Back from the blistering cold. It was an average of 17 degrees while I was up in the windy city, then I get back to Austin and it’s 30. Chicago was good cold weather practice…
Chicago once again treated me right. Below are the highlights of my trip in a photog style. Enjoy!
Basically, this is a story about 3 friends that take Chicago by storm.
@RobbyDeem, our "host" met us at the airport and we headed to his house.
Then we walked in the snow to Robby's.
and I found a scooter that looked like my Vespa.
Woke up and hopped on a train.
Saw the bean or "Cloud Gate."
Drinks at the 96th floor of the Hancock Building.
Check out that view.
Perfect Martini with bleu cheese stuffed olives.
Giordano's pizza.
We went to the Museum of Science and Industry and saw the scale model of Chicago.
Portillo's!!!!!
@SweetLeafDanny NOM nom!
Gideon NOM nom!
@RobbyDeem VEGAN (Chipotle) Nom nom.
Flew back to ATX.
Chicago Revisited – @SweetLeafDanny
By Danny on Jan 7 Filed In Chicago 3 Comments
I’m headed to Chi-town AGAIN! I’m catching a plane with my best friend and headed up to the Windy City to hang with mister @RobbyDeem for 5 days. Due to this awesome adventure I HAD to write about the top 4 things I have to do, or anyone that visits Chicago needs to do while there!
#1 – Eat a Chicago Dog
You’re in Chicago for CUBS sake! THE HOME OF THE CHICAGO DOG. As mentioned in my Lolla post, step on over to Portillos for a dog and cheese fries!
#2 – Head over to Millennium Park
Between the Bean, aka “Cloud Gate”, the Great Lawn, Crown Fountain, and Lurie Garden, you could spend hours admiring the parks great art, landscaping, and details. Definitely a spot to make in warm or cold weather!
#3 – Gaze at Chicago’s Night Skyline
Coming from the small town of Inez, Texas, population 150, and seeing how far a 173 year old city has come is amazing. The buildings are mesmerizing and breathtaking. Click here for a timeline of Chicago’s History. I think this might be one of the reasons I love Chicago so much.
#4 – SHEDD AQUARIUM!!!!!
It rocks and makes you feel like a kid again. Penguins, otters, octopus, and dolphins. AWESOME! Seriously. Look at it!
I’m stoked, and it’s going to be cold. Wish me luck, and hit me up on Twitter if you live in Chicago! I’ll be there! — @SweetLeafDanny
@SweetLeafDanny’s Lolla Favs: Matt and Kim!
By Danny on Aug 17 Filed In Chicago, Events, Live Music, Lollapalooza 2 Comments
Once again. I was headed to check up on the tea in VIP, then I realized Matt and Kim were playing at the Adidas MEGA stage. So, I dropped in and caught a great set! I got to hear the majority of the songs from the “Grand” album, as well as a cover of “Just a friend”. Then, Kim jumped off stage and stood on the hands of the crows and booty danced, while Matt climbed the stage and swung from the top rung of the scaffolding. AWESOME! Check out this video I took of “Lightspeed”, as well as a video of the “Just a Friend” cover!
“Lightspeed”
“Just a Friend” cover:
Lollapalooza: One Day, Some Way!!!
By Marketing Intern on Jul 29 Filed In Chicago, Events, Food & Beverage, Intern, Live Music, Lollapalooza 1 Comment
I’m a sucker for great music, delicious food and exciting new places. So, one can imagine my immense disappointment in not being able to attend this year’s Lollapalooza Festival in Chicago. After seeing this year’s line-up, an early bird ticket purchase for next year’s festival is happening.
It’s funny after seeing the line-up, I realized how broad my musical taste really is. Even if it’s not something I would go out of my way to listen to I can still either appreciate it, dance to it or sing to it –so long as it’s not pop-country–, but even so, poke fun at how ridiculous and terrible I think it is. So in a nutshell when there’s music in the air (good or bad), you know I’m having a good time!
The bands I would go out of my way to listen to at Lolla, however, jumped off the page and my heart got pretty sad knowing that I wouldn’t be there to enjoy them. Among the shows that will be sadly missed- Minus the Bear, The Strokes, Blues Traveler, The Black Keys, AFI, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros and Spoon, which has been my summertime favorite this year.
So for those of you going to Lolla this year, enjoy! I’ll have to settle for ordering in a deep-dish pizza from Mangia’s with a side of Spoon and a box of tissues = ( I’ll see you one day Lolla, but until then I’ll have to party down with my ridiculous fun favorites at home.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIEVqFB4WUo
By, Kamie Dorris
Lolla: My Rock and Roll Dream
By April on Jul 28 Filed In Chicago, Live Music, Lollapalooza 3 Comments
Can you believe that Lolla has existed on and off since 1991!? I was there….
Fast forward to 2010, and it’s that time again, only now instead of it being a traveling festival complete with Jim Rose Side Show, (and if you miss that part, go say hi to Mr. Lifto while he’s tending bar at Casino El Camino!) it stays put in Grant Park in Chicago. Because Perry Farrel will have to do without me again this year, I’ll share my list of bands that belong under April’s MUST SEE list with all of you!
Because I’ve been on a HUGE LCD Soundsystem kick lately, my list of bands include stuff that my LCD LastFM station plays.
Hot Chip: Man, most of us have been given burned (yes, illegal) CD’s from friends of music that just wasn’t a turn-on, so you completely ignored it after one half-hearted/uninspired listen and Hot Chip is one of those bands for me. Sheriff Ricketts (nickname of an ex-coworker) burned me some HC a few years back and I thought that it probably wasn’t my thing. What was I thinking!? I love the marriage that exists between traditional rock n’ roll instruments and electronica. A little emotional, (read: NEW WAVE) a little trippy, and pretty freakin’ good. Are you going to check them out for me? Well, grab a can of Sweet Leaf Tea and get your dance on. Mmm k? Thanks.
Hot Chip – Ready for the Floor (Live on Jonathan Ross 2008)
Uploaded by plazzTT. – Explore more music videos.
Cut Copy: This Australian band plays happy dance music with vocals that aren’t annoying. There are a few bands that play on my LCD channel that when I look down to see who it is, I smile and think, “of course it’s —–. That’s why it’s so awesome!” Cut Copy is one of those bands (the other is usually The Juan Maclean-see him throw down if you get the chance, by the way.) and since I can’t go and get DOWN to CC, I think you need to for me. We all understand that one of the biggest challenges facing festival goers of today, besides insanely-long beer lines and disgusting port o’ potties is figuring out how to see all of the bands that are on your list without missing any. Well, I’m here to say that it’s about impossible but if you at least pick a couple of bands that just make you want to dance, you’ll sweat your need to pee out (saves on waiting around for a port o’ potty) AND you’ll discover a really great band. Is there anything better?
Social Distortion: If you’ve been reading my festival music blogs over the last couple of years, then you’ll know that I usually take a moment out to write about one of the old skool bands that always end up on the bill. Well Lolla 2010 is no different and since Rosemary already wrote about seeing Devo, then my pick has got to be sexy Mike Ness and his band, Social Distortion. Social D was my first punk show and my first mosh pit at the young and impressionable age of 15. I had bright green hair for that show and unfortunately, since I had added more green to it that evening, once all of the sweating happened, it bled everywhere. I have a friend that was 2 years older than me that recorded the evening for his communications class, so somewhere out there is video proof of that night, but I’ll digress on that one for now…I remember watching the Screaming Trees rock out as the opening act and slipping on the beer-soaked floor, which caused me to fall down a lot in the pit. I was on the ground a while and starting to freak out a little when I realized that I should just grab someone’s pants and tug on them to let them know I was down there. I tugged and some big, old(er) punk rocker looked down, picked me up and literally threw me back in the frenzy. It was so awesome! I realized that night that as much as I loved the mellowness of my new wave (read: BIG HAIR-lots of hair spray) lifestyle, my soul also yearned for something raw, loud and full of energy. I feel like I found it that night. A $7 ticket changed my life. I just know that you’ll have a good time if you go see them play. Be sure to tell Mike Ness that I said THANKS for helping to redirect my teen angst!
I hear so many cool things about that town and hope that one day I’ll get to ride a bike around Chicago, taking in all of the great stuff to see, do, hear and eat. It’ll be there when I get there!
Have a great time and make sure to come say hi to our SWEET Tea’m while they are working the booths. They will be working hard, slinging tea, trying to keep you guys hydrated and smiling. It’ll be that much easier to get between those giant stages.
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