Utah Time, Summer 2016

So from Chicago I headed over to Utah to see what was up and to be there for my parents' 40th wedding anniversary celebration. 

Wednesday evening I met up with Andrew for tacos, it was my first time trying the new, giant Don Joaquin's on Bulldog. They've transitioned their Provo operations from their weekend presence at Salon Eclipse to this every-day-of-the-week establishment. While I'll definitely miss the ambiance of Salon Eclipse, I am glad that these finest tacos imaginable are now always available to the good people of Provo. 

Former New Yorker Sam's band was playing in Salt Lake that night so I was like "That sounds fun" and I went.

Thursday I had lunch at Bam Bam's BBQ there in Provo. Or Orem. Sometimes it's hard to tell. Either way, I was shocked by how good it was. Stunned. Picture doesn't look like much, but it was absolutely delicious, world class stuff. Enough to make you wonder if Provo might secretly be one of the great food cities of the world whatwith their having the best tacos, best Indian, and so good barbecue.

Greg's celebrity hook-ups hooked him up with some tickets for all the kids to a Studio C rehearsal. I've maybe watched two Studio C sketches before, but it was fun being there with all the absolutely thrilled 9 year olds and their parents. Definitely got the feeling that this outing was making it into more than a few Christmas letters.

After the taping we decided to keep partying and went to 7-11 for Slurpees. The machine was much more powerful than I expected and I experienced an incredible high pressure Slurpee explosion that got all over Rachel. So glad I ruined her clothes and not a stranger's!

Then I went up to Midway to get Andrew down to the airport. He's been living at our friend Calder's house while he works with Calder fixing up his boat. When I got to Calder's I was like "He lives in a cabin?" and then discovered "Oh, he lives in a cabin with an awesome modern house added on to the back."

Friday morning I went and picked up Mom and Dad and Emily from the airport (yes, it was a very airport-oriented trip). Before returning to Highland we stopped at the Church History Building. I found this story in a collection of Brigham Young anectdotes

The big thing about Friday was celebrating Mom and Dad's anniversary. They cut a carrot cake, same cake they had for their wedding. Well, not the SAME, you know.

Friday for dinner we had chicken tostadas with these beans Kristen made that drove me nuts. I woke up thinking about them so I went down to the kitchen and made myself huevos rancheros. Look at the fry on that egg! So proud.

Saturday was a special day because it was the day of the neighborhood block party. They got me out of the house to see the slip n slide.

But the main attraction was that Ricardo, Mr. Tacos Don Joaquin, was in charge of lunch. ("Tacos Tarricaso" is his new catering/food-truck venture)

Another key attraction? The dump tank. Kids acted like it was an execution. Would ask specific people to hit the button and drop them in or say they just wanted to slide in off the seat themselves. The kids waiting for an actual chance to throw a ball at the target probably had a longer wait than the taco hopefuls.

Dad and Owen and I took a little break from the party to go see Star Trek and came back to find the neighborhood dinner in full swing in Kristen and Cory's back yard.

And after dinner...Neighborhood Dance Party. The dj was like the babysitter that shows up with a bunch of games. People had to play a lot of dance games or follow a lot of dance instructions before she finally did what everyone wanted, which was play the Whip/Nae Nae song.

A note about these limbo pictures: Rachel has a sense of humor. She's proud of these faces. Or that's how it seems to me, the uncle.

Sunday: Taking pictures of the Edwards family for them and then FINALLY having Grandma over. She is telling Walker she knew he was hiding from her.

And that basically was the trip! I told you there was a lot of family stuff!

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.