7/31/12

i was there : cursive

Show: Cursive

Location: Wicker Park Festival

Date: 7.28.12

Favorite Song: Nothing tops "The Recluse" in my opinion. It's dark + totally emo, but this song used to be on heavy rotation for me circa 2004.

Memorable Moment: Just being in the presence of one of my Saddle Creek favorites was pretty great.

Biggest Letdown: I saw Cursive at one of the most notoriously crowded + drunken street festivals in the city. Obviously the whole experience isn't going to be top notch.

This Show: definitely fell into the "nostalgic" category. I hadn't listened to Cursive in ages, but still loved their sound.

only slightly

Have you Chicagoans been checking out Slightly Insulting Chicago Posters? No? Well, I'll let the logo & posters speak for themselves...
Keep up the good work, smartass.


standstill

Confession time. My apartment progress is kind of at a standstill. I was doing so well & was full of fantastic ideas, but there's only so much time & money that I can invest. Factor in that it's Summer in Chicago & it's amazing that I have gotten anything done at all. Fingers crossed, I'll make it out to Ikea on Monday to pull a few more things together, but amazingly enough, the areas I'm struggling the most with are my bedroom & my bathroom.

I feel a little less daunted by the bathroom, mostly because I don't have much to work with. At this point, it's really just locking in a color scheme. I'd also love to get some fun artwork & say bye-bye to my mishmash bath towels. I did have a bit a breakthrough though when came across these two bath mat options:
One side of me is just a firm believer that the bathroom should be über-girly, while the other side would love a very blue & white Grecian bath. I'll make a decision one of these days.

As for the bedroom, I am really at a loss. My room is such a blank canvas right now, so I feel a bit overwhelmed with all of the potential options. Instead of making a decision, I just pin & pin & pin. For a while I thought this beauty from Anthropologie would be the one, but not I'm feeling more & more unsure of things.
I guess things aren't so awful though. I have towels to dry myself off with & I although my dye-job isn't perfect, I have bedding that looks acceptable together. But I am a woman with dreams of interior perfection. I am also a woman that is trying to be fiscally smart through the end of 2012. Maybe that's the solution? Let this all digest a few months longer & maybe the solution will just present itself. Until then, I'll try to keep the sneak peeks & projects coming.

(via)

7/30/12

la la love pt. ii

Like I said in my last post, Lollapalooza is bringing back some really great acts that I've seen over the course of my music-loving life. I shared with you my list of never-before-seen Lollapalooza artists or bands that I'm looking forward to, but here are the repeat performances that I can't wait for:

Friday
SBTRKT - 4:45pm @ Google Play
Passion Pit - 6pm @ Bud Light
The Shins - 6:15pm @ Red Bull

Saturday
Neon Indian - 3pm @ Sony 
Bloc Party - 7pm @ Sony
Orchard Lounge - 7:30pm @ PlayStation

Sunday
The Walkmen - 3pm @ Sony
Miike Snow - 7:15pm @ Sony
Kaskade - 8:45pm @ Perry's

(via)

la la love pt. i

Can you feel it? Lollapalooza week is upon us. One of the most glorious weeks in the 312. The next few days are critical for eating your vitamins, catching up on zzz's, perfecting your ensembles, & doing plenty of research in order to ensure that your Lollapalooza schedule is top notch.

I spent my weekend working on the last point. So far, I've got an aggressive list of 35 bands/artists I would like to see over the course of the weekend. Some scheduling will be tight, but I'm hoping to get pretty close to hitting all 35. 

This years schedule is a great combination of both the old & the new. Some of the acts that I've seen before like SBTRKT, Miike Snow, Passion Pit, & M83 have me very eager to once again see them perform live, but it's the new one's that really drive my excitement levels up.

Here's a look at my top 3 never-before-seen artists that I'm most looking forward to each day:

Friday
Metric - 4pm @ Bud Light
Madeon - 4:30pm @ Perry's

Saturday
Chairlift - 3:30pm @ Google Play
Alabama Shakes - 4:15pm @ Bud Light
Santigold - 8:45pm @ Perry's
*Also, Frank Ocean - 8:45pm @ Google Play*

Sunday
Sigur Rós - 4pm @ Red Bull Soundstage
Florence & the Machine - 6:15pm @ Bud Light
Justice - 8:30pm @ Bud Light

Please share the musical wealth -- who are you most looking forward to? Any good after parties?

(via)

7/27/12

the best investment

"My own resolute idleness has mostly been a luxury rather than a virtue, but I did make a conscious decision, a long time ago, to choose time over money, since I've always understood that the best investment in my limited time on earth was to spend it with the people I love. I suppose it's possible I'll lie on my deathbed regretting that I didn't work harder & say everything I had to say, but I think what I'll really wish is that I could have one more beer with Chris, another long walk with Megan, one last hard laugh with Boyd. Life is too short to be busy." - Tim Kreider

(via & via)

7/25/12

i was there : shut up + play the hits

Show: LCD Soundsystem's Shut Up & Play the Hits

Location: Music Box Theatre

Date: 7.18.12

Favorite Song: They really picked a great variety from the MSG show. "All My Friends" is such an intense song & you could see that in the way LCD Soundsystem performed it. "New York I Love You But You're Bringing Me Down" was the final song of the night & it was pretty amazing to see all of the emotions of stage & in the audience. It must have been just such a surreal moment for all of them. My favorite, though, would have to be "Losing My Edge." It is such an awesome song & it was cool to hear James Murphy talk about some serious fears he had while writing that song.

Memorable Moment: I love hearing & seeing those deeper moments of the band I love, but this film was also f'ing hilarious. Like when James Murphy made fun of the reporters that ask him if Daft Punk really played at his house. His super cute puppy made a few amazing cameos that I loved as well. But nothing could top the crying kid. Go see the film & you'll know what I'm talking about.

Biggest Letdown: This documentary was phenominal in every way, but it made me disappointed in myself for not finding some way to make it to the final show at Madison Square Garden. I tried & I was quick on the trigger right when they went on sale, but like thousands of others that tried to buy tickets during the initial sale, I was without luck. This might have just been the concert of my generation.

This Show: was one of the best films I have ever seen. It was filmed very well & had a perfect balance of behind-the-scene moments & live footage from the MSG show. After every song I felt the desire to clap my hands in applause & was thrilled when others in the audience actually did it. This film will also forever dub James Murphy as the coolest guy on earth. He is responsible for creating some of the best music of my life & at the end of it could just step away from it to fulfill his goal of being just a normal guy. I hope he's living the life of his dreams, but I also hope that this isn't really the last we see of LCD Soundsystem. I want the change to redeem myself & make it to one last show with that beautiful giant disco ball.

pendleton pillow fights

I'm a total sucker for black & white & that's definitely shining through as I decorate my new place. Sometime down the line I want to buy some throw pillows & these lovely pendleton pillows from Indian vs Indian certainly caught my eye. My only concern is that they're a little wintery (but I probably won't be spending much on small decorations until that time anyways). 
Ps. How awesome is this little cot?





7/24/12

all flowers, in time, bend towards the sun

 
It's not along the most scenic route in Chicago, but once you get there, The Garfield Park Conservatory proves to be quite the diamond in the rough. 

My parents were in town this past weekend & we decided to kill some time on Saturday with a trip to the conservatory. I've always liked nature & plant life to a certain extent, but gardening has never been a true hobby of mine. I was a little skeptical when The Garfield Conservatory idea came to surface, but can 100% say that I was pleasantly surprised.

They had quite an array of different plants & flowers & the whole space was just set-up really well. I personally loved the catci room the best, but the patterns, colors, etc were all very inspiring. A definite must-see for any green thumbs in the city!








7/23/12

conversations

"Constant Conversations" - Passion Pit

Had Gossamer been released a few months earlier it might have gotten my vote for soundtrack for the Summer. Passion Pit's new album has a nice sound to it & I particularly enjoy "Constant Conversations." This is going to be a fun Lollapalooza performance.

7/19/12

lucy in the sky with diamonds

I've been wanting to take a trapeze class for a while now & now my time has finally come. A vendor from work is taking our team out & I couldn't be more excited. Heights have never really bothered me too much, although I'm sure I'll be shaking when I'm finally up there. I seemed to handle ziplining rather well though, don't you think?
I can wait to share photos from the event!

Ps. A big part of me wants to dress in a tutu & sparkles to really get the full effect.

(via)

7/18/12

two things

"I am driven by two main philosophies, know more today about the world than I did yesterday. And lesson the suffering of others. You'd be surprised how far this gets you" - Neil deGrasse Tyson 

 (via & via)

7/17/12

i was there : pitchfork (sunday)

Show: Pitchfork - Sunday
Oneohtrix Point Never
AraabMuzik
Beach House
Vampire Weekend

Location: Union Park

Date: 7.15.12

Favorite Song: I have a pretty love/hate relationship with Vampire Weekend. "Run" & "Horchata" are so far in the love category that I can excuse songs like "Cousins." I kind of loved getting to hear them live for the first time.

Memorable Moment: Beach House is just so dreamy & puts me in such a good place. I'm really tormented now because although I just saw them, they're playing again at The Riviera in October & I'd love to see them indoors. Only problem? It's the same night as Frightened Rabbit at Lincoln Hall. What's an indie-loving girl to do?

Biggest Letdown: I love AraabMuzik's Electronic Dream album, but what I heard at Pitchfork sounded nothing like it. This was a little to aggressive for my taste & they dropped one too many N-bombs for a festival full of little, white hipsters.

This Show: was hot, but perfect. Pitchfork is feeling more & more like my "happy place." Until next year...

(via)

i was there : pitchfork (saturday)

Show: Pitchfork - Saturday
Cults
Youth Lagoon
Flying Lotus
Nicholas Jaar
Sleigh Bells
Chromatics
Hot Chip
Godspeed You! Black Emperor
Grimes

Location: Union Park

Date: 7.14.12

Favorite Song: Hot Chip's rendition of "Everywhere" by Fleetwood Mac topped my list of songs from the day.

Memorable Moment: A lot of the acts put on a really great show today. I was happy to see that Youth Lagoon lives up to my expectations with their super mellow sounds. Nicholas Jaar was incredibly interesting & chill. Sleigh Bells definitely redeemed themselves for their admittedly "mediocre" Pitchfork performance from two years ago. And Hot Chip, as always, put on a fun & energetic performance. The consensus from those around me was that Hot Chip was the best.

Biggest Letdown: I love both Cults & Grimes, but I expected more out of their sets, especially with Grimes since she was a closing act. Some people just don't translate well at festivals, so I would be willing to see both again. I actually have tickets for when Grimes comes to the Metro in October. Hopefully Cults will make their way back as well.

This Show: was filled with a lot of great acts. I saw a wide range of artists in just a few short hours & enjoyed every minute of it. I don't want this weekend to end!

i was there : purity ring

Show: Purity Ring with Born Gold

Location: Schuba's

Date: 7.13.12

Favorite Song: "Obedear" is one of my top songs of the year so far & you could really tell that a lot of people in the crowd were in agreement with me. It has the perfect amount of energy & is just really interesting. On top of that, Purity Ring performed it flawlessly.

Memorable Moment: This was unrelated to the actual show, but pretty darn special & memorable to me none-the-less... Throughout the show I was standing right next to the merch booth in a pretty good spot just behind the sound board. Purity Ring was selling their unreleased Shrines albums & mentioned it throughout the show. When I went to the bathroom during the show, my sneaky little boyfriend purchased one for me & surprised me in the cab ride afterwards. I was in utter shock. It was so nice.

Biggest Letdown: My energy levels were at an all time low as I got to Schubas. Things improved a bit as I got into the bar/venue & grabbed a PBR, but part of me wishes I was dancing at the very front for the whole show.

This Show: was very impressive. You never really know if the live performances of up-and-coming artists will live up to their studio tracks, but Purity Rings definitely surpassed my expectations. I think we're going to see big things from these two kids. (Seriously, though. They're younger than me!)

i was there : pitchfork (friday)

Show: Pitchfork - Friday
Dirty Projectors
Clams Casino
Feist
Purity Ring

Location: Union Park

Date: 7.13.12

Favorite Song: Purity Ring was definitely my favorite set of the night. The whole show just flowed so nicely & really all of their releases from Shrine to date ("Obedear," "Fineshrine," "Lofticries," etc..) sounded wonderful. This set also made me very excited (despite my sleepiness) for their after show at Schuba's (more on that later).

Memorable Moment: I've never listened much to Clams Casino, but enjoyed the tail-end of his nice, chill set. I would check him out if he were to come back to Chicago. The whole music discovery aspect of Pitchfork is why it is more & more becoming my favorite festival of the Summer.

Biggest Letdown: Not making it to the festival early enough to catch A$AP Rocky & Japandroids. I heard that both sets were good, just wish I could have seen it for myself. On the plus side, I did miss the rain (but not the mud).

This Show: Was a great start to the weekend. The people behind Pitchfork really do a great job with this festival. Everything is organized, they bring in exciting acts, both old & new, & the people that attend know how to behave themselves. Sadly, the same can't be said for a lot of other festivals.

7/16/12

i was there: wavefront (sunday)

Show: Wavefront - Sunday
John Dahlback
Guy Gerber
Eric Prydz
Duck Sauce

Location: Montrose Beach

Date: 7.1.12

Favorite Song: Eric Prydz put on a phenomenal set with songs from his new album, as well as some great remixes. "Allein" as well as the remixes of Daft Punk's "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" & M83's "Midnight City" were among my top picks. 

Memorable Moment: I parked myself in the sand near the back fence of the North Stage for a while & got the biggest kick out of watching group after group of highschool kids jump the fence. The security was a complete joke & about 95% of those that jumped the fence made it into the festival just fine, but it was pretty entertaining to watch the pandemonium that ensued for a minute or two. Of course this was all set to great tunes, so it made it that much better.

Biggest Letdown: Storms earlier in the day prevented many of the DFA crew from being able to perform. I wouldn't have gotten to the festival on time for their performances anyway, but I would have liked to see Shit Robot, Pat Mahoney, & James Murphy not only perform, but also do so at a later time

This Show: was growing on me. Once I figured out all of the line nonsense, day two was quite enjoyable. I also really liked how they kept the North Stage filled with acts that the older, more EDM experienced crowds could enjoy, while the South Stage housed all of the neon-clad ravers. Overall though, I was pretty shocked at how old attendees were. Totally different scene than what I saw at Spring Awakening which is great.

i was there: wavefront (saturday)

Show: Wavefront - Saturday
Matthew Dear
Bad Boy Bill
MSTRKRFT
Nic Fanciulli
Boys Noize
Erick Morillo

Location: Montrose Beach

Date: 6.30.12

Favorite Song: Boys Noize's remix of "Swoon" by The Chemical Brothers will forever be one of my favorites, but another notable song from the day includes MSTRKRFT's remix of "Paddling Out" by Miike Snow.

Memorable Moment: Watching that first sunset was pretty magical. Chicago, I love you...

Biggest Letdown: Talk about growing pains. There was line after line after line & no one seemed to know what was going on. Instead of the beer chick nicely stating that they only took drink tickets, instead of cash she yelled, "C'mon people, we don't take cash!" (please keep in mind that this was after I saw her pound multiple shots). The disorganization stressed me out & I pretty much killed the first two hours dealing with this nonsense.

This Show: Definitely has a learning curve it needs to get over in terms of actual organization, but Wavefront succeeded in bringing something new & exciting to Chicago in a very over-saturated festival market. It was so new & exciting that I even forget I was in Chicago. The setting felt more like Miami or some perfect European beach town.

i was there: spring awakening

Designer Drugs
Nathan Scott
Midnight Conspiracy
A Trak
Ferry Corsten
Benny Benassi

Location: Soldier Field

Date: 6.16.12

Favorite Song: I have seen A Trak a time or two before, but never had heard "Big Bad Wolf" live before. It was a pretty fun song to see live & was perfect for the crowd of little ravers gathered in Soldier Field.

Memorable Moment: Spring Awakening automatically gets bumped up a few points because it is the first festival of the year, so that excitement level gets pretty high when you realize that your Summer of music is just beginning. This was also my first time actually going inside of Soldier Field, so that was pretty cool as well.

Biggest Letdown: I can honestly say that I didn't bring my A-game to this festival, but I also wasn't overly excited for it in the first place. My tastes have definitely evolved over the years, & while I still like some EDM, there really weren't too many DJs at Spring Awakening that I was dying to see. As a result, I only made it to the first day of the fest. I regret missing Moby above all, but I do not regret the meat coma from earlier in the day that kept me away from Soldier Field.

This Show: was more or less what I thought it would be. The crowd was young, the music was rowdy, & I didn't really feel like it was my "scene" anymore. Kudos to the guys who pulled this off, but I'm finding I that I am getting a little bit more choosier when it comes to festival lineups.

7/11/12

cheers

Although I skipped my Ikea trip this past weekend (yachting takes precedent), my sectional has arrived & things are starting to come together quite nicely in the new homestead. As I've been working on some of the finishing touches of the place, I noticed one void that could go a long way in my place...
Adding a bar tray to the console in my dining area would be the perfect addition & it's quite a fun project that is near & dear to my heart (I kid). I'm already brainstorming on the different bottles I will want (Bombay Sapphire, Grey Goose, Kraken, EFFEN, & Hendrick's come to mind). Maybe I'll put some of the uglier liquors in glass bottles like this:
One of the great things about living alone is that I can keep this bar tray stocked & beautiful because not too many people come & go through my place. It used to drive me nuts when I would buy my yummy flavored vodkas & then my roommate would steal it & give it to the whores girls he brought over. Luckily those days are behind me.

Again, decorating the place has been a pretty slow process as I try to afford all of the different things I want. Try to hold tight on photos of the place for just a little longer! I promise I'll share some more sneak peeks as soon as I can.

(via here & here)