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Labor Day weekend is usually a time for relaxing. The three-day weekend is a much-loved occurrence for many people. Some grill in their back yards, putting the last bit of warm weather to good use. Some visit family or go camping – to end the summer on a good note. This year, however many celebrated differently. This year, they spent three of their days having their minds blown by some of the best bands in the country.
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The North Coast Music Festival made Labor Day weekend into an unforgettable event. Big name bands from all over the country, as well as local artists performed on four stages over three days in Union Park. Thousands of music fans flocked to the premiere festival to see popular acts such as The Chemical Brothers, Nas & Damian Marley, Umphrey’s McGee, the Disco Biscuits, Moby (performing a DJ set), Pretty Lights, and De La Soul.
It was a very windy and often chilly weekend. As the sun went down each day and temperatures fell, the best way to keep warm was dancing in the crowds. The atmosphere throughout the park was filled with excitement and joy. The positive energy from both performers and festival goers was almost overwhelming, especially for a first run.
On Friday, DJs Paul Kalkbrenner and Paul Van Dyk got everyone moving and dancing. They warmed up audiences for the night’s headliners: The Chemical Brothers and Pretty Lights. Both headliners put on amazing shows, entrancing audiences as they performed. The Chemical Brothers had every persons hands in the air. Pretty Lights featured a spectacular stage design with a colorful lights show that seemed to turn the park into a raving night club. Glowsticks and balloons were tossed throughout the crowd as everyone grooved to the music.
Saturday’s line-up was packed with highly anticipated acts. Van Ghost, The New Deal, Jay Electronica, De La Soul, Umphrey’s McGee, and Moby (DJing) were a few of the days’ favorites. Jay Electronica’s mix of serious political messages and dirty humor made his set unforgettable. Various guests joined him on stage throughout his performance, adding to the unique experience. De La Soul packed the area in front of the Groupon Stage next. Old fans and new enjoyed the hip-hop group’s energizing set. Later, Umphrey’s McGee and Moby (performing a DJ set) battled for the attention of festival goers. Both had engaging sets and lights to compliment their personal musical moods.
When not enjoying the day’s musical acts, people enjoyed food from vendors such as Veeras Way, O’Briens, The Abbey Pub & Restaurant, Soul Vegetarian, Pizanos, and Tiparos Thai. I had fried coconut shrimp from The Abbey – it was filling and warm, which perfectly balanced the cold weather. The lines at beverage ticket booths all over the festival seemed to never end. Note to future festival goers: get as many beverage tickets at once as you think you’ll need for the day, the lines are always ridiculous.
Merchandise vendors and festival sponsors also had booths along the food and beverage areas. People shopped at booths selling clothes and accessories as well as band merch and custom t-shirts. Detroit-based media company Detek was there promoting their exclusive parties and selling t-shirts decorated with the phrase “I Love You But I’ve Chosen Techno” in various styles. Honest Teas and Juices promoted their drink items with samples at their booth. The low-sugar, high antioxidant beverages were refreshing and perfect for dehydrated festival goers. Other booths had jewelry, scarves, shirts, dresses, hats, and other accessories for sale – many items were handmade or environmentally conscious.
Overall, the North Coast Music Festival was a success. Great national and local bands played for large, excited crowds in a perfect setting. The festival was a prime example of Chicago’s enormous love for music and ability to embrace new events as equally as older annual festivals.
Lincoln Park is known for its great restaurants, shopping, and nightlife. I live, go to school, and work one of my two jobs in Lincoln Park—so I thought I’d share some of my favorite places with those who don’t spend all of their time in LP, but want to know what it has to offer. This will be sort of like my guided tour of my favorite things to experience in a day in Lincoln Park.
First, you’ll need breakfast. There’s no better place than Toast (746 W. Webster Ave). Toast is a breakfast/lunch restaurant that is known for their comfortable but modern setting, friendly service, and amazing french toast. Though a little pricier than I usually go for (on average I end up spending $10-$16), it’s a great treat. You haven’t lived until you’ve tried one of their menu items. Toast is a very popular place, so a word to the wise: on a weekend you’ll need to make a reservation—Saturday morning waits can be up to an hour just for a two person table, so plan ahead. Even if you do go last minute, I’ve waited that hour myself and it was 100% worth it.
After breakfast you’ll have the energy to go shopping. I suggest a first stop at the Blues Jean Bar (2210 N. Halsted St). This cozy boutique is best place to find your perfect pair of jeans and a cute top to go with. They have an array of denim brands, styles, fits, and washes that you “order” from a real wooden bar inside the store. Their selection of shirts and accessories for men and women will keep you browsing for a while. I always find several things I want every time I go in. Blues Jean Bar also carries TOMS shoes, which give a pair to children in need every time you buy them for yourself. The store has a great selection of colors and styles to choose from. I got my first pair of TOMS there and I am still satisfied with them almost a year later.
There is more great shopping all along Halsted and down to Armitage. Some of my favorite places to look around in are Fox’s (designer discount) and Francesca’s (a boutique chain that stocks unique tops, skirts, dresses, and accessories). There are also lots of other popular shops along this street as well, such as BCBG, Aldo, Bebe, Arden B, and Lucky Brand. Now that you’ve shopped your heart out, you’re going to want lunch.
Nookie’s (2114 N. Halsted) is a diner-style restaurant with vintage décor and a great lunch menu. Their selection of burgers can be made in any style you like (even veggie burgers!) are a great lunchtime deal. They also have daily soup specials and delicious breakfast items you can order any time of day. The large portions and home-like feel invite you to stay and enjoy yourself.
After a relaxing meal, why not relax some more? Nail Fairy (1249 W. Fullerton) is a nail salon and spa. Nail Fairy has a great selection of colors and is really reasonably priced. A manicure is only $15 and it includes an arm and shoulder massage. I hardly ever got my nails done before I found this place — it’s affordable and the staff go above and beyond to make you feel comfortable. One thing to note: they ask you if you want to pay after the massage and before they put the polish on — At first I thought this was weird, but they do it so you don’t ruin your fresh nails trying to get your wallet out of your purse, so I definitely recommend paying before they apply the paint. I always leave satisfied and completely relaxed, plus I always smell amazing from the lotions they use during the massage.
Once you’re looking good, you’ll want to go out for dinner and entertainment. For dinner I suggest Pasta Palazzo (1966 N. Halsted St.). Definitely a place for pasta lovers, this restaurant has a fantastic menu and a funky bistro atmosphere. They use very fresh ingredients and their menu is simple and traditional. I suggest the grilled asparagus appetizer and the Conchiglie Gorgonzola (shells with spinach, gorgonzola, cream, and fresh tomatoes – I get it every time) for the main course. Dishes are fairly priced ($8-10) and the portions are large, so they make great leftovers.
Next for the nightlife part of your experience, head over to Lincoln Hall (2424 N. Lincoln Ave). This new venue is owned and operated by the same guys who own Schubas Tavern. Lincoln Hall features a restaurant and bar area and a stage with floor space for concerts (with it’s own bar) and a second floor viewing area (also with it’s own bar). Great local and national acts play this venue constantly. The tickets are not expensive and the sound is always impeccable.
Now that you’ve experienced my favorite things to do in Lincoln Park, I hope you come back from another fun-filled day in my neighborhood.
Navy Pier is one of those places most Chicagoans only visit when friends and family are in town — When you want to show off the city and you need something tourist-y to do with your relatives. This summer, don’t put Navy Pier on the back burner. There are plenty of things to do even when you don’t need to entertain out-of-town guests (but it’s great for that too).
Navy Pier is home to the 15-story high Ferris Wheel, which is a staple for dates and a great way to shake-up a night out with friends. The Shakespare Theatre is a fantastic place to enjoy classic plays. Check the theater’s calendar for your favorites and treat yourself to a special experience. Now through August 29th, see the Emperor’s New Clothes — a silly classic tale for the whole family. Or see all the best 3D movies at the IMAX movie theater. The 60×80 foot screen makes both 2D and 3D movies come to life. Right now you can enjoy the Twilight Saga Eclipse in 3D, the Hubble 3D experience, and Inception in 3D.
For a more relaxing evening or daytime activity, take a cruise. There are many sightseeing cruises to choose from which are fun even for Chicago experts who think they’ve seen it all. Cruises occur on a day by day schedule and include architectural themes, skyline themes, historical themes, Chicago movie themes and even cruises specifically for dinning and enjoying the fireworks displays.
Speaking of fireworks — Wednesday and Saturday nights at 9:30pm enjoy spectacular displays from the pier. Watch the show while synchronized music fills the background from B96, Fresh FM and Jack FM.
For an equally sparkling experience don’t miss Cirque Shanghai’s Cloud 9. Now through September 6th, the Chinese performers amaze audiences with their acrobatics. It’s a great way to spice up a weekend when you’re tired of going out to the same bars, restaurants, music venues, and movie theaters.
August 24th – 29th you cannot miss the Tall Ships Chicago event. Over 20 historic ships from the U.S., Europe, and Canada will arrive at Navy Pier for a mile-long display. As a celebration of the history of Chicago and Navy Pier, the event will be a breathtaking experience. It all begins with a parade of ships across Lake Michigan as they enter Navy Pier. There will also be activities including: ship tours, sailing adventures, arts and crafts booths, entertainment, and fireworks displays every night.
And for when the relatives are in town, check out the Navy Pier All Day Fun Package. The package includes one Cirque Shanghai Gold Circle Ticket, one Ferris Wheel Voucher, one Shoreline Sightseeing Skyline Lake Tour Voucher, and one RIVA Restaurant Coupon Voucher for 20% off food purchase. All for the surprisingly cheap price of $35.75 — It’ll make every tourist and Chicagoan happy.
Navy Pier’s slogan “Go A Little Overboard” is quite fitting for a place with so much to indulge in. So next time, either when you’re entertaining guests or looking for a little entertainment yourself, check out Navy Pier and all it has to offer.
It was a gorgeous day at the kick-off of the Pitchfork Music Festival yesterday. Thousands of music fans packed Union Park to see the acts set for the day. The 3 stages were separate from the shopping area and food area, turning the park into an ideal festival venue. Stages B and C were set fairly close, while stage A was farther off from the other two. This set up was perfect for toggling between the two larger stages for the performances, and for relaxing in the shade by the smaller stage to listen to the comedians away from the loud music.
When not enjoying the musical acts, there was plenty of shopping to do. White tents covered vendors selling jewelry, accessories, t-shirts, and even vinyl records. More tents covered sponsors such as Greyhound who gave out free water bottles — which apparently were fill-able somewhere in the park, but I couldn’t find it. Another sponsor, Clif Bar was giving out samples of their energy-packed bars. Speaking of energy, Amp was also at the festival giving out samples of their new all-natural energy drinks. Nearby at the Toyota area you could enter to win a new Prius and screen print on a shirt or tote bag.
There were also food tents located off to the side of the stage area. Vendors such as the Burghoff, Curry, The Rice Table, and Whole Foods had booths with items for sale. When I was hungry, I went over to the Whole Foods tent which was set up like a mini market. It was great — I got a banana and a veggie wrap for $5 total. As for beverages, water was $2 per bottle, but as it got hotter outside they lowered it to $1. Heineken had more than one beer tent, but the lines in front of each were continuously getting longer as the day went on.
Over at stage A Hannibal Burress, a comedian, entertained the audience with his stand-up. The shaded area in front of the stage was perfect for picnicking. Many people brought blankets to sit on while they enjoyed his set. Hannibal’s act was hilarious and the audience was very responsive to his performance. It was his first year performing at Pitchfork.
Meanwhile, Liars performed on one of the main stages. The singer was eccentric to say the least. He was very personable and interacted with the crowd between songs. His stage antics were priceless, a few times it seemed like he was about to swallow the microphone. Their performance was so much fun to watch and listen to. There was a great feeling of energy in the crowd throughout the whole act. Next up on the other main stage was Robyn, an adorable pop/hip-hop/reggae mix who lit up the whole park. There were very few people not dancing during her performance, it was almost impossible not to bob your head just a little. Robyn herself was dancing around on stage and clapping over her head while she performed. Her interesting outfit didn’t stop her from stretching between songs (she wore a short grey cut-out dress, lace tights, and a green baret). You could tell she was having a great time on stage. At one point she went over to the drums and played along with the drummer. Her bright blonde hair and charming Swedish accent won the hearts of the crowd.
After Robyn rocked the park it was time for Broken Social Scene. Of the 22 members, there were about 10 people on stage at a time. They would switch members depending on the song and what instruments were needed. The group opened with “World Sick” off their new album, which was a perfect start. As they played on, the sun started to go down which made the air slightly cooler. The audience clapped to the beat during much of their set, which made it interactive and extra fun. At one point, one of the speakers blew and they had to stop for a minute to turn it off, but that didn’t keep the band from delivering a fantastic performance. At one point in between songs the vocalist/guitarist in the middle stopped to say “We love this town and we love this country. So we wrote a song about it,” they then played “Texico Bitches”. People in the audience stood shoulder to shoulder, dancing and swaying even though there was barely enough room to do so. Next they played “Shoreline” and brought out a female vocalist, two saxophones and a trombone. It was a wonderful rendition of one of my favorite Broken Social Scene songs. “Fire Eyed Boy” was next and the audience loved it. Overall they played a great mix of old and new songs mixing in hits with obscure surprises.
Last to perform for the day was Modest Mouse. The whole park was packed in front of the stage, everyone in the crowd was dizzy with excitement. The sun was setting, which gave a perfect ambiance for their performance. They opened with “Tiny Cities Made of Ashes” a song from one of their most popular albums, The Moon and Antarctica. They put a new spin on the song, switching around the order of the lyrics and changing up the melody a little at the end. When they played the song “Devil’s Workday” as well as a few others, Isaac Brock played the banjo and switched mics for different vocal effects. They also had an accordion player for a few of the songs that feature an accordion on the album. During “Education” glowsticks were thrown around from the crowd — I couldn’t tell if this was planned or not, but either way it was awesome. During “Dashboard” the whole audience got into it, likely because it’s a popular song — so even people who weren’t serious Modest Mouse fans knew the lyrics. In between songs, Isaac would ramble about something or other, his distinct lisp-y voice echoing across the park. They put a unique spin on each song they played which made it a special experience, especially during “Satin in a Coffin”. They then toned it down with “Dramamine” and had crazy lights during the crescendo. Next was “Parting of the Sensory” which was performed with a lot of emotion. During this song there were more glowsticks being thrown around which looked like fireworks and gave a cool effect. Overall it was a perfect set list, the songs they played spread over several of their albums and the audience loved every minute of it.
Broken Social Scene
Modest Mouse
Leaving Union Park when P4K was over for the night
Like you, I am a workaholic. I can’t help myself. I find the geodomain industry oddly addictive. However, after spending five days cooped up in the office, I need a break from the corporate world just as much as you do. Weekends in Chicago are for letting loose and — believe me — there is never a shortage of things to do.
The weather finally started cooperating this week. In fact I’ve began walking to the office instead of driving. It’s better for the environment, I save money, and it keeps me in shape. That even more of a reason to celebrate this weekend! I have managed to find the coolest things to do in Chicago, and here are my top picks for March 26-28.
Critical Mass
I am taking off a bit early on Friday and riding my bike down to Daley Plaza at Dearborn St. & Washington St. for an extensive bike ride through the city. For those of you who have not participated in Critical Mass, it’s a meetup of Chicagoans who enjoy riding bikes. Each week they choose a new route and spend Friday night biking through the city. It’s not only fun, but you get to meet a bunch of great people. They take off at 5:30pm, so be on time!
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Mac Madness
After all of that riding, I’m going to need two things: beer and food. All week I have been hearing about Rockit Pub & Grill’s Mac Madness week at 22 W. Hubbard St. Each day they’re featuring a new entree using mac and cheese and serving it for only $12! Friday’s special is crawfish-and-andouille macaroni. Top that off with some great drink specials, and I’m ready to call it a night. A portion of the proceeds from Mac Madness go to the Greater Chicago Food Depository, so eat up!
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Matisse is in Town
The Art Institute is really keeping me busy this year. Last month was admission free, and this month they have a Henri Matisse exhibit. So first thing Saturday morning I am headed down to 111 S. Michigan Ave. to see this for myself. This exhibit focuses on his art between 1913-1917, with the selected works representing his experimentation with the cubist era of the avant-garde movement. This exhibit only runs through June, so get there while you still can.
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Chicago Eats TV Launch Party
After getting my cultural fix at the Art Institute, I’ll be ready to drink some good beer with some good people. Luckily, there’s just a place for that this Saturday over at Empire Liquors at 1566 Milwaukee Ave. My buddy Jeff over at ChicagoEatsTV.com is holding a launch party for his website. Jeff travels around Chicago and shows you some of the best restaurants the city has to offer. And he films the whole experience, so you get all of his wacky humor as he tells you what spots you need to hit up next.
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Rush Limbaugh! The Musical
It’s been a while since I’ve been to Second City, but I quickly found the show just for me over at Piper’s Alley at 1608 N. Wells St: Rush Limbaugh! The Musical. What better way to celebrate the long overdue healthcare reform than laughing your socks off at this satirical portrayal of America’s most boisterous pundit? This musical comes from the same team who created Rod Blagojevich Superstar!, so I know what kind of comedic quality to expect from this show.
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Prohibition Style Eats
After the show I’m headed down the block to 1419 N. Wells St. to eat dinner at the 33 Club. Named for 1933, the year that darn eighteenth amendment was abolished, the 33 Club’s interior brings you back to the days of lindy hopping and raccoon coats. The moderately priced menu features something for everyone and the comprehensive wine list will let you perfectly pair your booze and your food.
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