January 18th, 2008 by Berklie in Athletics, Chicago
…the mighty Bl-a-a-a-ckhawks. Everybody! Any time that you get a chance to watch hockey at the United Center, from the sweet United Airlines suite… you take it. And when it’s a game that you would actually pay to go see anyway, it’s bonus level time! Thanks, Mighty D.R., for the last-minute (oh, who are we kidding… last-second) set of “owner’s box” tix to see the Blackhawks club the Blues. And we mean club. “Red ice!” By the way, was it wrong to get three desserts “to go,” from the Fruit and Dessert Table? Nah, we didn’t think so either.
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January 11th, 2008 by Berklie in Music, Chicago
Chicago Public Radio host Tony Sarabia, of “Radio M,” debuted CPR’s soon-to-be monthly “CPR Presents” event series at the newly-remodeled (read: finally, finally clean and comfortable) Victory Gardens Biograph this past week. Their inaugural engagement? An in-depth historical account of, question/answer session with, and acoustic/electric performance by Chicago’s own Office. “Oh, yes, it was beautiful…”
SKS, RaeRae, TL and I gazed at the works of art that defined Scott Masson’s initial Office offering as an artistic endeavor, and not a band, at its outset in 2000 at Goldsmiths University of London (no joke, TL); took note of personal details shared by the Office staff; listened intently to wicked-good tracks from Office’s first commercial release, A Night at the Ritz; and, finally, wondered quietly “where, oh where, could Alissa be?” Hmm…
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December 2nd, 2007 by Berklie in Music, Chicago
Portage Theater? Nope, never had been… but we pretty much follow Tegan and Sara anywhere they play in Chicago. (Twice in 3 months? Nice!) And, honestly, we’re damned glad that we do. Portage Theater turned out to be the most laid-back venue to which we’ve been for a show. Crowd the stage? Take unlimited stills? Record multiple tracks? Check, check, and check… not a problem. We could probably have brought in some of our comfy, old, wave pool lifeguard chairs for an even better view, and it would still have been all good.
Earlier on Thursday; our stylist spies in Wicker Park’s Art + Science told us that Sara had been in for a pre-show touch-up, so we knew that she’d be rocking her killer cut that night, extra special. (Don’t worry though, Claudia [pronounced “Clowdia,” don’t you know], we’re certain that Sara will be coming back to you, flowers in hand, when she’s back at home in Montreal.) And with effort like that, here’s to a successful Juno Awards, ladies… we’ve got The Con down for an almost-certain nomination as being the “Alternative Album of the Year” (you’re our flat-out “Album of the Year, 2007”), eventually beating out whomever you’ll be up against.
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November 16th, 2007 by Berklie in Music, Chicago
“We broke free on a Thursday evening, we put the pedal to the floor. Headed south on Western Avenue, and listened to the engine roar…” Last night our sights were set on dinner at Bite; to be immediately followed by the evening’s much-anticipated, special event at The Empty Bottle: The Mountain Goats were back in Chicago to play this tour’s last stop. Hello and goodbye.
Between albums at the moment, Heretic Pride will be released Feb. 19, 2008, the setlist was completely up for grabs and ended up spanning the entire catalog. (Three encores help make that happen.) John and Peter brought out a big gun this tour, borrowing muscle from Superchunk’s Philly Boy Roy Jon Wurster. As a result, in spite of The Empty Bottle’s “acoustics,” TMG commandeered the local airwaves.
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November 14th, 2007 by Berklie in Music, Chicago
Band of Horses (heretofore simply Horses) was playing a “sold out” show at Metro last night, and we had no tickets? Please. We know people. Sometimes they don’t call us back (WTF?!), but we know people. And this time… they came through with last-minute tix. “You never know who you’ll run into.” Ta!
Their one-month-old release, Cease to Begin (7.7/10 by Pitchfork), was “sparkling” to hear in person. And with how hot and humid Metro was, it almost felt like actually being in BoH’s transplanted-native South Carolina, catching “Garish Fever”… slow-moving ceiling fans and everything. Memo to BoH: we’ll forgive y’all for touring “on the road with Zune®” this one time. (They still sell those relics?)
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October 27th, 2007 by Berklie in Travel, Carousing
It was time to “get the hell out of Dodge” and head to… dart, please… Beijing, China (though some would still say “Peking,” but they’d be o-o-o-ld). Gathering up Mighty D.R. and a couple of United First tickets; we were off. However… nobody told us that the entire city was, even this late in the game for 2008’s global party, still under construction. Chicagoans, though, have experienced this kind of disappointment before. Just ask the Griswolds (thanks, Marty Moose!). And the Olympic venues? Let’s just say that if they were webpages… they’d look like this. Get crackin’, boys!
Thankfully, there are a few things that have been finished for, oh, 2,000 years or so. We’re going to let others debate whether or not the Great Wall can be seen from space with the naked eye (at least until our Virgin Galactic tix are printed “as early as 2009,” that is)… but we can personally say that it’s fully-deserving of its “New 7 Wonders” status. The wall-building techniques lovingly showcased on South Park a few years back are really nothing short of astonishing when seen up close (and, no, we’re not talking about the true fact that “peasants who died working were buried inside the wall”). Sprinkle in visits to the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, and Wangfujing… and you’ve got yourself a worth-while visit.
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October 14th, 2007 by Berklie in Music, Chicago
The M.O. had some “all access” passes for Ted Leo and the Pharmacists at Metro, so why not make the time? We missed Ted’s set at Lollapalooza (when he cut his hand but still managed to spin at The Hideout afterwards, where we caught up with him), so it was most excellent seeing him back in full force. And… we went “retro”: relying on the Berkphone® for all photos, etc. (Berkcam® requested the night off in preparation for our big trip to Beijing, China next week.)
Proving he meant it when he told us that Daft Punk had the set of the night at Lollapalooza back in August, Ted broke out a sweet rendition of “One More Time” at the Metro show. Ugh… where are you Berkcam®? Afterwards, the remainder of the crew headed to The Mutiny to catch The Mekons. Rest assured that nobody drove through Taco Bell en route, to collect on Ted’s $500 in free food.
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October 1st, 2007 by Berklie in Music, Chicago
Grabbing our plaid shirts and cowboy boots, we headed-on-down to The Chicago Theatre this past Saturday night: Ryan Adams was back in town. (Well, more like hoodies and dresses, really… it wasn’t Whiskeytown, after all.) Going in, nobody knew exactly what would be in store, given some past shows this tour where RA’s quest for aural excellence came up short and ended things prematurely (Minneapolis and Louisville come to mind). Luckily for us though, this weekend’s excellent set actually lasted an enjoyably long time and sounded terrific the entire way through.
Well, we thought so anyway: the show’s only perceived hiccup was uncovered by the extremely short, but authoritative and loud, pounding the piano took from RA’s fist when its levels weren’t up to his expectations during “Sylvia Plath” (hear me now, sound guy?!). Other than that, dare I say, RA really seemed to be having a swell time. Bonus level! Afterwards, and after visiting some usual Lakeview haunts, this evening’s “alternative country” funnin’ got us in the mood to hit-up Carol’s Pub til close… 5:00 AM never looked so perfect great good adequate! Snapshots and three Berksclusive® videos ensue.
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September 15th, 2007 by Berklie in Chicago, Moda
Apparel-centered, community-scored, internet-only shop Threadless opened their first set of real doors right here in their, and our, sweet home Chicago this past Friday, September 14th. (It only took seven years!) From the upstairs design gallery (where they’ve got classes for ya) to the oh-so-hip, flat-panel-infused downstairs show room (where you too can be a photo model)… it’s a thing of simple beauty.
Want to get in on the fun? Get on over to Score Designs and see if your picks eventually get printed! Or, better yet, Submit Ideas! Some all-time favorites: Regrowth: Katrina, I Listen To Bands…, Revenge Of The Sushi, Loch Ness Imposter, Piggy Bank Heist, Bad Apple, Inside You, Day Of Reckoning, and Permafrost Pollution.
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September 14th, 2007 by Berklie in Music, Chicago
Just another day headed to the office in the A.M.? Hardly… today was “Wilco at Pritzker Pavilion” day! (Mayor Daley should really have made it official.) Could there have been better weather? Could there have been better energy? Could there have been better setlisting? No, no and no. Everything was simply perfect: from the ride downtown Via Chicago Brown Line, to the stroll past Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, to Being There, to the walk home up Mermaid Michigan Avenue.
It wasn’t our first visit to the beautiful, Frank Gehry-designed Jay Pritzker Pavilion, it is right across the street from the 9-to-5, but it was definitely our most memorable thanks to the care Wilco put in to their performance for us and our requests. Sweet seats, M.J. (no, not that M.J.)… thanks! Get on in and enjoy a few Berksclusives® from Wilco’s “Instant Classic.”
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