Most Chicagoans are familiar with the Lyric Opera, but the so-called Lyric Opera House is really the Civic Opera House designed by architectural firm Graham, Anderson, Probst & White, which was also responsible for the design of the Merchandise Mart, the old Post Office, the Wrigley building, the Shedd Aquarium, and Union Station.
My signature slogan "tomorrow's garage sale today," came to mind when I came upon this window in Chicago's Chinatown. This particular dealer is on Wentworth Avenue, which is the main drag in this concentrated community. I hadn't been down to Chinatown in a few years. The restaurants appear to be multiplying, but there seemed to be a lot of vacant store fronts.
Among everyone's favorite buildings in Chicago, Bertrand Goldberg's Marina City still towers over the Chicago River. I will undoubtedly post many photographs of this mid-20th Century gem (designed in 1959, completed in 1964). It was the first post-war residential tower built in the United States in an effort to stop middle class flight from the city to the suburbs, a trend that after 60 years is in full reversal.
I was late and there were no buses, so I flagged a cab. First thing the driver said, "Boy is it hot." "Yep, but I bet you complain about the cold in January." I had that same conversation with another photographer when I arrived at the MCA. Yet, with James Sanders and Conjunto as the featured performers tonight at the MCA's Tuesdays on the Terrace, the heat and high humidity felt great. Latin music, with those slinky and slippery Latin rhythms, proved to be the perfect antidote for the heat. I didn't have my notebook, so I don't have the set list, but the band started with Herbie Hancock's Watermelon Man, one of my favorites.
As good as the cops are--I assume they perfected the technique during the NATO protests four years ago--they did make one big tactical mistake tonight, or maybe not. The demonstrators were funneled south on Wabash. That makes sense when the demonstration is crossing Chicago Avenue, but about six or seven blocks south sits what has become a politically charged Chicago landmark: Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago. About three blocks before arriving, the protesters realized where they were headed. At about the same time, the police realized the potential problem they had created. That wasn't a hard realization to come by: People had begun chanting "Fuck Trump." The bicycle cops responded, racing down the far sidewalk in an effort to reach the Trump International Hotel before the demonstrators got there. Trump had to put his name on the building in two-story letters.
For more details and photographs, follow the link.
The building is known for one colossal engineering mistake. It was originally clad is Carrara marble, but one piece fell off the building and an inspection found cracks in other pieces covering the building. In 1985, the owners tried to alleviate the problem by stainless steel straps to hold the marble in place. That apparently proved to be an unsatisfactory solution. Beginning in 1990, the Carrara marble was replaced with Mount Airy granite at an estimated cost of somewhere around $80 million.
Well the citizens of Chicago must have succeeded in doing good things, because the "Go Do Good" mural has been removed. In its place, is now a colorful portrait of Chicago Blues icon Muddy Waters. To me, it is a far more appropriate image for the space and the City. Although I might have preferred a more subtle depiction of Muddy. It instantly brings to mind Muddy's controversial 1968 album on Chess entitled Electric Mud. Muddy did not need to go psychedelic. He was the one who paved the path that made a lot of the rock music of the late Sixties possible.
Today, Holy Name cathedral is probably the best know religious facility in the Chicago. In addition to regular services, it is the ceremonial site for the Chicago's Catholic community. Major weddings and funerals are held here. One of the more notable recent funerals was for Chicago Sun-Times film critic Roger Ebert. I was told by one wedding photographer that the fee for a wedding is $1,000, which does not strike me as a large sum given the extravegent spending that often accompanies the union of two people.
Hot summer day. Imagine wasting money hiring a plane to fly an anti-abortion banner over the beach on such a beautiful day? Somebody did, and I suspect nobody paid much attention. It didn't matter whether they were pro or con. Hot summer day.
Tonight it was vocalist Tammy McCann and guitarist Mike Allemana. As was true back in the Seventies, you might not think that the two musicians could keep it going for two one-hour sets, but you would be very wrong. Like Ella and Pass, and Eldridge and Peterson, tonight's performers captivated their audience.
This ad raises truth-in-advertising issues: The Cubs are playing the Mets today, but the sentiment is nice nevertheless. As of late, I have been thinking about two-level perspective, Kinda fun.
Ah, but aren't these the same people I see driving Land Rovers around town. Must be, take a look at the boats that have docked. All it takes is three boats to block everyone's view. Baby, you're a rich man.
Today was the annual Gay Pride Day Parade in Chicago. Attendance was down; it was an hour shorter by my estimate; the floats and groups never seemed to pause as they had in years past-- possibly reflecting security concerns; and the politicians flocked by even though they have nothing to be proud about. As the Gay community has become more mainstream, the parade has become more corporate and much of the outlandishness has receded with the hairlines of parade participants. Imagine seeing Boeing, Northrup Grumman, Aon, or KMPG at a Gay rights parade in 1969, but then, times have changed since Stonewall.
Stein has been there since the beginning. She is chief fundraiser, booster, and goodwill ambassador. Everyone in Chicago jazz circles knows the exuberant Stein, who is seen at events throughout the City. Like the Postal Service, wind, sleet, and snow don't slow her down.
Meanwhile, the crowd was enjoying a delicious dinner from the catering department, as well as the barbecue on the lower terrace. The figs, Italian meats, and cheese looked particularly tempting. And this was the first evening where the skies were that rich blue color that everyone associates with summer.
Of course RL is the restaurant attached to the Ralph Lauren store at the corner of Michigan and Chicago. Lots of stylish people lunching in the dining room and outdoors on the sidewalk terrace. And with stylish people come stylish children.
I had never been in the restaurant, but it is exactly what I expected. Its decor is right of a 1920s men's club.
The music is very hard to describe. Certainly there were bits of Ravel running throughout it, but I also heard Joe Sample's piano from the Crusaders, some Philip Glass minimalism, and some nice jazz bass solos. If you pushed me, I'd also say that there were strains of Frank Zappa's orchestral music and the Mahavishnu Orchestra, but on a very unamplified basis. Ulery even sang on the second from last number.
When I arrived, the light was spectacular, but there were no people. When the people arrived, the sky was a washed out grey, with no shadows anywhere. Some days you just can't win. I walked over the Blues Festival, stopping on the way for a single Dunkin' Donut (230 calories).
For the last 23 years, I have lived on the edge of Chicago's Boystown. Tonight the LGBT community held a rally/vigil in recognition of what happened in Orlando, Florida this morning. There was a very heavy police and media presence. Somewhere around 1,000 people turned out to hear speeches from community and religious leaders.
Taking Youthful Enthusiasim Under the Arm of Grizzled Experience
First up was Charlie Love. Basic blues, but excellent blues. Charlie called one Steven up from the audience. This Chicago teen had his chops down, performing three or four numbers with a cracker jack band. Steven held his own. And he has the red and orange shirt thing going on for him.
