Write all the things!

Whew, it's been awhile. There are actually things I could have written about months ago, and I just didn't! But, hey, there's no statute of limitations on these things, right? RIGHT. Accordingly, here's a post about the Second City That Never Sleeps event in Chicago back in mid-December ... plus a couple of other things.

The Second City That Never Sleeps. Letters to Santa. The 24-hour improv marathon for charity has been held for ten years now. I've attended eight of those ten. In 2004 I didn't quite make it for the entire 24 hours ... but even if you take that plus meal and bathroom breaks into account, by my calculations, I've spent upwards of 180 hours inside the Second City Etc. theater. That's over a week!

Of those eight years, I think 2012 was the best yet. For $20 at the door, we got an astounding 24 hours of entertainment. Look at this lineup, you guys. LOOK AT IT:

SCHEDULE
6:00PM guest improvisers OLIVIA WILDE & AIDY BRYANT
6:30PM Skyping from Dublin GLEN HANSARD
9:00PM JEFF TWEEDY
10:00PM JEFF TWEEDY LIVING ROOM CONCERT AUCTION
11:00PM guest improviser FRED SCHNEIDER
12:00AM KIM DEAL
12:00AM Cecily Strong joins the cast until 3:00AM
1:30AM guest comedian FRED ARMISEN
2:30AM JC BROOKS & THE UPTOWN SOUND with FRED ARMISEN
4:30AM MIKE KOSINSKI
7:00AM BONNIE PRINCE BILLY
10:00AM STEVE ALBINI interviews NATE SILVER
12:00PM JENNY GILLESPIE
2:00PM ROBBIE FULKS
4:30PM THE BLISTERS

FEATURED IMPROVISERS
RYAN ARCHIBALD
EMILY CANDINI
DINA FACKLIS
SUE GILLAN
SCOTT GOLDSTEIN
BEAU GOLWITZER
SHELLY GOSSMAN (SULLIVAN & SON/ EX-SNL WRITER)
PAUL GRONDY
MIKE KOSINISKI
TJ JAGODOWSKI
BRENDAN JENNINGS
MICHAEL PATRICK O'BRIEN (7 MINUTES OF HEAVEN/ SNL WRITER)
SAM RICHARDSON
TIM ROBINSON (SNL)
REBECCA SOHN
RICH SOHN
FRED ARMISEN (SNL)
SUDEIKIS & WILDE featuring JASON SUDEIKIS & OLIVIA WILDE

More of the public seems to be catching on to the amazingness of this event, because for the first time in my memory, there was a line of people waiting to get into the theater until the wee hours of the morning. Thanks to attrition, around 2:00 a.m., everyone was finally able to get inside.

Favorite parts:

• Glen Hansard singalong to "The Auld Triangle," via Skype from backstage in Dublin
• Fred Armisen performing "Fist Fight" with J.C. Brooks & the Uptown Sound, recreating a sketch from SNL
• Fred Schneider of the B-52s doing Fred Schneider improv exercises
• Winning one of the four (!!) Jeff Tweedy living room shows
• Kim Deal playing "Cannonball"
• 2:00 a.m. flash mob led by Dina Facklis and Olivia Wilde; the whole audience went outside and performed a "choreographed" dance in the middle of the street to "Party Rock Anthem" by LMFAO 
• Steve Albini interviewing Nate Silver; Nate Silver weighing in on the best burrito in Chicago
• Robbie Fulks's "Rap of the Dead" 2012

The night after Letters to Santa (ended), I saw Andrew Bird play a Gezelligheid show at the Fifth Presbyterian Church. I'm glad the timing worked out so well. It was a lovely show in a lovely setting. I could watch songs from the "Hands of Glory" EP performed around the old-timey single microphone all day long.

I also saw the Avett Brothers last month in Madison! And Jeff Tweedy's Youth Scholarship benefit shows at the Vic in Chicago last week! The Avetts played the Orpheum, and I was once again grateful for the refurbished lower stage. At one point Seth and Scott took to one of the opera boxes to play a few songs, an Orpheum first for me. The Vic scholarship shows are all-request evenings, and it was great to see Jeff perform my picks of "Nothing Up My Sleeve" and "Radio Cure" acoustic. Plus all the other songs, of course.

 Olivia Wilde's photo of our flash mob dance practice in the Piper's Alley lobby. I love this picture because it is - just guessing here - probably the only time Paul and I will ever be in a photo taken by Olivia Wilde, along with Jason Sudeikis and TJ Jagodowski. (We're a few rows back, on the right.)

Andrew Bird's stage for the Gezelligheid show

The Avett Brothers at the Orpheum

If you're trying to paint a picture

 
Jeff Tweedy Basement Show, year eight! It's hard to believe we have been doing this for eight years. Each time it doesn't seem like very long since the last time, but somehow they add up.

2012 did mark a milestone: the first time our show has switched basements. We moved from Hotel SnS to the newly christened Casa K&A, home of Kris and Alison. Luckily they have a sunken basement, so the show's private nomenclature remains intact.

If you want to consider it another milestone of sorts, 2012 was also the first year that we didn't commission a professional poster. This wasn't completely intentional, but it ended up spawning one of the most entertaining parts of the afternoon: a DIY poster studio. When it became clear that a premade poster wasn't going to materialize, I bought some poster board and sifted markers, crayons, and stickers from the dregs of my old art supplies. With marker and pencil additions from Alison and Tamala, the stage was set. Originally I envisioned this as something of a lark, but people really got into it! We ended up with a lot of great, creative, hilarious posters that everyone enjoyed showing off to each other ... and to our guests of honor after the show.

Ah, the show. Jeff played everyone's requests (a few people had to make alternate choices) and we even got a preview of the upcoming Mavis record. After striking out on my first try last year, my request for "Dark Neon" was granted! I've been wanting to hear it live since it came out, so that was exciting. Paul's request of "Give Back The Key To My Heart" inspired some talk of Doug Sahm, and Rob's "You Are Not Alone" led to some of the funniest stories of the night. "I Shall Be Released" was poignant so soon after Levon Helm's passing - something a smaller group of us also observed in the wee hours of the morning with a singalong to "The Weight." Long after Jeff, Susan, and Mark went home, we were still singing and dancing and snacking on the remnants of our yearly potluck. After a year's hiatus it was great to have Patti and Mart back, with Mart's considerable musical chops elevating our late night jam session to the next level.

Every additional year we're able to make this show happen at this point is icing on the cake. Will there be even more icing? Stay tuned in 2013 to find out.


Also see 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006

Tonight's gonna be a good night

Yesterday was my friend Sam's birthday! To celebrate her birthday, I met up with with Sam and a few other friends at the Hideout in Chicago for The F***ing Epic Twitter Quest of @MayorEmanuel book release party, to be followed by dinner at Longman & Eagle.

The evening started off on a high note as DJ John Tolva spun some records and the real live Mayor Rahm Emanuel circulated in the music room. When Dan Sinker (the author of the book and fake @MayorEmanuel Twitter feed) took the stage, he announced that the mayor had signed his book: "You are an asshole - Mayor Emanuel."

First on the agenda was a book reading from cab driver and author Dmitry Samarov, followed by four excellent beat poetry performances by Louder Than A Bomb, a group composed of Chicago high school students. Next, author Megan Stielstra read a selection from her upcoming book. After that, Dan Sinker took the stage again, to introduce the evening's mystery guest.

The musical portion of the book release event had been billed as "Surprise Musical Guest Performing the Music of the Black Eyed Peas," but astute readers of the @MayorEmanuel Twitter feed might have been able to hazard a guess. Back in January, when a certain musician performed at a fundraiser for the real Rahm Emanuel, the @MayorEmanuel alter-ego had a few things to say about it:

 

Dan Sinker never expected his flight of fancy to become a reality, but guess what? Sometimes it happens. Last night it did, as Jeff Tweedy got up and performed three Black Eyed Peas songs: "I Gotta Feeling," "Rock That Body," and the classic "My Humps." The last was performed dramatic reading style, sans guitar. Sometimes it was hard to hear the guitar anyway, over the roars of laughter coming from the audience. I could give more details, but why do that when I could just show you?

(from Time Out Chicago)

(from gigettink)

Jeff Tweedy recites "My Humps" from Jasmine D on Vimeo.

Dan Sinker finished things off with a reading from The F***ing Epic Twitter Quest of @MayorEmanuel, and then it was off to Longman with us. And eventually, my drive back home. Was I tired at work today? Amazingly, no! Must have been the rejuvenating power of the Black Eyed Peas and porchetta.

The lovely way the sunshine bends

I could live on a tropical island. No problem. During a visit to Hawaii last week - my second time in Oahu - I came to that realization. Maybe not in Honolulu, and maybe not full-time, but if anybody on a beautiful island needs a house sitter? Go ahead and enlist my services.

After craving the ocean this year, I got my fill in Hawaii - including a dream view from the 36th floor of the Hilton Waikiki courtesy of a complimentary upgrade:



Ahhhh. Our time was filled with beaches, sunshine, shave ice, shrimp trucks, delicious seven-course meals (well, only one, which is probably a good thing), shopping, and oh yes, music. Last time work brought me to Honolulu; this time the impetus was a concert. Jeff Tweedy and Pat Sansone played at the Hawaii Theatre on our second night in town. My favorite part of the show was seeing the two of them together on a handful of songs during the encore. It's not a configuration I'm likely to see again (though not too far off from the Wilco 3 who performed in Madison a couple of weeks before I went to Hawaii in 2008.) Hearing new songs like "Open Mind" and "Born Alone" in this configuration was exciting, and fueled my anticipation for the new album. It was fun to see all the leis brought up on stage to welcome Jeff to Hawaii at the beginning of the show. If Wisconsin had a tradition like that, I wonder what we'd bring up? Cheese curds or custard, probably. Maybe snow balls.



It was a blast traveling with some of my favorite people, as always. There was an impromptu ramen dinner on our first night in town. U and I made an afternoon escape to the movies. Mike and I had tropical drinks with a view of Diamond Head. I enjoyed a slightly sketchy late-night meal at Zippy's with Paul. We ran away from North Shore waves. I wish I'd had time to stay longer, but there's always next time.

Trees held us in on all four sides

Being a lifelong resident of Wisconsin, it's hard to believe I hadn't made it to Door County before last weekend. As is so often the case, what finally spurred me to make my way into the thumb of the mitten was a concert. Combined, that is, with good friends and the prospects of tasty regional treats and pretty scenery. I wasn't disappointed on any count.

Fish boil:



It's a Door County tradition: fun to watch and fun to eat! The picture shows the "boil over" conflagration, but cannot capture how brow-singeingly hot it was right there for ten or fifteen seconds. Yow.

Outdoors:




Door County - Fish Creek in particular - is lovely country. We hiked in the woods, traversed the downtown area, climbed a rickety 75-foot tower in Peninsula State Park, visited a lighthouse, and enjoyed various views of a calm, blue Lake Michigan.

Concert:



Jeff Tweedy in Fish Creek wasn't something I was likely to miss. In keeping with the casual weekend getaway atmosphere, the whole show felt laid-back and relaxed. Banter flowed more freely than usual, and we got to hear a total of four new songs in solo form. Between the Vic shows earlier this year and our basement show, I'd heard two of them before, but "Dawned On Me" and "Open Mind" were both first-timers. (I picked up shades of Madonna in the rhythm of the former's solo verses, but nobody else seemed to share that particular association.) The showpiece of the night was an eerie, intense version of "Bull Black Nova." Sometimes the unlikeliest acoustic songs are revelations.

All that, plus more cherries than you can shake a stick at. Door County, I'll be back!

This ain't no Lounge Ax, people

When the sixth Hotel S'n'S show happened at the end of last summer, we thought it could be the final one. The Tweedys had indicated that they might be taking a break from the private shows, at least for a year or two. But as it turned out, that didn't happen ... or it hasn't happened yet. In fact, we didn't even have to wait a whole year! Last Saturday found us back in Chicago, back in the basement for at least one encore performance.

What can I say about the S'n'S show? You can probably fill in for me at this point. The preshow potluck was in full effect, with my baklava making a return appearance after the 2010 break for pie pops. Dick didn't bring his meat this year, but he did provide some tasty wings. Cathy's Japanese curry was back, there was delicious crostini, dip, Alison's mac and cheese (the most anticipated part of every potluck), stuffed bread, brownies, ginger cupcakes, pizza, a fennel salad, gourmet cheeses, candied bacon, apple crisp ... and so much more. Oh, and beer. Pleeeenty of beer.

The atmosphere downstairs was cozy and relaxed. One of the advantages of an April show is that the basement doesn't turn into a sweat lodge in the absence of air conditioning. (August 28th, I'm looking at you.) We were just a bit toasty this time. During the show there were hilarious moments and poignant moments ... sometimes both at once. ("Wish You Were Here," I'm looking at you.) Jeff has been busy in the studio lately - in fact, he brought a couple of friends from the studio along to the show - which meant that he hadn't had a lot of free time to study up on songs. From the setlist, though, you'd never guess.

This year Jeff began the show himself, picking a song from the submitted list of requests. It was the old written-in-the-dressing-room-before-a-show classic, "This Ain't No Lounge Ax." To our vast entertainment, Jeff changed up the lyrics to fit our venue. From "people sitting on the stairs" to "this is Hotel S'n'S," it was a great nod to the nights we've spent at Sooz and Sam's place over the years. It was also a bittersweet, because I think everyone wishes Lounge Ax were still open.

The round robin requests began after the opening song, with a few tangents here and there, and the highlights came fast and furious. Here's an annotated setlist:

-This Ain't No Lounge Ax
-Theologians
-Corduroy Cutoff Girl ("I could only find hope in heists" - I never knew that line for sure before Saturday)
-At My Window Sad and Lonely (resonator guitar!)
-Casino Queen (I persist in thinking of it as the "ragtime version" which is probably horribly inaccurate, but oh well)
-Passenger Side
-Please Tell My Brother (silent audience during this song, even Zelda the pug)
-Summer Teeth (Zelda chimed in with barks at the end)
-new song - I Might (upbeat tune, contains the line "get well soon, everybody")
-Henry and the H-Bombs [Mott the Hoople]
-Cruel To Be Kind [Nick Lowe]
-More Like the Moon (I love those Spanish guitar parts)
------intermission 1-------
-Happy Birthday to roommate Paul and Pam (crowd singalong)
-When You Wake Up Feeling Old (good timing after "Happy Birthday")
-Nothing'severgonnastandinmyway(again)
-You Are Not Alone
-Sixteen Blue (partial) [The Replacements]
-Please Be Patient With Me
-Jesus, Etc.
-Either Way
-Gun
-I'm a Wheel
-Wish You Were Here [Pink Floyd] (Kris owned those lead vocals)
-Ripple [The Grateful Dead] (everyone on lead vocals, iPhones out in force)
-A Magazine Called Sunset
-If That's Alright
-Pecan Pie
------intermission 2-------
-new song - Capital City (on the folkier side of things, may or may not make the new album)
-California Stars
-One By One
-Airline to Heaven (nearly Easter!)
-Blasting Fonda
-"Jeff Tweedy" is Playing at my House [LCD Soundsystem] (this was actually a jumble of "Losing My Edge," "The Message," and other rapping)
-Dreamer in My Dreams
-Candyfloss

The last two songs were group dance numbers. And group singing - do I even have to specify that part? After the traditional group photo, goodbyes, and donning of the silver-wrapped BK crown (not yet traditional, but it could be!), Jeff and Susan headed home. Plenty of us remained, singing and dancing and eating and laughing and playing guitar and banjo as the hours flew by. The sun was rising by the time I went to bed. (I resisted a "Shot in the Arm" quote there, guys.)

There were a few more members of our usual crew missing this year than there typically are - a combination of scheduling and financial crunches, and at least one future baby. It was a wonderful weekend, encompassing many more activities than I've mentioned here, but I won't pretend I didn't miss absent friends. My fondest wish, if there were to be another basement show in 2012, is that we'll all be together again.

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

The good part

It's benefit season again! 2011 was the fifth year in a row that Jeff Tweedy played concerts at the Vic Theatre to benefit youth scholarships. This year, there was a also a table in the lobby on both Friday and Saturday night, manned by the Chicago Lighthouse. The charities that the Tweedys publicly support keep adding up, and the quality of the benefit shows is always top-notch. I've come to look forward to these late winter/early spring weekends as one of my favorite show weekends of the year. Friday and Saturday kept up the tradition.

As in years past, the setlists for both shows were requests from the first thirty people in line outside. As much as Jeff likes to joke that this leads to bad shows with songs nobody else will enjoy, it's really one of the things that make the concerts special. (Obviously, given the five-year tradition, this is not lost on the decision makers.) There were no repeat songs over the two evenings, which was impressive. My picks this year were "Shake it Off" and "Monday," two songs that are unlikely to be heard at your typical solo show. Both sounded great, and I was particularly delighted with the resonator guitar version of "Shake it Off." My favorite part was Jeff playing the syncopated chorus beats Glenn usually handles by strumming below the ... bridge? Pickup? My guitar terminology may be rusty, but it really worked.

Other standout songs included one more great version of "So Much Wine" (preceded by the tale of the "mayor's daughter" from Iowa), "Sonny Feeling" solo for the first time, "Dear Employer," and "Screen Door." Banter highlights were plentiful, and included an impromptu tribute to a certain friend of mine, a digression about banter grammar police (ahem), and a shout-out to teachers. There was fun before and after the shows, too: late dinners, bars, Record Store Day errands, studying Bruce Lee's fighting methods, the electric slide, and a Kuma's meal for Sunday lunch. I'll be in Chicago again next weekend among more visiting friends, and it feels a bit like this week is just a placeholder. Not entirely, though ... Decemberists tomorrow!

So flattered by fate

It's the end of the first quarter of 2011, and I finally got to see some Jeff Tweedy shows! On a short tour that hit just six cities, two of Jeff's stops were Madison and Iowa City. Clearly I was in for the short drive downtown on Monday, and Iowa City fell just within my reasonable weeknight range. Well, "reasonable." You know how I do.

Madison and Iowa City ended up being very different shows. Madison was a little longer, and a little more ... in control. Which is somewhat ironic, because there were probably a few more more disruptive folks, if we're talking sheer numbers, at the Capitol Theater. At one point toward the end of the night in Madison, Jeff started to strum "Be Not So Fearful" in response to a shouted request, but was completely drowned out by other requests and actually gave up. In Iowa City, however, the show was all but taken over for awhile by one particularly loud and insistent disruptive girl (who at one point squawked that she was the daughter of the mayor of Cedar Rapids), in addition to plenty of beer bottle clinking and some random comments and mysterious ripples of laughter. None of this meant that either show was bad, and I think Jeff has been handling the unpredictable nature of audiences better and better.  It's just that, like it or not, the audience can shape the show. Mostly-ruly Madison got a few more songs, as well as more singalongs and general crowd participation. Iowa City got some extended exchanges with certain audience members, and a pointed dedication of "So Much Wine" by the Handsome Family.

Not only was "So Much Wine" a fitting dedication for the mayor's daughter, it was also one of many musical highlights of the two shows. A new song, "Born Alone," was played in Madison and in Iowa City and is already stuck in my head. I loved hearing "In a Future Age" and "Airline to Heaven" in Iowa, and "Candyfloss" and "Pieholden Suite" in Madison. "Not for the Season" (or "Laminated Cat," if you prefer) was played both nights as well. Jeff mentioned in Iowa City that Nels gets credit for a lot of the guitar parts Jeff actually performed on albums, much to Nels's discomfort. "Loved your work on A Ghost is Born, Nels!" And Jeff's new(?) ivory resonator guitar proved perfectly suited for a duo of off-mic show closers.

These shows plunged me full-tilt into the spring concert season in Madison, Milwaukee, and Chicago. I've got another show tomorrow, then the Wisconsin Film Festival this weekend, another show Tuesday, a show the following Monday, and then Friday and Saturday and maybe Sunday, and then Tuesday, and then the next Saturday and Sunday, and then that Tuesday, then maybe Friday, and then the next week Saturday and Sunday, and then I have a work trip and suddenly it's mid-May. I feel a bit like I'm in a roller coaster car that's just begun its trip down the first big hill, gaining momentum. Too late to get off!

Wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you

On Saturday, the Hotel S'n'S basement show celebrated its sixth year of bringing together our group of friends from across the U.S. and Canada.  The big question was, would it be the last?  There had been talk that the Tweedys might not do the auction again, at least for awhile.  We figured we had better stuff as much fun into this weekend as possible, just in case.

As if that's ever a problem.  Friday night kicked off with our annual party.  This year's theme: Vampires at a Discotheque.  August didn't leave me with much spare time, so I ended up with one of my lamer theme costumes.  Just some ninety-nine cent plastic vampire teeth and some "vampire blood" spray candy.  Luckily, Paul's "Vampire Weekend" getup picked up the slack.  Many of our friends couldn't make it to town until the next day, but Sam and Sooz's friends filled in the gaps. We spent Friday night happily drinking blood punch, playing Rock Band, watching Sam's mix of old commercial clips on the big screen, and dancing to Gaga and the whole vampire party mix.   

And then Saturday arrived.  Some of us made the traditional gourmet encased meats run to Hot Doug's in the early afternoon, and then it was on to Hotel S'n'S to finish preparations.  I had my pie pops to artfully arrange, and the food kept rolling in.  As usual, our potluck was truly outstanding.  Walrus brought not only the soft serve machine and plenty of fixings, but a sno cone machine as well.  Cathy brought a flan cheesecake and Japanese-style curry.  Dick's meat returned after a one-year hiatus, to much fanfare.  Kris and Alison brought brisket from Smoque and the famous mac 'n' cheese.  Sooz's orzo, Kristina's slaw, Uyen's little Guinness cupcakes, Tamala's stuffed bread, a donated keg of Alpha King ... and much more.  We ate and drank well all night long.

The Tweedys arrived a bit earlier than usual, and we got down to business.  Ever since year three, the show's format has remained the same: each person requests a song, then chooses someone to go next.  Jeff has some warning of the songs we're planning to ask for, but that doesn't mean he can or will play them all.  Still, I think we got an especially high percentage of granted wishes.  I was thrilled to finally hear Richard and Mimi Farina's lovely "Reflections in a Crystal Wind" live.  "Big Rock Candy Mountain" was a surprising treat, and the Elizabeth Cotten song "Freight Train" was one of my favorites of the night.  Another was our own favourite Canadian, Judy, lending a hand with some tricky lyrics in Neil Young's "Look Out For My Love."  

Cover songs are rare and therefore notable, but Jeff's own songs provided the heart of the show.  "More Like the Moon" is nearly perfect, and Saturday night's performance was no exception.  "Nothing Up My Sleeve" made a welcome return, and "Misunderstood" turned into an excellent singalong.  Of course, who could forget Jeff serenading Zelda the pug, asleep at his feet, with the third verse of "I Am Trying To Break Your Heart"?  Racy!  Zelda remained unmoved.

A major part of our show is the atmosphere.  As I mentioned, this was year six, and things felt comfortable and familiar.  From both performer and audience came plenty of sarcasm, storytelling, joking, drinking (okay, that was really just the audience) and general tomfoolery.  We don't use a PA, and the central air was turned off so Jeff wouldn't have to sing over it.  Conditions in the basement quickly became hot and sweaty, which somehow added to the merriment.  This may be cheating, but during one of the breaks I got in a song request for an upcoming show.  Strike while the iron is hot?  Or something.  I also learned that a "new" song we overheard at a South Bend soundcheck is actually by Linda Thompson.  Clearly I need to brush up on my British folk artist catalogs.

The show ended hours after it began with our traditional "Candyfloss" sing- and dance-along.  Before that, though, we got in one more cover: Big Star's "Thank You, Friends."  Never have the lyrics to that song felt more appropriate, dancing around Sooz's basement and belting it out with some of my favorite people in the world.  As Jeff stood amongst us, playing, I thought ... damn.  We certainly have been lucky.  "Thank you again!" morphed into "Thank you Jeff!"  Tipsy and sentimental?  Sure.  Singing from the heart?  You bet.

After the show came the sweaty group photo, the distribution of posters, and a few other things.  By the time Susan and Jeff had gone, it was officially Sunday morning.  Time for a second (third, fourth, whatever) round of eating, and then the music to begin again in the basement.  We had multiple guitarists lending a hand this year, and two egg shakers in addition to the Dr. Teeth tambourine.  Just call us a band.  Mart's set was the postshow highlight for me, as it always is, and Rob provided some tasteful assistance.  My favorite song, I think, was "I Am the Walrus."  After having played Ringo on that song just the night before, I was content to shake an egg shaker and sing along.  Music and friends: a wonderful combination.

The fun didn't end with Saturday (er, Sunday morning.)  Eleven of us met for brunch at Milk & Honey, to say goodbye before more planes departed the Windy City.  U, Heidi, Paul, and I followed that up with a walk around Grant and Millennium Parks, before heading back to S'n'S to scarf down leftovers (Japanese curry and slaw!) and watch the Emmys and Mad Men.  It was almost Monday before I reluctantly headed back home.  Yes, Harry McClintock, I would like to hang the jerk that invented work.

Was this the final year of the private show auction?  We don't really know.  When we won that first auction in 2004, it seemed like this whole situation was too good to be true.  By 2010, I know it was too good to be true ... but somehow it was true nonetheless.   Jeff and Susan have done amazing things for all of us, and even more amazing things for the charity.  If this was the end, we had a hell of a run.  If this wasn't the end, then here's to the future.  As a matter of fact, here's to the future regardless.  Thank you, friends.

2009
2008
2007
2006

I've had a Wilco-intensive month or so, with some New Pornographers thrown in for good measure.  But things are about to get Crowded Housey, beginning Sunday.

Fred, Jeff, and Jeff

I've again reached a schedule status of "if I don't write this now I will never make time for it," expected to be in effect for the next three weeks.  Between now mid-June posts might be anemic, but it's better than me forgetting everything!

After that tantalizing intro: on Sunday night I saw Jeff Garlin, Fred Armisen, and Jeff Tweedy at a benefit for Emanuel Congregation.  Last year's event also featured music and comedy, but this year the comedy component was more prominent.  I knew of Jeff Garlin going in, but wasn't familiar with his work.  It was a nice surprise that his participation (added after the benefit was announced) was a highlight for me.  Jeff Garlin is a funny man.  Between inappropriate airport stories, tales of the national anthem at Wrigley Field, and many Q&A answers (whether the Q was directed to him or not), I spent most of my time laughing when he was on the bimah.

Fred Armisen did many impressions: drummers by request (including Keith Moon, Glenn Kotche, Neil Peart), guitar players (Prince, John Lennon, Nels Cline), and then anyone at all (Jon Hamm, Barack Obama, Bjork) ... even some audience members (Magee!).  Seeing Fred play drums was a treat, and he accompanied Jeff Tweedy on performances of "Heavy Metal Drummer" and "Theologians."  Jeff Tweedy's responsibilities Sunday evening were relatively light: four and a half songs (if you count the Waffle House song), a few impression assists, and the night-ending Q&A.  It was fun to see him (and of course Susan played a huge part in organizing this event, as usual) but it was nice to see the spotlight on the comedians.  A true variety show!

Name me a song that everybody knows

Another post, another concert or two.  Over the weekend I visited the always wonderful (and this time cold and rainy) Chicago for a pair of Jeff Tweedy solo performances to benefit a youth scholarship fund.  I'm no stranger to these shows; this was my fourth year in attendance.  Still, I realize I can never predict the twists and turns each evening may take.

It's a well-established tradition now that the first thirty or so people in line each night get to pick the setlists for these concerts.  This leads to an eclectic group of songs: a mixture of the obscure b-sides Jeff always teases the crowd about, side project and former-band tunes, plenty of covers, and a few favorite staples.  We heard "Monkey Mess," a song written years ago by Jeff with his son's preschool class.  "Fake Plastic Trees," sounding ever more polished.  A new acoustic arrangement of "Poor Places."  A verse or two of a song popularized by Elvis Presley, "A Fool Such as I." The always-beautiful "More Like the Moon," with a slight lyrical variation that would only be noticed by a nerd such as I.   A brand new song Jeff wrote for Mavis Staples with a chorus of "You're not alone."  (That one wasn't a request, exactly, but came when an audience member asked Jeff what he would like to play.)  The song that surprised me most of all was "Shakin' Sugar," a Yankee Hotel Foxtrot-era outtake.  I would have never requested it, assuming it had no chance ... but I'm glad someone did.  And I'm certainly glad I was wrong.    

Impressing me most this year was the attention Jeff paid to playing all of the requests.  In the past, as far as I can recall, there have always been songs nixed or omitted, or alternate requests solicited.  Although one repeat song from Night 1 was not played on Night 2, I don't think anybody's choice was skipped this year.  Given how deep people dug for their requests, that's pretty remarkable.  My own request on Night 2 was a choice between two songs: either "Ashes of American Flags" from Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, or "Single Ladies" by Beyoncé.  I'm pretty sure I expected Jeff to pick the former, but instead we were treated to a mostly spoken-word, entirely hilarious dramatic reading of "Single Ladies" in full.  Oh goodness.  You'd be surprised by how many different inflections can be put on the line "Don't be mad once you see that he want it."      

Concerts weren't the only thing going on in the city over the weekend, of course.  There's also this holiday called St. Patrick's Day, and Chicago is kind of into it.  My companions and I visited the green Chicago River, and I bought a shamrock lei from one of the many vendors in the Loop.  (Two for $1.00 if they can't get them untangled!)  We also enjoyed a delicious dim sum brunch on Sunday, with bubble tea for dessert.  I should get down to Chicago for a weekend more often than I do, really.  Good thing I have two more on the calendar within the next month and a half.  Next time, it should truly be spring.

Also see:
2009 (sort of)
2007

Summer comes

Saturday was a hot, muggy day in Chicago. One of the worst we've had in an admittedly mild summer. Saturday was also the day Paul and I attempted to hit not one, but two concerts in Chicago. Not the most favorable confluence of factors, but, then again, it could have been much worse. We could have been attending Lollapalooza. Shudder.

First on our dance card was a solo show by Jeff Tweedy, benefitting (and held at) Emanuel Congregation. In contrast to the February benefit shows at the Vic, he line was quite late in forming. No complaints here. We walked around on the beach, spent some time in Metropolis coffee, and generally tried to enjoy the late afternoon without melting. I'd considered driving the entire way down from WI on Sheridan Road, but perhaps another time.

The show felt a little weird to me, though I should be used to seeing Jeff in unusual settings. I was happy when Susan came out to take requests beforehand. Jeff played "I'll Fight," which I'd asked for, and it was interesting to hear it solo again. The last time that happened I barely knew the song at all. One of my favorite performances of the night was "So Much Wine" - I think the emotion of the lyrics really came through. "A Long Time Ago" was a rare treat I'd only heard previously with Golden Smog or at soundchecks. Overall, though, I thought Jeff seemed a little distracted. Judging from other reviews I've read, this isn't an opinion shared by the majority of attendees, so who knows. It was also unusual to experience so little crowd participation and singing along. It wasn't unexpected, since many members of the audience were there to support the congregation and weren't necessarily familiar with the performers. I missed that aspect, although it would have been an ideal atmosphere for someone who doesn't enjoy that kind of thing. Still, I'm definitely not complaining. Jeff gave us and Emanuel Congregation a very good show. It's not lost on me that 80% of the non-Wilco performances by Jeff Tweedy I've seen in the past four years have been charity benefits. (Truly, I figured it out.) That's pretty amazing. Peter Grosz (a.k.a. "the guy from the hamburger commercials") opened the evening with a short set of standup comedy. I wish he'd come back to do the Letters to Santa show again. Colbert, Schmolbert!

No dawdling for us afterwards - it was straight over to Metro for the second half of the double-header. Even a passionate festival hater such as myself can appreciate Lollapalooza for the post-fest shows: they start late so people can drag their dehydrated, drunken selves over to see even more bands! Without an 11:00 p.m. start time and an opener, there's no way we could have made it over to see Fleet Foxes after the benefit. But it did start at 11:00, and we did make it, even catching the last two songs of Dungen's opening set. The attrition rate in the crowd was higher than it might otherwise have been due to the extreme heat inside Metro. A dubious thing to be grateful for, but it did mean that we were able to get much closer than I'd hoped to the stage. Sure, Robin's beard was constantly dripping sweat, the band threw two canvas bags of water bottles out to the crowd, and Robin kept asking during the encore if anyone else felt like they were a verse away from passing out due to heat stroke. But we were really close!

Formidable heat and humidity aside, the show was excellent. It was my first time seeing Fleet Foxes in a headlining slot, and hopefully not the last. I don't know how they make their harmonies sound so effortless and beautiful, but they sound every bit as good in person. Better. One perk of liking a band without an extensive back catalog is getting to see practically everything you want to see at a concert. "White Winter Hymnal," "Mykonos," "Blue Ridge Mountains," "Sun Giant," "Oliver James" ... all played, including a cameo by Dungen. We heard a brand new song, too.

By the time the show was finished the walls of Metro were sweating like a cold beer on a hot day. The only other surface I briefly touched on the way out - the rail on the staircase - was wet, too. Ugh. Even though it was 5:00 a.m. before I got home, I consider Saturday a triumph of good music and will over the elements. As usual, I'm hungry for more. Bring on the weekend!

You'll be where you want to be

Five years. Five years of our basement show at Hotel S'n'S. Five years of weekends when a gaggle of friends convenes in Chicago for a few days of music, food, and general revelry. I was blogless the first year, which means that this is the fourth time I've written about the experience. What more can I say? Let's see.

Following tradition, Friday night was a theme party: this year, Canada. There were many great contributions to the evening, but the star of the show was our very own Canadian Judy. From Canadian snacks to Canadian hats to Canadian books, she provided for our every CanCon need. Sam had the basement decked out with Canadian LP's, a Canadian mix featuring real-time voting via iPhone Remote, and Nardwuar playing on the big screen. Costume highlights included various Degrassi cast members and Avril Lavigne. I myself became Anne of Green Gables for the evening, although I was mistaken more than once for Holly Hobbie. As if! Holly lives in Massachusetts, people. Throw in the proliferation of Chelada and some man-on-man dressing squirting action, and you have quite the ... Canadian affair? Maybe, maybe not. But no matter what, it was exactly what I'd expect from us.


Saturday, then, was the show. Some of us bucked tradition and did Hot Doug's a day early, freeing up Saturday morning and early afternoon for errands, cleaning, cooking, and - most importantly - saving our appetites for the evening potluck. The traditional 5th anniversary gift is wood, so it was only appropriate that Uyen brought some handsome and delectable woodgrain cupcakes along. I've enumerated the delicacies comprising our feast in the past, but I'd have to say that the big honors this year go to Walrus with his soft serve machine, 500 cones, and boxes of fixings. Amazing.


Jeff and Susan arrived, as they do, and the performance portion of the night officially got underway. Jeff sat in front of the CanCon LP shelf, we settled in amongst the chairs, couches, stairs, dogs, and beer bottles, and the music began. We were much better prepared this year, having communicated some more obscure requests beforehand. Sure enough, it paid off - in addition to many of the tried and true singalongs and favorites from years past, Jeff dusted off a couple of nuggets from our very first year: the Split Enz duo of "Six Months in a Leaky Boat" and "I Got You." There were some joking comparisons of Neil Finn's output at the age of 18 or 19 to Jeff's own output ("Flatness," one of the first requests of the night) but I think it's fair to say that both were enjoyed equally this night. And after singing it with Split Enz and an arena full of pogoing Kiwis last March in Wellington, I can add yet another unique "Six Months in a Leaky Boat" experience to my memory banks. That song might win for the greatest personal associations.

It wasn't all covers and Uncle Tupelo songs. "At My Window Sad and Lonely" sounded great, and I don't know if I'd ever heard a solo version in person before. "More Like the Moon," though Kristina apologized for requesting it again, is a request for which one should never, ever apologize. There was a nice moment, too, when we heard a small clatter from upstairs seconds before Jeff sang, "everything is breaking..." Synchronicity.

It seems like there was something else ... oh yeah. We also listened to the new album, which Jeff had brought along. After reading a handful of seemingly conflicting reports, I had no idea what to expect. It was definitely too much to take in fully on one listen, but there are parts still kicking around in my head. Loose phrases, sounds, impressions. On one hand, I can't wait to hear it again; to examine things more carefully and get to know the songs. On the other hand, there's something great about the fact that my only impressions of these songs as finished products (though unmastered) came from this one listen, on this night, in this environment. I kind of want to hold onto that for awhile.

After the album and a few other tracks, Jeff returned to the spotlight with a bowl of pretzels and his guitar for the encore. There were more requests, and Jeff jokingly turned down someone's proposal that he play another song with Mart this year. Nope, he insisted, not going to happen. Not this year. (Stage whisper to the couch: "He's really good!") We had a couple of excellent sing-alongs to "Gun" and Blondie's "Dreaming." And then Jeff asked if he got to make the last request. "Of course," we replied. I'm not sure what I expected, but it wasn't this: Jeff requested that Mart play "Sir Duke," and held out his '53 Gibson. Mart took it, Jeff went to sit with Susan, and Mart played and sang the hell out of the song. We danced and sang with him. It was great finale.

The night wasn't over, of course. There was much more excitement to follow after the guests of honor left, including additional musical performances by Martin, Dave, Hamilton, Rob, and Patti - with Judy and Tamala taking turns on the Dr. Teeth tambourine. (Judy absolutely owns the tambourine windmill.) More Chelada. The arrival of Ted Kennedy. It was after 5:00 a.m. before I finally collapsed into the spare room bed.

It hasn't even been a week yet, and there are a thousand memories flying around my brain. Every year this feels more like family reunion, and I'm so glad to be a part of it. But as many years as we've been doing this, there are always a few experiences that make me marvel anew at my good fortune. Not too many people get to hear a band's new record for the first time two months before its release, in their friend's basement, with one of of its principle creators. And even fewer get to do so while eating an ice cream cone from a soft serve machine installed upstairs.

Also see:
2008
2007
2006

My vote for new album artwork

I had a great weekend. More on this after I've collected my thoughts, and after I've spent 16 hours away tomorrow for a conference in Chicago. Oh, Chicago. It's been so long.

Letters to Santa: a 147-hour benefit

Well, perhaps it clocked in slightly under 147 hours. More like twenty-six for me ... but isn't that basically the same thing? As it is every year, the 2008 Letters to Santa benefit at Second City in Chicago was a test of endurance. But the few (the proud) who attend the entire event get an experience unlike any other. This year there were intimate musical performances, special guest appearances, sketches about Michael McDonald and the world's fattest baby, outdoor caroling, interviews, a special video appearance from Stephen Colbert, free bagels, and football. All of this is provided on a 100% volunteer basis, and it all goes for a really terrific cause. Here is a brief, incomplete photo timeline:

12/9 10:14 p.m. (1.25 hours in): Bird Flu Extravaganza: a musical

10:23 p.m.: ASSSSCAT with Mick Napier and Tim Meadows

12/10 12:11 a.m.: Nina Nastasia. She got sick on the drive from New York and her voice was almost completely gone, but she still performed.

3:06 a.m.: Tim Midgett

4:30 a.m.: Outdoor field trip. We marched around the entire city block, over the ice and snow, singing the melody to "Carol of the Bells." The whole way. The photo quality represents pretty accurately my memory of the walk.

7:38 a.m.: Young Sofia Mia makes her annual before-school morning appearance. Here she is dancing in a musical about a dentist.

8:13 a.m.: Baked goods, costumes, and Babyco. The fireman's helmet appeared in a later sketch in which one of the actors uttered the phrase, "If you piss your pants, we all piss our pants. It's the fireman's code." I looked over at fire captain Dick. Dick: "That's true."

9:29 a.m.: Janet Bean, Sally Timms, and Jim Elkington

10:18 a.m.: This is the kind of thing that happens 13 hours in. There are contests to see who can be the fastest to push one actor, with another riding on his back, across the barrier between the front and back of the theater. You also see how stunningly crowded things are at this time.

12:04 p.m.: The Lonesome Organist one man band

2:34 p.m.: Robbie and Donna Fulks perform Robbie's annual Rap of the Dead

5:12 p.m.: Kim and Kelley Deal of The Breeders

5:58 p.m.: Town parade! Paul's favorite.

6:42 p.m.: Time for that heartwarming annual tradition: selling chances to peg Joe Canale in the balls with a football.

7:07 p.m.: Tullymonster, rocking. Before they were renamed by a clever young audience member.

7:53 p.m.: Stephen Colbert and Pete Grosz perform half an improv scene, taped and sent especially for Letters to Santa.

9:16 p.m.: Jeff Tweedy rummages through his wallet

10:03 p.m.: Red lights as the big charity auction begins. Jeff looks like I feel.

If I can help it, I will never miss this event. Six years and counting!