Sunday, July 26, 2009

Taste of Summer

What a great weekend. I love it when I have the chance to step out into the city and experience something new. Friday night after work a co-worker invited me to Improv Olympics, an improvised sketch comedy theater near Wrigley Field. I'd never been and the show that evening was improvised Shakespeare so the story line was based upon Shakespearean stories and acted out with the language of his work. It was hilarious! Awesome little theater/bar too, so you feel right in the thick of things. After the show we walked through the rain and I finally tasted Ian's macaronni and cheese pizza after a handful of recommendations over the years. Yet another Chicago experience I had been lacking! And yes, it is as amazing as it sounds!

Saturday I headed out to Taste of Lincoln Avenue, one of the bigger and better street festivals throughout the city of Chicago in the summer. Met up with Stacy and Marlena. Beautiful weather and wonderful people watching as we wadded through the crowds before the show. We caught a fantastic set by Tyrone Wells. I have friends that love him but I had never heard much of his work. Very entertaining though, coming back to the Chicago area in October and I think I may have to go! After Tyrone was the show we'd been waiting for, Tonic! Once again my love for 90's alt rock bands reared it's head and has yet to let me down. Their set was incredible, one of the loudest shows I'd been to in years and this was outside even! Tons of mini-jam sessions and songs that time warped me back into the mid-90's. Absolutely loved it.


Above: Emerson Hart, lead singer of Tonic and full band shot.

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

A Peak of Awesomeness

So I get to experience a lot of really awesome stuff at my job. I have meet some of the most talented, creative, and genuinely awesome people I've ever encountered in my life. I've ventured out to places and events that I probably never would have come close to and I get to see and hear hour after hour of amazing music. Tonight peaked the awesome scale so far for this year. John Legend made his Festival debut and sang a large portion of his first song from one of the pavilion entrances. I took a shot of it on my camera phone, quality is a bit sad but I get to witness and be a part of awesome stuff like this. Little bits of entertainment that literally make people's day, week or even year. I don't know how someone who works in an industry like this could ever grow tired of seeing the pure joy and excitement on people's faces when they hear and see these amazing artists.Photo Credit: R. Jenkins (C) 2009

Monday, July 13, 2009

Family. The Fourth. And The Furry One.

By some stroke of a miracle I found myself with three full days off this 4th of July. Without a second thought I headed home to Iowa City for the holiday and enjoyed every moment of my visit. Dustin and I enjoying some Morning Glories.











Cooper, never a fan of loud noises, kept close to us during the random fire crackers going off within earshot all weekend. He got a nice grooming and bath too. He always stays put until the water in the hose starts to get cold, then he inches away slowly as if I wont notice.



How I love the man...

I listen to this song on repeat. A LOT.