First up: best concert. I've been to a lot of great shows, from seeing the Chicago Symphony play Schoenberg's Transfigured Night (twice!), to my friend Gregg's band Plastic Council killing it at the Empty Bottle. But in terms of talent, fun, and just blowing me away, this award goes to the Exploding Star Orchestra playing at the Whistler. They played there four nights in a row, and I got to experience one and a half of those nights. Seriously nuts. My friend Justin and I saw them about a year and a half ago at the Green Mill, a big, famous jazz club. But the Whistler is much cozier, the show was more intimate, and hearing them two nights in a row really showed me a whole new side to these guys. They played some of the same pieces, but went in totally different directions. Everything felt fresh, and their lineup shifted from night to night, yet no one seemed the least bit tentative or out of place. They played some fantastic modern jazz, with hints of funk, killer grooves and the perfect amount of chaos. Just blew me away. Runner up: seeing Arcade Fire and the National play at the UIC Pavilion. Amazing bands, amazing music, amazing live show. But the whole arena concert thing is getting old, I'm sorry. Of course, I was up close and can tower over all the teenagers in front of me. That part will never get old.
Best food: another close call. If you ever have the chance, check out Silver Cloud. We stumbled upon it randomly one night because it had no line to get in, but the food is literally to die for. You could call it comfort food if you really wanted, I just call it awesome food. Chicken pot pie that looks like it came straight out of your dreams. Still, there is one place that is better in my book, and that place is the Pork Shoppe. Hole in the wall, locally raised meat, delicious barbecue sauces and sides. And where else can you get a cooked rib in your jack and coke? It's called the Bloody Larry, and it's heaven.
Best song: I Want the World to Stop, by Belle & Sebastian. Bonus points for the call and response, perhaps paying homage to César Franck's violin sonata. Who's with me? Anyone? Anyone? Second place: Life is Simple in the Moonlight, by the Strokes. No explanation needed.
Best book: This one is always the hardest decision for me. I've read so many great books this past year, it feels like an insult to mention only one. I just finished Philip Roth's The Plot Against America, a phenomenal look at what life would have been like had Charles Lindbergh defeated FDR in the 1940 presidential election. It has Roth's classic thickness and depth and sentences so long and drawn out it feels like he's intentionally hiding their true meanings, along with plenty of Jewish family conflicts. But he adds a healthy dose of history and then takes our country down a disturbing hypothetical path. I was a little disappointed with the abrupt ending, but that's just code for I didn't want it to end. Sherman Alexie's Indian Killer was another unforgettable work, about an Indian man who kills white men and leads to race wars in Seattle. Like Roth's book, a fascinating portrayal of racial violence and the voices that fuel the fire, only Alexie's book is less one-sided.
Best movie: I've seen a lot of great movies, I really enjoyed Inception, and Cedar Rapids was pretty great, but the best has to be (Untitled). A hilarious look into modern art and music, it strikes close to home. Almost too close to home.
Best bar: When the weather is nice, I'll go with Happy Village. Nice beer selection, but the outdoor patio is the reason you go here. It feels like a graduation party with the big white tent and white plastic chairs. In the winter, I'll say Small Bar. The beers aren't cheap, but the pulled pork nachos are the best in the world. It's cozy, and it's where I watched the Bruins win Game 7s against Tampa Bay and against Vancouver. That's tough to beat.
New category: best computer program. This goes to the one, the only, Spotify. Get it. Take iTunes, and add the capability to search for and listen to music you don't own. Not just previews, whole songs. For free. Brilliant. Apparently the musicians actually get paid something like .3 cents every time you listen to their track, so I've got all my stuff playing on repeat when I'm not around! Just kidding. Maybe.
Also a first, best website. Weebly takes the cake, as an easy to use website builder. We're not talking angelfire or geocities like the old days, these are nice looking websites without the hassle of getting your smart friend to make one for you. For free. I love it.
I think that about wraps it up. It's been another amazing year, and there's more to come! Now I'll leave you with some recent highlights. First up, cat in a sink!
Next, we have two cats who love to climb through that tiny window to stare at, and presumably someday eat Justin's pet bird.
And then there was the Cubs game! Great seats, I could've sworn we were gonna catch a foul ball. So close.
There was a phenomenal concert of Steve Reich's music in Millennium Park, that was a blast. And Gregg and I played another ambient gig, you can hear our rehearsal here. So much fun. My group guitar lessons have started up again, now I've got even more kids in each class. It's intense, but I like it. And for everyone who cares, I bought my plane ticket home for Christmas. I'll be in Boston December 22nd through 26th. Can't wait!
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