March 23, 2014 Oslo's Endless Winter

The Beach Boys had their Endless Summer, this year is my dog Oslo's Endless Winter. Since we woke up to snow falling once again, we decided to head out to the Dunes for a hike with the dogs. Unfortunately, I-80 from the state line to I-65 had about 25 accidents. There were cops, firetrucks, ambulances and tow trucks all over the highway in both directions. So we decided to go to West Beach and hike the Long Lake Trail.

Yes, that is cactus in the snow. 

Oslo & I fell behind Chrissy & Roxie but we could follow their trail.

Roxie stopped to see where we were. Chrissy could care less where we were.

I have this same picture from last fall and there was hardly any water in Long Lake. Our near record level of snow this winter has solved that problem.

Oslo is thankful that his prayers for snow have been answered so often this winter.

Time for a snack...snow.

Ever since a young child was swallowed by a sand dune at Mt. Baldy last summer, the National Park Service has been checking all the dunes for sinkholes. The boy survived being under the sand for hours but Mt. Baldy has not reopened yet. 

Here's Roxie & Christy running down a dune that is not closed off.

On our way home we stopped at Marquette Park to check out Lake Michigan. At West Beach, dogs are not allowed on the beach. The wind was blowing straight off the lake and the lake effect snow was really coming down. The shelf ice went about 200 feet into the lake and the waves were pounding over the top of the twenty foot high sections out on the lake. 

Here's a few shots of the ice that is still on the lake in late March.

Christy & Roxie couldn't take the wind anymore and found some shelter in the dunes...where they waiting for me & Oslo...who would have spent the rest of the day on that beach if I let him.

March 8, 2014 Flogging Molly at the Aragon (Concert #9)

 It's the annual Flogging Molly Green 17 Tour. I have gone to this show just about every year for the past ten years. I have loved this band since I saw them open up for the Mighty Mighty Bosstones many years ago. Unfortunately, the band announced tonight that this was the last Green 17 tour.

Tonight my sister-in-law Kimmy is going to the show with our friend/sister-in-law Patty. We met at Armour Square Park and walked to the Red Line.

We had a very tasty dinner at Pizzeria Rustica on Sheridan just south of Irving Park. We split a Margherita Pizza for an appetizer, then I had a shrimp and mushroom pasta in a cream sauce...a heavy cream sauce...don't get me wrong...it was very good...but not what you want to eat before a night of drinking and dancing. We got to the Aragon before the doors opened, so we walked up Broadway to the Fat Cat bar to have a beer instead of waiting in the cold for the doors to open. We passed the long closed and long rumored to reopen Uptown Theater on the way.

An unannounced opening act hit the stage as we walked up the stairs of the Aragon. They opened with a 2 Tone version of The Munsters Theme Song. I recognized The Crombies as soon as I saw them. Chrissy & I loved them at Riot Fest last fall. These guys are a Chicago band that mixes ska, rock and 2 Tone music. Great live act that almost forces you to dance while they perform their catchy songs.

The next band was The Drowning Men from Southern California. It's hard to describe this band. I guess indie rock best describes them. They have their own type of sound. Sorry for lame review, I really did enjoy listening to them. But truth be told, I was getting really pumped up for Flogging Molly. The energy on the main floor at the Aragon was making me think that this was going to be something special tonight...

...and it was. Flogging Molly never disappoints. I probably have seen them over a dozen times and can't remember a bad show. Tonight was an exceptional show because the band and the crowd were having a great time. We were just past the main mosh pit at center stage. Whenever a fast song was played, complete mayhem...moshing, dancing and singing along. A slow song had everyone with arms across shoulders swaying and singing along. The singer Dave King has perfected being a performer with stage presence. In between songs he told stories, thanked the crowd, goofed on people and called us "bastards" every chance he could. Every member of the band plays the songs amazingly...doesn't matter if it is a furious punk song or a slow thoughtful song...this band can do no wrong. Except for not playing "Rebels of the Scared Heart". Sorry FM, but it is one of my favorite songs.

Flogging Molly mixes Irish folk music with a punk attitude. I've said this before about bands that I like but if you enjoy going to concerts and checking out bands...Flogging Molly is a must see band...

...and trust me on this...get up front and jump into the mosh pit for a few songs...I think I jumped in for the second song of the night...it was a bit surreal because I watched the kids jumping around during "Wailing Wall" with a smile on my face and then "No More Paddy's Lament" started and all of a sudden I was in the mosh pit. At least that's how it seemed to me...and I loved it. Of course after one song I had to leave because I could barely stand. But once I caught my breath I jumped back in several times during the show. During the encores I was back in for "Black Friday Rule" and "Seven Deadly Sins" then I sang the finale, "If I Ever Leave This World Alive" with my arm over Patty's shoulder so she could hold me up. Thanks Patty for singing along with me and for being there to keep me from falling.

I was gonna ask if you enjoyed the show, but after seeing that smile...I had my answer.

It was all smiles on the street after the show. We walked down to Wilson & Broadway to grab a slice of pizza before jumping on the Red Line.

Armour Square Park had an eerie snow covered glow at one in the morning and a perfect half moon above it.

This might be the coolest concert swag I ever bought...my own Flogging Molly Laundry Bag. Actually I did not buy it...Thanks Kimmy.

March 4, 2014 Fat Tuesday at Bartlett's with Gerry Hundt (Concert #8)

Chrissy saw that Bartlett's in Beverly Shore was having a Fat Tuesday party. So we decided to head out there for some good food and old school blues music.

Besides their regular menu, Bartlett's had a special Fat Tuesday menu with Cajun specials and New Orleans drink specials. We decided to enjoy both and grabbed a table right next to where Gerry Hundt was setting up. Chrissy ordered a Hurricane and I settled on a New Orleans Strawberry Daiquiri. 

Over the course of the night we sampled most of the Fat Tuesday menu...Southern BBQ Shrimp, Gumbo, Shrimp Pork & Sausage Jambalaya, Cornmeal Crusted Oysters...my favorite of the night, a wedge salad and Andouille Sausage Corndogs with a Berry Tart for dessert. So the food was a great start to feeling like we were in New Orleans...

 ...and the fantastic music performed by the extremely talented Gerry Hundt really made us feel like we were in a juke joint down south celebrating Mardi Gras in the 1950's.

Gerry mixed old blues with some original songs with a few New Orleans Mardi Gras favorites. I believe he was playing a acoustic steel guitar which he finger picked masterfully. He also added harmonica to several songs. He was very entertaining all night...

...he even got the crowd to sing along. Chrissy loved his version of "Iko Iko" because she could actually understand all the words when he sang it. I highly recommend checking him out if you love the blues. He plays around northwest Indiana regularly.

 If you are ever out at the Indiana Dunes we definitely recommend stopping at the place with the beer guzzling deer on the sign.

I took this picture from Barlett's Facebook page. I just wanted to thank the friendly and professional wait staff at Bartlett's for a great night of food and music.

March 1, 2014 Adam & Matt Melt Faces at J.J. Kelley's (Concert #7)

After the Blackhawks trounced the Penguins in the snow at Soldier Field, I headed out to see my friend Adam Balcazar perform at J.J. Kelley's. Adam & I have had lots of long & deep...OK maybe not that deep...conversations about music. We agree on quite a few bands and he loves Dave Matthews Band the same way I love Bruce and the E Street Band. That's probably due to the over twenty year difference in our ages than about musical tastes. Anyway, Adam has written some really good songs over the past few years and tonight he sounded really good performing them. He mixed in a few covers...Frank Turner and DMB that I recognized and Margo & the Nuclear So and So's that I did not know but really liked. But I thought he really shined when performing his own songs...they seemed to mean more to him.

Here he is during his second set which is when a female fan left the following note on his monitor...

...the ladies just can't resist a man with a guitar.

This is Adam's friend Matt Hess. Adam says Matt & I would get along because he is a music snob. Apparently insinuating that I am too. In my defense, I like all types of music if it is played well, if not, all types of music can suck. I thoroughly enjoyed both of Matt's sets. He had no problems telling the crowd to fuck off...I'm pretty sure he knew most of the crowd, but if he didn't, I think he'd still do the same. He also sang covers and originals. Since I wasn't familiar with most of the covers I had a hard time deciding which it was...unless he told us. I think he said since you don't know this song I'll say it is an original...which made me laugh. Then he announced he was gonna play an Archers of Loaf song. Then said no one here knows them but you should...so go home and look them up on the internet. I have at least five of their albums and I recognized "Web in Front" immediately. Maybe I am a music snob...LOL...maybe I just love good music.

It looks like Adam photobombed Matt on this shot. Adam seemed to have more of a singer/songwriter style and Matt definitely seemed to have more of a punk rock style. I enjoyed both of them.Matt combined his punk attitude in his music with a punk attitude toward the crowd. When I told Adam that Matt reminded me of Andy Kaufman if he had been a musician...Adam said Matt would like that description. If these guys had CD's to sell, I would have bought them. 

February 23, 2014 Do or Die with The Dropkick Murphys at the Riviera (Concert #6)

Another bitterly cold night in Chicago but I am heading to the city for a Sunday night concert with one of my favorite bands, The Dropkick Murphys. I first saw these guys about fifteen years ago when they were the opening act for another Boston band, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones. I've lost count of how many times I've seen them in concert but it is always a good time. 

First we had tasty Italian dinner at Osteria Via Stato. Then we took the Red Line up to Lawrence Avenue.

Unfortunately we missed Skinny Lister because we got there at 7pm which was the announced show time but they were just finishing their set. Oh well. So while Lucero set up, the house lights were on at The Riviera. I really enjoy seeing shows here so don't take this the wrong way...I say this as a compliment...the Riv is a glorious shithole. The perfect place to see the Dropkick Murphys.

I am sure it was a beautiful place when it was built in 1917. But nowadays it is a great place for a rock and roll show...dirty, grimy and damaged in a beautiful way.

Lucero is a Nashville band that combines country, punk, blues and rock in what lead singer Ben Nichols describes as bohemian tradition. I'll agree with him. They band sounded great. It took a while for me to get used to Ben's deep raspy voice but he won me over the more songs they played. He has a Springsteen songwriting style with characters that aren't perfect and stories that don't always end well. Basically real life stories...of course I enjoyed hearing the melodic truth being sung to me. This is why I hate missing opening acts, you never know when a band will impress you enough to become a new favorite.

So the DKM hit the stage with a new video screen and tons of great images to the Chieftains song "A Foggy Dew".

Then they surprised everybody by ripping through every song on their first album, Do or Die.

It was complete bedlam with a huge mosh pit right in front of us at center stage. It was during the nonstop early Dropkicks punk songs barrage that I disappointed myself. I stood there watching the mosh pit but did not jump in...damn it looked like fun...I thought to myself, "C'mon you pussy. The album is called Do or Die. What's it gonna be?"...I almost jumped in several times but couldn't pull the trigger...since I couldn't do, I guess I die...it was a sad moment for me. Damn this being old sucks way more than I thought it would. By the time they got to "Barroom Hero" I was pogoing and singing along and enjoying the show again.

Since the last song on Do or Die is traditionally the song that the band invites all the male fans on stage they decided to play "Skinhead on the MBTA" as the last song of the first set. They also played "Takin Care of Business" mixed with "American Band" & "Blitzkrieg Bop". 

Then they cleared the stage and immediately started the second set which included their hit songs. The energy never left the room. I am a firm believer that everyone should attend a punk show at least once in your life. The mayhem mixed with the music always puts a smile on my face. Tonight was no exception, I jumped around and sang all night long...so did everyone around me...and every so often I looked into the mosh pit and was glad to see those kids having a great time. Sure I complain about being old but being a kid nowadays can't be easy either. I'm glad punk music still means something to them. By the time the band invited the ladies on the stage for "End of the Night", we were over 90 minutes into a full on musical assault that seemed to satisfy most of the crowd including me. Ken Casey even teased the crowd about our baseball teams, his Red Sox won the World Series...then he congratulated Chicago for the Blackhawks beating his Bruins for the Stanley Cup...and he even held up a fans Hawks jersey during the show.

With a stage full of females dancing and singing to end the show...the band members had to jump up on the amps to play their instruments. This was a great show by a band that has matured without getting old. On the subway platform we talked music with a group of kids as we huddled under the heat lamps waiting for the train...to steal a phrase from The Who...the kids are alright. 

Thanks to Patty for being the first person to go to a show with me this year. Here we are on our way home after a fun night out. Hey Patty, "Let's stop for a cold one on the way home"....