Since my post in August, my interest in The Antlers has only increased. Here’s a great video of the Brooklyn-based three piece performing a light version of their single, Two.
FF to ~2:00 for the epic stuff.
I wish they would come to Cleveland, but being awarded #1 for the year on NPR’s All Things Considered Music blog & a 8.5 review from Pitchfork has them touring only the real cities, for now.
Getting excited for Halloween in a few weeks. This is from last year:
I updated the Travel Log, and added links to each event. Check ‘er out.
Chalk this up with the other play-by-play road trip posts I’ve wrote. Not sure what they’re worth, short of my own personal record and the blind hope that someday, like Jack Kerouac, I will be discovered and my writings published as a pioneering American author — fat chance.
Finished work late and came home to hurry up a load of laundry and start packing. Picked up Courtney around 8pm, and were headed West on I-80 to an unknown Midwest destination for the night, hopefully closer to Chicago than Cleveland. We had two nights lined up at The Congress Hotel, a historic hotel on Chicago’s Michigan Avenue, so this was an attempt to lessen the drive Friday morning so we could have more time in the city. Pulled in to the “Travel Inn” around 12:30 craving some shuteye. The lobby was dark and I had to ring a bell to wake up what seemed to be the hotel manager / resident who charged $49 for a night. A true steal, and the bed even came with a cherry stem left behind by a previous traveler – how weird/creepy is that?
Woke up early, checked out, and hit the road with the benefit of a 1 hour time difference awaiting us in Chicago. Checked-in to the Congress around 2pm, I guess, changed, and hit the road on our bikes in mostly gray skies and cold rain. First, we checked out The Buckingham Fountain (been to CHI 4 times and never saw this before). We rode to Grant Park, and Shedd Aquarium taking some great pictures along the way. We were hungry for lunch, so we biked to the original Pizzeria Uno (since 1943). Every time I’m in Chicago, I usually get Gino’s Pizza East – so decided to change it up here, turns out for the better. Enjoyed a local 312 seasonal brew (Harvest-something) here, also.
After lunch, went and checked out the Abraham Lincoln Bookshop which required us to be buzzed in and to store our bookbags in the closet. This place was absolutely awesome, basically a small shop FILLED with books on Lincoln (there are a lot more than you think) dating back to the 19th century. Real leather bound books, showing their age, behind locked cases. Also here were other Abe items, including a wanted poster for his assassin priced at $45,000 (the reward on the poster was $50,000). The place was quiet and empty, short of two older researchers/author types with a stack of Abe books – they were pretty deep.
Left here and rode to Kozy’s Cyclery where I needed to buy a bike a bike helmet in fear of getting hit by a Chicago motorist. Checked out some other shopping, only buying a scarf to keep warm while biking the windy city. We heard the grim news of Chicago loosing the bid for the 2016 Olympics but this didn’t silence the bright advertising campaign that still draped the city’s billboards, bus stops, and El stations.
Unwound and warmed up at one of the many Starbucks. While paging through a print copy of The Onion, I was alarmed to read that the one and only David Cross was in town the following day, signing his new book at the N Clark St. Borders – we cleared some plans for Saturday in hope of meeting the legend himself. Friday night we went to Borders to buy Cross’ new book and reserved our spot by receiving two wristbands to the event. The cab from our hotel to Wrigleyville was a steep $16 one way — we would ride The El for the rest of the weekend @ 2.25/trip.
We headed North from Wrigleyville to Green Mill Cocktail Lounge. I can’t begin to describe how incredible this place was. We decided to go here after reading it was one of Al Capone’s favorite hangouts. We were greeted at the door by a strange-rude-biker-type-doorman who took a $12 cover and gave instructions to silence our cell phones and remain as quiet as possible. The bar was dark with curved leather booths and a gypsy-style jazz band, Alfonso Ponticelli and Swing Gitan, played AMAZING music as everyone watched quietly erupting in applause at each song break – just like the old days. Swing Gitan had an accordion, violinist, 2 acoustics guitars, and an upright bass. They were absolutely incredible. Drank a Stella here, and confirmed the Green Mill to be the coolest place to see one of the coolest bands in my live music spectator history.
Headed back to the hotel, exhausted and happy.
We rode the El to Wrigleyville in the morning, looking for some food before the David Cross book signing. Checked out some shops (lots of headshops on Clark St.) and sipped some green tea before making our way to Borders. Hung out with some strangers from Cleveland and Shaker, killing time. Cross showed up, read a section from his book, confirmed the Arrested Development movie, and took some questions. We were second in line for the signing and headed back to the hotel afterwards for some chilltime.
We walked to the original Billy Goat Tavern (the one made famous by John Belushi in the 70s) for dinner. Had some burgers, and watched some football before grabbing the Red Line North to Metro for the sold out Fever Ray concert.
The Northside concert hall was packed with every hipster in Chicago, probably tipped off by Chicago’s own Pitchfork Media’s rave review of Fever Ray’s NYC show earlier in the week. I’m a huge fan of The Knife and was ecstatic to finally see 50% of The Knife (Karin Dreijer Andersson) perform. The show was loud and epic – plenty of bass, lasers, and so much smoke the band members appeared mostly as silhouettes. There was an awesome tribal-pagan-ritual theme, facepaint, cool costumes, and great drums. Plenty more to talk about here, but clearly I am incapable of accruatly describing such events.
We woke up super early (also fighting the hour-loss time change) and began our trek back to Ohio, making Dan & Emily’s babyshower in perfect timing; celebrated, mingled, and watched the Browns almost win but continue their shitty season to 0-4. Good to be back in the CLE.
I shot this before David Cross’ book signing in Chicago on Saturday. He also read from the Jim Belushi chapter of his new book, I Drink for a Reason, which is hilarious and loaded with new material (video to come).
The Arrested Development movie looks promising and he shows his excitement for the plot:
