Ours Go to 11: Volume 38, Coolest Concerts Attended

In my previous post--inspired by the coronavirus pandemic precluding my seeing the Chicago Cubs play the St. Louis Cardinals in London, as I was scheduled to--I compiled a list of the most Notable Games I have attended.

Initially I was intending to cover Regular Season and Postseason/Exhibition games in separate lists within the same post.

But recollecting, researching and writing about just the Regular Season games of note wound up taking up a full afternoon.

So I promised to cover Playoff Games in a subsequent post.

Ostensibly, that would be this one.

But today, June 17, is a date that stands out in my mind for some memorable concerts I've attended.

So it seems apropos to do this:

The Most Memorable Rock Concerts I've Been To 
These shouldn't be construed as "the best" concerts, and while I'll include plenty of Bruce Springsteen, I won't let him fill the Top 11, even though he easily could. (This includes leaving out Springsteen on Broadway.)

1. Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band - June 17, 2000 - Madison Square Garden, New York
The Boss is my favorite; I don't think there's ever been a better live rock performer. To date, I've seen him 50 times, including 10 shows on his 1999-00 reunion tour with the E Street Band. This one was amid a tour ending 10-show soldout run at the world's most famous arena. Via the on-sale, I was able to snag a ticket in the 10th row center (over-the-phone from Chicago). And the show was as great as I could've hoped.

2. Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band - June 15, 2013 - Wembley Stadium, London
I've seen Bruce many other cool places, some noted below and also the now-demolished Giants Stadium in New Jersey, where I attended 7 shows across 3 tours. But seeing him at Wembley, in London, on an European jaunt, was extra special.

3. Nirvana - October 25, 1993 - Aragon Ballroom, Chicago
During the concert, Kurt Cobain opined that the sound sucked. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" went unplayed. And in a post-show interview with Rolling Stone's David Fricke, Kurt said, "I’m really glad you could make it for the shittiest show on the tour." Still, though my memory isn't great, I can acutely remember being absolutely blown away.

4. Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers - June 17, 1981 - Rosemont Horizon, near Chicago
My first concert attended of my own volition. The Loop radio station presented it as a "Free Show" and I was able to get a pair of tickets by waiting at Flip Side at Lincoln Village mall. Being only 12, I had to be accompanied to the show by my dad. We didn't always get along, but this was a cherished memory.

5. David Bowie - May 25, 1990 - Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles
In March 1990, at the age of 21, I moved from the Chicago area to Los Angeles, settling in the poorer section of Encino in the San Fernando Valley. After having missed out on seeing him in Chicago in 1983 and 1987, I made a point of seeing the "Thin White Duke" at Dodger Stadium. It was my first show in LA, and one I went to by myself. Can't say I recall all that much, but have never forgotten Bowie opening with "Space Oddity."

6. U2 - April 29, 1987 - Rosemont Horizon
Technically, this wasn't my first time seeing U2 live; note #11 below, the previous year. But during my freshman year at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, U2 had become--with the release of The Joshua Tree--"Rock's Hottest Ticket" as proclaimed on a TIME magazine cover. With just one show at the Horizon, getting tix seemed daunting, but via the Jam (Productions) Ticket Club, I got two choice seats on the floor.

7. The Rolling Stones - September 16, 2002 - Aragon Ballroom
As with most of the artists on this list and many others, I've seen the Stones a bunch of times. But just by simple luck I was able to buy, for $50 each, tickets when they opted to do an intimate show at the Aragon among bigger Chicago venues as well. The setlist was actually a tad esoteric, so it isn't the "best" Stones show I've seen. But it was quite cool, and Bono even showed up onstage to duet on "It's Only Rock 'n Roll (But I Like It)."

8. Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band - September 7 & 8 - Wrigley Field, Chicago
My favorite artist at my favorite place in the world, twice. 6-1/2 hours of sheer joy. I even touched the Boss on Night 2, which isn't as creepy as it sounds.

9. Pearl Jam - July 9, 1995 - Marcus Amphitheater, Summerfest, Milwaukee
At the height of their popularity, Pearl Jam scrapped most of its tour due to refusing to play venues with tickets sold through Ticketmaster (with hefty surcharges). But they played Chicago's Soldier Field (should've gone but didn't) and two gigs as part of Summerfest. I went to the latter.

10. Paul McCartney - June 8, 2019 - Lambeau Field, Green Bay
I've seen the great Beatle many cool places--Wrigley Field, Le Bercy arena in Paris, Miller Park Milwaukee, Busch Stadium St. Louis, in Tulsa, OK and more--but even for a devoted Chicago Bears fan, there was something special about being on the tundra of the Green Bay Packers home stadium. And still playing nearly 3 hours, Sir Paul was awesome. 

11. Amnesty International Conspiracy of Hope tour featuring U2, The Police, Peter Gabriel, Bryan Adams, Lou Reed and Robin Williams - June 13, 1986 - Rosemont Horizon
A remarkable lineup, and my first time seeing any of the performers. U2 was incredible; The Police, who had reunited for the tour and were terrific, still shouldn't have followed them as the closing act.

Some others

- Jeff Tweedy (of Wilco) with student musicians - March 21, 2009 - Private residence. A close friend's family hosted a special benefit performance. 
- Foo Fighters - March 29, 1996 - Riviera Theatre, Chicago. My first Foo.
- Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band - July 17, 1984 - Rosemont Horizon. First-time seeing Bruce live; life-changing.
- The Smashing Pumpkins - April 10, 1999 - St. Andrews Hall, Detroit. "The Arising" tour briefly reunited the original Pumpkins for the last time. There was no Chicago show, so I went to Detroit for a small club gig. Would see a bunch of shows the next year on the then-final tour, including in Paris.
- R.E.M. - October 21, 1986 - Chick Evans Field House, NIU, DeKalb, IL. Early in my freshman year; I got up to the first row. It made me a fan for life.
- Radiohead - August 15, 2003 - Parc Jean Drapeau, Montreal. A Canadian air travel blackout on the day of the show forced me to fly to Burlington, Vermont, take a bus, find my hotel and take the subway to reach the show at a huge park on an island. I think I missed two songs.

- Vote for Change Tour - Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, R.E.M., Bright Eyes - October 3, 2004 - Cobo Hall, Detroit. After seeing Pearl Jam at a VFC show the night before in Toledo, where Neil Young showed up, I caught two more of my all-time favorites in Detroit. No Neil, but John Fogerty and the Dixie Chicks made appearances.
- Aretha Franklin - September 3, 2017 - Ravinia Festival, Highland Park, IL. The legendary Queen of Soul was really terrific in her last Chicago appearance, my only time seeing her.
- Robert Plant - October 2, 2014 - Riviera Theatre, Chicago. I love Led Zeppelin and have seen Plant many times, including twice with Jimmy Page. But there was something just goose-bumpnig and mind-blowing about this particular gig.
- Material Issue - May 7, 1991 - Palomino Club, North Hollywood, CA. Living in L.A., I caught wind of this Chicago trio getting buzz from their debut album and went to see them at a long-famed country music venue. In 1994 I was back in the Chicago burbs and went to a Material Issue CD signing, where I mentioned having seen them at the Palomino, which seemed to impress them. Sadly, singer/songwriter Jim Ellison took his life just a couple years later.

And also...

- Stereophonics - December 11, 2003 - Cubby Bear. Hung out with the band afterward.
- AC/DC - Various - Always awesome
- Arcade Fire - Various - Likewise
- Buddy Guy - Several times - Buddy Guy's Legends
- Zwan - April 12, 13, 2002 - Double Door. Sheer joy in hearing new material ahead of the album.
- Midnight Oil - October 23, 2001 - The Rave. First time seeing a legendary band I long loved, in a small venue.
- The Who - July 21, 1989 - Alpine Valley, WI. My first-time seeing The Who was almost scrapped when a friend bailed, but my mom accompanied me. She would do so again for the Rolling Stones a few months later. 
- Coldplay - March 12, 2003 - Eagles Ballroom, Milwaukee. A relatively intimate setting for how big they had already become, and the band was fantastic. Would then go see them at the Hollywood Bowl a couple months later and not be nearly as impressed.
- Stevie Wonder - June 28, 2008 - Petrillo Bandshell / Taste of Chicago. Just a "Wonder"ful communal vibe, especially when the entire lawn did the "electric slide."
- Soundgarden - January 29, 2013 - Riviera Theatre. As with the other times I saw them, they were bone-crushingly phenomenal.

There are dozens of other shows that I could easily have included here, so no slight meant to any artists, shows, venues or individuals with whom I may have attended.

Ours Go to 11: Volume 37, Notable Games Attended -- Regular Season

Had things proceeded as scheduled, last night--June 13, 2020--I would have watched my beloved Chicago Cubs play a regular-season, Major League Baseball game against their Arch rivals, the St. Louis Cardinals.

Rather than at Wrigley Field or Busch Stadium, this game would've taken place at London Stadium at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London, England.

Hopefully it will be rescheduled for 2021, or as safe, and I will be able to plan a different European jaunt and attend.

But theoretically, it would be a once in a lifetime event, to see the Cubs play in Europe.

So for now, I will draw upon my memory banks--and perhaps even more so, ticket stubs--to list some of the most notable, memorable and/or cherished games I've attended across various sports.

It seems a bit unfair to loop together regular season and playoff/exhibition games, so here I'll focus only on the former, and will follow up with a subsequent post covering the latter.

But this is quite inexact. I've been fortunate to attend many games over the years, some at the gracious invite of friends, relatives, bosses, etc. How I attended, or with whom, isn't a criteria I'm much considering, but I remain extremely grateful to those who treated me, joined me, traveled with me, etc. 

I recall very few outcomes or specific happenings within games, and while I've been to games at 40 different major league baseball stadiums, vary rarely do the venues factor into the choices below. I was also a vendor at several Chicago games between 1985-89, which I'll include in some cases, but sparingly.

Perhaps inadvertently, I'm leaving out several Cubs vs. White Sox games I attended, and mostly won't include games I went to in order to see all-time greats--Cal Ripken Jr., Ken Griffey Jr., Barry Sanders, LeBron James, Allen Iverson, etc.--or to observe pre-game ceremonies or get promotional items.

And as I feel apt, I'll lump a few games together. 

The Most Memorable Regular Season Games I Was At

1. April 18, 2007: Chicago White Sox vs. Texas Rangers - Mark Buehrle No-Hitter
It was a freezing evening game at U.S. Cellular Field that I attended with three friends. I would've happily left at any point the Rangers got a hit, but they never did. Sox won 6-0.

See video within article

2. August 8 / 9, 1988: Chicago Cubs vs. Philadelphia Phillies / New York Mets - Lights at Wrigley
The first night game at Wrigley Field never officially happened, as after 91-year-old Harry Grossman flipped the switch on 8/8/88--I was there as a vendor--Mother Nature stalled the game in the middle of the 4th inning. Fortunately I was back the next night for the first official night game at Wrigley, against the Mets. Cubs won 6-4.

3. September 6, 1998: St. Louis Cardinals vs. Cincinnati Reds - Old Busch Stadium, St. Louis
Incidentally, Long Gone Summer, which chronicles Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa's home run chase of 1998 premieres tonight on ESPN. I attended this late-season game in St. Louis as McGwire sat at 60 HR (Sosa was at 58). However I may feel now about both stars presumably juicing, the atmosphere was electric then. McGwire did not homer (nor did Sammy on the day), so nothing noteworthy happened in this game, it was just cool to be there. Over the next two nights, against the Cubs at Busch (I wasn't there) McGwire hit HR 61 and 62, tying and breaking Roger Maris' longstanding record. He finished the year with 70 HR; Sosa 66.

4. January 2 & 24, 2003: Chicago Bulls vs. Washington Wizards - United Center
I saw Michael Jordan play in person about 10 times across his career, mostly with the Bulls. Some of these games are noted below. But after he unretired to play a final two seasons with the Wizards, I had a ticket for a 2002 game at the UC in which he didn't play and also unwittingly bought a fake ticket for his final game at Madison Square Garden in New York in March 2003. But I did attend his first and last visits to the Jordan -- err, United -- Center in the 2002-03 season. He had a combined 21 points, but so what. I cheered loudly.

5. June 17 / 18, 2000: New York Yankees vs. Chicago White Sox, Old Yankee Stadium; Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees, Fenway Park
On a brief East Coast jaunt highlighted by seeing Bruce Springsteen at Madison Square Garden, the next afternoon I would see the White Sox clobber the Yankees 17-4 on my second ever visit to the original Yankee Stadium. I would then take a train to Boston, where my sister Allison lived, and the next night we went to a game at Fenway, my first at the venerable home of the Boston Red Sox ballpark. The Yankees won 22-1. I don't know if any other team has had a 34-run loss to win swing in 2 days.

6. September 8, 1985: Chicago Cubs vs. Cincinnati Reds, Wrigley Field - Pete Ties Ty in a Tie
Before he would disgrace himself for getting caught betting on baseball, Pete Rose became the Hit King by surpassing Ty Cobb's 4,191. On a Sunday in Chicago, late in my first season as a vendor, "Charlie Hustle" tied Ty--he'd surpass him Wednesday in Cincinnati--in a game that would officially end in a 5-5 tie. Per #2 above, Wrigley didn't yet have lights.

7. March 1, 2014: Chicago Blackhawks vs. Pittsburgh Penquins, Soldier Field
I went to a handful of Hawks games during their dynasty era, including a Stanley Cup Final game. But this outdoor "Stadium Series" game at Soldier Field was really cool, especially as it was freezing. And it was also my first chance to see the Penquins' superstar Sidney Crosby live in person. The Blackhawks won 5-1 in front of nearly 63,000 fans.

8. June 7, 2003: Chicago Cubs vs. New York Yankees - Wrigley Field
Roger Clemens aiming for career win #300 vs. Kerry Wood. The series marked the first Yankees visit to Wrigley since 1932. Cubs won 5-2 but game marred by a scary injury to the Cubs' Hee-Seop Choi. 

9. March 9, 1985: Chicago Bulls vs. Utah Jazz - Chicago Stadium
First time I saw Michael Jordan in person. He scored 28 but the Jazz won 111-105, led by Darrell Griffith's 40 points. Orlando Woolridge had 35 for the Bulls.

10. May 2, 2000: Chicago Cubs vs. Houston Astros - Wrigley Field
Kerry Wood's return to action after more than a year on the Disabled List. He went 6 innings for the win in a 11-1 Cubs victory, and also hit a 2-run homer.

11. November 26, 2011: Chelsea vs. Wolves, Stamford Bridge stadium, London
My friend Paolo was in London on business, staying in a corporate flat, so I visited him. Though I had seen some great international soccer stars play in Chicago, I'd never been to a game--of any kind--in another country. Paolo is a huge fan, of soccer and Chelsea, so we went to Stamford Bridge and got tickets from a "tout" (i.e. scalper). It was a fun experience; Chelsea won 3-0. I can't trace who scored goals, but notables on Chelsea's roster included Didier Drogba, Michael Essien, John Terry, Frank Lampard, Daniel Sturridge, Fernando Torres and Ashley Cole.

A few others

- September 5, 1983: White Sox v A's - First-place Sox won 11-1 enroute to playoffs. Went with my childhood (and still) pal Jordan; Floyd Bannister started.
- August 6, 1984: Cubs vs. Mets - First-place Cubs beat second-place Mets (with Dwight Gooden starting) 9-3; taken by summertime boss, sat 1st row behind Cubs dugout
- April 8, 1999: Blackhawks vs. Rangers - Wayne Gretzky's last visit to Chicago. The crowd and the Hawks gave him a great salute.
- April 14 (or 15), 1981: White Sox vs. Brewers - I remember my took me and a friend to a game right at the start of the Sox first season with Carlton Fisk (alongside Greg Luzinski). April 14 was opening day, but the 15th would've been a much easier ticket. I don't have the stub or much recollection, but do recall my dad being pickpocketed on the L.  
- February 15, 2000: Bulls vs. Lakers - Phil Jackson's first visit to the UC as Lakers coach on a title-bound team with Shaq and Kobe. Lakers won 88-76
- November 26, 1991: Bulls vs. Clippers, LA Sports Arena - Living in L.A. from 1990-92, I convinced a colleague to accompany me to see Michael, who scored 23 in a 116-79 Bulls win.
- December 9, 1995: Bulls vs. Bucks, Bradley Center, Milwaukee - My friend Mark and I went up to Milwaukee early in the Bulls' 72-win, 4th ring season. Adorned in black uniforms, the Bulls won 118-106; Michael had 45.
- Various dates, 1990-92, 1996: Cubs vs. Dodgers, Dodger Stadium - I don't recall any game in particular, but it was always fun to see the Cubs in L.A., when I lived there and on a return visit.
- March 30, 2014: Fluminense vs. Vasco de Gama, Maracana, Rio de Janeiro - The famed Maracana had been reconfigured down from a 200,000 capacity to 80,000 and wasn't even 1/4 full for this game, but it was still fun to attend.
- September 11 / 12, 2005: San Francisco Giants vs. San Diego Padres, SBC Park - As noted above, I've been to many baseball stadiums, and my favorite beyond Wrigley is the Giants' home on the Bay. And while I hated Barry Bonds, even in real time, the game on 9/12 marked his first of 2005 after 4 straight MVP seasons. So it was kinda cool.

Ours Go to 11: Volume 36, My Favorite Music Movies (that aren't concert films, documentaries, musical adaptations or biopics)

Nobody told me there'd be days like these.

Strange days, indeed.

Most peculiar mama.

But I am trying to get through them with much grace and aplomb as possible.

And that has included watching movies and having discussions about others, via email, Facebook, etc.

One of these days I may try to write something more substantive, but for now, a list seems apt.

And so, mainly in a pop/rock vein, without including concert films, documentaries, Broadway adaptations or biopics (i.e. Rocketman, Ray, Bohemian Rhapsody, Walk the Line, etc., even if some of the choices below are technically biographical), I give you my picks of:

The Best Feature Films About Music:
(Primarily in a pop/rock vein; no concert films, documentaries, Broadway adaptations (or akin: Singin' in the Rain) or biopics, although some might say the first three choices somewhat are the latter. Go with it.)

1. A Hard Day's Night
2. Purple Rain
3. This is Spinal Tap
4. Sing Street
5. Saturday Night Fever
5. The Blues Brothers
6. Almost Famous
7. Once 
8. The Commitments
9. School of Rock
10. Across the Universe
11. Quadrophenia

Plus A Few More

Help
Footloose 
8 Mile
Blinded by the Light
A Star is Born (2018)
High Fidelity
La La Land
Crazy Heart
The Five Heartbeats
Pink Floyd: The Wall
Rude Boy
Yellow Submarine
Pirate Radio
I Wanna Hold Your Hand
Cadillac Records

Some I Haven't Seen or Recall

American Hot Wax
Black Snake Moan
24 Hour Party People
Pump Up the Volume
The Idolmaker
Empire Records
Eddie & the Cruisers
Jailhouse Rock (or anything except Viva Las Vegas)

Ours Go to 11: Volume 34, The Best Debut Albums of All-Time (in a pop/rock vein)

Commemorating the 50th anniversary of Led Zeppelin I. 

1. The Ramones - self-titled
2. Jimi Hendrix Experience - Are You Experienced
3. Van Halen - self-titled
4. Led Zeppelin - self-titled
5. Guns 'n Roses - Appetite for Destruction
6. The Clash - self-titled (UK version)
7. Pearl Jam - Ten

8. The Doors - self-titled

9. R.E.M. - Murmur
10. The Beatles - Please Please Me  
11. Sex Pistols - Never Mind the Bollocks 

Honorable Mention

Elvis Presley - self-titled
Elvis Costello - My Aim is True 
The Velvet Underground & Nico - self-titled
Talking Heads - '77

Steely Dan - Can't Buy a Thrill
Liz Phair - Exile in Guyville
Arcade Fire - Funeral
Boston - self-titled
The Band - Music from Big Pink
The Byrds - Mr. Tambourine Man
Foreigner - self-titled
The Cars - self-titled
Cheap Trick - self-titled

Two Personal Favorites

Maximo Park - A Certain Trigger
Stereophonics - Word Gets Around

Ours Go to 11: Volume 33, My Favorite War Movies

For these purposes, I am not considering films principally about the Holocaust, documentaries, Casablanca or The Great Dictator.

1. The Deer Hunter
2. Paths of Glory
3. The Hurt Locker
4. Ballad of a Soldier (Russian)
5. Saving Private Ryan
6. Stalag 17
7. Bridge on the River Kwai
8. The Great Escape
9. The Burmese Harp (Japanese) 
10. Dunkirk
11. M*A*S*H


Others meriting mention

Apocalypse Now
Coming Hme
Platoon
Full Metal Jacket
Patton
Born on the Fourth of July
All Quiet on the Western Front
Glory
Lebanon
Zero Dark Forty
The Battle of Algiers

Ours Go to 11: Volume 32, Fancy Schmancy Restaurants

Last night I enjoyed a Pre-Theater Dinner at Everest, long one of Chicago's most acclaimed restaurants.

I found it to be terrific but not quite as mind-blowing as some similar high-end dining explorations.

So I've decided to throw together this list of my favorite forays into gourmet gastronomy.

Even more so than most of my lists, this one should be taken with a grain of salt (at risk of irking the chefs).

Some restaurants were visited long ago; others within the past few months.

At some I had full pre fixe menu meals, at others perhaps just a value-priced lunch or pre-theater meal.

And I'm not suggesting that this list represents my favorite meals of all time. I'm not considering steakhouses, BBQ joints, pizzerias, hot dog stands and other restaurants I really love.

Unscientifically and imperfectly, these are my favorite dining experiences at restaurants that are or have been on the The World's Best Restaurants lists, have earned 5 diamonds from AAA or that I believe to be of that ilk. (Some restaurants listed may not remain open or so highly regarded.)

1. Picasso - Las Vegas
2. Alinea - Chicago
3. Maido - Lima, Peru
4. Rockpool - Sydney, Australia
5. Le Bernadin - New York
6. Charlie Trotter's - Chicago
7. Astrid y Gaston - Lima, Peru
8. Four Seasons - New York
9. Pujol - Mexico City
10. Le Cirque - New York
11. Jean-Georges - New York

Others meriting mention

Aureole - New York
Nobu - New York
Emeril's - New Orleans
Blackbird - Chicago
Everest - Chicago
Cosme - New York
Arun's - Chicago
Antoine's - New Orleans

Ours Go to 11: Volume 31, My Favorite Female Movie Stars of All-Time

1. Audrey Hepburn
2. Michelle Pfeiffer
3. Marilyn Monroe
4. Meryl Streep
5. Catherine Deneuve
6. Natalie Wood
7. Grace Kelly
8. Jennifer Connelly
9. Marisa Tomei
10. Julia Roberts
11. Hedy Lamarr

Plus a few more
Nicole Kidman
Julie Andrews
Jodie Foster
Lauren Bacall
Jessica Chastain

Ours Go to 11: Volume 30, My Favorite Male Movie Stars of All-Time

1. Humphrey Bogart
2. Robert De Niro
3. Paul Newman
4. Harrison Ford
5. Jimmy Stewart
6. Denzel Washington
7. Jack Nicholson
8. Charlie Chaplin
9. Al Pacino
10. Philip Seymour Hoffman
11. Gene Kelly

Plus a few more
Marlon Brando
Steve McQueen
Orson Welles
Sidney Poitier
Cary Grant

Ours Go to 11: Volume 28, People I Would Have Relished Seeing on the Oscars

I watched the Oscars last night, all nearly 5 hours of the telecast.

Although I had seen all the Best Picture nominees and was actively curious about what film would win that category, as well as which actors & directors would be honored with trophies, I found myself largely bored.

I appreciate the show attempting to be inclusive, and respectful, towards woman and non-white, non-American talents in the film industry, who still represent too small a minority.

But I felt the telecast--and much of Jimmy Kimmel's comedy--was far too tepid.

Given the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements, it would seem a female host could've been more appropriate--perhaps Tiffany Haddish or Sarah Silverman--and probably more inspired.

As it was, on a show celebrating 90 years of the Academy Awards, my favorite moments were when classic stars and moviemakers were commemorated. Not so much in the compilation clips, but actually onstage.

Occasionally, in the cases of James Ivory (for best adapted screenplay) and Roger Deakins (for cinematography) it was great to see old pros win Oscars. But I also relished seeing Eva Marie Saint, Rita Moreno, Jane Fonda and--in a reprise from last year--Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway.

I would have liked more of this honoring of Hollywood's past (and the international film community), as other than the awards themselves--and those often seem flawed--I like the Oscars best as a celebration of film. (I don't care so much about the fashions, and the political statements--while on target--can become a bit much.)

I'm not saying all 11 of these people should have been included in this year's Academy Awards telecast on ABC, and I truly don't know if any or all would be healthy enough to present an award or participate in some kind of special number. But in the spirit of celebrating film greats who are still among us, I would have relished seeing: 

1. Sidney Poitier 
2. Gene Hackman 
3. Francis Ford Coppola 
4. Sophia Loren 
5. Robert Redford 
6. Robert De Niro 
7. Al Pacino 
8. Sally Field 
9. Katherine Bigelow (narrating a featurette on female directors)
10. Julie Andrews 
11. George Lucas

Ours Go to 11: The Best Rock Bands of the 21st Century (of Acts Largely Arising Since 2000)

Inspired by my heading to see The Killers, for the 4th time, tonight at the United Center, I thought I'd rank the rock bands--and solo acts who perform in a rock band vein--that I've liked best of those arising largely in the 21st Century.

Technically, some may predate Y2K, but typically only with a relatively little-known indie album or two. This does my best to gauge both the bulk and best of their work in the new millennium, recorded and in concert.

1. Arcade Fire

2. The Killers

3. The White Stripes + all Jack White incarnations

4. System of a Down

5. Coldplay

6. Maxïmo Park

7. LCD Soundsystem

8. The Black Keys

9. Linkin Park

10. The National

11. Mumford & Sons

Plus 11 more

The New Pornographers

Muse

Arctic Monkeys

Gorillaz 

Kings of Leon

My Morning Jacket

The Strokes

The Len Price 3

The Hives

Franz Ferdinand
The Fratellis

Ours Go to 11: Volume 26, My Favorite New Stage Musicals of the 21st Century

All of the following are shows I've seen as professional productions, including (mostly) at least once on Broadway, a National Tour in Chicago or in London.

Though inexact, I mean to rank my fondness for the source musicals themselves, not particular productions.

1. The Producers
2. Hamilton
3. Hairspray
4. Avenue Q
5. Wicked
6. The Book of Mormon
7. Billy Elliot
8. Spring Awakening
9. In The Heights
10. The Visit
11. Jersey Boys

Special note: Mamma Mia
(premiered in London in 1999 but not in America until after the turn of the century)

And some more

Next to Normal
Mary Poppins
Legally Blonde
Bat Boy
Kinky Boots
A Christmas Story
Come From Away
Matilda
Fun Home
Sister Act
Beautiful
The Million Dollar Quartet
Thoroughly Modern Millie
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
On Your Feet
Ride the Cyclone
The Last Ship
Bounce/Road Show
Caroline, or Change
Urinetown
The Bridges of Madison County 

Ours Go to 11: Volume 25, My Favorite Alfred Hitchcock Movies (on his birthday)

I haven't seen every movie the great director made, but most of the major ones.

Some of these were last seen far more recently (or more often) than others, but here's what I remember most fondly:

1. Rear Window
2. Psycho
3. Rebecca
4. Vertigo
5. Strangers on a Train
6. Notorious
7. North by Northwest
8. To Catch a Thief
9. Rope
10. Dial M for Murder
11. The Birds

And a few more
Spellbound
Shadow of a Doubt
The 39 Steps
Foreign Correspondent
Marnie 

 

Ours Go to 11: Volume 24, Unforgettable Travel Sights Seen

1. Eiffel Tower, Paris

2. Petra, Jordan

3. Pyramids of Giza & the Sphinx, Cairo

4. Leaning Tower of Pisa

5. Sydney Opera House

 
6. Colosseum, Rome

7. Piazza San Marco, Venice

8. Big Ben, London

 

9. Sagrada Familia, Barcelona

10. Dome on the Rock, Jerusalem

11. Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood, St. Petersburg

A few more:

Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao

Bryce Canyon, Utah

Fallingwater, Mill Run, PA

Teotihuacan, near Mexico City

The Alamo, San Antonio

All photos by Seth Arkin. Please do not repost without permission and attribution.

Additional photos can be seen in an online version of Touristry, a travel portfolio I published in 2014.

Ours Go to 11: Volume 23, Great Female Movie Directors

This was a much harder list to compile than it should have been, and the fault clearly isn't merely mine.

I wanted to post something on Seth Saith and without anything recent to review--and with an event this afternoon limiting my time--I thought I'd do one of my occasional "Ours Go to 11" lists.

With today's commitment also restricting my getting to the monthly lunch Meetup of the Chicago Film Discussion Group--whose topic today is Female Directors--I thought I'd list my favorites in that category.

I initially thought I'd limit inclusion to women directors who have made at least three feature films I've really liked, but that sadly left me with almost nobody.

And in perusing the Meetup group shortlist, a referenced list on Mubi of A Year With Women, IMDB and the results of a bit of Googling on the topic, I found that not only are their far too few female directors, most have not been enlisted to make all that many films.

Of a few thousand movies I've seen in my lifetime, clearly less than 100 have been directed by women, perhaps by half or less if only counting those I've particularly liked. 

As such, I'd be happy to hear of women directors whose work I should see. Mira Nair, Barbra Streisand and Catherine Hardwicke are three notable names not on this list simply because I haven't seen any of their films.

Agnes Varda and Barbara Kopple have made documentaries I've enjoyed, but I decided to keep this list to feature film directors, simply because there are probably several other worthy female documentarians I should cite but can't.

Given how few works of each director I've seen, it also seemed silly to overtly rank them, so this is roughly a "Top 11" plus Honorable Mentions to every other woman who has directed something I've enjoyed.

Great Female Movie Directors
(who have made at least one feature film I've really liked):

Kathryn Bigelow - The Hurt Locker, Zero Dark Thirty
Ava DuVernay - Selma
Amy Heckerling - Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Clueless
Lana and Lilly Wachowski - The Matrix
Lone Scherfig - An Education 
Sofia Coppola - Lost in Translation
Kimberly Peirce - Boys Don't Cry 
Julie Taymor - Frida, Across the Universe
Penny Marshall - Big, Awakenings, A League of Their Own
Patty Jenkins - Monster
Haifaa al-Mansour - Wadjda

Jane Campion - The Piano
Nora Ephron - Sleepless in Seattle, Julie & Julia
Jodie Foster - Little Man Tate

Lisa Cholodenko - The Kids are All Right
Nicole Holofcener - Enough Said
Elaine May - Mikey & Nicky
Kelly Reichardt - Wendy & Lucy
Nancy Meyers - The Intern
Penelope Spheeris - Wayne's World
Allison Anders - Grace of My Heart
Ida Lupino - The Hitch-Hiker
Claire Denis - 35 Shots of Rum
Angelina Jolie - Unbroken
Niki Caro - Whale Rider
Debra Granik - Winter's Bone
Betty Thomas - Private Parts
Jennifer Kent - The Babadook
Deniz Gamze Ergüven - Mustang
Susanne Bier - In a Better World

Ours Go to 11: Volume 22, Albums That Made an Impression as a Teenager

There's been a viral Facebook query going around, asking to:

"List 10 albums that made a lasting impression on you as a teenager, but only one per band/artist."

Nobody tagged me to do a list, and I'm not big on continuing chain posts, but I liked the question so thought I'd answer it here.

I presume I could choose older albums I first discovered as a teen, but I'll keep my choices to albums released between October 15, 1981 and October 14, 1988 for which I had the most real-time affinity (as best I can recall).

And of course, my list goes to 11.


Albums That Made the Biggest Impression on My Teen Self:
(Not necessarily in ranked order; only includes albums released during my teen years)

1. Born in the USA - Bruce Springsteen
2. The Joshua Tree - U2
3. Pyromania - Def Leppard
4. Let's Dance - David Bowie
5. Scarecrow - John Cougar Mellencamp
6. Life's Rich Pageant - R.E.M.
7. Purple Rain - Prince & the Revolution
8. State of Confusion - The Kinks
9. Blackout - Scorpions
10. Appetite for Destruction - Guns 'N Roses
11. Pleased to Meet Me - The Replacements

Plus A Few More

Asia - Asia 
Reckless - Bryan Adams 
5150 - Van Halen 
So - Peter Gabriel 
The Way It Is - Bruce Hornsby & the Range 
Back in the High Life - Steve Winwood 
Centerfield - John Fogerty 
Out of the Cellar - Ratt

Ours Go to 11: Volume 21, The Best Rock 'n Roll Christmas Songs (with Spotify Playlist)

It's a snowy Sunday in Chicago and seemingly throughout much of the U.S.

A good time to be both restive and festive. 

Although I'm Jewish and not inherently a lover of the entire canon Christmas carols, I appreciate the best of the bunch--and particularly holiday music in a rock vein.

Many of my selections below were originally released on the excellent A Very Special Christmas compilations over the years, which benefit the Special Olympics.

And I've included several on my Santa Rocks CD, which I distributed to friends in years past.

But it's been awhile, so here are--first as a list, then a playable Spotify interface:

My Favorite Rock Xmas Tunes:

1. "Santa Claus is Comin' to Town" - Bruce Springsteen
2. "Father Christmas" - The Kinks
3. "Blue Christmas" - Elvis Presley
4. "Merry Christmas (I Don't Wanna Fight Tonight)" - The Ramones
5. "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) - U2 (originally by Darlene Love)
6. "Fairytale of New York" - The Pogues with Kirsty MacColl
7. "Run Rudolph Run" - Chuck Berry
8. "Happy Xmas (War is Over)" - John Lennon
9. "Do They Know It's Christmas" - BandAid
10. "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" - John Mellencamp
11. "Christmastime" - Smashing Pumpkins

Plus A Few More

"Christmas" - Blues Traveler
"Christmas Time is Here Again" - The Beatles (not on Spotify, but found here)
"Christmas All Over Again" - Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
"Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" - The Smithereens
"Mistress for Christmas" - AC/DC
"Step Into Christmas" - Elton John

The Films of 1999, or at least the ones I saw (a.k.a. stuck on a bus for 8 hours)

I'm presently stopped in Toledo, waiting for the Greyhound I took out of Cleveland--after seeing my beloved Cubs play in two World Series games against the Indians--to resume its approx. 8-hour trek to Chicago.

Thinking about the Chicago Film Discussion Group's next Lunch Meetup this Sunday--normally I'd include a hyperlink but can't on the Blogger app--on the topic of The Films of 1999, I decided to make a list of those I've seen (as best I can recall; I used the Wikipedia page on "1999 in Film" as my point of reference).

Anyway, this certainly won't make for the most scintillating blog post, and I can't add any graphics from the road, but some planning to attend Sunday's Meetup may enjoy perusing my list.

All the Movies From 1999 That I've Seen

10 Things I Hate About You

8mm

American Beauty 

American Pie

Analyze This

Any Given Sunday

Anywhere But Here

At First Sight

Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me

The Bachelor

Being John Malkovich

Big Daddy

The Blair Witch Project

The Bone Collector

Bowfinger

Boys Don't Cry

Bringing Out the Dead

Brokedown Palace

The Cider House Rules

Detroit Rock City

Dogma

Double Jeopardy 

Drop Dead Gorgeous

Ed TV

Election

Entrapment

Eye of the Beholder

Eyes Wide Shut

Fight Club

For the Love of the Game

GalaxyQuest

The General's Daughter

Girl, Interrupted 

Go

The Green Mile

Holy Smoke

The Hurricane

The Insider

(not Magnolia)

Man on the Moon

The Matrix

The Mummy

The Muse

Notting Hill

Office Space

Payback

Pushing Tin

Runaway Bride

She's All That

The Sixth Sense

Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace

Summer of Sam

The Talented Mr. Ripley

Tea With Mussolini (I think)

The Thomas Crown Affair

Three Kings

Toy Story 2

Two Girls and a Guy

The World is Not Enough

My Favorite 11

1. Fight Club

2. The Matrix

3. Being John Malkovich 

4. The Insider

5. Toy Story 2

6. The Sixth Sense

7. American Beauty

8. The Hurricane

9. Notting Hill

10. Boys Don't Cry

11. The Green Mile

Plus a few more 

The General's Daugher

Girl, Interrupted 

10 Things I Hate About You

Man on the Moon

Eyes Wide Shut

Election

Analyze This