chicago.

i think i would move here if it didn't get so cold. the lack of pretension is a breath of fresh air.

i will elaborate. i went to the touch & go block party last weekend. the show was sandwiched between two very rough days. friday, 20 minutes after getting into o'hare, n called me to say that k had lost the fucking ticket i was going to buy off her. the show was sold out. djfdkrie. ok, so i go to the hotel and settle myself into their swank computer room and do some work on craigslist. i get a response from a guy selling a pass for $15 above face value. fine. i book ass over to his office in a cab, seeing more of chicago than i really wanted to. at the show later on, a, the friend whose place we were staying at later on, said she had k's ticket all along. more sdjfhfjSryhuwe.

the show itself though, gets a logistical double thumbs-up from me. two stages on opposite sides of a large parking lot, making it easy for people to get from one side to the other for the bands. lots of portapotties (with sanitizer!), $1 water, GOOD beer for $4 (none of that bud/heineken shit in sight)... i wish siren fest could be more like this. the weather on friday night was perfect, couldn't have been nicer. we heard, all in all, girls against boys, ted leo, didjits, negative approach, scrath acid, man... or astroman?, big black, shellac, seam, brick layer cake, black heart procession, and cocorosie. the only bands we saw were !!!, pinback, and calexico. the nice weather did not hold up, and i was freezing my ass off on saturday and sunday. i looked longingly at leg warmers and down vests. i was wearing 2 hoodies and a thick scarf, and was still shivering. i think i'll have me a nice cold right in time for my birthday. excellent. saturday we had dinner with an indie rock legend and his supernice wife, went show/bar-hopping, and ended up at a diner in the early morning hours. there was a line for a table, and an off-duty copper with gun doing security. there was a b-c list actor.. someone help me out here iding him. always plays a bad guy/asshole, blue eyes, very curly brown hair with a high hairline. anyone??? anyway, he was at the diner with two far more attractive females. ah, fame.

other stuff i like about chicago: people are really sososo much nicer. and we went to a bar on saturday night and it wasn't overrun by yuppies. yes, you read that right! the yuppie contingent was under control! cheap beer. and hey, did i mention cute boys with no attitude?? i'm becoming more and more disenchanted with the bullshit that comes with ny.

it was quite an experience on very little sleep... so on monday, as i'm walking to get on the train to get to o'hare while it's still dark outside, i get a call from united that my flight's been cancelled (no explanation) and i'll get to cool my heels at o'hare for an extra hour. more fuck you, united. when i look in my wallet for my id, i realize my debit card is missing. i left it in the atm on sunday - by far the dumbest thing i've done in a LONG time. i call to cancel the card, and find out someone has made a fraudulent charge. fantastic. so there it is, chicago wrapped up in a little bow.