Maybe.
[via here, here and here]
Friday, April 29, 2011
Thursday, April 28, 2011
The Popovers!
The Popovers!
Learn about the awesome band behind the Dan Savage Lovecast theme song and download their album for FREE (though a donation to their awesome frontman to aid in his battle against ALS would be an excellent idea.
Trust me, you will LOVE this band.
Learn about the awesome band behind the Dan Savage Lovecast theme song and download their album for FREE (though a donation to their awesome frontman to aid in his battle against ALS would be an excellent idea.
Trust me, you will LOVE this band.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Holy Ghost! is not Hey Champ.
Holy Ghost! is not Hey Champ.
You'd forgive me for thinking the other way around the first time I heard this tune, but I assure you it's Holy Ghost! performing this little sublime slice of electro-pop and not my pals in Hey Champ.
Like it? Heck, I'm feeling generous today. Download the track and keep it!
MP3: Holy Ghost "Wait & See"
You'd forgive me for thinking the other way around the first time I heard this tune, but I assure you it's Holy Ghost! performing this little sublime slice of electro-pop and not my pals in Hey Champ.
Like it? Heck, I'm feeling generous today. Download the track and keep it!
MP3: Holy Ghost "Wait & See"
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Lolla 2011.
Lolla 2011.
The Lollapalooza line-up is out. Color my meh but unsurprised. I mean, it's a massive corporation that needs to make money so of course their booking will skew to appeal to the largest crowd. That still doesn't mean that the teenage me who attended the very first Lolla with Jane's headlining in Tinley Park twenty years ago doesn't feel a little betrayed.
The Lollapalooza line-up is out. Color my meh but unsurprised. I mean, it's a massive corporation that needs to make money so of course their booking will skew to appeal to the largest crowd. That still doesn't mean that the teenage me who attended the very first Lolla with Jane's headlining in Tinley Park twenty years ago doesn't feel a little betrayed.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Over and over and over again, it's the Wilhelm Scream!
Over and over and over again, it's the Wilhelm Scream!
Learn all about the Wilhelm Scream and then see it in action! I was actually trying to describe it to Mich a few weeks ago, but we had been drinking so I think my talents of clear summarization were probably not at their strongest. Thank goodness this has popped up to save me the trouble!
[via Vulture]
Learn all about the Wilhelm Scream and then see it in action! I was actually trying to describe it to Mich a few weeks ago, but we had been drinking so I think my talents of clear summarization were probably not at their strongest. Thank goodness this has popped up to save me the trouble!
[via Vulture]
Friday, April 22, 2011
Another '90s party!
Another '90s party!
I'm DJing a '90s party with a bunch of other great folks this Saturday, April 23, at Beauty Bar. I'm spinning from 9:30-10:45 so get there early. What, that's not enough to tempt you in? Well, how about a hosted bar of Old Style from 9:30-10:30? Oh! Now you're interested! RSVP for the hosted bar and show up at 9:30!
I'm DJing a '90s party with a bunch of other great folks this Saturday, April 23, at Beauty Bar. I'm spinning from 9:30-10:45 so get there early. What, that's not enough to tempt you in? Well, how about a hosted bar of Old Style from 9:30-10:30? Oh! Now you're interested! RSVP for the hosted bar and show up at 9:30!
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Last minute plans just for you!
Last minute plans just for you!
What are you doing tonight? Nothing? Well, check out this cool party at the second home of the fabled herd of unicorns in Chicago. I can't really go into more detail aside from saying, "You should be there!"
What are you doing tonight? Nothing? Well, check out this cool party at the second home of the fabled herd of unicorns in Chicago. I can't really go into more detail aside from saying, "You should be there!"
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
SymmetryyrtemmyS.
SymmetryyrtemmyS.
I posted this on Chicagoist yesterday, but I like it so much I wanted to make sure no one I know missed it. So here you go.
I posted this on Chicagoist yesterday, but I like it so much I wanted to make sure no one I know missed it. So here you go.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Walls of cotton.
Walls of cotton.
I feel like I'm in limbo, a little. GalPal and I have been leading a largely insular lifestyle lately, where even when we go out it's basically the two of us interacting with each other and almost no one else, and to be honest it's been kind of great. If you can still spend that much time with another person and not just not get sick of each other but actually really enjoy each other's company 2.5+ years in I consider that a god thing.
Work has been insane, both on the 9-to-5 front and the editing side of the Chicagoist front, leading me to do much less extracurricular writing than I'd like, providing a further insulating effect. So much so that a number of bands I was really looking forward to have come through town the last couple of weeks and I've been so far removed by the tasks at hand I only notice they are playing in Chicago the day after they leave!
I thought this would be a good time to start cutting through these walls of cotton, or did, until this current spate of crud-tastic weather hit. So I will remain in these walls ... for a few more days. But the time to mindfully reengage is upon us. Let's take this week in baby steps and give it a test run at this awesome party at the VFW on Thursday (I have Friday off) before celebrating my complete reemergence when I DJ (hopefully early) with some other awesome folks on Saturday at Beauty Bar for '90s night. (Yes, we're now doing nostalgia nights based around the '90s; it confuses me as well.)
Let's turn this cotton into some sharp threads and hit the town together.
I feel like I'm in limbo, a little. GalPal and I have been leading a largely insular lifestyle lately, where even when we go out it's basically the two of us interacting with each other and almost no one else, and to be honest it's been kind of great. If you can still spend that much time with another person and not just not get sick of each other but actually really enjoy each other's company 2.5+ years in I consider that a god thing.Work has been insane, both on the 9-to-5 front and the editing side of the Chicagoist front, leading me to do much less extracurricular writing than I'd like, providing a further insulating effect. So much so that a number of bands I was really looking forward to have come through town the last couple of weeks and I've been so far removed by the tasks at hand I only notice they are playing in Chicago the day after they leave!
I thought this would be a good time to start cutting through these walls of cotton, or did, until this current spate of crud-tastic weather hit. So I will remain in these walls ... for a few more days. But the time to mindfully reengage is upon us. Let's take this week in baby steps and give it a test run at this awesome party at the VFW on Thursday (I have Friday off) before celebrating my complete reemergence when I DJ (hopefully early) with some other awesome folks on Saturday at Beauty Bar for '90s night. (Yes, we're now doing nostalgia nights based around the '90s; it confuses me as well.)
Let's turn this cotton into some sharp threads and hit the town together.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Reasons I shan't post today.
Reasons I shan't post today.
I am not posting. I am just too down in the dumps. Why am I so morose, you ask?
Oh wait, that was a post, wasn't it? Dang!
I am not posting. I am just too down in the dumps. Why am I so morose, you ask?
- It is tax day. I am honest so I never really get anything back and I usually owe taxes.
- It is Monday.
- There was SNOW outside when I woke up this morning.
Oh wait, that was a post, wasn't it? Dang!
Friday, April 15, 2011
Getcher receipt!
Getcher receipt!
Tax day! Kind of. For some reason the deadline this year is April 18, so I'm waiting until then. When I do, I'm going to make sure to get my itemized receipt showing me where each penny of my taxes is headed!
Maybe this nifty tool will help some Americans get an actual grasp on the federal budget instead of the flimsy fantasy most shout in anger from rooftops.
Tax day! Kind of. For some reason the deadline this year is April 18, so I'm waiting until then. When I do, I'm going to make sure to get my itemized receipt showing me where each penny of my taxes is headed!
Maybe this nifty tool will help some Americans get an actual grasp on the federal budget instead of the flimsy fantasy most shout in anger from rooftops.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Black-tie affair.
Black-tie affair.
I am going to a ball this weekend. The invite says "The Gala is a Black-Tie Affair." I will behave myself and dress appropriately, even though I would really get a kick out of dancing into the ballroom like this:
Maybe next time!
I am going to a ball this weekend. The invite says "The Gala is a Black-Tie Affair." I will behave myself and dress appropriately, even though I would really get a kick out of dancing into the ballroom like this:
Maybe next time!
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
A surprising endorsement from GalPal!
A surprising endorsement from GalPal!
GalPal saw this movie last night, and while she said the Q&A afterwards with Jody Foster was pretty cool, she also said the movie itself was really good and not what she expected. Looks like I'll have to give it a look-see when it's released!
GalPal saw this movie last night, and while she said the Q&A afterwards with Jody Foster was pretty cool, she also said the movie itself was really good and not what she expected. Looks like I'll have to give it a look-see when it's released!
Monday, April 11, 2011
Why you gotta test my love?
Why you gotta test my love?
I am going to make a public admission I find very, very painful: the last two times I've eaten at Kuma's Corner they screwed up my food.*
I LOVE Kuma's. And recently I've stepped up my visits there. The wait doesn't bother me (in fact I think of it as part of the whole experience) the staff is super nice and the burgers are truly amazing. And usually perfect. But like I said, the last two times they messed up my order. (Oh, and I'm bummed they've replaced the waffle fries with really subpar handcut fries, but the chips are still great so it's not that big a deal.)
If most other places screwed up my food two times in a row I would stop going there. So I think it says something about the relationship Kuma's generates with its fans (i.e. me). I know its reputation keeps some folks away with the impression that because it's METAL and TOUGH that it's also scary, but of course anyone who actually goes there can attest to how friendly and just plain good at their jobs the staff is, and that forms a solid bedrock of a good customer experience. When you combine that with a history of mostly great food it becomes easier to forgive recent screw-ups and return.
Also, I'm afraid they would slap me silly if I didn't.
Kidding, of course. But I am serious about the customer experience thing. The customer may not always be right, but you'll never be wrong if you've got the customer experience right.
*What exactly did they get wrong? Honestly, not much but when your burger is the center of your whole being getting it wrong ain't good. For me that meant my burger being rare and actually kind of cold when I asked for it well done a few weeks ago, and yesterday my Kuma's Burger had BBQ sauce on it for some reason. I ate it with the BBQ sauce (even though I hate any type of condiment on my burger) because I didn't want to have to wait for a new one. In both instances I didn't even complain (though maybe I should have, not in the interest of getting anything out of it but just to alert the kitchen in case something else was off?) and just ate the burgers.
I am going to make a public admission I find very, very painful: the last two times I've eaten at Kuma's Corner they screwed up my food.*I LOVE Kuma's. And recently I've stepped up my visits there. The wait doesn't bother me (in fact I think of it as part of the whole experience) the staff is super nice and the burgers are truly amazing. And usually perfect. But like I said, the last two times they messed up my order. (Oh, and I'm bummed they've replaced the waffle fries with really subpar handcut fries, but the chips are still great so it's not that big a deal.)
If most other places screwed up my food two times in a row I would stop going there. So I think it says something about the relationship Kuma's generates with its fans (i.e. me). I know its reputation keeps some folks away with the impression that because it's METAL and TOUGH that it's also scary, but of course anyone who actually goes there can attest to how friendly and just plain good at their jobs the staff is, and that forms a solid bedrock of a good customer experience. When you combine that with a history of mostly great food it becomes easier to forgive recent screw-ups and return.
Also, I'm afraid they would slap me silly if I didn't.
Kidding, of course. But I am serious about the customer experience thing. The customer may not always be right, but you'll never be wrong if you've got the customer experience right.
*What exactly did they get wrong? Honestly, not much but when your burger is the center of your whole being getting it wrong ain't good. For me that meant my burger being rare and actually kind of cold when I asked for it well done a few weeks ago, and yesterday my Kuma's Burger had BBQ sauce on it for some reason. I ate it with the BBQ sauce (even though I hate any type of condiment on my burger) because I didn't want to have to wait for a new one. In both instances I didn't even complain (though maybe I should have, not in the interest of getting anything out of it but just to alert the kitchen in case something else was off?) and just ate the burgers.
Friday, April 08, 2011
BOWIE2001 A Space Oddity ... get it?
BOWIE2001 A Space Oddity ... get it?
So yesterday the dude who put together BOWIE2001 A Space Oddity, a remix album of Bowie tunes that somehow ties into a "re-imagining" of the similarly named Kubrick movie, popped a link to the disc in my Twitter feed. I downloaded it and have been listening to it and while some of it is just easy listening electronica built on Acid Xpress or something, some of it is rather adept at reframing Bowie's voice in a different tableaux.
My favorite track so far is easily "Thursday's Starchild" since it manages to make Bowie sound like he's in an Erasure cover band singing a hit they never wrote. Download it and if you like what you hear then pick up the whole album and/or movie here.
MP3: David Bowie "Thursday's Starchild" (reimagined by Fritz Von Runte)
So yesterday the dude who put together BOWIE2001 A Space Oddity, a remix album of Bowie tunes that somehow ties into a "re-imagining" of the similarly named Kubrick movie, popped a link to the disc in my Twitter feed. I downloaded it and have been listening to it and while some of it is just easy listening electronica built on Acid Xpress or something, some of it is rather adept at reframing Bowie's voice in a different tableaux.My favorite track so far is easily "Thursday's Starchild" since it manages to make Bowie sound like he's in an Erasure cover band singing a hit they never wrote. Download it and if you like what you hear then pick up the whole album and/or movie here.
MP3: David Bowie "Thursday's Starchild" (reimagined by Fritz Von Runte)
Thursday, April 07, 2011
Lame-O! Me-O!
Lame-O! Me-O!
I was supposed to go to not one but TWO awesome parties tonight but I am so tuckered from the 9-to-5 that I JUST woke up on my couch and it's obviously too late to START my evening when I have an early meeting tomorrow. Oddly, I don't feel like I'm missing anything massive by not partying like it's 1999.
Hello maturity, I'm actually enjoying getting to know you...
I was supposed to go to not one but TWO awesome parties tonight but I am so tuckered from the 9-to-5 that I JUST woke up on my couch and it's obviously too late to START my evening when I have an early meeting tomorrow. Oddly, I don't feel like I'm missing anything massive by not partying like it's 1999.
Hello maturity, I'm actually enjoying getting to know you...
Wednesday, April 06, 2011
Yes! Another late night missive!
Yes! Another late night missive!
Once upon a time a late night post from me would be the sign of OH MY GOSH THINGS ARE WILD AND CRAZY AND OH MY WHAT AM I GONNA TYPE IN THIS STATE because I'M LIVING ON THE WIIIILD SIDE but lately they are more a reflection of just how kee-razy the 9-to-5 is and just how much I'm accomplishing there (which, by the way, sorry it detracts from long winded originality here, but oh my gosh the stuff I'm doing is so cool so I'm not THAT sorry) but hopefully I can return to my usually verbose self REAL soon.
Sorry about abusing the ALL CAPS option but hey, emphasis is my prerogative, no?
Once upon a time a late night post from me would be the sign of OH MY GOSH THINGS ARE WILD AND CRAZY AND OH MY WHAT AM I GONNA TYPE IN THIS STATE because I'M LIVING ON THE WIIIILD SIDE but lately they are more a reflection of just how kee-razy the 9-to-5 is and just how much I'm accomplishing there (which, by the way, sorry it detracts from long winded originality here, but oh my gosh the stuff I'm doing is so cool so I'm not THAT sorry) but hopefully I can return to my usually verbose self REAL soon.
Sorry about abusing the ALL CAPS option but hey, emphasis is my prerogative, no?
Tuesday, April 05, 2011
The Aon Center gets so much screen time it deserved a higher billing in the credits...
The Aon Center gets so much screen time it deserved a higher billing in the credits...
GalPal and I saw Source Code tonight and both recommend you go see it. Duncan Jones (the director of Moon and previously known as Zowie Bowie) takes the recipe for a summer thriller and turns it on its ear. It wasn't as flashy as, say, Inception, but I think it more effective on an emotional level. Definitely a good ride and a remarkable "big budget"-looking effort from Jones.
Also, the movie's set in Chicago and Jones shoots most of the aerial scenes of the city in a way that allows even this longtime resident to see his city through a new perspective. So that's a plus too.
GalPal and I saw Source Code tonight and both recommend you go see it. Duncan Jones (the director of Moon and previously known as Zowie Bowie) takes the recipe for a summer thriller and turns it on its ear. It wasn't as flashy as, say, Inception, but I think it more effective on an emotional level. Definitely a good ride and a remarkable "big budget"-looking effort from Jones.
Also, the movie's set in Chicago and Jones shoots most of the aerial scenes of the city in a way that allows even this longtime resident to see his city through a new perspective. So that's a plus too.
Monday, April 04, 2011
Stop Making LCD.
Stop Making LCD.
While I think all this talk of LCD Soundsystem being the band of a generation is silly (though if that means Animal Collective is NOT then that makes me happy) that doesn't mean I don't think they are one of the best bands I have ever seen live. Through their career their shows got better and better so it stands to reason that their (live) career ending appearing last weekend would deliver on its high expectations. I wish I was there but this will have to do.
While I think all this talk of LCD Soundsystem being the band of a generation is silly (though if that means Animal Collective is NOT then that makes me happy) that doesn't mean I don't think they are one of the best bands I have ever seen live. Through their career their shows got better and better so it stands to reason that their (live) career ending appearing last weekend would deliver on its high expectations. I wish I was there but this will have to do.
Friday, April 01, 2011
For your consideration...
For your consideration...
GalPal and I are DJing at The Burlington Saturday night (April 2, no foolin'!) and hope to see you there!
GalPal and I are DJing at The Burlington Saturday night (April 2, no foolin'!) and hope to see you there!