Tag Archives: Enormous Richard

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October’s 13

Saw Jim Utz spin records for Rue 13 this past week, notable here for two reasons: we were sold a round moments before the lights were turned on; and Jim Utz is the only person reading this featurette and I wish to use his name repeatedly.

Events future, Kick Ass Awards: The seventh edition is coming up next week. Seating will be at a premium. (We hope.) See you there.

Events present, Kurt Groetsch: Happy 29th, Slats.

Events past, Dewes Chili Cookoff 10: Thanks to the charming Dewes family for allowing me to enjoy one of my favorite days of the year each fall.

UFC fighters, Johnathan Brookins: Kinda dig this cat’s zen approach to fighting. Looking forward to his next Ultimate Fighter bout. You, too? You don’t say!

Press clips that keep giving, Enormous Richard: Blessings be to rock groups that keep the flame alive, digital-style.

DJ’ing, Silver Tray: Very much looking forward to Dana Smith joining Silver Tray on Friday, November 5, as he discusses his newest art show – held that same night at Hoffman LaChance Contemporary – and as he programs the first hour. ‘Twill be much fun.

DJ’ing club, LucaBrasi CD release show: Opening, closing and otherwise entertaining during the hard rock band’s release set at the Duck Room on Saturday, November 20. Not looking much forward to this.

Books, “The Urban Hermit by Sam MacDonald”: Couldn’t make heads nor tails out of this memoir for the first 100 pages, then caught the spirit of the work and enjoyed every page of the rest. Can you eat lentils and tuna for an undetermined amount of time, lose 100-plus pounds, find your dream job, kick a beer habit and locate your wife in the span of a book. Apparently, yes.

Corner bars, Behrmann’s: You kind of have to experience it to fully understand. Ask for Rendy by name.

Energy drinks, Full Throttle Agave: Really need to kick this stuff.

Agitprop, signage: Had no real feelings about The Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear, but I’m always amused by friends who crash a party.

Films, “Phantasm“: Should’ve watched it when I was 11.

Classic cuts, Angel’s “Tower”: So this fella at the Black Bear Bakery booth at Soulard Market sounds talking about Angel and their prog track “Tower.” Couldn’t recollect it, but it’s now a favorite and will be for the next couple weeks, until full burnout results.

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August’s 13

By popular request of one (Jim Utz, looking at you, bub), here’s the return of The 13, after a three-month summer break. Speaking of which, 11 days ’til school begins, so…

Outings, Fairmount Park: This Tuesday. Racing starts at 1. Ends around 4. Pubs nearby are kicking by 5. Methinks all interested parties should book a date for the afternoon and/or should simply reunite on the Illside. Feeling like an eight-race day, myself. You know, ’cause school’s starting.

Publications, Yeti: Not as sharp as I used to be, on many levels. Including the ability to track publications that seem just right there. Still, it’s a bit of a shocker to scroll through Amazon and find a long run of a zine/CD series that’s exactly in the ol’ personal interest wheelhouse. Yeti. Have you read it? Heard it? And you’ve still not told me, after all this time we’ve known one another. Shame on you.

Drinks, Drank: I wouldn’t say that Drank exactly slowed my roll. In fact, I’d say that I woke up a few hours later with chest pains. Obviously, your results may vary. Enjoy!

Old guy clothes, Urban Pipeline cargoes: Gentlemen, let me introduce you to the perfect pair of pants.

Reunions, Enormous Richard: There’s something about traveling to Granite City with good company, piling into a jammed-up neighborhood tavern and having a band that helped define your early-20s crank up the quirky rock, some five years after their last reuniting-type-experience. Thanks, Enormous Richard. You’re pals, every one of you, seriously.

Books, The Beats: A Graphic History: A big fan, I am, of the Popular Reading shelf, just inside the doorway of Webster’s Emerson Library. Most of my summer reading came from those shelves and this title, read just before the passing of co-author/writer/editor Harvey Pekar, helped pass some enjoyable, instructional hours. Even when the stories are ones that you’ve read a dozen times before, the illustrations and general spirit of this book are winners. Pick it up at your local library, okay?

Documentaries, You Weren’t There: A History of Chicago Punk, 1977-1984: Speaking about some hours well-spent, this doc (which covers exactly what the title specifcially suggests) is a two-plus-hour exhumation of a vibrant, underground scene. Great live footage, relevant contemporary interviews, a bit of inter-band hatred still simmering and, for a week, a free showing on Pitchfork’s TV channel. Well worth finding.

Reality shows, Jersey Shore: Confessing. Admitting it right here. Yup. Watched 75% of the first season. Thought it mindless fun, then. Didn’t exactly await season two and caught the first two Miami episodes back-to-back, just this week. Findings? It was more enjoyable when the fools didn’t have fame. It was more watchable when it was shot as a straight-up reality show, instead of an exercise in fast-cut editing and camera trickery. The charm of the idiocy is now lost.

Vegetables, okra: What a delight to grow (cool, five-sectioned leaves; heh-heh!) and eat (they work with anything). Nothing to not like here. Three cheers for okra. Keep kickin’, plant.

Bars, Daddy’s Money: When you take over the old On Broadway Bistro and Car Wash, then mix Granite City tough with North City tough, offer cheap drinks and late hours, some pool tables and a hip-hop-meets-classic-rock jukebox, you’ve got… this weird little mess. But an enjoyable little mess, indeed. On the right night, with the right crew and in the right head, this is just the 3 a.m. stop you need. Say no to wack South Side late nighters, say yes to Daddy’s Money.

Fighters, Jamie “The Chosyn 1” Yager: Now that I’ve officially renounced sports (bending, bending… but not yet broken), there’s gotta be one exception that allows for some healthy steam to be blown off. Hello, MMA. So, I’ve gotta have a favorite fighter. And though I don’t think Jamie Yager’s got a long career on the way, he’s got the look, the talk, the nickname and all the other requisites to make him an amusing anti-hero in the short-term. Hope he fights in the Midwest, sometime, it’d be fun to see.

Not this Halloween, Munster Mansion: It’s never to early to plan for Halloween. Unfortunately, this year, you will not be able to visit the replica house of Munster Mansion. The 10-year-old version of me would be beside himself at this news, while I’m merely crestfallen.

Video, “Baker Street” by Gerry Rafferty: Never knew the name of this song. ‘Til this week. Now, it’s firmly rooted.