after the party it's the hotel lobby...

Or something like that. In this case, it's the Lollapalooza after shows. Here's my lineup for the week:

Thursday || Blood Orange || Empty Bottle

Friday || DFA Residency with Shit Robot, Juan Maclean + Nancy Whang || Smart Bar

Saturday || Flume + Duke Dumont || Concord Music Hall

Saturday || Orchard Lounge || Smart Bar

Sunday || Nico Jaar || Spy Bar

Tuesday || Hospitality || Empty Bottle

Tickets are still available for DFA, Orchard Lounge, + Hospitality.

I work Monday so it's highly unlikely that I'll make it to Nico Jaar. That's okay though, I've seen him several times. There is also a possibility that I'll be at Cut Copy but that may be a game time decision. Oh + who says Lollapalooza week has to end on Sunday? I'm throwing on one more show on Tuesday because I think by Monday I'll start having withdrawals.

i was there || troy pierce

Show: Troy Pierce

Location: Smart Bar

Date: 7.25.14

Memorable Moment: Long island iced teas are super necessary at Smart Bar after you've been drinking since 3pm. They make for some good/questionable selfies at the very least.

Biggest Letdown: I always say how great + non-creepy Smart Bar typically is but unfortunately this night got a little weird. There were at least three instances of dudes that made me feel pretty uncomfortable. None of them stepped over boundaries, just got pretty lurky. I wish women didn't have to go through that. You don't want to have to put your guard up when everyone is having a good time.

This Show: was a good ass time. I hadn't been to Smart in over a month + honestly started to miss that place. I really wasn't familiar with Troy Pierce at all but he delivered. Everyone was dancing + having a great time.

jeremy glenn || new life (perseus 'summer of 83' remix)

i was there || phish

Show: Phish

Location: Northerly Island

Date: 7.19.14

Favorite Song: I did recognize a few more songs than I expected for having not listened to Phish in years. I was also given a heads up that "Harry Hood" would be a memorable one + it definitely did not disappoint. Holy glow stick wars.

Memorable Moment: Phish is such a crazy phenomenon to me. Everyone seems to know everyone from traveling to shows together + most seem way more into the music than most concerts I go to. And I go to a lot. I made a comment to a buddy that you could teach classes on Phish. His response? "Oh yeah my buddy got a grant to follow + research Phish." Of course he did.

Biggest Letdown: I don't think set breaks will ever not be weird to me. Those puppies last fairly long too. It also got a little weird when people started to get super phishy during certain songs. Luckily a few of my friends were moderately sane with me.

This Show: was a good opportunity for me to step outside of my comfort zone. I was a little bummed to leave Pitchfork early but I'm glad I went. Phish's three night run always falls on the same weekend of Pitchfork + every year I think about going to Phish at least one night. Glad my friends all convinced me to make it happen this year. I'm probably good on Phish shows for a little while now though.

frends with benefits

For as much as I love music it's kind of amazing that I've never had a decent pair of headphones. Kind of like how I have 60+ albums but no record player. I'm a total weirdo like that.

Both headphones + a record player* have been on my wish list for a while but other useless crap has just taken priority instead. I could have spent some time researching high quality headphones but few nights ago I stumbled across a beautiful new design from Frends + decided that beauty trumps brains in this instance (or so they say).

I just happen to be sitting on a $200 Nordstrom gift card so I decided this was a perfect opportunity to finally cross an item off my wish list. On top of that, Nordstrom is having their Anniversary Sale through August 4th so I saved myself 33% on this purchase. After reading some reviews I learned that like me, Frends has both beauty + brains (so humble, I know). People had really good things to say about the sound quality so that is a definite win. I'm pretty excited about my new toy + I definitely think this is an item that I will get plenty of use out of. Record player is coming up next...

*I did actually purchase a record player a few months ago but it didn't work so I returned it + never replaced it. After that experience I kind of decided I would just hold off until I could afford a nicer one.

i was there || pitchfork music festival

Show: Pitchfork Music Festival

Beck

Giorgio Moroder

Avey Tare's Slasher Flicks

Sun Kil Moon

Sharon Van Etten

The Haxon Cloak

Neneh Cherry

Danny Brown

Tune-Yards

The Range

Cloud Nothings

Empress Of

Hudson Mohawke

Grimes

Slowdive

Majical Cloudz

Real Estate

Jon Hopkins

Location: Union Park

Date: 7.18.14-7.20.14

Favorite Song: Hearing "Debra" live kind of made my weekend. Also loved Beck's cover of "I Feel Love" by Donna Summer.

Memorable Moment: Beck was definitely the highlight for me. I am no Beck super fan but I have always likeed his stuff. This show made me realize just how many great songs he has. Honorable mention probably has to go to Jon Hopkins. That guy is a total treat in any setting. I saw him a few months ago at Lincoln Hall which is also a less-than-ideal setting but he killed it there too. The Range, Danny Brown, Grimes, + Slowdive were also enjoyable too.

Biggest Letdown: Pitchfork? More like Linefork... Seriously though, I don't remember the line situation ever being so bad, especially to get in. Majical Cloudz's equipment problem was a big letdown too. I was really looking forward to that set going into the weekend + it was a total mess. Nothing however could top the awfulness of Giorgio Moroder's set though. I was so embarrassed for both him + Pitchfork on that one. It was the worst set I've ever seen at a festival + no super-imposed graphics on the big screen was going to help that.

This Show: Wasn't as solid of a Pitchfork experience for me from previous years but it was still enjoyable. It was a combo of both how I tackled the weekend as well as the acts themselves. I got to the festival a little later in the day + I also left early on Saturday to head to Phish but a lot of the music just didn't quite do it for me either. I didn't learn about as many new acts as I had hoped + some of the ones I was excited to see were just boring. Pitchfork still holds a very special place in my heart though + I'm anxious to see what they throw at me next year. You can always expect interesting headliners at the very least.

daniel avery || knowing we'll be here (kink remix)

Can't get enough of this one + the original is pretty awesome too. Come join me at Smart Bar on August 22nd.

i was there || derrick carter

Show: Derrick Carter

Location: West Fest

Date: 7.13.14

Memorable Moment: I missed West Fest last year but stopped by in 2012 to see Derrick Carter's set. In that two year span the crowd has exponentially grown which is pretty cool. West Fest gathers all kinds of people + it's awesome to see them pay their respect to a Chicago legend.

Biggest Letdown: It is awesome that the crowd grew but it was totally cramped as a result. For a little while I was standing behind a dumpster before I made the wise decision to pull back a bit more.

This Show: was a great option for a Sunday afternoon on a beautiful Summer evening. I got to spend time with my niece, check out an amazing house party, + listen to Derrick Carter all within a few hours.

rodriguez jr || satellite

i was there || nightmares on wax

Show: Nightmares On Wax

Woo Park

Location: Concord Music Hall

Date: 7.3.14

Favorite Song: I preferred the more soulful tunes like "Les Nuits" + "Morse" best.

Memorable Moment: I got to the show a little on the early side but didn't mind checking out one of the openers, Woo Park. This Chicago band was pretty enjoyable + the lead singer had some serious pipes on her. I'm glad I was introduced to them + I assume I will start to recognize their name around the Chicago music scene a bit more moving forward.

Biggest Letdown: This show was a little more hip hop than I anticipated so I guess that is the one thing I didn't love. My white catholic school girl side of me always creeps up with me when I listen to live hip hop. I assume that is just the main difference between a live Nightmares On Wax set versus a DJ set. Totally fine, just not necessarily my favorite.

This Show: Once the crowd filled in a bit it turned into a pretty enjoyable show. The music was a bit hit + miss for me personally but everyone there seemed into it. I would definitely be interested in seeing a DJ set now to compare.

ryan adams || gimme something good

thanks babe

Last Friday I went wedding dress shopping with my sister at BHLDN. First of all, I am obsessed with their bridal fitting room -- the wallpaper, the lighting, the rug, the mirror. Everything in there was perfect. My sister also found two really great dress options.

One of the greatest things she has ever done for me as a sister is to not require me to wear any sort of bridesmaid dress since she isn't even having a wedding party. I still thought she might have some opinions on what I should wear but based on our discussion last week it sounds like I have pretty free reign to choose any dress I want.

Originally I thought I might go the Rent the Runway route since I don't have any other events coming up. I kind of hated the thought of purchasing a dress for one event since my size, taste, etc could change by the time the next formal event rolls around. But then I found this beauty:

Basic color? Check. Seasonally neutral? Check. Flattering to most any figure? Check.

I am waiting for it to arrive but I feel pretty good with this purchase from Reformation. I think it's got a lot of life to it + you can always spice it up with accessories. I'll probably get a scarf of some sort for the ceremony. I'm also eyeing some new jewelry to make it more me. Specifically the Changeling Necklace + Kitten Mitten, both in yellow gold. My only concern is how awkward my bow-leggedness will look.

Ps. One of my favorite things about purchasing this dress was the "Thanks Babe" confirmation email.

neglect

I've been neglecting my home lately. It's amazing how priorities can change with the seasons. My cabin-fever fueled home purchases in Winter have now transitioned to liquor, cab fare, + festival tickets. Not complaining one bit though. When comparing physical items to experiences, experiences always trump.

When I finally get back to planning my home I may go an entirely different route. Well, that's a lie. I just primarily want new seating. My dark blue sectional + verdigris green love seat have served me well over the years but swapping those out will make a huge difference. I'm leaning towards light grey/blue + tan leather. Let's look for some inspiration:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

I like these colors because as you can see in some of the examples above it allows me to introduce more accent colors + patterns. Trying to find rugs, pillows, etc to go with dark blue and green is a bit trickier. This color palette both lightens + warms the room which are two things my current arrangement is lacking.

I think it will be a long time before I get to a place where I can make these updates/purchases but I am liking this game plan.