For whatever reason, Memphis’ Viva L’American Death Ray Music had to cancel their free show at the Empty Bottle. Luckily, Headache City always put on a good show:
July 8, 2008
July 7, 2008
City of New Orleans
Crescent City Connection Bridge
Jackson Square
Jazz group performing at The Market Cafe.
Cafe du Monde at night.
Outside service at Cafe du Monde.
An order of three beignets and iced cafe’ au lait. Worth the trip alone!
You will see many strange things in New Orleans. This is one of them.
July 2, 2008
June 30, 2008
A few updates. Very few…
Well, it’s been another long absence here at the Mild Uproar. Hopefully, we will get back on track with the posts but until then here is a brief update:
A few weeks ago, I checked out Shotgun Stories, which was being screened downtown at the Gene Siskel Film Center. For those of you unaware, Shotgun Stories was a feature film I did audio for all the way back in 2004. Since then it’s been screened at such festivals at the Berlin International Film Festival, Seattle International Film Festival, and the Austin Film Festival as well as winning multiple awards including two Grand Jury Prizes. And yet, I still hadn’t seen the film! So, it was a bit of a thrill to finally see what we had accomplished all those years ago back in Arkansas.
Perhaps you can decipher my credit on the bottom of the screen for Production Sound?
As for the movie, I was impressed.
Last week, the Chicago Park’s series Movies in the Park arrived at our Holstein Park. Below, folks watching The Golden Compass:
Last Monday, I attended the first free Monday lunch concert series, Music Without Borders, at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion at Millennium Park.
The first guest was once forgotten folkie Gary Higgins.
Drag City’s reissue of Higgin’s Red Hash album.
(Upcoming artists in the series include Tortoise and Bill Callahan of Smog.)
The very next music act I saw after the mellow Higgins was Vanilla Ice. Yes, you read that correctly. Apryl and I went to see Mr. Ice Ice Baby at a bar near our apartment. The show was more of a mini street festival. Well, without going into details, the show got strange very quickly, and we left. Of course, not before hearing such Ice classics like “Ninja Rap,” “Play That Funky Music,” and “Ice Ice Baby”.
Last thing, the Sox swept the Cubs! After being swept at Wrigley the week before, the Sox took care of business at home at The Cell. And it’s a good thing, because the Minnesota Twins have been on fire lately and are giving the Sox are real threat at #1 in the AL Central Division. The best part of the the Crosstown Classic was seeing #1 Draft Pick Derrick Rose throw out the first pitch and being interviewed during Game 1. I am sure to be catching some Bulls games next season!
Of course, Rose is a White Sox fan!
June 13, 2008
Happy Friday the 13th!
Thanks Anna for bringing it to my attention that it was, in fact, Friday the 13th.
Have a creepy day!
June 6, 2008
This week in baseball
Perhaps, you remember the Sox game that me and Apryl attended on my birthday. The one that went into extra innings and was finally suspended due to excessive rain. Well, since the game couldn’t be made up or completed in Chicago, ticket holders were given the opportunity to exchange their ticket stubs for $10 off lower deck seats or free upper deck tickets for the Sox/Royals series. So, earlier in the week, I went to the box office at U.S. Cellular and picked up tickets for myself for the 2nd and 3rd game of the series.
Some photos from the Sox-35th stop on the CTA Red Line.
Even though I was in the upper decks, I had decent seats with a good view of the action. During the Thursday game, I got to see my Sox favorite Joe Crede hit a home run and a double as well as a Jim Thome homer. In the 9th, the Sox had a 4–2 lead until closer Big Bobby Jenks gave up two runs to push the game into extra innings. Since I had an early shoot the next morning, I told myself I would give it 14 innings before going home. Well, when the 14th came and went (including a 14th inning stretch that gave the crowd their second chance to sing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame”), I started to leave. But, instead of leaving, I walked around the upper decks, stalling until the Sox got back up to bat. Something told me the 15th was going to be the game-winning inning. When the Sox did come up to bat, I had walked around from my seats by the 1st base line all the way over to the far left field. I stepped inside to watch the game unfold. Unlikely hero Paul Konerko hit a blast right over the left field! At the end, the game had lasted over 5 hours! And even though I was tired during my shoot the next day, I’m glad I stayed. It was a lot of fun leaving The Cell to the chants, “Paulie, Paulie, Paulie!”
The view of the action from my seats. At the time of this photo, it was around the 4th. Notice the crowd.
Multiple extra innings left many heading for the exit gates.
My 15th inning view of the game. It was a prime spot to watch Paul Konerko’s home run in the 15th!
Back on the Red Line.
After my shoot the next day, which went into two hours of overtime, I headed back to U.S. Cellular for the last game of the Sox/Royals series. I should have brought my inhaler because it was Dog Day at the park. Apparently there were 600 dogs in attendance for the game. Odd, I know. Luckily, there were no dogs in my section so I didn’t have an asthma attack. Coming off of the previous night’s game, this one was pretty undramatic. Plus, I was very tired. But it was still a lot of fun, and the Good Guys won 6-2.
My view for Thursday’s night game. Another great view!
Sox manager Ozzie Guillén’s after game press conference broadcasting on the Jumbotron. For those who haven’t attended a Sox game, the lighted pinwheels on top of the scoreboard spin and shoot off fireworks whenever the Sox hit a home run.
A somewhat blurry shot of the 35th street with downtown Chicago in the background.
Go Sox!
June 1, 2008
May 31, 2008
May 26, 2008
Happy Memorial Day
May 25, 2008
Wrigley vs. The Cell
Wrigley Field
U.S. Cellular Field
Attending the Sox vs. Angels game yesterday (the Good Guys lost) after last visiting Wrigley Field made it quite clear that tearing down Old Comiskey Park was a mistake. Well, perhaps not a mistake, since it seems if the Sox hadn’t made way for a new stadium the Sox would have been moved to St. Petersburg, FL. Yes, you read that correctly! And even when the Sox were saved from leaving the city, there was still the fight of keeping their stadium in the city instead of the suburbs. So, I would say a victory was had at least in keeping the team IN Chicago.
At first, U.S. Cellular was also called Comiskey Park (or New Comiskey Park) until U.S. Cellular paid for naming rights at the price of $68 million dollars. The Sox spent a portion of that on a state of the art Jumbotron that now allows the fans to enjoy such entertainment as SmoochCam and cartoon pizza pies racing for a free mini pizza with the purchase of a pizza at any Connie’s. Not a fair trade, in my opinion.
The best part of U.S. Cellular is the Lower Deck which is very open and reminds me of the Redbirds stadium back in Memphis. However, if you don’t have a 100 level ticket, than you are denied access to this part of the stadium. You can’t even get a Chicago style hot dog since they don’t sell those in the upper decks. Are you kidding me?
Yesterday, I was high up in the nose bleed section. The section still gives you a nice view of the action, even though I was situated by one of the few obstructions (steel support beam to the left) in the park. And if you turn around, there is a nice view of the Chicago skyline.
Which begs the question, why in the heck didn’t they build the stadium so that the skyline was the backdrop view behind the outfield?
Why?!?!
Okay, enough complaining. Yes, Wrigley Field is the better ballpark but the Good Guys are still #1 to me!
Check out this great tribute to Old Comiskey.