Fleetwood Mac 'Don't Stop' Delighting on the Christine McVie Comeback Tour -- Chicago Concert Review

Concert Review

Fleetwood Mac
United Center, Chicago
October 3, 2014 (also played 10/2)
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On Thursday, the night before I saw Fleetwood Mac at the cavernous United Center, I saw Robert Plant--of Led Zeppelin, one of my five favorite rock acts of all-time--at the relatively intimate Riviera Theatre.

That rapturous show left me absolutely euphoric--see my review here--but also got me home at 12:30am following some late-night CTA delays, and a 3-block walk to my car in the rain.

So working on just 5 hours of sleep, I was crazy tired but nonetheless felt compelled to have a couple of beers at a post-work Social Hour before taking the bus to the UC.

For both me and my friend Paolo, this would be our 3rd concert in 4 nights, and 4th in seven. Opting for the cheapest possible way in, our tickets were for seats in the very last row of the top level behind the stage.

While I am a longtime Fleetwood Mac fan--after the Eagles' Hotel California, their 1977 Rumours was the first zeitgeist album of my conscious awareness (Saturday Night Fever would soon follow), and I even had a FMac poster on my bedroom wall at one point--and am happy that Christine McVie is back in the fold after 17 years away, I am more so a fan of Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks, who we had seen on a Fleetwood Mac tour in the same venue just 18 months previously.

I have also seen Fleetwood Mac--whose two other "classic lineup" stalwarts are Mick Fleetwood and John McVie--twice more over the past 11 years, and Buckingham on his own once during that time.

Christine's return would allow for the reappearance of a few songs with her on lead vocals, but the band hasn't created a full new album in any guise since 2003's Say You Will.

So if there was ever a concert that might suffer due to comparison, personal exhaustion, repetition and lousy seats, this would seemingly be it.

But the first miracle happened even before the show started.

Likely selecting us because we had the worst seats in the house, a guy named Mike randomly came up to us and--with an explanation I still don't fully understand--offered to exchange two 100-level seats, for which he paid $189 each, with ours, wanting nothing in return. (He didn't sit in our seats, but just needed the ticket stubs; I feared some kind of scam, but it's not like we couldn't have returned to the top deck if need be.)

Although our new seats were technically further from the stage than our old ones, the vantage point was much better and the straightaway perspective was perfect.

With no opening act, the celebrated quintet came onstage at 8:15--with a pair of both additional musicians and backup singers blended into the background--and launched into their longstanding ode to brotherhood (and sisterhood), "The Chain."

Hopefully, even with Christine McVie back onstage with the band, the world will be safe from galactic catastrophe, as back in December 2012 when asked by Rolling Stone about the possibility of merely a McVie guest spot, Stevie Nicks was quoted as saying:

"There's no more a chance of that happening than an asteroid hitting the earth. She is done."

But, as Christine herself told Rolling Stone this past May, "It was an epiphany because I suddenly knew I wanted to join the band again. ... I just thought, "I got to go for it. I can’t just sit here in the country rotting away. I have to do something, and something special.""

Nicks, Buckingham and Fleetwood all spoke onstage about how happy they were to have Christine back with them, and despite being diagnosed and treated for cancer last year, her ex-husband John McVie was steady as a rock on bass all night, continuing a 47-year-run in the band named for him and Fleetwood.

So it was appropriate, touching and musically mirthful that a Christine McVie written and sung song, "You Make Loving Fun" followed "The Chain."

Several more of her songs, including "Everywhere," "Say You Love Me," "Over My Head" and "Little Lies" did well to spotlight how integral her contributions have been--and did much to distinguish this year's Mac tour from 2013's and other 21st century outings.

Yet while I very much like McVie's songs, and even more so those of Nicks (who, as I noted to Paolo, may well be the most iconic extant female rock vocalist)--including "Dreams," "Rhiannon," "Gypsy" and "Gold Dust Woman"--I was again reminded just how much I love Lindsey Buckingham as a singer, songwriter and guitarist. 

His considerable gifts in all three regards were in ample display.

Along with his "Second Hand News," "Never Going Back Again" and "Go Your Own Way" from Rumours--9 of that disc's 11 songs were performed--I especially enjoyed hearing the rollicking "I Know I'm Not Wrong" from Tusk, which I only really know because Buckingham spotlighted it during the solo show of his I saw in 2006.

Though the night featured a clear rotation of Lindsey songs, Stevie songs and Christine songs, unlike tours past I didn't note any obvious tension among the band members--particularly Buckingham and Nicks, perhaps rock's most storied former lovers. 

Stevie & Lindsey's tandem "Landslide" (video below) felt especially touching, while more collective group numbers like "Tusk," "World Turning" and "Don't Stop" sounded ebullient.

Even back when the bandmates were notoriously feuding and/or merely tolerating each other for a sizable payday, Fleetwood Mac has never been less than  enjoyable in concert, due to their prideful professionalism and plethora of great songs.

But whether talk of continuing collaboration (past this tour) and rejuvenated kinship proves true or not, at least for this night I believed in the harmony.

That said, near-the-end extended takes on Nicks' "Gold Dust Woman" and Buckingham's "I'm So Afraid" were clear highlights while showcasing how collaboration and competition have long gone hand-in-hand within Fleetwood Mac.

This was further illustrated as Lindsey's written-about-Stevie "Go Your Own Way" ended the main set, while Stevie's written-for-Rumours-but-left-off rebuttal "Silver Springs" (which was resurrected during The Dance reunion tour) finished off the first trio of encores rather than the more obvious "Don't Stop."

Though it was far from the most buoyant way to end a concert, there was an appreciative grace to Christine McVie returning to the stage, alone, for a rendition of "Songbird"; she was eventually accompanied by Buckingham on guitar, and the rest of the band came out for bows.

All in all, it was a superb concert that featured 24 really good to truly wonderful songs by a band that seems newly reinvigorated in their late 60s. While it didn't leave me quite as ecstatic as the Robert Plant show the night before, I couldn't imagine it being much better than it was.

And it really didn't suffer by point of comparison; I just like Led Zeppelin better than Fleetwood Mac, but the latter more than almost any current band (save perhaps Arcade Fire, live).

So although the full houses of fans largely much younger and hipper than me that loved the Black Keys at the UC last weekend may never believe it, the five old farts in Fleetwood Mac not only played an hour longer than the Keys, but IMHO--and Paolo's--they were infinitely better in every regard.

And I liked the Black Keys show.

As Mick Fleetwood exclaimed in somewhat an unnecessary monologue after the music ended (Nicks had one too):

"The Mac is back!"

Fully.

---

Below is video I shot of "Landslide"; sorry for the parts where Paolo and I sing along.

Whole Lotta Love...and then Some for Robert Plant as He Blisters the Riv with Past, Present Glories -- Chicago Concert Review

Concert Review

Robert Plant 

and the Sensational Space Shifters

w/ opening act The Last Internationale

Riviera Theatre, Chicago

October 2, 2014

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You know what makes me happy?

Well sure, great friends, righteous music and Led freakin' Zeppelin, all of which will factor into this review.

But one thing that always makes me really happy is seeing people who love what they do.

And who, in the process, bring joy to others--and seemingly themselves--for reasons far more holistic than materialistic.

Without pretending to know his exact reasoning, in seeing Robert Plant at Chicago's Riviera Theatre on Thursday night, I felt like I completely understood--and admired--why he has resisted much clamoring for a Led Zeppelin reunion tour, including from Jimmy Page himself (who along with John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham--son of drummer John Bonham, who's 1980 death ended the band's initial glorious run--has seemingly been ready to go since 2007).

Led Zeppelin, arguably the biggest band of the 1970s, has over-the-years had occasional one-off reunions of the three original members, the most recent in 2007 at London's O2 arena with Jason Bonham on drums.

As documented in the marvelous Celebration Day DVD and CD, the band was still a phenomenal live
act and, according Guinness World Records, the show generated the "Highest Demand for Tickets for One Music Concert."

Supposedly, 20 million ticket requests were submitted online for the approximately 20,000 available.

So it isn't just hardcore fandom hyperbole that suggests a Led Zeppelin reunion tour would be the highest grossing ever, likely generating over $1 billion if enough dates were booked.

But Plant has rebuffed all entreaties, and now touring with a musically and ethnically diverse band dubbed the Sensational Space Shifters, rather than selling out, say, 6 nights at Soldier Field with Led Zeppelin, on Thursday night he played the 2,500-capacity Riviera Theatre.

The show wound up being a sellout, but I was able to get tickets for me and my friend Paolo long after they initially went on sale.

But not only in his stage demeanor did Robert Plant not seem the least concerned about the millions he had foregone, he struck me as all the more blissful and contented for it.

Obviously set for life monetarily and still receiving plenty of adulation--as bestowed here by a crowd that, as several fans remarked upon, was demonstrably old--the man who became a rock 'n roll archetype at the age of 20 and is oft-regarded as the greatest lead singer in rock history just seems incredibly comfortable in his own skin at 66.

No, he can't wail away on the high notes as he did in 1971, but whatever his still supple and emblematic voice has lost in register is largely made up for by a richer depth and more inventive phrasing.

After a fine set by a New York-based band called the Last Internationale--notable for pretty, powerful singer Delila Paz, former Rage Against the Machine member Brad Wilk on drums and a strong political bent--Plant let the Sensational Space Shifters take the stage briefly before he ambled to the mic.

"Close the door, put out the light / 
You know they won't be home tonight"

With the opening of the 1973 Zeppelin classic, "No Quarter," it was clear we were in for a magical evening.

And a euphoric one, that included from me an obnoxious amount of air drumming, guitar playing and more random spasms.

Though I have seen Plant six previous times--including twice on late '90s tours with Page--and have heard him sing most of the Zeppelin stalwarts, there was something both holy and orgasmic about witnessing him deliver spectacular renditions of "Ramble On," "Going to California," "What Is and What Should Never Be," "Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You" and "Whole Lotta Love."

Given the diverse musicality with which Plant has long surrounded himself, and how stellar the true-to-their-name Senational Space Shifters were--members include West African musician Juldeh Camara, guitarists Skin Tyson and Justin Adams, drummer Dave Smith, keyboardist John Baggott and bassist Billy Fuller--it was hard to imagine the actual Zeppelin, now, sounding any more pleasing.

Not that I wouldn't be there in a heartbeat.

But "there" would undoubtedly be in the back rows of a stadium or at least an arena, while even in the balcony of the Riviera I was far closer to one of the greatest of rock legends than I should have been.

Making the acoustics, and the experience, all the more special.

But to focus simply on the Zeppelin material--a folksy encore version of "Nobody's Fault but Mine" rounded it out--would be a disservice to Plant and the choices and music he has made since then.

His latest album, Lullaby and...the Ceaseless Roar is excellent in a lower-key way, and it was truly a delight to hear several of its songs--"Poor Howard," "Rainbow," "Turn It Up," "Arbaden (Maggie's Baby)," "A Stolen Kiss" and the show-closing "Little Maggie"--complement the Zeppelin treasures and a few blues covers. (See the setlist for Robert Plant at the Riviera in Chicago here.)

As I noted to Paolo, in the context of quintessential classic rock singers and wunderkind musical genius guitarists, it's easy to think that--historically--Plant is to Page as The Who's Roger Daltrey is to Pete Townshend.

But with no disrespect meant to Daltrey, in Zeppelin Plant was far much more of a songwriting collaborator, and after the band's demise, Robert--unlike Roger--has had a rather distinguished solo career.

I can't say I acutely missed anything amidst a show that will rank among the best concerts of my year--and the one that likely fostered my most exuberant exhilaration in quite some time--but beyond the Zep classics and fine new tunes, it's almost a shame past solo gems like "Tall Cool One," "29 Palms," "Other Arms," "In the Mood" and "All the King's Horses" couldn't also illustrate how Plant has stood the test of time while constantly moving forward. (Check out my Solo Plant Spotify playlist.)

I think I've rambled on enough, and there's no way I can adequately convey how it felt to hear the "Dunnunt, dunnunt, de, dunt, dunt" mid-song guitar riff of "What Is and What Should Never Be" smacking me in the face or the epochal denouement of "Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You" blissfully blowing my head off.

But rock 'n roll--and life--doesn't get much better. Or, for me, more religious.

To quote Paolo in stealing back a word far too co-opted for superfluous mediocrity...

"It was epic." 

And in keeping with where I started, if Plant had decided to close the 90-minute show with "When the Levee Breaks" (given its "going to Chicago" refrain) or, as he did at a Taste of Chicago I heard but didn't attend last summer, my all-time favorite Zeppelin song, "Rock and Roll," or God forbid, "Stairway to Heaven" (which he only ever seems to sing under Led Zeppelin billing), my pants would have undoubtedly wound up rather sticky, yet there was something even fittingly cooler about his ending with a new song ("Little Maggie"), effusively expressing his appreciation to the adoring crowd and taking bows with the band.

This was a man doing what he loves, on his own terms.

And, aptly given the multiple stairways to our balcony perch at the Riv--which was absolutely sweltering, by the way--it was nothing short of heavenly.

---
The show was so sublime, I didn't want to miss much of it by shooting video. But here's a snippet I took of "Ramble On" to give you the idea:

As Main Attraction, Pianist Steve Nieve Keys Further Appreciation of Elvis Costello -- Chicago Concert Review

Concert Review

Steve Nieve

plays Elvis Costello

with special guest Tall Ulysse

City Winery, Chicago

September 30, 2014

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You can't really be a fan of rock music without a love of guitar, bass and drums.

But perhaps due to my fanaticism for Bruce Springsteen, and Born to Run being my all-time favorite album, I relish when rock songs abundantly feature piano.

Not surprisingly, the E Street Band's Roy Bittan has long been my favorite rock pianist--outside singing piano men like Elton John and Billy Joel--with Benmont Tench (of Tom Petty's Heartbreakers) and Craig Frost (of Bob Seger's Silver Bullet Band) being other great piano-playing sidemen.

Another of the very best is Steve Nieve, a constant collaborator of Elvis Costello's, dating back to joining the Attractions in 1977.

Tuesday night at a City Winery show of his own, Nieve told the story of his audition and selection after answering an ad while an 18-year-old student at the Royal College of Music in London.

To hear this and other anecdotes--including a charming one about selecting just the right Steinway piano to use on Costello's North album--was rather fascinating for longtime Elvis fanatics. I also liked learning that at the height of the London Punk era, both Costello and Nieve had an abiding love of ABBA.

And hearing the prodigiously fluent Nieve decorate Costello gems such as "Shipbuilding," "Accidents Will Happen" and "Veronica" with 88-key flourishes was even more of a joy.

Attending with my friend Paolo--an even bigger Elvis Costello fan--with tickets that were just $11 + fees thanks to a Goldstar discount for the undersold show, I didn't need much more than the above for it to be an enjoyable and worthwhile evening. Though we're still not sure how a drink and a burger each amounted to a $70+ tab.

After beginning the show with a non-Elvis piano piece of his own--"Muriel on the Beach," which Nieve noted was named for his wife--he played a few Costello interpretations alone before bringing a guest vocalist named Tall Ulysse on-stage.

The true-to-his-name lanky Frenchman accompanied Nieve on a nice version of Costello's most obvious piano-laden song, "Almost Blue," another of the night's clear highlights.

There was nothing unpleasant about anything else Ulysse or Nieve did--and I didn't arrive expecting merely Elvis' Greatest Hits on piano--but new songs written by one or both of the men onstage, a tune sung in French and some more obscure Costello works that neither Paolo or I recognized didn't emotionally enamor like the famous melodies.

As Nieve--who proved a rather engaging raconteur--proffered from the stage, in mounting a brief Steve Nieve Plays Elvis Costello tour, an artistic aim was to demonstrate that his longtime mate was not only a brilliant lyricist but a gifted melodicist.

This was certainly accomplished in part, but with as much time devoted to non- and obscure Costello songs as those readily familiar--and I own virtually every album Elvis has released, so don't just mean "Alison" or "Watching the Detectives"--I wasn't so much enlightened as simply entertained.

Nieve sounded terrific playing anything, but along with some more recognizable material, I would have appreciated being told what some of the less-obvious selections were. I actually asked Nieve to clue me in about one after the show; turned out it was "The Loved Ones."

Having seen Costello himself do a rather intimate solo show in June at which he did performed some beautiful piano-and-vocal renditions, this unique gig was--aptly, given Nieve's long and collaborative partnership--a fine accompaniment, but far from as scintillating throughout.

I was hoping for something a bit more akin to what classical pianist Christopher O'Riley has done with his interpretations of Radiohead songs: showcase known tunes in a new light to highlight the possibly deceptive melodic depth that was always there.

Although this show was openly promoted to primarily attact Elvis Costello devotees, I perceive--and even respect--that Steve Nieve wanted to do more than simply mine the best material that the man born Declan MacManus has put into the world.

But while we were sent out happily into the night with a fun audience singalong of "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding," I think Nieve strayed a bit too far from what would have been more obvious and--likely, for me--pleasing.

The Black Keys, Cage the Elephant Combine for a Solid, Not Quite Spectacular Arena Rock Show -- Chicago Concert Review

Concert Review

The Black Keys

w/ opening act Cage the Elephant

United Center, Chicago 

September 27 (2nd show on the 28th)

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Having seen the Black Keys at the UC on Saturday night, I can now say that I've seen the Black Keys, one of the relatively few contemporary rock acts I felt I should check out in concert.

And now I can cross them off that list.

To be fair, I haven't been the hugest fan of theirs, despite owning and generally liking their past 3 albums, which each contain a number of good if not life-changing songs.

But I was rather surprised when the Keys sold out the United Center in March 2012, not knowing that the Akron duo had risen to that level of popularity in an age when few newish rock acts do. 

I didn't attend that show, but was even more surprised when my friend, Ken--largely a fan of Eric Clapton, Neil Young, Jimi Hendrix, Buddy Guy and other exalted classic rock and blues artists--went with his daughter and reported being tremendously impressed with the Black Keys in concert.

So when singer/guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney--a.k.a. The Black Keys, abetted live by two additional musicians--booked the UC this year on their Turn Blue tour, I made a point of getting tickets. (They also filled the arena on Sunday night.)

Hoping that the live Keys would transcend their recorded material in a way that Arcade Fire has repeatedly (see this recent review), I was also excited by the specter of seeing Cage the Elephant. 

Thwarted from catching the Bowling Green, Kentucky-based band at a festival earlier this year due to a logistical entry-line nightmare, I had watched the live stream of their Chicago Lollapalooza appearance last month--and was very impressed.

So in entering the UC with my friend Paolo--with whom I've seen several stellar shows by longtime favorites, including Paul McCartney, Neil Young, Billy Joel, Bob Mould, Elvis Costello, Soundgarden, John Fogerty and Santana in recent months--I had high hopes for being dazzled by a couple bands that, along with Arcade Fire and the Killers, seemingly best hold the possibility of keeping good, old-fashioned rock 'n roll alive well-beyond the retirement of cherished geezers such as those mentioned in this long sentence, and others. 

But whereas I have seen all those artists multiple times, and will always hope to anytime they tour, in having now seen the Black Keys--as a headliner; my concert database reminded that I had seen them as an opening act in 2003 & '06--I think I'm good in having seen them...once.

Which isn't to imply they weren't enjoyable; they have enough decent songs, accompanied by impressive light and video effects, to satisfactorily fill 100 minutes.

The rather young crowd--and I was glad to see that so many high schoolers are still being indoctrinated to the rock concert experience--seemed to raucously love the Black Keys. 

I'm not here to tell them that the concert wasn't good, but especially in having seen so many of the greats, I can't say that the Black Keys were particularly special.

And they certainly didn't wow me on par with Arcade Fire.

It was definitely fun to hear several of the songs that rank among the Black Keys' best--"Gold on the Ceiling," "Howling for You," "Tighten Up," "Lonely Boy" and the new "Fever," "Weight of Love" and "Gotta Get Away" from Turn Blue.

There was nothing wrong with any of these renditions, nor those of other tunes filling out a 21-song setlist.

But the duo, and their songs, are sorely lacking in personality.

Too many of the tunes sounded too similar to all the others--also unlike Arcade Fire, the Black Keys don't seem to be deviating or growing all that much from album to album--and only the very best raised the excitement level.

Although Carney's drum kit was stage front alongside Auerbach, only the latter did any talking, which was rather perfunctory.

It would seem that an act that has risen from playing the Riviera to two sold-out UC gigs in less than 5 years might have some stories to tell or anecdotes to share, but Auerbach only offered base exhortations along the lines of "Let's go!"

And though several of their songs sound good, I couldn't help noting that there seems to be rather little depth, meaning or complexity to them, which became all the more apparent in hearing them en masse.

Unlike many of the artists I like more, I just didn't sense much soul, urgency, personal insight or societal topicality in all too many of the Keys' tunes.

So while their musicianship is impressive--they sonically filled the arena well--the kind of emotional engagement that characterizes most of the concerts I like best just never hit me in what was a solid, even strong, show but one that just felt far too by-the-book. (See the Black Keys United Center setlist for Saturday, September 27 here.)

As for Cage the Elephant, they reiterated my regard for them as one of the best--if not the best--rock bands consisting of members under the age of 35, but in no way made anyone (at least of my age) forget Led Zeppelin, U2, Pearl Jam or other truly great rock bands.

At the United Center, which they may well one day headline, Cage's 45-minute opening set was diminished by subpar amplification--i.e. they just weren't loud enough--and playing in front of a sparse crowd.

I wasn't as wowed as I was watching them at home during Lollapalooza, and while I knew all 11 songs they played enough to concur with Paolo that "they are a really good band," at this point I can't call Cage the Elephant a great one.

I appreciate that Matt Shultz is a high-energy lead singer who channels Mick Jagger and Iggy Pop--although his repeated bouts of crowd-surfing felt a bit gimmickry--and with comparable acoustics they may well have blown the Black Keys off the stage.

But to say that they're a really good rock band for this day and age is exactly the kind of qualified compliment it sounds like.

Without trying too hard, I could likely name at least 100, perhaps 200, rock artists whose best songs I would rather hear than anything Cage the Elephant has written so far.

So while "Spiderhead," "Aberdeen," "Back Against the Wall," "Shake Me Down," "Come a Little Closer" and others came off rather well at the UC, it wasn't as if they had me in a state of bliss.

Much like the Black Keys, Cage the Elephant gave me some hope that if I'm still in a condition to still go to rock concerts 10, 15 or 20 years hence, there may a smidgen of the hard rock genre left to see.

But it would be a whole lot cooler if a bunch of bands a whole lot better came along in the meantime.

In sum, this was a good concert for the youngsters, and--willing to take a flyer on almost anyone of note--Paolo and I had a decent enough time. But it wasn't one for the ages.

The Power of a Class Act: A Few Photos with Which to Say Farewell and Thank You, Paul Konerko

"I tried to show up and play as hard as I could for you. 

Sometimes it was good, sometimes it wasn't.

But the intent was always there. 

I did my best for you."

-- Paul Konerko
   Sept. 27, 2014

At a time when it seems almost every day brings news of an athlete--or even an entire league--doing something horribly wrong, it is particularly impressive to note how Paul Konerko has comported himself throughout his White Sox play career, which ends today.

Of course, his productivity and consistency have also been remarkable; you don't become a fan favorite, let alone a local legend, simply by being a good guy.

Barring any hit Sunday, 425 of Konerko's career homers have come in a White Sox uniform, out of 439 total.

"Paulie" had 13 seasons with at least 20 homers, with seven years over 30 and three of 39 or more.

His OPS--perhaps the most potent stat in measuring a player's offensive prowess--exceeded .900 four times and .840 eight others. PK's lifetime OPS of .841 ranks him just below Red Sox Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski, although it seems unlikely Konerko is destined for Cooperstown.

In an extended pre-game ceremony last night (full video here; well worth watching)--on what was declared Paul Konerko Day in the State of Illinois--it was announced that Konerko's uniform #14 will be retired by the White Sox and statue of Paulie was unveiled in the left field concourse, commemorating in bronze a golden moment White Sox fans will never forget:



Yet even as a White Sox fan who is also--unapologetically--even more so a Cubs fan, I have the utmost appreciation for Paul Konerko.

Not that I insist my sports heroes be complete choirboys on and off the field--some feisty flair and occasional non-harmful-to-others debauchery aren't terrible things--but Konerko has always been the epitome of the quiet, classy and graceful superstar. (As his speech last night further attests.)

Forget any crimes or controversies such as domestic battery charges, DUIs and steroid allegations; I can't even recall seeing Konerko so much as argue with an umpire, let alone fight with a teammate or say something noxious in a post-game interview.

Heck, even between the lines, the notoriously slow afoot Konerko has always been more steady than overt in demanding the attention of spectators.

I have attended at least a couple dozen games he has played with the White Sox, perhaps even a dozen or two more, yet I was hard-pressed to find many photos I had taken of him over the years. Even from the 2005 Victory Parade.

Part of this is likely because prior to being invited to several games over the past 5 years by my friend Dave, I never had very good seats or a camera with enough telephoto power, but to a degree, Konerko has been somewhat overshadowed by star teammates and/or new acquisitions such as Frank Thomas, Magglio Ordonez, Jim Thome and, this year, Jose Abreu.

He wasn't flashy, he just got the job done.

Quite well.

With nothing but class.

And that, along with all the homers and big moments, is something to admire and applaud.

Thanks, Paulie.

---
If you haven't seen the video Paul Konerko helped put together to thank the fans of Chicago, it's worth viewing here.

And here are just a few videos I did take, including from this past Thursday night. And one, the only semi-decent one I took, from the 2005 Parade. In a weird way, I think it captures what Paul Konerko was all about.   

PK and AJ

What a Pane in the Glass: Rueing the Impending Closure of Navy Pier's Smith Museum of Stained Glass

See article at ChicagoTribune.com

Navy Pier is perennially ranked as Chicago's #1 tourist attraction--with supposedly 9.2 million visitors each year--and was recently listed as the 26th most popular tourist destination worldwide.

I have no idea why.

Sure, the views offered of Lake Michigan are glorious, but not better than myriad other lakefront locales, and I've loved several productions at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater, but I doubt it accounts for a large percentage of tourists counted in the statistics.

Navy Pier isn't a bad place to take a walk and the Ferris Wheel offers a decent photo opportunity, but as I detailed in this Chicago Travel Guide, there are just many more compelling--and convenient--places in and around Chicago for people visiting this great city to visit.

Though its operators have seemingly been doing something right, despite the pier offering little more than overpriced chain restaurants (Bubba Gump, Margaritaville, etc.), a run-of-the-mill food court and mediocre gift shops, Navy Pier is now undergoing renovations that will supposedly bring more green space, additional food vendors and a hotel.

Personally, without meaning to endorse it as a means of municipal or personal financial salvation, I think they should turn most of the pier into a mega-casino.

As it is, the rehab project--timed to commemorate Navy Pier's 100th anniversary in 2016--is erasing the only thing I really liked on the pier, other than the Shakespeare Theater.

Though I have noted most other people obliviously rushing through it, perhaps presuming it to simply be a hallway, The Smith Museum of Stained Glass (Wikipedia) has been, since opening in 2000, one of the city's great hidden gems. At least among those offering great artistic beauty with no admission fee.

Particularly relevant to Chicago given the legacy of Louis Comfort Tiffany and the art glass windows of Frank Lloyd Wright, the easily-strollable galleries housed many beautiful panels of varying styles and eras. 

According to this Chicago Tribune article, the Smith Museum was offered a much smaller space within the renovated Navy Pier, but declined given the size of its impressive collection. It has not yet been revealed if the pieces will be displayed elsewhere, but it is said to be unlikely they will all be exhibited together.

Full closure of the Smith Museum of Stained Glass will happen by mid-October, but it seems that many of the pieces have already been taken down by conservationists.

The adjacent Richard H. Driehaus Gallery of Stained Glass Windows--which houses 11 Tiffany windows and a fire screen--was a seamless accompaniment to the Smith Museum collection and will remain in place on the pier, at least for now.

So if anyone goes to Navy Pier for whatever reason, and can't help thinking, "Is this all there is?" you'll still be able to find some cultural enrichment deep within the pier's indoor underbelly.

Just not nearly as much.

These are just a few examples of what you'll be missing:

(Note: some photos may be of pieces in the Dreihaus Gallery that might remain visible)

Admirable Performances Amidst Trying Times Can't Quite Lift 'Women on the Verge of Nervous Breakdown' -- Chicago Theater Review

Theater Review

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
A Recent Musical
Book by Jeffrey Lane
Music & Lyrics by David Yazbek
Based on the film by Pedro Almodóvar
Directed by William Pullinsi
Thru October 12
@@1/2

If ever there was a local theatrical production I really wanted to love, or at least substantively like, it is Theatre at the Center's current staging of Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, the musical.

This isn't due to a deep affinity for the 1988 movie by Pedro Almodóvar, as I've never seen it (although I have seen and liked a number of other films by the famed Spanish director).

And although I have long enjoyed several productions at the venue in Munster, IN--including their recent world premiere of The Beverly Hillbillies musical--neither was I overly intrigued by the first Chicago area rendition of a show that flopped on Broadway despite a sensational cast that included Patti LuPone, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Sherie Rene Scott, Laura Benanti and other decorated performers.

I've liked both of composer/lyricist David Yazbek's previous high-profile screen-to-stage musical adaptations--The Full Monty and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels--but not enough for the expectation of an exceptional score to be a major lure.

And while I was delighted to be invited to Press Night--albeit on Sunday afternoon--and was glad to note the inclusion of several actors I've seen and enjoyed numerous times, this also does not quite explain why I hoped to convey that I found the show itself to be exemplary.

Because unarguably, the dedication, effort and perseverance of all involved is remarkable, in light of the car accident that took the life of cast member Bernie Yvon--long one of my favorite local performers--on his way to a rehearsal.

As attested to by beautiful stories shared at a post-show remembrance reception, Yvon was much loved and admired by the cast and throughout the Chicago theater community.

Based on the 10+ works I've seen him in, including the recent Beverly Hillbillies, I am fairly certain I would have acutely enjoyed seeing him in this show.

But on Saturday, September 6--the same day that news broke about the death of a local actress named Molly Glynn in a freak weather-related accident--Yvon died tragically just minutes from Theatre at the Center in Munster.

Bernie Yvon

With as much local theater as I go to, a feeling of fond familiarity exists for a number of oft-seen performers--despite never having met almost any of them--and Yvon's death hit me hard.

So I can't even imagine the profound sense of grief, sorrow, loss and longing among all who knew him, and especially his Women on the Verge castmates for whom the routine of rehearsing and presenting a new show was forever rendered relatively inconsequential.

And yet, as has conceivably been uttered for as long as the theater arts have existed, the show must go on.

George Andrew Wolff--who spoke eloquently at the reception afterward about his long friendship and frequent collaborations with Yvon--stepped the role of a Taxi Driver (who serves as a narrator) quite admirably, especially as this is far from a classic show that everyone knows.

A longtime favorite local actress of mine, Cory Goodrich, is excellent in the lead role of Pepa--the suddenly ex-mistress of Ivan, played by the perennially good Larry Adams.

The always resplendent Summer Naomi Smart certainly is here as Candela, a model who is Pepa's best friend, and another terrific Chicagoland star, Hollis Resnik, is fun as Ivan's ex-wife Lucia, who delivers one of the show's best musical numbers--"Invisible"--with plenty of panache.

Dina DiCostanzo, Collette Todd and Nathan Gardner are also worthy of mention among a talented, attractive and appealing cast.

I extend my highest regard and deepest sympathies to all of them, as well as director William Pullinsi and everyone involved in staging the show in such trying times.

Unfortunately, despite several excellently-sung renditions of tunes that suggest Yazbeck's deft professionalism but didn't quite dazzle on a first hearing, I didn't particularly like the show in full.

Songs like "Lie to Me" sung by Goodrich & Adams, "Time Stood Still" and "Invisible" delivered by Resnik and "Tangled" by Wolff and the ensemble were enjoyable enough in their own right, but the full score, characters and storyline just didn't engage or delight me as I would have hoped, and I found myself rather befuddled by the whole thing.

Especially as I haven't seen the source movie, I won't bother with a dissertation about how the Spanish black comedy translates to the musical stage (though this show does feel a bit akin to Nine, the musical adaptation of Fellini's 8-1/2). But whereas the film is highly regarded, my take on the musical seems it may be similar to the Broadway critiques that led to closure just 69 performances after the show's late-2010 New York opening.

Given the circumstances, it seems particularly unnecessary to further detail what I didn't love about Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. And not only wouldn't I dissuade anyone so inclined from seeing it, it might be well-worth the trek to Munster simply to admire and applaud the spirit of the performers.

For in looking back through my database for shows that I had seen Yvon in, I'm reminded that some were really good and others were rather mediocre.

But I can't recall Bernie ever being less than a joy to watch.

So in a weird way, perhaps this disappointing show is a more apt testament to him than a really superlative one would be.

For actors who truly love what they do--and the post-show recollections reiterated what I already knew--a so-so show, or even a devastating real-life tragedy, doesn't dictate that one takes the stage with any less pride and passion.

When the spotlight comes on, you give your best.

Despite anything beyond your control.

I genuinely thank the late Bernie Yvon for always doing just that--and the cast and crew of Women on the Verge of Nervous Breakdown for carrying on in that tradition.

On the best of nights for a theatergoer, exhilaration and admiration go hand-in-hand, but on others simply the latter is unequivocally deserving of heartfelt applause.

And appreciation that goes far beyond the performance at hand. 

Sorry Haters, but I Still Love U2

See this story here

Never mind that ISIS continues to chop people's heads off, half the NFL is seemingly battering women and children while the powers that be engage in massive cover-ups, the Middle East remains mired in deadly unrest, kids are killed on the streets of Chicago nearly every single day, the oligarchy is screwing over 99.9% of the people in countless ways—from higher food & gas prices to still-decimated job markets, home values and personal wealth—and whether one wants to believe it or not, environmental catastrophe is not an implausibility due to such trifling things as the dissipation of polar ice caps.

Yet what really has people pissed off is being given the gift of free music. 

To quote a line I can't help thinking of whenever news is horrific or just inane:

I can't believe the news today /
I can't close my eyes and make it go away

-- U2, "Sunday Bloody Sunday"

Ever since 9/9/14, when Apple's announcement of the iPhone 6 and the Apple Watch were accompanied by the surprising and sudden sharing of U2's long-awaited--at least by us fans--new album, for free across iTunes, the legendary Irish band has apparently engendered the kind of feral vitriol once reserved for murderous dictators and terrorists, but which now, in the social media age, seemingly gets dumped daily on the likes of Taylor Swift. 

Mind you, as someone who rather rampantly shares my opinions--though rarely hate-fueled ones--here, on Facebook and occasionally Twitter, I can't deny that I actually enjoy a bit of the witty snark that can make reading internet commentary fun in small or curated doses. 

Hence, even as a longtime and still ardent U2 fan, I took no umbrage at slings & arrows thrown the band's--and Apple's--way soon after the Press Event, as with some funny Tweets compiled in this NME article. 

And even as the backlash became more voluminous and vociferous--though I largely experienced it second hand through articles such as the one depicted at top, and this one, rather than seeing friends or anyone I follow directly slam the free unrequested download, the album itself or U2--I understand several of the arguments if reflecting wry annoyance and not grievous hostility. 

Sure, quite honestly, Apple giving away the Songs of Innocence album saved me $11.99, though I'll probably still buy the physical copy once released. While I haven't truly loved any of their albums since 1991's Achtung Baby--with 1993's Zooropa and 2000's All That You Can't Leave Behind being the best of an otherwise middling bunch--U2 is a band I will always pay attention to, and whose albums I will happily acquire if simply out of habit and sentiment. 

Certainly I realize that younger generations who haven't grown up on U2--who didn't see their mesmerizing LiveAid performance in 1985, who didn't first see them in person on the historic Amnesty International: Conspiracy of Hope tour (video below), who didn't experience "Pride (In the Name of Love)" ringing out continuously across campus quads, who don't remember gathering around a motel room in Daytona Beach to see MTV's first airing of the "With or Without You" video, who didn't attend a Joshua Tree tour show the same week TIME declared them "Rock's Hottest Ticket," who didn't attend their groundbreaking Zoo TV performance at Dodger Stadium (after being shut out trying to buy a ticket outside the LA Sports Arena the year before), who haven't begun every road trip with "Where the Streets Have No Name," who don't consider Larry Mullen Jr.'s opening drumbeat on "Sunday Bloody Sunday" one of the most cherished sounds of one's existence, who haven't seen the band in concert 15 times, from Rosemont to LA to New York to Denver, who haven't followed the band through every album and tour--have no point of reference not to be pissed off that they were essentially given an ugly Christmas sweater by their aunt that they'll have to take back to the store for a refund. 

From 1987

And with the caveat that I was taught never to tell my aunt how ugly and unwanted the sweater was, nor that I hated her for having the audacity to give me something with the best of intentions that she clearly liked more than I did, I certainly wouldn't want a Justin Bieber album dumped onto my phone and/or hard drive. 

But...
A) At least in terms of how it worked for me, Songs of Innocence didn't download unless you indicated that you wanted it to; i.e. one could easily opt-out

B) If not instantly, at least soon thereafter, Apple released instructions on how to remove the album from one's iTunes music library

C) All iPhones come pre-loaded with things you don't choose--such as the Stock, Weather and Notes apps--that, like the U2 album, take up valuable storage space. But I don't recall anyone bitching up a storm about getting a free Calculator they didn't ask for. 

Although I can't say it bothered me in the least--I actually admired and embraced it--I do understand why many were seemingly put off by the audacity of the Apple/U2 publicity stunt (just not with seemingly more agitated aversion than to, say, an Ebola outbreak).

Though I unabashedly love U2, there have been a great number of times when the band--and especially lead singer Bono--have made me cringe...and worse. 

I didn't see the iPhone announcement, but it's not inconceivable that would have been one of those times. 

Bono can definitely seem pompous, pretentious, egomaniacal and downright insufferable, though to his credit, he seems to know this and often pokes fun at himself. 

Though I don't doubt that the origins of Bono, the Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. forming a band in Dublin in the late 1970s had an awful lot to do with discovering The Ramones, Bono currently seems disingenuous--or at least buffoonish--in repeatedly referencing himself as "punk rock."

Bono did talk to Joey Ramone shortly before the latter's death in 2001, and a U2 song--"In a Little While"--supposedly played in the hospital room just before the punk icon passed, so I accept as real the reverence that fuels U2's new single (and album opener) "The Miracle (of Joey Ramone)."

But while "punk cred" may have always been a mythical concept--Joey was always open about wanting the Ramones to become huge, while both the Sex Pistols and Clash were formed in their wake with an eye on marketable trends--the Ramones never much graduated from small clubs (let alone ever employed giant spacecraft-type stages in football stadiums) and certainly didn't shill for one of the world's largest companies. 

I imagine U2 intentionally avoided having "The Miracle" sound anything like a Ramones song, but I'll take "Blitzkrieg Bop," "Sheena is a Punk Rocker," " I Wanna Be Sedated," "Bonzo Goes to Bitburg (My Brain is Hanging Upside Down)" or myriad others over its overproduced sheen any day--though I still can't say I hate it. 

And such is the case with Songs of Innocence in full. 

At this point, after several listenings but short of it becoming worn-in, I'm waffling between bestowing @@@1/2 or @@@@ (out of 5) on the album.

This funny ad has gone viral, but alas it's fake

Though nothing rivals the bristling brilliance that marked the best tracks on nor the entirety of War, The Unforgettable Fire, The Joshua Tree or Achtung Baby, and the first half of SOI is considerably better than the second, if comparing it to the rest of today's rock landscape rather than the band's glorious past, it isn't nearly the abysmal embarrassment many haters seem to be decrying. 

I don't know that I'll be screaming for "The Miracle (of Joey Ramone)," "Every Breaking Wave," "California (There is No End of Love)" or "Iris (Hold Me Close)" as I will for "Pride," "New Year's Day," "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For," "Bad," "Where the Streets Have No Name" and other classics next time I see U2 live, but all of the above should make for good additions to their concert setlists. 

And I respect that Bono was pointedly biographical, with "The Miracle" about U2's formative days, "Song for Someone" supposedly about his wife Ali and "Iris" about his late mother. 

But while in being the true-life account of a Dublin car bombing, "Raised by Wolves" harkens back to "Sunday Bloody Sunday," somewhat reminiscent of "Love and Peace or Else" from 2005's How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb it shows toilsome strains of over-thought and overproduced effort contrary to the punch-you-in-the-gut stridency of "Sunday Bloody Sunday."

But as I'm listening to the album again as I'm finishing this up, I think @@@@ are in order. 

Sorry, but I like Songs of Innocence much more than I don't. And believe me, I wasn't shy about saying that I was really disappointed by How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb and, to a lesser extent, 2009's No Line on the Horizon. This album is better.

And if having U2 forced upon you really prompted memory shortage issues or embarrassment among friends who might glance at your music library--though I imagine they have the same issues--a few more things to keep in mind, especially if you are among those spewing unnecessary invective. 

From the Independent; read the article here

- According to the latest stats I saw, 38 million people had listened to Songs of Innocence, at least in part, since the über-share. And the stunt has also driven a massive bump in U2's back catalog sales. So however unseemly and maybe even ill-considered Apple's gesture may seem, compare the "hype" U2's latest album is getting compared to, say, recent releases by other rock legends--Bruce Springsteen, Pearl Jam, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, etc.--that "young people" would do well to acquaint themselves with.

Plus, given how much it has pissed off hordes of people, well Bono, that is kind of punk.

- Anyone who thinks that U2 are just a bunch of irrelevant old turds dumping this album on everyone for free because they can't sell it, the truth is that the next time they tour, the band will still sell every ticket put on sale in every venue of any size, much on they did from 2009-2011 tour grossed $772 million, by far the most ever.

- While I find Bono hard to take sometimes, the truth also is that he has saved more lives of people in Africa than everyone reading this--exponentially--ever will. He can be a smug twat, but he does make a difference that would put 99.99% of web-based whiners to shame. 

So enjoy Songs of Innocence, let it grow on you, and have it prompt you to look up War, Under a Blood Red Sky, The Unforgettable Fire, The Joshua Tree, Rattle and Hum, Achtung Baby, Zooropa and All That You Can't Leave Behind on Spotify.

Or not. 

But save your outraged indignation--I can already imagine the myriad "Fuck U2!" (pun intended) retorts--and the social media diatribes for things that really matter.

And check this out; it's a clip of U2's entire Amnesty International: Conspiracy of Hope performance at the Rosemont Horizon in 1986, the first time I saw them live.

It should serve to explain much of the above.