On Tuesday I went to a double gig at Kingston Mines, a very good club by Lincoln Park (apparently one of the most beautiful park in Chicago, i haven't had the opportunity to see it yet, but I won't be long before I do)
This club is very famous though it was in the south side of Chicago and moved over by Lincoln park a few years ago. In fact, GR, the bassist who invited us to the gig (yeah we got in for free again!), explained to us that all the jazz clubs used to be in the south side of the city, but the majority of them closed down and move to this area. Apparently it's linked to politics, I don't really know what he meant by that, and he didn't get any more explicit even when i asked him why...
I suppose it's because the south became dangerous (i have been told not to go there, it's where the bad reputation of Chicago comes from), and I guess people who can afford to pay $10 for a gig live in the north.
Anyway, the bar is made of 2 rooms, and two bands are playing alternatively. Gigs run til 4 in the morning. The first that we saw was GR's, as usual, there were very good, the music was very rousing, and you could feel a real harmony among the musicians. The singer who was also the pianist had a astonishing voice, he sang without a microphone, you could feel that he was really involved with song, once again I was speechless!
The second gig was really good too, the musicians and the singer had complete opposite attitudes, some were just playing like they were just chilling and taking it easy, the drummer had no emotion (i'm not sure it's a good thing), the pianist was very discrete i thought. The singer was incredible, once again, he was one of those that lives through the lyrics of their songs, who gives everything they have hidden deep inside them and offers it to the audience! He was paying the guitar at same time and he loved it, i loved it too! He started the show with a dry and ended it with one soaking wet!
Since my first gig I have always been tempted to get the CD of the bands i see, but they are always around $15/$20 and if I go to 2 gigs per week, it's a lot of money! I think i m gonna make a selection of the best ones and at the end of august buy those i like the most.
This place is also well-known for its food, I read online that they had one of the best chicken wings in town. I obviously had to try them. Indeed they are very nice, loads of BBQ sauce, good portion and pretty cheap as well but gosh so messy!! I had BBQ sauce all over my face and my hands! I swear if you are on a date, don't ever get BBQ chicken wings, or your date is gonna run away and for good!!! (unless that what you wanted...) They were worth the messiness though!
Change of subject!
My first days at work have been fine, it's great cause you actually contribute to the magazine and its content. Basically, some writers have sent us some articles, and we have to say what we think about them, if we think that they should be published or not, give the reasons, how it could be improved etc. It's not proper journalism, but it's still better than making photocopies and coffees (which is great cause I'm very bad at making coffee!).
As I said before I have got a few story ideas, and i discussed them with my editor. He liked 2 out of 5, and another one is a maybe. I have to write one of them by the 23rd of July, which doesn't give me much time and it's a subject i don't know much about, so it's gonna be loads of research to do. He knows some people that i could interview which is great, it will give my article more depth i hope!
After work I decided to go into town to get a book, went to border and I found the book i have always wanted to buy, but never did cause it was stupidly expensive, for only $5.99: THE ORIGINAL CLASH BOOK!!! Yeah!!!
I got foolishly excited!
Then I was looking for the media section, i asked a guy who worked there, and he was just like 'mmm you mean movies and music?' so i replied 'no I mean books on journalism, critical books on the media etc', he seemed so surprised. But I was even more discover their media section, among Twilight, Sex & the City and those stupid stuff that have nothing in common with media. Let's be honest they had less than 30 books dealing with this theme. I thought it properly sucked in a country like the USA that people aren't interested in what's going on with the media. I, now, understand why this country's media is so fucked up!
After that I went to Macy's (the American Debenhams/ Galleries Lafayette), nothing really exciting there, loads of expensive clothes and sales assistants looking down at you. Oh yeah they did have a fountain in the middle of the shop, was quite amusing!
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