KjB

Three days in the chicago wind, feeling like fall has arrived, and now i am back in Atlanta, discovering that fall actually HAS arrived thankthelord. It’s rainy here. The cars are moving slowly on the on-ramp below me in my little office up here in the Icono building, and, while taking a break from reviewing probably the most disturbing photography i’ve seen all month (from the “Vaginal Prolapse” chapter of Baggish and Karram’s “Atlas of pelvic Anatomy and Gynecologic Surgery”..eek), I’m remembering the weekend. Fondly, may i add.

There were 30 bands or so. Non-stop rockin’ for three straight days. Beer at noon and bars afterward. An unfortunate and unscheduled trip to Cicero. Pool played. People met. And I’ve got a whole bunch of new music to look up and down load and enjoy.

Highlights:

Skinny, gangly jason noble swaying and crooning pensively in front of the Shipping News’ very haunting set.

chicago 312 wheat beer at noon. and 1. and 2:30. and 5. (you get the point.)

Girls Against Boys winning the ’smoke-corrupted vocal chords’ world grand prize for lead vocalist.

The Monorchid’s bile-spewing, drunken, defiant death-punk set…and correspondingly self-abasing dialogue as technical difficulties kept the music halting on and off.

The Tesla Coil. Oh yes, the tesla coil. (Something about that, and Man or Astroman’s music itself just makes me all geeky and giddy. I love that music like that exists.)

Enon’s squeaky japanese lead singer’s piercing but somehow beautiful harmonies

Me meeting 3 people who live in my apartment complex 800 miles to the north of said apartment complex.

The bar called “club foot.”

Danny from A1 Plumbing - this 19-or-so year old kid we met on the El as we escaped from the ‘white people don’t get out alive very often’ side of town.

The Days Inn Lincoln Park. A perfectly adequate place to lay your head.

Getting to see Hank’s happy dance 20 or so times. (and that giant smile 1000 or so times.)

“Ninja Photography” (see my flickr set “Chi-town Muse”)

Eating at laBamba’s one more time. (the burritos taste different than in muncie…or my tastebuds have changed. not sure which)

- Next Up: Seattle in t-minus 36 hours or so -