by David Burn | Jul 13, 2004 | Chicago, Politics
On Sunday, our U.S. Representative Rahm Emanuel introduced a cajun act at the seventh annual Folk & Roots Festival in Welles Park. He later strolled by the blanket with his young daughter in tow. A few weeks back, as we we’re walking home from the square, a lanky man came jogging toward us. As he got nearer we could see it was our friendly Governor Rod Blagojevich dressend in an all black exercise outfit. I said, “Governor,” as if I had a top hat to tip. He replied in kind, thinking we might be two of his supporters. Supporters, or no, it’s nice to see these two out among the people, enjoying the neighborhood.
Emanuel (speaking) and Blagojevich (on right)
.jpg)
by David Burn | Jul 12, 2004 | Chicago, Music
Chicago Folk & Roots Festival, sponsored by Old Town School of Folk Music—one of Lincoln Square’s anchoring institutions—made for a wonderful weekend. Under sunny skies, north centralites gathered to eat, drink and hear live music from bands representing a variety of global genres. These neighborhood festivals happen almost every weekend in Chicago during the summer. Given that this one was a three block walk from our home, took place in Welles Park on a huge grassy field and cost but $5 (suggested) to get in, it’s easy to see how Folk & Roots is our clear favorite.
Holmes Brothers in Welles Park
Sunday’s lineup:
Devil in a Woodpile
Sunnyside Up
Savoy Doucet Cajun Band
Redd Volkaert
Holmes Brothers
Subdudes
Acts we saw on Saturday:
Chicago Afrobeat Project
Les Yeux Noirs
Bembeya Jazz
Los Amigos Invisibles
by David Burn | Jul 3, 2004 | Chicago
When looking to get your Italian Beef on, head out Milwaukee to just past Foster and find Paterno’s on the right. It’s a working class sports bar with pizza, Philly cheese steaks, and incredible Italian beef sandwiches, a traditional Chicago favorite.
Thanks to Amy for her native guidance in all things beefee.
by David Burn | Jun 14, 2004 | Chicago, Music, Nebraska
Jeff Tweedy, alt-county superstar and leader of the Chicago-based band Wilco graced the cover of the Chicago Reader this week and news of his rehab for addiction to pain killers has been recently in the news. He’s also been top of mind this week due to our viewing of the band’s documentary, I Am Trying to Break Your Heart, a revealing look at the creative process and the business end of the music industry.
Tweedy also has his first book out, Adult Head, a collection of poems released in March by Omaha’s Zoo Press and distributed by University of Nebraska Press, the nation’s second largest university press.
by David Burn | May 23, 2004 | Chicago, Literature
Chicago native, author and organizer, William Upski Wimsatt, is one of the more high profile d.i.y. advocates working today. His books, Bomb the Suburbs and No More Prisons are underground sensations.
by David Burn | Apr 13, 2004 | Advertising, Art, Chicago
While riding the CTA Brown Line to work the other day I saw a Sun Times “We Are Brighter” print ad defaced by a culture-busting media activist. The activist placed a printed message constructed of black type on white computer paper over the paid piece. It said, “More Art. Less Ads.” How can one blame this concerned person for the suggestion? There ought to be more art inside the gray tube. Art to comfort the cattle, I mean people, being carted daily to their sordid and sometimes noble destinies throughout the city.
by David Burn | Apr 13, 2004 | Chicago
When ordering a Chicago-style dog, there are certain rules that come with the territory and define the transaction. Ketchup is exclusively for fries is one such rule. Another rule is the dog will be served on a poppy seed bun from Gonnella. Sadly, it seems few vendors follow this poppy seed rule. I’m sure there are cost considerations, but I can’t help but feel cheated when I get a seedless bun, no matter how good the rest of the fixings. For the record, I am willing to pay extra for poppy seeds.
by David Burn | Mar 16, 2004 | Chicago, The Environment
Culture busting on Sunnyside
by David Burn | Mar 14, 2004 | Advertising, Art, Chicago, Food & Beverage
Our Saturday consisted of a forty year retrospective of Lee Bontecou’s imaginative, inspired work at the Museum of Contemporary Art, wine flights at Bin 36 in Marina City, and exquisite food and drink care of Mexican master, author and star of his own show, Rick Bayless and the wonderful Frontera Grill staff. We’ve been meaning to attend the MCA for a while now. We sort of stumbled upon Bin 36, the modernist wine bar in the lobby of House of Blues Hotel. Frontera was a celebration of my new job–Senior Writer at Slack Barshinger, a prominent b-to-b agency on N. Michigan Avenue with eBay, Underwriters Lab, AC Nielsen, Dean Foods, Harris Bank, American Dairy Products Institute, Tellabs, Smurfit-Stone, Silgan Containers, and Tetra Pak (among others) for clients.
by David Burn | Feb 26, 2004 | Advertising, Chicago
A good segment of the Chicago ad industry exists in a handful of interconnected buildings on North Michigan Avenue and Wacker Drive. In the main cluster–111 East Wacker, 233 N. Michigan, and 225 N. Michigan–you can take an elevator up to Frankel, Ogilvy, Y+R, Burrell, Slack Barshinger, or Cramer Krasselt. Nearby on Randolph, Element 79 and DDB share an address (200 East) and fortress-like scraper of sky.
Leo Burnett, Upshot, and Zipatoni are within earshot. Cross the bridge to the north, and you have BBDO, Draft, FCB, Laughlin Constable, Fusion Idea Lab and Campbell Mithun, all within a few blocks. Then, as in any healthy system, there’s interesting activity on the fringe–Point B and Hadrian’s Wall in River North, Tom Dick and Harry on Ravenswood in Lake View, and Storandt Pann Margolis in a converted theatre in historic downtown La Grange.
This dense concentration of “black turtlenecks” has the attention of the mainstream press. Sun Times columnist, Lewis Lazare covers the ad community on an almost daily basis. It’s a good read and an excellent source for information.
