Chicago Happenings

[mmm3587]

I agree. Total bullshit. I was hoping that they would be paying the "trial tax" and actually getting a harsh suspended sentence and heavy probation, but it didn't even occur to me that they might be found not guilty. Just proof that it's as corrupt as ever in Chicago...

[taxwonk]

I took the Wonk Monster and the Wonk Princess to see the Lion King yesterday. To call the production awe-inspiring would not be an overstatement. The music, the dancing, the stage and costume design are all first-rate.

Any parents out there who haven't considered taking their spawn should do so at once.

[Aloha Mr. Learned Hand]

Originally posted by Replaced_Texan
Not for the ABA meeting, but I'm most likely coming to town for Lollapalooza. I'll probably get there that Friday and leave early Monday morning.

Tentative Schedules are out:


Day 1

Day 2


I would not want to be the promoter trying to set up the hotel suites for all these groups.

The way the lineup is shaping up, I may have to cancel my other plans. Family be damned.

[Replaced_Texan]

Originally posted by Aloha Mr. Learned Hand
Tentative Schedules are out:


Day 1

Day 2


I would not want to be the promoter trying to set up the hotel suites for all these groups.

The way the lineup is shaping up, I may have to cancel my other plans. Family be damned.

I'm really excited about this. The lineup seems doable, and I don't see too many conflicts. Woo hoo! I guess I should get off my butt and actually buy tickets.

[mmm3587]

Originally posted by Replaced_Texan
...I don't see too many conflicts...

Only one that bugs me is the Dandy Warhols and the Killers. I went all str8 and bought some extra tickets. Is this shit gonna sell out?

[Aloha Mr. Learned Hand]

Originally posted by Replaced_Texan
I'm really excited about this. The lineup seems doable, and I don't see too many conflicts. Woo hoo! I guess I should get off my butt and actually buy tickets.

These would be pretty good days in my mind anyway --

SATURDAY
Redwalls
Ambulance LTD or And You Will Know Us...
Kaiser Chiefs or Liz Phair (Want to see Kaiser Chiefs, but you know how I feel about Liz. Actually I'd really like to "feel about" Liz)
Dashboard Confessional
Cake
Primus
Pixies
Weezer

SUNDAY
OK Go
Blue Merle or Kazabian
Dinosaur Jr. or Los Amigos Invisibles
Tegan and Sara (especially if some of the guys from New Pornographers are playing backup for them)
Drive-By-Truckers
Spoon
The Killers
Widespread Panic

[Say_hello_for_me]

and on the same day that the city announces that Lauryn Hill backed out of the Taste of Chicago lineup.

Truly disappointing, and I hope she apologizes to her many fans who were looking forward to this.

[notcasesensitive]

Originally posted by Aloha Mr. Learned Hand
These would be pretty good days in my mind anyway --

SATURDAY
Redwalls
Ambulance LTD or And You Will Know Us...
Kaiser Chiefs or Liz Phair (Want to see Kaiser Chiefs, but you know how I feel about Liz. Actually I'd really like to "feel about" Liz)
Dashboard Confessional
Cake
Primus
Pixies
Weezer

SUNDAY
OK Go
Blue Merle or Kazabian
Dinosaur Jr. or Los Amigos Invisibles
Tegan and Sara (especially if some of the guys from New Pornographers are playing backup for them)
Drive-By-Truckers
Spoon
The Killers
Widespread Panic

I've seen some of these recently, so here's my input, in case you care...

Kaiser Chiefs - pretty good live; sounded just like the album; live show isn't anything particularly exciting
Liz Phair (ok, this was a long time ago; hope to see her again at ACL this September) - engaging live show; lots of material from which to draw (I'd pick her over Kaiser Chiefs if I had to make that call)
Cake - live sound is a variable (especially at outdoor venues), but good energy live; didn't play many of their big songs when they played at ACL last year, but I enjoyed their show
Pixies - always good live, as I'm sure you know; this tour they are playing a lot of their big songs
OK Go - just caught the end of their show when they opened for Kaiser Chiefs last week, but it was great; pissed me off that they started their set promptly at 7:30 and ended by 8-ish, but what can you do; last song was awesome, but wouldn't translate as well to huge outdoor gig, so they might not do it (it involved dancing)
Tegan and Sara - opened for Killers; meh; didn't do much for me, which is odd because I am totally their target market
Drive-by-Truckers - always a good live show; I've seen them 2 times in the past year and would go again
The Killers - have gotten much better live than they were when I saw them around Christmas (I saw them this spring, and the rest of the comments relate to that show); sound just like the album, not many surprises; acted like they invented the fucking wheel when they added riffs from a Pink Floyd song into one of their songs; young and thrust into maybe too much spotlight too soon, but a fine show; much like the Kaiser Chiefs

I'm dying to see Weezer. I think they're at ACL this year. Better not be playing on Friday there.

[mmm3587]

http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/...s-demon19.html

Sad. I'd been going there more recently lately in anticipation of the end being near, but I had no idea that it was going to be over this quickly. I think that I actually drove by on Friday and things seemed hopping, with no evidence of impending doom.

I think that I may have even stopped in there a few times on my way to work in the summer of 1990, when I briefly worked (among other places) at this Dominick's:

http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-fire20.html .

[Aloha Mr. Learned Hand]

Today, as evidenced by the packs of blue-hairs and folks in jean shorts on the trains coming in this morning, must kick off the Taste of Chicago, where millions of people sweat and pay exorbitant prices for not much food.

It's a balmy 98 degrees and humid here today, so you might be able to get a side of heatstroke to go with your salmonella.

Another bangup job by the City, especially by whoever decided the way so say Fourth of July in Chicago was to hire the scrawniest, palest New Yorker they could find (Moby) to headline one of the concerts. As usual the entertainment for the most part is embarrassing and is outclassed as always by fucking Milwaukee and their Summerfest.

But millions of the local masses and hordes of tourists will eat it up anyway...

[Say_hello_for_me]

Originally posted by Aloha Mr. Learned Hand
Today, as evidenced by the packs of blue-hairs and folks in jean shorts on the trains coming in this morning, must kick off the Taste of Chicago, where millions of people sweat and pay exorbitant prices for not much food.

It's a balmy 98 degrees and humid here today, so you might be able to get a side of heatstroke to go with your salmonella.

Another bangup job by the City, especially by whoever decided the way so say Fourth of July in Chicago was to hire the scrawniest, palest New Yorker they could find (Moby) to headline one of the concerts. As usual the entertainment for the most part is embarrassing and is outclassed as always by fucking Milwaukee and their Summerfest.

But millions of the local masses and hordes of tourists will eat it up anyway...

Not to get into racial politics here, but I thought the most notable things in the past week in Chicago were the report of approx. 24 people shot in 12 hours (just like the old days), and the CPD spokesman's description of the shooting at Wabash and Jackson after the Taste last Friday.

As to the latter, something like "a male black victim was shot and wounded, a male black victim was shot and killed, a third male was shot and wounded". Hardly subtle message from the City that Just Raised Sales Taxes to 9%, snd I can't believe nobody called em on it. One thing to identify a purported offender by race, another thing entirely to identify purported victims by race.

I assume y'all know why I found this to be alarming, but if yas need me to spell out the message I think the guy was sending, just let me know.

Hello

[mmm3587]

Originally posted by Say_hello_for_me

As to the latter, something like "a male black victim was shot and wounded, a male black victim was shot and killed, a third male was shot and wounded". Hardly subtle message from the City that Just Raised Sales Taxes to 9%, snd I can't believe nobody called em on it. One thing to identify a purported offender by race, another thing entirely to identify purported victims by race.

I assume y'all know why I found this to be alarming, but if yas need me to spell out the message I think the guy was sending, just let me know.

Hello

I guess that you're saying that they're implying that the two black men were involved, but the third guy was just an innocent bystander, so it's still safe for white people in Chicago, the blacks mostly just shoot each other? If so, it's kind of weird that they didn't call him a victim. Or, are you implying that they didn't say that he was white or whatever race he is, becuase that would scare white people?

Maybe, but I don't really get that. Different newspapers and organizations (like the CPD) often have policies about identifiying people or noting certain characteristics about them (race, age, gender) based on whether they are victims or offenders and whether the information is available for everyone. In this case, I read that the other guy shot was from Michigan, wasn't involved, wasn't seriously injured and was treated and released, so maybe they just didn't have that information.

[Say_hello_for_me]

Originally posted by mmm3587
I guess that you're saying that they're implying that the two black men were involved, but the third guy was just an innocent bystander, so it's still safe for white people in Chicago, the blacks mostly just shoot each other? If so, it's kind of weird that they didn't call him a victim. Or, are you implying that they didn't say that he was white or whatever race he is, becuase that would scare white people?

Maybe, but I don't really get that. Different newspapers and organizations (like the CPD) often have policies about identifiying people or noting certain characteristics about them (race, age, gender) based on whether they are victims or offenders and whether the information is available for everyone. In this case, I read that the other guy shot was from Michigan, wasn't involved, wasn't seriously injured and was treated and released, so maybe they just didn't have that information.

I'm not calling into question the papers in any way. The CPD rarely issues statements about the race of offenders unless they are still wanted (looking for a M1, 40 yoa..), and I can't recall another instance where they specified the race of a victim.

The message as I read it, was "don't you white people worry, its just a black thing, even if it did happen at Jackson and Wabash in the neighborhood where hundreds of thousands of you work".

OTOH, I didn't read it as saying that the two black victims were anything other than victims. Only as saying that the two black victims were black, and not white, and that this is something that the CPD would like you, the public, to know.

[Say_hello_for_me]

An article emailed to me by a friend today. I'll connect the dots for this minor, petty incident beyond the article.

>>State representative faces battery charge

Wednesday, July 6, 2005

By Kristen McQueary
Staff writer


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A state representative trying to help out some "guys from the neighborhood" at the Tweeter Center found himself arrested by Tinley Park police Saturday morning after the John Mellencamp and John Fogerty concert.

State Rep. Kevin Joyce (D-Chicago) is accused of grabbing a security guard by the neck in the parking lot shortly after 1 a.m. At the time, the security guard and a Tweeter Center usher were restraining two 21-year-olds believing they had urinated on a vehicle, according to police.

"I saw a physical altercation involving young guys from the neighborhood who I've known a long time, and I attempted to intervene," Joyce, 33, said Tuesday.

Joyce approached the security guard from behind and grabbed him to move him away from the two 21-year-olds, Sean Carey and Thomas Brown, the police report stated.

Joyce, who was charged with battery, denied he grabbed the security guard by the neck, according to the report.

Carey and Brown told police they were not the ones relieving themselves. They said the usher and security officer confused them with someone else nearby who was urinating on a red Chevy Camaro. They said the staff was "unjustified in apprehending them," according to the police report.

Joyce, Carey and Brown were escorted to the Tweeter Center security office. The Tinley Park police officer who responded to the call wrote in his report that all three appeared "intoxicated."

Joyce's attorney, Martin Dolan, said Joyce was not, in fact, intoxicated.

There were no signs of injury to the security guard, and no ambulance was called, the report said.

Carey and Brown were cited for urinating in public and were released.

Joyce was released on an individual recognizance bond. He is due in court Aug. 18.

Tweeter Center officials had no comment<<

Kevin Joyce is the (youngest?) son of Mayor Daley's top political adviser, Jeremiah Joyce. Jeremiah Joyce's Sister in Law is Eileen Carey, former Commissioner of Streets and Sanitation. FWIW, Eileen Carey did an admirable job, so I'm not slinging mud at her here.

Jeremiah Joyce is the person who arranges for armies of political patronage workers to work on campaigns, all over the city and county. Any wonder how his son got elected before 33 yoa?

I'm not sure if the 21 yoa Carey is a relative, but I'd certainly be interested to find out.

I think its interesting to see that a young political representative denies allegations in a police report that he 1.) was inebriated and 2.) committed simple battery.

Kass noted a few weeks ago that Daley's political advisers Joyce and Degnan have been laying very low since the FBI doubled the number of agents looking into political corruption into Chicago. This news is certainly not welcome in the 19th ward, although its really just a distraction compared to the investigations that they may be facing relating to passing out contracts etc. (and the reasons they were passed out). Anyway, just figured that it might help somebody connect the dots. Seeing a Joyce, a Carey, and the word "arrest" in a story is cause for a guffaw or a gigglesnort for many a weary workers I know.

Hello

[Aloha Mr. Learned Hand]

Looks like Farm Aid 2005 will be held there in Sept.