(no subject)
So I'm just going to repost what I wrote about my Chicago trip from Facebook:
Wednesday night/Thursday morning - The train ride wasn't that bad, but it's difficult to sleep in the seats they have. They do have more room than a typical bus or plane seat, so I will praise them for that. If I had more money I think I would have gone in for an overnight compartment to get some real sleep, but otherwise the ride was fine.
Thursday - I received my first experience taking a subway. Actually, just finding the train stop was difficult for me. Everything looks the same to me in downtown Chicago (unlike much of the other sections of the city I visited). I acclimated to subway riding quickly, and managed to get close to Eddie's apartment. It was a fifteen minute walk from the train stop, which sucked with my bags, haha. Eddie and his roommates have a nice place in the Logan Square section of Chicago. It's a heavily Mexican populated neighborhood; many of the shops clearly catered to Hispanic clientele. I hung out at the apartment for a bit, getting to know Goodrich, one of Eddie's roommates. He had to work soon after I arrived, so I dropped my bags off and took off for Wicker Park, where I knew I could do some record shopping at Reckless. First though, I ate at a Mexican restaurant called El Pacifico, recommended by Goodrich. The food was just what I needed, spicy but not to the point of being overwhelming my senses. Afterward I took off for shopping. I was an idiot, and instead of taking the subway I walked all the way to the record store, which not only took forever, but I also twisted my right leg (the cause of a pain that is only now fading). I did manage to buy some cool records, and the used bookstore nearby contained a couple of comic book anthologies I had wanted, at a great price (and considering how great of condition the books were in, I was ecstatic).
I made it back to Eddie's (using the CTA this time, haha), and hung out for a bit. Eddie and Cauvel (a kid from Erie that moved in with Eddie) were going to a Cubs game with some of the kids that were also staying with him. The guys were all in from California. They were nice enough dudes, it sucks I didn't get to know them better, they seemed fun to be around. I spent the rest of the night just chilling at Ed's, watching Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. It was a good movie, Steve Martin and John Candy had great chemistry throughout the film. I decided to get some sleep, although part way through the night I was woken up by Derek and Larrina arriving.
Friday - By morning, AJ and crew had arrived. He brought Josh, Heather, and this girl Allie from Pittsburgh that I've seen around, but had never been introduced to. We hung out in the neighborhood for a bit, exploring a couple of shops near Eddie's apartment. I wish I had bought some baked goods from the bakery nearby, we stopped in there and everything looked fantastic. The grocery store we stopped at was interesting in that we were probably the only white people inside.
Josh, AJ, Derek, and myself decided to go record shopping. I had already hit up the first Reckless we stopped at, so Derek and I went to Earwax for food. I love eating there, even if I've only had it a few times. It's a nice veg-friendly eatery across the street from Reckless. Most of the day consisted of us shopping in record stores, and driving around the city. Chicago is a beautiful place, although I'm not so much a fan of the downtown. I loved just about everywhere else though. We met up with the girls, and a couple other people and headed over to the Chicago Diner. The food there wasn't bad, but it was pricey for what wasn't especially outstanding cuisine. The guys and I got a little lost walking back to the car, but it did give us some time to stare at apartments we don't have the money to live in, haha. We dropped Derek off back at the house, and then headed to the Subterranean, for the late evening Converge show. We missed the local opener, but got there in time to see part of Wait In Vain's set. Indecision was up next, and they played okay. Converge headlined, and put on quite the show. They're a band that I've I've seen numerous times, and they almost always meet expectations for a live performance. We headed home after the show, in need of some rest before the weekend concerts.
Saturday - Not only was it the first day of the Burning Fight fest, but it was also free comic book day. So I took the subway with some of the guys, but I got off before they did and headed over to Chicago Comics to get my free books. The shop is very nice inside, with a larger selection than I'm used to (with all love and respect to Books Galore in Erie). I received eight free comics (a cross section of indie and mainstream stuff), but I also purchased some mini comics that I had wanted for awhile (mostly Kevin Huizenga stuff). I walked to the venue afterward, the Metro. I had to pass Wrigley Stadium, along with a large number of Cubs fans. I liked walking around Wrigleyville, even with all the traffic (I'm including the people walking on sidewalks with that).
The concert was fantastic. I didn't watch every band, but I was almost always impressed by the performances I did see. The highlight for me on Saturday was 108, long one of my favorite bands. They were intense and passionate throughout the set, and the new songs sound nearly as good as their older material. I wasn't as happy with their last album, but the couple songs form their forthcoming release have gotten me excited to see what else they've come up with. Trial was another band that was impressive. Greg Bennick sounded so full of life the entire time they were onstage. Despite a few minor technical difficulties, their set might have gotten the crowd more excited than any band that played the fest (perhaps even more so than Unbroken).
After the show some of us attended an after party at Charlie from Convicted's house. It was nice hanging out with new people, and relaxing after a long day. I came with some of the other guy's in Goodrich's band, Iron Rain. Derek was also with us. The party started to wind down, and Eddie found us a ride back to his place, where we promptly passed out, haha.
Sunday - Some of us grabbed food at Bacci's, a pizza shop next to Wrigley Stadium. I had tried their pizza the day before, and enjoyed it. They serve monstrous slices of pizza for five dollars, and you get free soda. While the food was tasty, it couldn't have helped my bowels.
The fest was even better on Sunday, than the day before. I enjoyed all the locals who played both days, but Harm's Way was a highlight. Blacklisted and Have Heart both rocked out, but played shortened sets, which was a bit of a momentum killer. Of course the best part of the Day was getting to see Unbroken play. They've been one of my favorite bands for years now, and finally seeing them live is something that will stay with me for quite some time.
One funny incident that happened during the day was seeing an ice cream truck driver fight with the owner of a restaurant across from the venue. The ice cream guy wanted to sell the show goers Popsicle from his truck, and the shop owner was pissed he was taking away business. Many of the concert attendees seemed upset that they weren't going to get a Bomb Pop, or something similar (myself included, haha).
After the show we hung around the venue for a bit. I got to talk to John Mckaig, one of my hero's. He gave a nice speech before Unbroken played, and I wanted to thank him for his talk. He always has such great things to say about hardcore, and people like him are an inspiration to me. He seemed genuinely flattered that I thanked him, so that made me feel good.
I went for food with Eddie, Cauvel, and the LA kids. They went for pizza (we had wanted to go to this cool burger place, but weren't going to make it in time), and I went to a nearby sushi place. It was a good way to wind down after the show, with me just eating in silence, in a sparsely populated restaurant. We took the train (and then the bus) back to Eddie's for the night. I had a pleasant talk with Eddie about his and mine future, and our plans for life. Just being somewhere other than Erie had me motived to start doing something with my life other than just mope around here.
Monday - This was not a fun day. I asked Derek to take my clothes back with him, as otherwise I'd have to pay 14 dollars to store my bags in a locker. So he was nice enough to bring them back to Erie with him. He, Buck and Larraina left for Erie, and I took off for my last day in the city. My right leg was really starting to hurt by this point, I really should not have walked on it as much as I did. I ate some breakfast at Earwax, and then headed over to Quimby's where I purchased the two Ganges comics that Huizenga put out through Fantagraphics' Ignatz line. Then I tried to go to Metal Haven in the Ravenswood neighborhood, only to find out the shop was closed on Mondays. Also closed on Mondays is the contemporary art museum. I did buy some more records at the Reckless by the Loop. I spent the rest of the day lost in downtown Chicago, on a bum leg. It was not a particularly enjoyable experience, despite the beauty of the city. I finally made it to Union station with some help from Eddie. I grabbed some cheap food from one of the food vendors inside the station and ate my last meal in Chicago (a Moe's-esque burrito, with a meager amount of tortilla chips). I waited for my train, and then boarded at close to 9 PM. I was sad to leave the city, but I was happy that my one crummy day there was finally over. I called my family, read the Burning Fight book for a bit, and then tried to get some sleep. I got up the next morning, hopped off the train, and went to Starbucks downtown. My mom was supposed to pick me up, but I could not get a hold of her, so I took a bus home, very much happy with five days I spent in Chicago.
Wednesday night/Thursday morning - The train ride wasn't that bad, but it's difficult to sleep in the seats they have. They do have more room than a typical bus or plane seat, so I will praise them for that. If I had more money I think I would have gone in for an overnight compartment to get some real sleep, but otherwise the ride was fine.
Thursday - I received my first experience taking a subway. Actually, just finding the train stop was difficult for me. Everything looks the same to me in downtown Chicago (unlike much of the other sections of the city I visited). I acclimated to subway riding quickly, and managed to get close to Eddie's apartment. It was a fifteen minute walk from the train stop, which sucked with my bags, haha. Eddie and his roommates have a nice place in the Logan Square section of Chicago. It's a heavily Mexican populated neighborhood; many of the shops clearly catered to Hispanic clientele. I hung out at the apartment for a bit, getting to know Goodrich, one of Eddie's roommates. He had to work soon after I arrived, so I dropped my bags off and took off for Wicker Park, where I knew I could do some record shopping at Reckless. First though, I ate at a Mexican restaurant called El Pacifico, recommended by Goodrich. The food was just what I needed, spicy but not to the point of being overwhelming my senses. Afterward I took off for shopping. I was an idiot, and instead of taking the subway I walked all the way to the record store, which not only took forever, but I also twisted my right leg (the cause of a pain that is only now fading). I did manage to buy some cool records, and the used bookstore nearby contained a couple of comic book anthologies I had wanted, at a great price (and considering how great of condition the books were in, I was ecstatic).
I made it back to Eddie's (using the CTA this time, haha), and hung out for a bit. Eddie and Cauvel (a kid from Erie that moved in with Eddie) were going to a Cubs game with some of the kids that were also staying with him. The guys were all in from California. They were nice enough dudes, it sucks I didn't get to know them better, they seemed fun to be around. I spent the rest of the night just chilling at Ed's, watching Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. It was a good movie, Steve Martin and John Candy had great chemistry throughout the film. I decided to get some sleep, although part way through the night I was woken up by Derek and Larrina arriving.
Friday - By morning, AJ and crew had arrived. He brought Josh, Heather, and this girl Allie from Pittsburgh that I've seen around, but had never been introduced to. We hung out in the neighborhood for a bit, exploring a couple of shops near Eddie's apartment. I wish I had bought some baked goods from the bakery nearby, we stopped in there and everything looked fantastic. The grocery store we stopped at was interesting in that we were probably the only white people inside.
Josh, AJ, Derek, and myself decided to go record shopping. I had already hit up the first Reckless we stopped at, so Derek and I went to Earwax for food. I love eating there, even if I've only had it a few times. It's a nice veg-friendly eatery across the street from Reckless. Most of the day consisted of us shopping in record stores, and driving around the city. Chicago is a beautiful place, although I'm not so much a fan of the downtown. I loved just about everywhere else though. We met up with the girls, and a couple other people and headed over to the Chicago Diner. The food there wasn't bad, but it was pricey for what wasn't especially outstanding cuisine. The guys and I got a little lost walking back to the car, but it did give us some time to stare at apartments we don't have the money to live in, haha. We dropped Derek off back at the house, and then headed to the Subterranean, for the late evening Converge show. We missed the local opener, but got there in time to see part of Wait In Vain's set. Indecision was up next, and they played okay. Converge headlined, and put on quite the show. They're a band that I've I've seen numerous times, and they almost always meet expectations for a live performance. We headed home after the show, in need of some rest before the weekend concerts.
Saturday - Not only was it the first day of the Burning Fight fest, but it was also free comic book day. So I took the subway with some of the guys, but I got off before they did and headed over to Chicago Comics to get my free books. The shop is very nice inside, with a larger selection than I'm used to (with all love and respect to Books Galore in Erie). I received eight free comics (a cross section of indie and mainstream stuff), but I also purchased some mini comics that I had wanted for awhile (mostly Kevin Huizenga stuff). I walked to the venue afterward, the Metro. I had to pass Wrigley Stadium, along with a large number of Cubs fans. I liked walking around Wrigleyville, even with all the traffic (I'm including the people walking on sidewalks with that).
The concert was fantastic. I didn't watch every band, but I was almost always impressed by the performances I did see. The highlight for me on Saturday was 108, long one of my favorite bands. They were intense and passionate throughout the set, and the new songs sound nearly as good as their older material. I wasn't as happy with their last album, but the couple songs form their forthcoming release have gotten me excited to see what else they've come up with. Trial was another band that was impressive. Greg Bennick sounded so full of life the entire time they were onstage. Despite a few minor technical difficulties, their set might have gotten the crowd more excited than any band that played the fest (perhaps even more so than Unbroken).
After the show some of us attended an after party at Charlie from Convicted's house. It was nice hanging out with new people, and relaxing after a long day. I came with some of the other guy's in Goodrich's band, Iron Rain. Derek was also with us. The party started to wind down, and Eddie found us a ride back to his place, where we promptly passed out, haha.
Sunday - Some of us grabbed food at Bacci's, a pizza shop next to Wrigley Stadium. I had tried their pizza the day before, and enjoyed it. They serve monstrous slices of pizza for five dollars, and you get free soda. While the food was tasty, it couldn't have helped my bowels.
The fest was even better on Sunday, than the day before. I enjoyed all the locals who played both days, but Harm's Way was a highlight. Blacklisted and Have Heart both rocked out, but played shortened sets, which was a bit of a momentum killer. Of course the best part of the Day was getting to see Unbroken play. They've been one of my favorite bands for years now, and finally seeing them live is something that will stay with me for quite some time.
One funny incident that happened during the day was seeing an ice cream truck driver fight with the owner of a restaurant across from the venue. The ice cream guy wanted to sell the show goers Popsicle from his truck, and the shop owner was pissed he was taking away business. Many of the concert attendees seemed upset that they weren't going to get a Bomb Pop, or something similar (myself included, haha).
After the show we hung around the venue for a bit. I got to talk to John Mckaig, one of my hero's. He gave a nice speech before Unbroken played, and I wanted to thank him for his talk. He always has such great things to say about hardcore, and people like him are an inspiration to me. He seemed genuinely flattered that I thanked him, so that made me feel good.
I went for food with Eddie, Cauvel, and the LA kids. They went for pizza (we had wanted to go to this cool burger place, but weren't going to make it in time), and I went to a nearby sushi place. It was a good way to wind down after the show, with me just eating in silence, in a sparsely populated restaurant. We took the train (and then the bus) back to Eddie's for the night. I had a pleasant talk with Eddie about his and mine future, and our plans for life. Just being somewhere other than Erie had me motived to start doing something with my life other than just mope around here.
Monday - This was not a fun day. I asked Derek to take my clothes back with him, as otherwise I'd have to pay 14 dollars to store my bags in a locker. So he was nice enough to bring them back to Erie with him. He, Buck and Larraina left for Erie, and I took off for my last day in the city. My right leg was really starting to hurt by this point, I really should not have walked on it as much as I did. I ate some breakfast at Earwax, and then headed over to Quimby's where I purchased the two Ganges comics that Huizenga put out through Fantagraphics' Ignatz line. Then I tried to go to Metal Haven in the Ravenswood neighborhood, only to find out the shop was closed on Mondays. Also closed on Mondays is the contemporary art museum. I did buy some more records at the Reckless by the Loop. I spent the rest of the day lost in downtown Chicago, on a bum leg. It was not a particularly enjoyable experience, despite the beauty of the city. I finally made it to Union station with some help from Eddie. I grabbed some cheap food from one of the food vendors inside the station and ate my last meal in Chicago (a Moe's-esque burrito, with a meager amount of tortilla chips). I waited for my train, and then boarded at close to 9 PM. I was sad to leave the city, but I was happy that my one crummy day there was finally over. I called my family, read the Burning Fight book for a bit, and then tried to get some sleep. I got up the next morning, hopped off the train, and went to Starbucks downtown. My mom was supposed to pick me up, but I could not get a hold of her, so I took a bus home, very much happy with five days I spent in Chicago.