'Helter Skelter' in a Summer Swelter: Paul McCartney Still Burns Bright on a Hot Day's Night -- Milwaukee Concert Review

Concert Review

Paul McCartney
Miller Park, Milwaukee
July 16, 2013
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"Can't Buy Me Love," "Penny Lane," "Good Day Sunshine," "Getting Better," "Drive My Car," "The Night Before," "Magical Mystery Tour," "Got to Get You Into My Life," "I'm Down," "Hello, Goodbye," "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band," "She Came in Through the Bathroom Window," "The Fool on the Hill."

These are all songs Paul McCartney didn't play Tuesday night at Milwaukee's Miller Park (or at any stops on his 2013 Out There tour, which have all featured virtually the same setlist). Not touring in support of a new album, Macca also included just one song from the past 30 years--2012's "My Valentine," written for current wife Nancy Shevell--meaning he notably ignored the six rather solid records he's released over the last 16 years (including one as The Fireman).

I say this not as a complaint but as an indication of just how impossible it would be for Sir Paul to play everything his fans--including many know-every-lyric-of-every-song Beatlemaniacs--might want to hear, even over the course of a 38-song, nearly 3-hour perfomance.

Having now seen McCartney--or the imposter that has been fooling the world since before I existed--9 times (first in 1989 but all the rest since 2002, including 5 shows in the last 4 years), I've at some point seen and heard him do all the songs I listed at top.

But not only does his current setlist remain a (presumably most of the) crowd-pleasing mix of Beatles classics and Wings/solo cuts from the '70s, it was particularly pleasing for the 6 songs he's never played live before this tour.

That's not to say "Eight Days a Week," "Another Day," "All Together Now," "Lovely Rita," "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite" and "Your Mother Should Know," were the only tunes I relished hearing.

Though he always plays "Hey Jude," "Band on the Run," "Let It Be," "Live and Let Die," "Back in the USSR," "Yesterday" and others, in much the same manner with the same visual accoutrements (and/or shtick), I'd actively miss most of them if not played. And I realize these mega-tunes especially need to be included for any first-time attendees (considerably more likely in Milwaukee, where Macca hasn't played since 1993).

I also enjoyed the healthy sprinkling of some of his best work with Wings, including "Junior's Farm," "Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five" and "Mrs. Vanderbilt."

But in mining his glorious past even deeper--and I'm not readily convinced there is anyone alive now who is more likely to be relevant and revered 200 years hence--the legendary Liverpudlian did more than just justify my seeing him yet again.

The performance in full--with the same stellar band Paul has toured with throughout this century, and his voice & energy still strong at 71--plus the attraction of the 6 newly unearthed setlist gems as well as other infrequent treasures like "We Can Work It Out," "I've Just Seen a Face," "And I Love Her" and "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" served to make it well worth shlepping to Milwaukee, getting home after 3AM and some even more irksome issues.

I've frequently attended events in Milwaukee and the drive up this time--accompanied by my friend Paolo and sister Allison--was actually rather easy and fast. We were within a half mile of the parking lots surrounding Miller Park (where the Brewers play) a good hour before the 8pm ticketed showtime.

But due to the worst-managed event parking influx I've ever encountered--there were no cops directing traffic nor even attendants guiding flow--we sat in the General Parking queue for over an hour, only to finally reach the lot entrance (with plenty of spaces clearly still available) and see an attendant holding a sign saying "Pass Holders Only."

WTF?

At which point we were directed to "go drive down that street and find a space," and wound up getting one of the few remaining spots. We didn't wind up having to pay anything, but I gladly would have to have avoided the hassle (though getting out proved to consequentially be rather simple).

We got to our seats--cheap ones high up behind home plate with the stage in center field--at 8:30pm, happy that Paul wouldn't actually start playing 'til about a quarter of 9.

With Miller's retractable roof open, it was an uncomfortably steamy and sweaty night. And from our distant vantage point the sound was a bit soft and, for awhile, badly mixed.

But from the show-opening strains of "Eight Days a Week," singing along with Sir Paul--who remains one of the best concert performers around and not just due to his astonishing catalog--was so much fun, this day tripper would happily do it again tomorrow.

If I wasn't seeing Pearl Jam at Wrigley Field--and Paul wasn't already off to Seattle with his band on the run.

Maybe I'm easily amazed, but the night before yesterday, the greatest living rock 'n roll musician once again demonstrated that as my (ob-la-di, ob-la-da) life goes on, he continues to make it better better better better better better... 

(And yes, per my post title, he did play "Helter Skelter.")
--
Here's a YouTube clip of "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite" posted by zoothorn99:

Even With Powerful Performances, 'Belleville' Isn't a Ringing Success -- Chicago Theater Review

Theater Review

Belleville

a play by Amy Herzog

directed by Anne Kauffman

Steppenwolf Theater, Chicago

Thru August 25, 2013
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Kate Arrington is a beautiful actress I've often enjoyed watching onstage at Steppenwolf Theatre, where she is an ensemble member.

She is truly terrific in Belleville, a recent play by Amy Herzog, a talented writer whose After the Revolution I enjoyed last year at Next Theater in Evanston.

Playing Zack, husband to Arrington's Abby, Cliff Chamberlain--who I've also seen numerous times--is also very good, as are Belleville's two other cast members, Alana Arenas and Cliff Boykin.

The play is based in Paris and its set design is that of a rather impressive apartment in the City of Lights' Belleville neighborhood.

The Tribune's theater critic Chris Jones--who I generally trust--gave Belleville a rather positive review, and promotional blurbs refer to Hitchcockian-like suspense.

Photo Credit on all: Michael Brosilow / Steppenwolf.org

But even with all that going for the play, I left the approximately 100-minute piece--after a moderated postshow discussion--unconvinced of its true merits.

Now, though it doesn't make for much of a revelatory review, if you are going to see Belleville--and while I can't really rave about the show in full, Arrington's performance and Steppenwolf's production values well-merit the $20 day-of-show discount ticket I was able to acquire--you are probably better off having no advance knowledge of anything that happens in it.

So all I will share, and basically have already, is that Zack and Abby are recently married expatriate Americans living in Belleville. Alouine (Boykin) is Zack's friend, but also the landlord, and he is married to Amina (Arenas, a Steppenwolf ensemble member).

The play begins somewhat grippingly, but then seems to pretty much simmer for the next hour. This slow boil reminded me of some great Hitchcock thrillers, but what winds up happening never quite reaches that level of mastery.

I'll refrain from any specifics--though would be happy to discuss Belleville if you see it--but part of the problem for me is that both Arrington and Chamberlain pretty convincingly play two people I really didn't like.

I assume this is quite a testament to their acting ability, but I'd rather get a fulfilling play--even if not a heartwarming one--than merely a technical exercise.

Though I never quite sensed the right amount of bristling tension, Herzog's script sets up a variety of
intriguing possibilities. Yet I found myself unsatisfied where things wind up, and even a bit puzzled as Herzog seems to throw in a MacGuffin or two.

Particularly because of the performances and the scenery, Belleville is far from unwatchable; although I wasn't entirely captivated or convinced, I was never bored. 

So, especially with Steppenwolf's generous discount offers, I am not telling you not to see it. It could well be a high-quality work that I just didn't properly appreciate. 

But with hopes that Belleville will toll a bit better for thee, I can't quite give it a ringing endorsement.

Dan Brown's 'Inferno' Isn't Bad, but Doesn't Truly Catch Fire -- Book Review

Book Review

Inferno

by Dan Brown

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I admittedly don't read enough--of anything, but especially great literature--to be a reliable arbiter of what makes a truly exemplary novel.

For me, a good book is any that I'm able to get through from start to finish. Which primarily means thrillers from the likes of Harlan Coben, Lee Child and Linwood Barclay.

This isn't to say that the myriad started-and-stopped biographies strewn around my condo aren't good, nor that never having made much headway with The Corrections or Infinite Jest should be taken as a critical assessment of those acclaimed tomes.

But given my penchant for mysteries and thrillers, whenever one has gone beyond bestseller to become a ubiquitous part of the popular zeitgeist, I've been compelled to read along.

Of course, this has only happened three times in my recollection, with John Grisham's The Firm (which inspired me to read most of his works until recently), Stieg Larsson's The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (I read both sequels as well) and Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code.

Although the latter was one of the rather rare novels I've bought in hardcover, I didn't read it on its first wave of popularity but after there were stories regaling how popular it was.

I enjoyed it. Whether it was as good as all the hoopla that came to surround it, who knows, but it was a pretty strong thriller, and as a world traveler I appreciated all the art and history Dan Brown wove in.

I subsequently read and liked Brown's Angels & Demons, which centers around the same character as Da Vinci Code (Robert Langdon) and may even be better, as well as the much awaited Da Vinci follow-up, 2009's The Lost Symbol.

I also enjoyed the author's two non-Langdon novels, Digital Fortress and Deception Point, which are both satisfying thrillers.

Which brings me to Inferno, Brown's latest novel--also featuring Robert Langdon, an art historian and symbologist--one that I wasn't aware was on its way until I saw a thousand copies at Barnes & Noble.

Particularly as I was going on a trip, during which a good thriller can be good company, I opted to download the Kindle version of Inferno, which I could read on my iPhone.

Although I didn't begin reading it until my journey home, over the last couple weeks I have been flipping its virtual pages with continue interest if not rapt fervor. As referenced above, just by virtue of getting through its 465 pages, I'd call Inferno a decent read, but I think it's the weakest of Brown's efforts to date.

If you've read and enjoyed Da Vinci Code / Angels & Demons / The Lost Symbol, there's no reason to avoid this one, though waiting for it to become available at your local library (even in digital form) or in paperback should suffice. If you haven't read any of the others, it shouldn't hamper your understanding or enjoyment, but this isn't where I'd start with Brown's oeuvre.

Though the suspense in Inferno, which leans on Dante's epic poem as a primary point of reference (don't worry if you've never read it; I haven't), is somewhat soft--without wanting to give anything away, Langdon finding himself in a precarious situation but escaping unscathed seems to endlessly reoccur--his overt use of setting and artistic landmarks remain fun.

As Langdon and his primary cohort in this one, a woman named Sienna Brooks, traipse through Florence in search of clues pertaining to Dante's Inferno and a modern-day threat to mankind, I frequently found myself accessing Wikipedia and Google Images to learn more about the places and artworks mentioned.

I'll leave the specifics unstated, but after beginning in Florence the action moves to two other historic cities, which furthered the art, architecture and history lesson.

Brown also weaves in an ethical debate of sorts about population control, and likely perils if the current birthrate isn't stemmed. 

So there is a good deal of value in Inferno, and in Brown as an author. But as opposed to, as I recall, Angels & Demons and The Da Vinci Code, which are first-rate thrillers and travelogues--though the movie versions are lame--Inferno kindled my interest, but never truly set me ablaze.

For Mass Consumption: What I Ate at the Taste of Chicago

Here's shocking news: I went to the Taste of Chicago today.

Yes, even though the Taste is smaller, shorter and a couple weeks later than it used to be, I still enjoy it, even if only for a single, sub-2 hour visit per year (at full bloom, I often went twice).

If you need a long preamble about my opinions on the Taste, and my dining strategies at it, please refer to my post about TOC from last year. Most of what I wrote then still holds true, and looking at it now, I ate some of the same things I did this year.

So while noting Phil Vettel's Taste Tips in the Tribune, which I largely heeded, here's a simple rundown of what I consumed for $24 = 36 Taste tickets:

Mongolian Beef Bao
from The Noodle Vietnamese
4 tickets
Rating: @@@@

Tortilla Encrusted Tilapia Taco with Tequila-Lime sauce and Red Pepper sauce 
from Carbon
4 tickets
Rating: @@@@@

Bhel Puri
from Bombay Spice
5 tickets
@@@@1/2

Chorizo, Frijoles and Cheese Empanada
from Beat Kitchen
5 tickets
Rating: @@@@

Rabbit Corn Dog
from Hearty Restaurant (a pop-up booth Wed/Thurs only)
5 tickets (Taste portion)
Rating: @@@@1/2

Mustard-Fried Catfish
from BJ's Market & Bakery
5 tickets
Rating: @@@@@

Watermelon 
from Dominick's
2 tickets
Rating: @@@@@

Chocolate Chip Crunch Dipper
from Eli's Cheesecake
6 tickets
Rating: @@@@1/2 (it seems to have shrunk from past years, yet costs more)

--
Just in case anyone important -- in a civic sense -- sees this post, here's my previously-created suggestion for a Chicago marketing postcard:  

Monday in the Park with Dawes Proves Rather Pleasing -- Chicago Concert Review

Concert Review

Dawes

w/ opener The Cairo Gang

Jay Pritzker Pavilion
Millennium Park, Chicago

July 8, 2013

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Over the last 5 years--let's say since the beginning of 2008--I have attended approximately 170 rock concerts.

Excepting opening acts and bands passively seen at festivals, until Monday night the sum total of shows seen by artists who had arisen during that span--i.e. released their first album in '08 or since--was: 1.

That was Fleet Foxes, and I wasn't even all that wowed by them.

Though I admittedly no longer enjoy standing room only venues or festivals, at which younger bands often perform, it isn't that I've consciously avoided checking out anyone new; I just haven't come across anyone I've been compelled to see (and yes, that statement includes Mumford & Sons, Bon Iver, Vampire Weekend and MGMT).

So although Free Admission was undeniably part of the draw that brought me to Millennium Park to see Dawes on Monday night, it is still somewhat notable that I took a flyer on the L.A. band despite not owning any of their three albums released since 2009. (see Dawes' page on AllMusic.com)

And it wasn't until the day before the show that I listened to much of their stuff on Spotify (see my concert prep playlist below).

My familiarity with Dawes largely stems from seeing them streaming live on YouTube during Lollapalooza and perhaps another festival. Though they didn't overexcite me--this was a few years back and I didn't buy their albums--they seemed pretty solid.

And they proved to be certainly worth checking out at the beautiful Pritzker Pavilion on a night when rain threatened but only brought a few (for me, welcome, given the humidity) drizzles.

Wikipedia describes Dawes--fronted by singer/lead guitarist Taylor Goldsmith, whose brother Griffin plays drums--as being "part of the Laurel Canyon sound, which often cites influences such as Crosby, Stills & Nash and Neil Young, among others."

As I was listening to them Monday, after having familiarized myself with songs from recent concert setlists, I sensed a blending of Neil Young and the Eagles (without scaling the heights of either), especially given their penchant for sweet harmonies. Taylor Goldsmith played some impressive guitar leads and the band rocks a step harder than "mellow," but they also remind a bit of other So Cal staples like Jackson Browne, and while not nearly as acerbic, Warren Zevon. Fans of Wilco might also find something similar to like in Dawes.

"From a Window Seat," the first track from their new album, Stories Don't End, opened the show and sounded good, with Tay Strathairn's piano coming across vibrantly within the Pritzker's strong outdoor acoustics (I was able to get a seat in a front section of the unfilled seating area).

Other highlights to follow included "If I Wanted Someone," "Fire Away," "Someone Will," "Time Spent in Los Angeles," "From the Right Angle" and "When My Time Comes" (off their 2009 debut, North Hills), which had the crowd on its feet and singing along.

Despite being overdressed on an 80-some degree night in a long-sleeve flannel and jeans, Goldsmith proved amiable and appreciative in saying he couldn't imagine playing in "a more beautiful setting," and that this was the band's (which also includes Wylie Gelber on bass) largest crowd yet in Chicago, including their Lollapalooza appearance.

The show began at 6:30pm with about 45 minutes from Chicago-based The Cairo Gang, a rather multi-generational band with members seemingly ranging from their early 20's to late 50's. They sounded pretty good if a bit repetitive (the first song had a nice Velvet Underground type of vibe, but the rest seemed to share the same drumbeat) and I certainly didn't mind hearing them.

But I think they were unnecessary given that Dawes played about 7 fewer songs in Chicago than at recent tour stops--and no encores--with Goldsmith noting the need to abbreviate their set.

While I'm impressed and appreciative that the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events
was able to book a band like Dawes--not huge, but garnering airplay on WXRT and making a bit of a name for themselves--for a free "Downtown Sound" concert, given that the headliners were clearly who fans had come to see, shortening their set due to an opening act seems a bit silly.

Looking at recent Dawes setlists, covers of Bob Seger's "We've Got Tonight" and the Traveling Wilburys' "End of the Line," seem to be staples and I would've liked to have heard them. But they were dropped in favor of a full set of originals, and even a bit fewer of those were played in the band's 75 minutes onstage

Still, I liked what I heard, and while I would've been happy with a bit more, it likely wouldn't have upped my @@@@ rating (out of 5). At this point, Dawes isn't a historic band, nor even likely a truly great one. But they're very good and working their way up, which is more than I can say for other contemporary acts of which I'm aware.

I wouldn't even mind seeing them again, and not just for free.

---
Here's a bit of "From a Window Seat," that I shot; sorry for the blurriness. And beneath is a Spotify concert primer for Dawes that I compiled from recent setlists; not everything was played in Chicago, but most.

Oh-ee-Oh-ee-Oh: 'The Jungle Book' Musical Offers a Lot to Love -- Chicago Theater Review

Theater Review

The Jungle Book

a world premiere musical based on

the Disney animated film and the
stories by Rudyard Kipling

Directed by Mary Zimmerman

Goodman Theatre, Chicago

Thru August 11
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Although its source material is pretty famous, I went into the new Jungle Book musical without having read Rudyard Kipling's stories or seen the 1967 Disney film adaptation. 

If there was music I was supposed to be familiar with--beyond the "The Bare Necessities"--I wasn't. 

While I respect director Mary Zimmerman's high regard in theatrical circles, and enjoyed her Metamorphoses, I didn't much care for her take on the musical Candide at the Goodman. 

And the review from the local critic I most read, the Tribune's Chris Jones, was rather lukewarm, with a 2-1/2 star rating out of 4. 

Nonetheless, I found The Jungle Book to be a joy to watch--thanks in large part to a luscious set designed by Daniel Ostling--and, a few quibbles aside, rather terrific throughout. 

Centering around a boy named Mowgli (Akash Chopra), who is raised in the jungle by animals--embodied as anthromorphic beings--this Jungle Book isn't structured as a traditional Broadway musical, and while there is wonderful costuming by Mara Blumenfeld, it isn't quite as exquisite as The Lion King onstage. 

But while I felt there were a few spots where songs were needed but not delivered--most here came from
the Disney movie score by Richard & Robert Sherman--as opposed to what I gathered from Jones' review, there are several high-powered musical numbers given lavish productions by Zimmerman and choreographer Christopher Gattelli.

For whatever reason, there is no songlist in the program, so I can't provide many titles, but along with a fun take on "The Bare Necessities," led by Baloo the bear (Kevin Carolan), highlights included "Colonel Hathi's March," sung by an imaginatively-personified elephant herd, and first act closer "I Wanna Be Like You," delivered by King Louie (Andre De Shields) and his gang of monkeys.

With the latter two composed by the Sherman brothers, who wrote Mary Poppins and other Disney faves--"The Bare Necessities," also from the film, is by Terry Gilkyson, an American folk singer--the songs that are presented are melodically strong even on a first listen. In other words, this isn't just a visual feast, but a satisfying musical for the most part, even if (especially in the first act) a couple newly written songs could be beneficial for the musical pacing, including perhaps one along the lines of "We Are All Worth Remembering" sung by one of the elephants.

10-year-old Akash Chopra as Mowgli is rather impressive in being onstage for nearly the entire show, but understandably doesn't have the dramatic range to impart any overt sense of personal growth from beginning to end. So the idea of Mowgli's jungle adventure being a metaphorical rite of passage is somewhat softly conveyed. (I have to assume bringing in an older Mowgli later in the show was considered and dismissed, but it would seem to have some merit.)

But in terms of what's wrong with this world premiere production, that's about it: a couple more songs could help, a terrific kid actor isn't quite Brando and the show isn't as good as The Lion King or some other legendary musicals.

Yet Zimmerman--who also penned the musical's book--and her collaborators (including musical director Doug Peck), have created a lavish new work that should do well when it presumably moves to Broadway.

Perhaps it's better in its overall theatricality than as a crackerjack musical that will sustain itself beyond the outstanding original production values contributed to by a collaboration with Disney, but all 120 minutes I saw at the Goodman kept me engaged, with Ostling's buoyant floral backdrop and vibrant flooring worth the price of admission in itself (at least at subscriber rates).

And along with the East Indian flavoring of musical score and a good deal of the show's gestalt, the performances are tremendously pleasing.

Particularly firs-rate are Carolan (as Baloo), De Shields (both King Louie and Akela), Larry Yando (Shere Khan, the tiger who has his fangs set on Mowgli) and Usman Ally, who like he was recently in Oklahoma at the Lyric Opera, is wonderful here as Bagheera, a panther who serves as Mowgli's primary protector.

Most in the audience on Sunday night--including many children--seemed to greatly enjoy The Jungle Book, even if it's a bit different from the Goodman's normal fare. Midway through, I was gauging it at @@@@ (out of 5), but by the end, the ebullient show convinced me that another 1/2@ was in order.

Tickets seem to be selling well, with sparse selection on a few dates I just checked. So not only may it be hard to get a ticket, it can be rather expensive (a single prime ticket to some performances costs nearly as much as my 5-show Sunday night subscription). But there looks to be decent availability in August, and if you are willing to wait until the day of show, available seats can be had for half price or less through Goodman's discount offers.

No matter what age you are, if you love musical theater, I suggest you try to get to this. It's a pretty impressive show to be bowing in Chicago, which seems to quite justly be bestowing a warm Welcome to The Jungle Book.

--
Given my title of this post, I felt compelled to look up this song; pretty good version from just a month ago. 

Fashionable Exhibit Paints Pretty Impressive--If Not Entirely Impressionistic--Picture -- Art Exhibition Review

Édouard Manet, La Parisienne, 1875

Art Exhibition Review

Impressionism, Fashion and Modernity
The Art Institute of Chicago
Thru September 22
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Exhibit website 
 
As someone who has visited well over 100 art museums around the world, it is with a rather small amount of acknowledged homerism that I say the Art Institute of Chicago has one of the very best collections of Impressionism--and Post-Impressionism, as per Seurat's pointillist masterpiece, A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte--anywhere in the world.

Two other museums about which the same can certainly be said are the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Musee d'Orsay in Paris.

So it would serve to reason that an impressionism exhibition organized by these three prestigious institutions would be pretty impressive. And Impressionism, Fashion and Modernity certainly is, even beyond the art contained within.

While I highly recommend the exhibit to anyone who finds themselves in Chicago before September 22--note the free admission opportunities provided to Bank of America customers on the first weekend of every month--if you only have two hours to spend in the Art Institute, you're apt to find a greater swath of amazing impressionist works in the general collection. (The same is also true in the Met and Musee d'Orsay, where this exhibit previously ran.)

Édouard Manet, Woman Reading, 1879/80

But especially as exhibit entrance is included in the museum's general admission fee, and at least three of the Art Institute's greatest impressionist works--La Grande Jatte, Caillebotte's Paris Street, Rainy Day and Renoir's Woman at the Piano--are currently displayed as part of the special exhibit, it is well worth any part of your time you can allocate.

"The latest fashion...is absolutely necessary for a painting. It's what matters most."
-- Édouard Manet, 1881 (posted on the first wall of the exhibit galleries)

Even for those who don't truly have a passion for fashion--uh, me--Impressionism, Modernity and Fashion showcases an impressive array of artists, paintings and accompanying dresses.

For example, the exhibit--which does not allow photography; the picture below is from this article by Jill Krementz about the Met showing--complements Claude Monet's Madame Louis Joachim Gaudibert, from 1868, with a similar ensemble nearby.

Interestingly, this and other early Monet works that are included actually seem to pre-date his foray into impressionism; they are much more realistic than his art would become.

And while are several shining examples of impressionism as I perceive it--by Monet, Manet, Renoir, Cassatt and Caillebotte, among others--the artist best represented, both by number of works and, arguably, collective quality, is James Tissot, who while depicting Parisienne fashions in the exhibit's 1860's-1880's epoch, cannot be considered an impressionist.

But he painted pretty pictures, several of which are included in the exhibition (a few of which I'll show below).

Yet what makes this exhibit especially appealing, as I referenced above, is the way it's put together beyond the artworks themselves.

Every work of art in the show is accompanied by a placard that not only gives the artist and title, but a concise yet informative description of the work. In many exhibitions, only selected works get this treatment.

Albert Bartholomé, In the Conservatory (Madame Bartholomé), ca. 1881

Beyond the dresses, other complementary materials--such as fashion plates (essentially advertisements) and magazines in which they ran, accompanied by a notation that they served as points of reference for Monet and Cezanne--are excellent.

So are the galleries themselves, which try to match the types of fashions contained within. For example, the room that showcases portraits of people outdoors has faux-grass flooring, park benches and the sound of birds chirping.

And while most of the clothes are merely representative of those depicted in the paintings, a portrait by Albert Bartholomé of his wife--In the Conservatory (Madame Bartholomé), ca. 1881--is paired with the exact dress she wore, which he preserved after her premature death.

Thus, while some--uh, me--might prefer the Art Institute's Van Gogh masterpieces and even Monet's paintings of haystacks, water lilies and the Japanese bridge to some of the pictures in the Impressionism, Fashion and Modernity exhibit, the wonderfully-curated show is a rather remarkable work of art in itself.

So try to get to it, even if you have to hustle and, uh, bustle.

For those who can't, in addition to some highlights I'll include below, you may wish to reference the Art Institute exhibition page, the much more thorough Metropolitan Museum of Art exhibit section and the article about the New York run referenced above.

And particularly because I found several of the artwork images upon it, wikipaintings.org is a great website to know about for anyone who loves art.

---

Edgar Degas, Sulking, 1870

Claude Monet, Camille, 1866

Pierre Auguste-Renoir, The Loge, 1874

Renoir, The Swing, 1876

Henri Fantin-Latour, Portrait of Édouard Manet, 1867

Henri Gervex, Rolla, 1878

Henri Guérard, The Assault of the Shoe, 1888. An etching done after the death of his wife, Eva Gonzalès,
whose paintings of pink slippers are included in the exhibition.

James Tissot, Portrait of Mademoiselle L.L., 1864

Tissot, Evening, 1878

Tissot, Portrait of the Marquise de Miramon, 1866
Accompanying the painting was a piece of the actual peignoir depicted:

 

Tissot, The Circus Lovers, 1885

Monet, Luncheon on the Grass (left panel), 1865–66

Gustave Caillebotte, Paris Street, Rainy Day, 1877

Caillebotte, Le Pont de l"Europe, 1876

Georges Seurat, A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, 1886