Rocking and Rolling

Another great month in the books. Let's start with the important stuff: I made another batch of beer! This one was a Belgian Tripel, made specifically for Ben's visit to our fair city. As he is the one who bought me the kit for my 21st birthday (oh how long ago that seems...), I decided it was time for him to finally sample one of my famous concoctions. This is where it all begins:

Big surprise, it turned out great. Really great. We had an awesome weekend full of eating and drinking and eating some more and walking everywhere and watching the Patriots. What can I say, I'm a great tour guide. And what better way to start your trip than with fried chicken, waffles and cocktails at 9am?

We also had a deep dish pizza sampling, resulting in Ben choosing Lou Malnati's over Gino's East. The debate is officially over.
In other news Gregg and I played another ambient gig as Sebetha, this time with our friend Matt Gold on bass. We played in the Comfort Station, a cozy little house by the boulevard that has great acoustics.

After us was a performance by Michael Zerang, he played some really great modern xylophone music.
And then...SIX FLAGS!!!! Just like last year we went in October for Fright Fest, where everything is a little spookier, and there are more creeps walking around. We had a bigger group this time, but unfortunately there were longer lines so we didn't get to hit all of the best rides. Even so, Vertical Velocity (which wasn't running last year) blew my mind. Oh man I love Six Flags.
I finally saw Moneyball, what a great movie. Easily one of my favorite books of all time.
In terms of what I've been reading recently, I really enjoyed Bill Russell's Red and Me: My Coach, My Lifelong Friend. Awesome book about Boston's Golden Age of Basketball, lifelong friendship, and Bill Russell just being the man.
In other news, it's getting colder which means it's time for dogs in sweaters! Hooray! This is Sophie, doesn't she look lovely?

But more importantly, Anna launched her very own kickstarter page, check it out! She's raising money to make a line of yoga clothes, it's pretty sweet. Work is going well, the dogs are behaving themselves, my guitar students are progressing, and I'm moving to a new apartment this weekend! I will give details on my next post, so stay tuned!

Another year in the books

Hard to believe I've been living in Chicago for over two years. It's been truly great, thanks to all the fantastic people, art and food. Continuing the tradition I started last year, I felt like it'd be fun to once again give awards to all the best stuff I've experienced over the past year.
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 album: I am quite biased, but I have to go with the Strokes' Angles. There's definitely some nostalgia in this pick, but really no one makes music like they do, I'm sorry. Julian's deep, luscious voice, the attacking guitars, the unique harmonies and melodies, I can't get enough. Beautiful, smart rock music. It's all I've ever wanted. Honorable mention: this album clearly didn't come out in the past year, but Physical Graffiti by Led Zeppelin. Houses of the Holy will always be my favorite, but Physical Graffiti is not to be overlooked. Seriously rockin' tracks by polished professionals, some thick keyboard sounds, and hooks galore. I'm just bummed all the classic rock stations don't play it more.
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!

Onward Ho!

What a month! Let's start with our family vacation to Cape Cod. Unreal. Gorgeous house, beautiful area, amazing food, and of course wonderful people. I think pictures would do it more justice:

Apparently one side of the group didn't get the "silly picture time" memo, but that's fine with me.
Also, here was my contribution: White Sangria! Well, it looks more like orange sangria here, but that's because it was filled with orange, peach and mango slices. Will have to make it again, it was a hit. Almost as much of a hit as lobster rolls.

There were some late night charades, games of croquet, water balloon fights, and for some reason horseshoe crab head massages. Don't ask me why.

And then the obligatory pictures of my niece, she's basically the best thing since Pop Tarts.

One for the ages. Back in Chicago, we had the 4th of July which as usual felt like we were under attack. I'm talking straight up war zone. For some reason Logan Square in particular will smell like gunpowder for days, and that whole weekend had the constant sound of explosions in the streets and alleys. You may think explosions is an exaggeration, but I kid you not, these booms were LOUD. Like setting off the car alarms down the entire street. It was nuts.
Then there was moving out of my old place. It was sad, I really loved that place and my roommates. But everyone went their separate ways, and I moved down the street. How convenient! Here's my new address in case anyone finds some Bill Mueller paraphernalia they'd like to get rid of.

2433 N Central Park Ave Apt 1
Chicago, IL 60647

My new apartment is sweet, it's big and beautiful and clean and my new roommate is a nurse so next time I get bit by a dog she'll probably give me stitches instead of letting me just cover it with a sock.
My buddy Gregg and I played a gig together a while back, it was mostly ambient, slow, noisy, spacey kind of stuff. Just two guitars, some pedals and his laptop. It was lots of fun, you should be able to hear our rehearsal here. The show was good, but the venue was super, super hot so I don't think we sounded as good/comfortable. I literally had sweat dripping down my face, it was gross.
Randomly by old pal Dean V Colpack made it through Chicago on his hitchhiking adventure. We had lots of fun eating good food, drinking cheap drinks and playing cribbage.
Last Friday my friend Charlie invited my to play guitar with him on piano and another guy on drums. We were the backup band for a semi-improvised comedy show called "Christmas in July." I'd never done anything like it before but it was lots of fun, definitely a by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of thing but I really enjoyed it.
Then comes the big news: Drew Thomases got married! My high school buddy/former movie co-writer/house painter/poker aficionado got hitched in Ithaca, NY to a lovely lady named Jocelyn. I had met her once before, but the wedding was just beautiful. I was able to catch up with him and some old Boston pals. The ceremony was the perfect length, the weather was gorgeous, the food was divine, the drinks were plentiful, and the dancing was out of this world. Unfortunately I have no pictures at my disposal but I will do my best to acquire some of the professional and non-professional variety so that you may understand it better. The best I can do right now is the bride and groom performing some strange ritual I have never seen before.

And that about wraps it up! I seem to have lapsed in my book reviews, so here is a quick summary. Granted some of these I read months ago but no one will notice.
Brief Encounters with Che Guevara: very cool stuff, stories are fascinating and take place all over the world.
War Dances: dark, funny, loved it as usual.
God Bless You, Dr. Kevorkian: interesting vignettes about Vonnegut himself meeting famous people in heaven then coming back and writing down everything they said.
The Fall: not an easy read, but interesting nonetheless. No one told me it would be one guy talking the whole time!
The Fifth Column and Four Stories of the Spanish Civil War: I actually really liked Hemingway's only play, but apparently it got panned back in the day. No one writes a war story like he did.
The Toughest Indian in the World: clearly I can't get enough Sherman Alexie. Although his short story collections are blurring together in my head, they're all great. I swear!
Bluebeard: another beautiful Vonnegut look at modern art.
Come to Africa and Save Your Marriage: bleak is a good word to describe these short stories. People, relationships, cultures, society, it's all quite bleak. And really interesting.

And finally, Bricklayers Foundation is playing a show tomorrow night! We are performing at Moe's Tavern (I kid you not) with our friends the Mainliners, it should be a blast.
As for what my future holds, who knows? Maybe a trip to Madison, maybe a trip to New Orleans, maybe a trip to the moon! Don't rule it out.

Great Success!

What a great concert! My piece "Pastime" was performed beautifully last night by some super-talented musicians, and my friend Gregg did a killer job conducting it. The space was amazing, and everything sounded perfect. I was just blown away. We also got to hear two wonderful pieces by my fellow Butler composers Zane and Will, "Obsess" and "Lonesome Voyage" which featured Carrie and Charlie. Not only did we get some fantastic performances but we had a phenomenal after-party at Maria's nearby with some excellent Mediterranean food to top it off. What a night. Thank you so much to everyone who donated to this project, and all my friends and family who helped me put it together.
Last month my calypso band got to play a gig in Kankakee, about 90 miles south of here. The weather was pretty crappy but we played some fun music, got to hang out with really nice people and eat delicious food. And I got payed to do it! What a life.
Other highlights include seeing the Tigers play the White Sox with my dad and friends at US Cellular field (love that place), seeing a show at Second City (very vulgar and hilarious), and seeing my roommate's brother's Delta blues band play a couple gigs. Other than that I was just focusing on putting this concert together and watching the occasional Bruins game while trying my best not to jinx them. Clearly everything I did worked! The pictures and video of the parade look amazing, it reminds me of watching the Celtics' parade from the window of my summer job three years ago in downtown Boston. Too cool.
Now I have a day to relax and decompress, then tomorrow night I am off to Cape Cod for a much needed family vacation. Can't wait to spend some quality time with my little niece and teach her how to pull down my brother's swimsuit when his back is turned and run.
I will try to post some pictures, sound clips or videos as soon as I can, and if you couldn't make it to last night's concert email me your address and I will mail the CD to you.

Update!

I found a new venue for my piece! Originally I was leaning towards the Merit School of Music, but after much consideration I have switched my allegiance over to the VanderCook College of Music. Its location is not quite as easily accessible, but everything else absolutely makes up for it. This new place has recording equipment, percussion instruments we can rent, bigger rooms, and is right across the street from US Cellular Field (where the White Sox play)! Very exciting. Also they are much more welcoming and supportive in general. This also means the performance itself will be the evening of Sunday, June 19th.
The weather is improving, finally. Maybe I was spoiled by last spring, but so far there have only been brief glimpses of beauty, mixed with lots of chilly overcastness. The barbecues have continued, they're just not as frequent as last year. I have faith.
Bricklayers Foundation has recorded 5 tracks in a friend's studio, it took about 9 hours but we got it all down. Still needs some mastering though, I'll see if I can post those when they're all done.
As for the Celtics, may they rest in peace. Another memorable postseason, not the end result we were looking for but that's the way it goes. Along with the Spurs and Lakers, we were next in line as the older teams make room for the young guns. Shaq simply was not the knight in shining armor we needed. I still think Rondo is a beast, and Paul Pierce should run for mayor of Boston. Now we can root for the Bruins! Apparently they play hockey for us, I had no idea. And the Red Sox have climbed out of their abysmal start, so that makes me happy.
A while back I finished I Married a Communist, pure Philip Roth brilliance. Painful, nostalgic, revolting, and wonderful. Now I am almost done with John Murray's "A Few Short Notes on Tropical Butterflies," very technical at times with the science jargon but still emotional and fantastic.
Once again, thank you all for your donations and help with my kickstarter project, whatever stress I feel organizing this whole thing is nothing compared to the joy and excitement for it all to come together. I haven't forgotten about personalized thank yous and rewards, don't worry!
And as a last little surprise, here's something I found at a school I gave guitar lessons in. Small world.

Victory!

What a month. First off, my kickstarter was a success! Thank you all for your donations and help spreading the word, you guys are the best. Family, friends, family friends, I obviously couldn't have done this without your support. So far I have a conductor and a venue, I just need to lock down specific dates and times and then find performers. Very exciting stuff!
I've been lucky enough to see many great performances recently, one such treat was being able to see Michael Showalter perform in a bar near here. He's one of my favorite comedians, hilarious stuff, intimate venue, unforgettable night. We were able to celebrate the Jewish holiday of Purim like we did back in Indianapolis, with storytelling and libations and general jubilation.
My college buddy Matt Dresher came to Chicago for almost a week, so we had a killer time checking out the Field Museum, the Nature Museum, and generally just eating our brains out. Yes, I took him to my favorite spot (Flub a Dub Chubs), not only did he eat one of their enormous hamburgers but he also devoured a chicago style hot dog. The man is a legend. Of course we also sampled some delicious deep dish pizza. And in true college form, we hung out at my place, had a few beers, and watched two Richard Pryor classics: The Toy and my personal favorite Brewster's Millions. I especially like the baseball sequences and the subtle similarities to a Communist revolution.
There was Opening Day, normally a festive time for Boston fans but this year started off pretty horribly. Luckily things have gone much better recently, same goes for the Celtics and Bruins. We did get to watch Butler make another improbably run to the Final Four, followed by a disappointing loss to UCONN. Only two more championship losses in a row and they'll be called the Buffalo Bills of college basketball!
We got to see the robot opera, which is actually called "Death and the Powers." I enjoyed the music but the set and technology used were even better.
My buddies and I took part in an It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia trivia night, and came in close second place. Then I got to spend an evening with my other college roommate Zach Milner. We checked out the dive bar up the street, the chic whiskey bar, and ended our night at the famous Kuma's Corner for burgers and beers. More recently I've also sampled a polish buffet and a delicious seder dinner, but the crème de la crème was definitely seeing two of my favorite current bands perform: the National and Arcade Fire. Tickets were expensive, but both acts were fantastic and it was absolutely worth it.
The weather is finally getting nicer, we've had the rare beautiful day mixed in with lots of blahness. But last night we had our first barbecue of the season, and I can assure you a glorious time was had by all. So now I can focus on putting my ensemble together and having the best premiere ever!

Good Times

Hey people, sorry for the delay. A lot's happened since the great 'Zard of '11. First was Bricklayers Foundation's live performance at Strange Beauty Show Salon. We played some songs, had a great time, and got free haircuts in the process.

A while back I had another crazy week of music that was reminiscent of the good times at Butler. I saw the Civic Orchestra perform Scriabin's Poem of Ecstasy, which just blew me away. I saw the Lyric Opera perform Wagner's Lohengrin, which was better than I expected, especially story-wise. I got to see the Met's version of Nixon in China in a movie theater (loved the music, the songs were pretty good). And then we heard a talk by this composer who wrote "'Death and the Powers' (2010), an opera with live electronics and robotics developed by the M.I.T. Media Lab." It sounded pretty intense, and actually starred the same guy who portrayed Nixon in the opera we saw the night before. What a week.
In other news I got promoted in my company, now I focus more on vacation clients and keeping everything running smoothly. And I got a blackberry. Weird.
But I still get to see a ton of cool animals, such as Hemma:

She's a super sweet, quite old bulldog who doesn't like walking. So I get to push her around in a stroller for a couple blocks, take her out to do her business, and bring her back. I got lots of strange looks, definitely some laughs, but I just kept whistling to myself because this dog is so nice. She also lives with a cat who always sleeps in/on a plastic bag, so clearly it's a progressive household.
The big news is I finally put up my kickstarter page! For those of you who haven't heard, I'm raising funds to get my thesis performed. It's my homage to a season of baseball entitled "Pastime," check out my page! Thank you to all who have already donated, if all goes well it should be awesome. And if I don't raise enough money at least I went for it.
I recently finished a collection of Gabriel García Márquez's short stories, some truly amazing works in there, although they're in chronological order and I think everyone would agree he got better with age. I just started I Married a Communist, and already Roth's style is somehow comforting to me. Well, as comforting as his books can be.
And lastly, the Strokes new album is coming out soon! If anyone is mildly interested in the band that completely influenced my life and taste in music from 2001 to the present, take a listen. There are some killer tracks in there.