. A stressful morning at the movies (don't get us started!) was made right by a lunch at Jarabe in Pilsen. HOLY SMOKES. This place was great. All the reviews talked up their breakfast tacos and other Mexican breakfast foods and I'm here to cosign on that. My taco al pastor there on the left was no big deal, but the steak and egg taco on the right was awesome. Chilaquiles, also awesome--topped with lots of nice little charred pieces of chicken. Mom ordered a mulita and, I mean, just looked at that perfectly fried egg? In short: Jarabe is a world class operation disguised as an unassuming neighborhood taco spot. Go. Go go go.

This is how you dress for the bus

My restaurant research contribution was a reservation at the Publican.

For my last day in town Mom suggested that Emily and I come along with her to the National Museum of Mexican Art in Pilsen. Made a cat-friend first.

Then we met Dad downtown for a little free after-work chamber music concert in a church (it was not in this chapel. This chapel is too small).

And then it was BACK to Pilsen once again for dinner at 5 Rabanitos, another Mexican place Mom had researched-up for us. The chef is a former Rick Bayless chef, so it was neighborhood Mexican on a chef level. Plus Alinea-looking custom plate holding the guacamole.

So, in summary: Baseball, beef, rock n roll, and three trips to Pilsen in two days. That's what going home is all about!

On Occasion I Will Attend a Music Festival

Hello readers. I am recently returned from a Chicago/Utah combo trip and I would like to now begin reporting on this little vacation I had. First up: On my second day in Chicago I went to the second day of the Pitchfork Music Festival. I thought I'd lighten the Chicago-post photo load by looking at this day on its own.

I arrived at Union Park an hour'ish after the festival gates had opened. The weather was perfect: sunny, a little hot, no humidity, occasional refreshing breezes. 

Not much was popping at that time. Kevin Morby, the first musician I planned on watching, was doing his sound check

Over in a corner at the Blue stage Chicago footwork producer RP Boo had drawn a crowd. Up to this time, I had found Chicago footwork music practically unlistenable and just Did Not Get It. But RP Boo had his speakers turned up loud and a group of dancers taking turns on stage and Now I Get It. 

Lost in a Pokemon hunt

At the Red Stage this band called Girlband was giving it all they got and making a magnificent racket, but this photo conveys none of that. Singer was screaming himself hoarse but this photo doesn't tell you that.

Over at the Green Stage, Kevin Morby started his set. His music sounds just like he looks, and I wasn't there out of any tremendous Kevin Morby fandom

I was there because Katy Goodman of La Sera, the band whose concert in June brought me back to rock n roll life, was one of his back up singers.

Oh and guess who else was at the Green stage? Chicago resident Sarah, too long not seen for the past five years. Turns out loud music festivals aren't the best place to fully catch up on 60 months gone by, but we did our best.

Post-Kevin Morby, caught Royal Headache for a moment. Didn't realize they were such old dudes. I like this one song of their's called Honey Joy, though.

Back over to the Red Stage, where we'd spend just about the whole rest of the day, for Digable Planets. The view mostly looked like this the whole time. 90's Hip Hop reunions really get people throwing their hands in the air.

When Digable Planets were done a lot of the crowd left so we were able to move up closer to the stage for Blood Orange, who was basically auditioning for the role of "New Prince" with his set.

The crowd thinned out again when the Blood Orange fans headed for other stages, so our spots got even better for Brian Wilson. He and his band actually started about 10 minutes early, which was a fine surprise. All the musicians (there were about 13?) were on stage and looked ready and then someone walked Mr. Wilson out to his piano and it was time to go! 

Brian didn't sing the high parts and didn't sing a lot of the low parts and wasn't playing the piano most of the time but he did introduce most of the songs and you know what, it was great having him. His band was excellent and fellow Beach Boy Al Jardine helped with a lot of the heavy lifting. It was great fun singing along to all the songs (He was there to play Pet Sounds, start to finish, and followed it with 5 or 6 other Beach Boy classics—considering Beach Boys songs were the sing along songs of my early early childhood, it was actually much more than "great fun" to sing along, more of an "absolute treasure") and making Beach Boys jokes/puns. If I had a bucket list, I think I checked off a big box that evening.

I wanted so bad to get a good pictures of this classy lady in white and pink while she was living it up to the Beach Boys music but she was too quick for me.

There were still a number of bands left after Brian Wilson but I had gotten what I came for, so I didn't really care too much that the crowd was shifting to the other side of the park for Sufjan Stevens. So I photographed strangers, ate a chicken sandwich (you'll have to trust me on that), checked out the record and print fair (again, please trust me), caught a minute of Anderson Paak, and called it a (great) day before the entire festival population swarmed the El station.

I walked home from the Ridgeland stop in Oak Park talking with Jeff on the phone, but by the time I got to OPRF I was like "Eh, maybe I should've called for a ride?" It was a long day on my feet! I felt like my leg bones were going to fall through my heels by the time I got home.

June Stuff that Wasn't California or Camping

I kicked June off with a victory of maturity by not bringing this portrait I saw in the curbside trash home with me. Sure, when I look at this picture of that picture I feel a little bummed that I don't have it, but also proud that I've progressed beyond bringing trash from on the street into my home.

One of my first noteworthy meals of June: Mission Cantina with Viviana for fish tacos, General Tso's chicken, and super-garlicky pea shoots.

Then we dipped into Morgenstern's for the first night of Kanye West Week 2. Viviana had the awesome chocolate and peanut butter "You Left Your Fridge Open" ice cream sandwich. I had the cute coconut ice cream with ash cookies Panda cone.

The next day I had lunch at this place Soho Tiffin Junction in the Village to check out their chicken tikka masala burger...this picture doesn't show it, but it features a patty of chicken tikka masala held together by meat glue (don't worry, that's a technical name) and it's actually real nice.

There was a Monday night where a bunch of church friends traveled out to Union City (so quick and easy!) to check out Mariano's ice cream shop. It was great! And then we walked over to the river to have a look at Manhattan and the spot where Alexander Hamilton got shot.

And then there was this other day where I went out to Sunset Park to eat tacos with Leanna. No pictures of tacos, though. Sometimes I forget!

There was this one Saturday where I went to Bushwick to meet up with Chaunte and Jeff at this barbecue place called Arrogant Swine. The space was great, the walk over was interesting, the food was ok. Favorite dishes on that platter were the garlic cheese bread and one of the cole slaws. The meats? Fine.

During some of my less-exciting times last month I would play video games. Last of Us was awesome, just like everyone said it was. Loved visiting Salt Lake and seeing the animals escaped from Hogle Zoo.

Here's some at-home cooking from the month, featuring further attempts to perfect tacos of cauliflower, broccoli, and steak. And also roast vegetable salad.

Right before I went to LA I met up with Jeff to try out the hot chicken at this new place Carla's Southern Kitchen ("Carla" being some TV food celebrity). The flavor was there, I liked how oily it was, but the heat was weak...I got the absolute spiciest chicken they had and I'd say it was a Prince's medium. Also: This drumstick and little cup of potato salad? $7. Sheesh.

I think it was that same day that I finally checked out Nishi, the new (7 or 9 months old?) Momofuku in Chelsea with Bryndee. Thumbs up on the scallops in tiger's milk, chickpea sauce pasta, and clams and noodles...very meh on the spicy beef dish. Potatoes were good, too bad they came out at the very end of the meal, pound cake was fine.

Here's some miscellaneous walking around pictures

When I got back from LA I met up with Julie, who published me in her music 'zine and was in town from LA, at Roberta's. The only picture I got of Julie was her hand, but look at that green tomato salad!

Another night I went and saw some chamber orchestra play a whole lot of Beethoven, but what I'll never forget about that night was watching the woman in front of me dredge her sushi through a dozen packet's worth of ketchup and mayonnaise.

A few nights later I went down to Madison Square Garden to see the Stone Roses. I'm glad Ticketmaster sends reminders because I had bought the ticket so long ago. I think I'm a Stone Roses fan, or at least I respect them for making one of rock n rolls A++/10 out of 10 perfect records, but the stadium was packed with people, all 5 to 10 years older then me, that LOVED the Stone Roses. Merch lines were gigantic, like, probably bigger than at a Katy Perry or Taylor Swift show and 60% of the audience wore their new Stone Roses t-shirts/sweatshirts/soccer jerseys they had just bought. My seat was down on the floor, a fluke of good clicking, and my favorite part of the show was when a security guard put this drunk who had been falling onto me and my neighbors and causing all sorts of nonsense throughout the show in a headlock and punched his lights out.

One afternoon a van crashed into a tree on my sidewalk going the wrong way on a one way street and somehow missed all the parked cars and people.

Ok, thank you for scrolling down so far...here's our Grand Finale, heading down to the Brooklyn Bridge Shake Shack to meet up with the Clarks and meet young Silas. And try the white cheddar bacon burger. That, too.