i was there || north coast music festival

Show: North Coast Music Festival

The Chemical Brothers

Location: Union Park

Date: 9.6.15

Favorite Song: Cliche as it is, it is hard not to say "Swoon." That song is a whole lot of feelings. Starting off the set with "Hey Boy Hey Girl" was a smart choice too.

Memorable Moment: What wasn't memorable? With The Chemical Brothers the whole night is going to be a production. I think the obvious answer would be the creepy mummy-like dude (very similar to the clown from years past). For me, however, it was their ability to build the crowd up so much before going absolutely nuts. And I don't mean in the douchy EDM way. They did it with total skill + control.

Biggest Letdown: I guess if the weather was less brutally hot + I had no better plans for the day I would have liked to get more out of my ticket. It would have been nice to see a few more acts, namely Portugal the Man + Twin Shadow. I would have liked to have seen a little bit of Disco Biscuits too but I couldn't pull myself away from The Chemical Brother's set.

This Show: I have always said that The Chemical Brother's set at NCMF year one was one of the top 3 shows I have ever seen. Their performance this year was right on par too. I didn't know what to expect given their new album but they really played most of the hits. They are an absolute must see if you haven't yet.

ryan adams || all you had to do was stay

Who knew I was a Taylor Swift fan??

Well I don't know that for sure, but I do know that I have always loved Ryan Adams + he makes the 1989 album sound good. I'm enjoying all of the songs so far but this one has been the initial standout.

new york

New York City has never really been at the top of my list of places I want to visit. I had been once before when I was about seven years old for the Macy's Day Parade + I suppose thought it would just be hard to top that trip. Or maybe it was the fact that I live in a pretty great city of my own that I wasn't dying to to go to a bigger, smellier version of my home.

When my favorite male artist (Jamie xx) + my favorite female artist (Maya Jane Coles) announced a show together in Brooklyn it seemed like as good of a reason as any to revisit this monster of a city for one quick weekend.

We arrived early on Saturday + headed straight to Central Park on one very beautiful day.

From there we wandered through Times Square which was a pretty awful experience. The Naked Cowboy got uncomfortably close to me so it is safe to say that I never need to go back there again in my life.

After a quick siesta we headed to a wonderful Portuguese restaurant called Lupulo in K-Town. We went early enough that it wasn't hard to get in + the food was really really great. If you're in a major city + unsure where to eat just check out Eater. The Chicago version is always spot on so I figured the same would be true for New York + it was.

After dinner we headed to a rooftop bar called 230 Fifth with phenomenal views + a mediocre crowd. Not necessarily a place I would go to all the time but the view is totally worth it for out-of-towners. From there we wandered over to the Meatpacking District/Highline area which was clearly the place to be on a Saturday night. I would've liked to see more of that neighborhood in day time.

Day two brought us to Brooklyn which was my personal fav. Every bar, shop, nook, + cranny was just inherently cool. I've never had a desire to live in New York City but Williamsburg changed my mind just a little bit. I would easily go back to NYC + spend all of my time in Williamsburg.

...Next season on Vice...

I wish I could say how much I loved Jamie xx + Maya Jane Coles but I had a tummy ache + the music was just okay. More on that HERE.

Outside of those highlights we mostly just walked + walked + ate pizza. And then walked more.

There were some cool neighborhoods that I would like to go back + visit some day but one of my favorite things about this trip was the very cool AirBnB we stayed in in East Villiage. Some Italian photographer + his artist girlfriend lived there + there apartment was just so interesting + filled with light.

And there were fun things for me to play with, like this fencing mask...

To top it off (literally), it had this giant rooftop with a beautiful view of the city. Definitely a selling point.

That's about NYC for me in a nutshell. It was a good little getaway but I was glad to head home with Chromatics playing on repeat through my headphones. It just felt right.

My one souvenir that I'll leave you with is this accidental selfie of my RBF (resting bitch face) that I'm actually kind of a fan of.

Peace out, New York.

i was there || andhim + jamie xx + maya jane coles

Show: Jamie xx + Maya Jane Coles

AndHim

Location: Verboten Stage One

Brooklyn, NY

Date: 8.23.15

Favorite Song: This shouldn't totally surprise me because I've seen these guys before + their Essential Mix is pretty great but AndHim probably had my favorite set of the day. I think the key here is "day" though. Jamie xx + MJC are going to be better suited for night. AndHim was fun which was desperately needed for the daytime.

Memorable Moment: Cliche as it sounds, it just felt really cool to be at an outdoor party in Williamsburg. The crowd wasn't all that different than what you might see in Chicago but it did feel slightly more special. For whatever reason, living in Chicago seems totally normal to me but Brooklyn feels somewhat different. I think if Chicago neighborhoods were more geographically isolated by bodies of water like they are in NYC it wouldn't be all that different.

Also, someone hit a drone that was flying over the concert with a beach ball + it gave me a good laugh.

Biggest Letdown: I definitely ate something bad while I was there + a tummy ache kind of put a damper on my day. While I wish I could have stayed + raged all day + night for the after party that just wasn't in the cards for the day. The sound wasn't all that great there either so it wasn't like I missed the worlds greatest show.

This Show: Was a perfect excuse to get myself to New York. It was a toasty day but Verboten Stage One was a pretty cool location that really did a great job featuring Manhattan in the background. Not the best show I've been to musically but it was something different + I did enjoy myself.

i was there || dirtybird bbq

Show: Dirtybird BBQ
J Phlip
Justin Martin
Claude VonStroke

Location: Randolph Street

Date: 8.15.15

Favorite Song: J Phlip had this little ditty where she went from Jamie xx to "Just" by Bicep. And then capped it all off with a song about shaking your booty. Female producers know whats up.

Memorable Moment: The prohibited items list.

Biggest Letdown: How can you call this a BBQ when there are no grilled meats?! I was pretty bummed but my boyfriend, who thought he was going to a chicken festival, was especially bummed. As someone who works in advertising these false claims just don't fly for me. Additionally, everything about this day was very low budget. I kept thinking to myself, "so this is what a music festival in Akron, Ohio must be like." It just didn't quite feel like Chicago until you turned around + saw the skyline.

This Show: I love the concept of getting a whole crew from a record label to play. Low budget or not, if I could get one of these for Ghostly or DFA you can sure as hell bet I would be there. Plus, the record label comradery is super adorable.

i was there || lollapalooza

My new friend. Poor guy was not doing so hot.

Show: Lollapalooza

Father John Misty

Hot Chip

War On Drugs

Alabama Shakes

Gary Clark Jr.

Paul McCartney

The Weeknd

Location: Grant Park

Date: 7.31.15

Favorite Song: My first set of the festival was Father John Misty + I made it to the stage just in time to hear two of my favorites -- "Nothing Good Ever Happens At the Goddamn Thirsty Crow" as well as "Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings." Not necessarily my absolute favorites of the day but they made for an excellent start to the day.

Memorable Moment: Hot Chip was definitely the set that livened up the day. After hearing mostly new songs at their Milwaukee show I was pleasantly surprised to hear them play pretty much all fan favorites. These guys (+ one very cool chick drummer) never get old.

Biggest Letdown: Timing didn't pan out great for this festival. I hustled all the way to the south stage to catch Alabama Shakes' set only to meet them with technical difficulties. Later, the plan was to catch Paul McCartney + then head to The Weeknd before exiting the park. The beginning of Paul McCartney's set was a bit of a snoozefest as he tried to push some of his newer songs so we hiked our way back north to see The Weeknd only to be confronted with major delays to their set time. I wish I had reversed these plans. And this is why I hate Lollapalooza.

This Show: My first three sets of the day were performances I had already seen earlier that year. I would have loved to see someone new but with the lineup being as weak as it was this year I had no complaints seeing any of these three again. Even though I had just seen War On Drugs the night before I was glad to see a second set from them because I love them so much. Overall, not my favorite Lollapalooza, after parties included. I'm either outgrowing this festival or they need to do a better job luring me back in next year.