Since Kanye West's hotly anticipated new disc, Graduation, has slipped its way onto the internets we figured it was time to break out our review copy and share a few of our thoughts earlier than we had planned. While we enjoyed his last two discs, we felt that, for the most part, the man could do with a bit of editing. The new one arrives leaner and more focused than previous efforts, and while West's braggadocio is nearing stadium levels, we're willing to forgive him since most of the tracks are so lovely to listen to.

We could nitpick over the unadulterated use of so many soul samples and the inclusion of a Steely Dan snippet, which no one but De La Soul should ever attempt, since we tend to prefer our samples to be manipulated and made anew. But West isn't out to rewrite the book, he's just trying to save mainstream hip-hop from the artifice that has suffocated it over the last decade. His forte is crafting tracks that are easy on the ears, simultaneously reaching beyond simply repeating four bars ad nauseam and displaying a craftsmanship beyond his years. His flow is still his weakest point, but we will grant there has been a visible improvement in his delivery.

Strangely enough, the weakest track is a collaboration we had high hopes for. "Drunk And Hot Girls," featuring Mos Def, is a real clunker that is simply unlistenable and merits deletion the second you transfer this thing to your preferred music delivery system. There is a brief gospel-tinged segment in the middle that we wish had been expanded, since that might have saved the tune.

Oddly, the track we were convinced would suck no matter what, the duet with Chris Martin, "Homecoming," ends up being pretty OK. Go figure.

But the high points outshine any weaknesses, with the already popular "Stronger" being indicative of what West can accomplish when he's focused and firing with deadly precision. (Although we have to admit that the A-Trak remix of that track floating around is truly killer.)

There has been much public back-and-forth between West and 50 Cent, whose album drops the same day Graduation will, over who will rise victorious once the sales numbers are tallied. We feel pretty secure predicting that West is going to come out on top of that fight and that much of his album will probably provide the mainstream radio and club soundtrack for this fall.

Jazz legend Herbie Hancock has been stretching the boundaries of modern music composition for the past 50+ years, but he’s not content to rest on his past accomplishments. He’s currently touring to support River: The Joni Letters, a collection of vocal and instrumental arrangements either composed or influential on the venerable Joni Mitchell. Guest vocalists on the album include most of the right-now voices in modern jazz-pop, like Corinne Bailey Rae, Leonard Cohen, Norah Jones, Luciana Souza, Tina Turner, and Mitchell herself. It’s an interesting project to tackle for the nearly 70-year-old Chicago native, who made his mark with jazzbos and casual consumers of free form music alike as a member of Miles Davis’ “second great quintet” in the 1960’s, but Hancock has never shied away from pushing the envelop of composed music.

One of Mitchell’s lasting legacies is the use of unconventional tunings and complex chord progressions, both facets that Hancock has successfully channeled, internalized, and reinterpreted on River. His stop tonight at the Symphony Center should span the five plus decades of his influential canon while imparting on the audience what the man is all about: tirelessly championing the exploration of new frontiers in music.

The Herbie Hancock Quartet plays the Symphony Center tonight | 7:30pm

First person to name the song those lyrics in the headline came from gets a no-prize.

• Own some of Billy Corgan. Really.
• It's not a good idea to e-mail a Playboy playmate via Myspace, especially when said playmate is dating the Bears' Adam Archuleta, you're from Aurora, and type in bold threatening capital letters.
• Some Wisconsinites have a unique take on the designated driver.
• What did you do on your summer vacation? (via)
• Give it up for your 2007 Fulmer Cup-winning Illinois Fighting Illini.
• Someone used an iPhone to tap into their inner Grissom and take a picture of Lance Briggs' Lamborghini while Briggs was behind the wheel.
• You know what they call Little League in the South?
• The unofficial puffed corn snack of Rogers Park, in pictures.
• Cubs Fans: Please Stop Believin' (better late than never for this one, eh?).
• Let us never forget the "heckuva job" Brownie did in New Orleans. Or that today was the fiftieth anniversary of Strom Thurmond's filibuster against voting rights. And never let them get away with these things again.

"Bike Commute" courtesy of the commuting-by-bicycle-herself Chicagoist Prime.

Every year at SXSW, we check out at least one band based on their wacky name alone. In this manner, we've discovered some great acts (I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness, Get Cape, Wear Cape, Fly) and some bizarre ones (Here Come Old Vodka Tits, My! Gay! Husband!). Locals Casiotone For The Painfully Alone fall far closer to the former category than the latter, and the vulnerable songcraft that has garnered them national attention this past year will be on display tonight at Schubas with Papercuts and Bowerbirds.

All three bands channel the bedroom songwriter aesthetic, so this show is best seen after you've had a really satisfying meal and are sipping a fancy beer. CFTPA bid goodbye to Chicago after tonight to join former Pedro the Lion creative force David Bazan for a string of dates throughout Midwest and South, so expect them to bring the old A game tonight.

Kicking off the evening will be Raleigh's Bowerbirds, a finely crafted acoustic-y indie treat that's worth rolling out a bit early for. Rounding out the bill is San Franciso's Papercuts, a studio wizardry-meets-old time hooky songwriting project from one Jason Quever. All three acts rely heavily on tone and texture in their songs, and the cozy Schubas is the perfect venue to host this bill.

Casiotone For The Painfully Along play Schubas tonight | Bowerbirds open, Papercuts headline | 9pm | $10

With a Kevin Shields-inspired, Lost In Translation-worthy intro track, Airiel's debut sets its agenda and keeps true to its promise. This band loves the wall-o-sound shoegaze of the late-'80s and early-'90s, and we love the fact they do that sound justice without resorting to sentimental trickery. Many bands have tried to tread the same path, building up walls of feedback, fuzz, and reverb to simulate the guitar crunching glories of those hazy days. Most fail, forgetting the whole concept of wrapping those raging sounds around an actual melody, and end up delivering a soupy mess that bludgeons when it should hypnotize.

Airiel makes no such missteps on The Battle Of Sealand, instead delivering track after track of entrancing rock that knows when to rage, when to envelop, and when to pull back and quietly seduce. For instance, the thundering "Thrown Idols" races along, whipping guitar strings in its trail, closing in a flurry of drums and squeals. It's followed by the chattering and tender "Sugar Crystals," all preprogrammed train-track-quick-clicks, floating synthesizer lines, and a pillow of delicate vocals. The next track is the stomping mix of the Stone Roses and Oasis-infused “You Kids Should Know Better.” And it just goes on and on like this, delivering one blissful blow after another.

The band makes these transitions with ease, displaying an impressive range in a genre that often constricts its more untalented acolytes. The band’s live show only builds upon this solid foundation, actually managing to turn up the volume without losing the plot. On-stage the band also works in tandem with Panic Films to include visuals that work to accentuate the songs in a sort of modern day Floydian UFO Club experience.

The band plays a record release show at The Empty Bottle tonight, so buy a few extra sets of ear plugs, ingest whatever it is you ingest to help maximize your concert experience (for us it’s Sparks!), and strap yourselves in for the ride.

Photo by Nikola Tamindzic / Ambrel.net.

We fell in love with the concept of live band karaoke way back when we saw the original crew, that Chicago's collective would be modeled after, perform at Arlene's Grocery years ago. When we discovered an enterprising young man was taking the idea and planting it in Chicago we had great hopes for it, but we honestly didn't foresee just how popular it would eventually become. Yow!

The thing about regular karaoke is that, well, most people just aren't really good singers. And when you're standing in front of a monitor, with a canned backing track underneath off-key warbling, it's painful to experience. But when you pair even the worst singer with a solid live band in front of a boozy and responsive crowd you can still pull off an exuberant and joy filled performance. Quite simply, the secret behind the overwhelming success of Live Band Karaoke is that in front of them, everyone truly is a star, even if only for 3 to 5 minutes.

We expect the cream of the karaoke crop to be on display tonight, when the Live Band Karaoke Championship takes place at Piece. Celebrity judges like Cheap Trick's Rick Nielson and Shellac's Bob Weston will sit on a panel and decide who is the king or queen of covers. The grand champeen will then have a chance to perform "Surrender" with Nielson himself providing the guitar riffs, along with a year's supply of pizza and beer from Piece.

But the night's not just all about the thrill of victory. The evening also functions as a fund raiser for a worthy cause. $20 donations at the door, entry fees to sing, and a raffle will all go towards the Children's Memorial Foundation. So everyone there can feel good about rocking out with their, um, respective bits out, and cheering on their favorites to win.

Photo of the author by Jocelyn Geboy

Ah, yes. First Turd Blossom, now Fredo. Yup, we're dancing a jig this evening.

• Are Cubs fans still waiting to exhale? Illinois' number one team - don't believe us, check the map - is only two games back.
• Billy Corgan will say anything to promote Zeitgeist.
• One viewing of this video and you'll say to yourself that at least the Chicago Public Schools aren't that bad.
• Illinoisans have more to love.
• Video of Frank Calabrese, Sr. and Anthony "Twan" Doyle, "just talking" (via).
• The Brangelina Traveling Circus is now New York's problem.
• Classic footage of Buddy Guy with Big Mama Thornton.
• ComEd should have full power restored to the area this evening after last week's storms.
• Szechwan Restaurant on the Mag Mile was shut down by the Health Department for multiple code violations.
• Jose Contreras and Juan Uribe both earn spots on The Angry T's "Go-Away Player of the Year" lineup (via).

"Alleyway (10)" courtesy of Minneapolis Red Sox.

Even though rapper 50 Cent proclaimed to the world earlier this month that he would quit music (and deprive the world of another "In Da Club") if Chicago native Kanye West's new album "Graduation" sold more copies than his new CD "Curtis," the two have reportedly ended their feud via the universal peace maker -- alcohol.

The two are both dropping albums on Sept. 11 and have been debating in the press for the past few weeks about who will sell more copies of their new CDs. But as of Wednesday last week, the two were shooting vodka together, gazing lovingly into each other's eyes and dancing extra close at New York's 40/40 Club.

This comes after the two reportedly shot a cover of Rolling Stone magazine together. They were also seen holding hands on the shore of Lake Michigan after sharing a quaint candlelit dinner and a bottle of Pinot Grigio.

Earlier this week Kanye tried to further impress Fiddy by proclaiming he is the "new Michael Jackson," a claim based on the fact he believes he's the only current African-American artist who can still sell out stadiums. Are we mistaken, or have there been black artists in the past 25 years who have sold out stadiums other than the Smooth Criminal King of Pop? What about Prince? Snoop? Furthermore, Kanye, if you're trying to woo 50 Cent, don't go comparing yourself to an alleged child molester with a skin bleaching obsession. You can do better than that.

Today is the last day to register for your chance to win 2 tickets to see Earlimart at Schuba's Thursday night. We're loving the band's latest album, we love their live show, and we love the idea of kicking off the holiday weekend one day early. But what do we love most of all? The fact that one of our readers will be able to take in the show for free!

Enter today for your chance to win.

Usually we wouldn't just post a video with such a tangential connection to Chicago, but considering how insane the hipster versus yuppie debates can get around these parts, we thought it was fitting. Whether you're hipster, or yuppie, or neither, we're reasonably sure this is one short we can all share a chuckle over.

Assuming the power comes back on at Schubas by tomorrow evening (and that battle rap isn’t your cup of tea), get ye out to take in the not un-U2-like grandeur of
Brighton, MA. Chief songwriter Matthew Kerstein has been a talent to watch in Chicago since his days in Scotland Yard Gospel Choir, and he’s stepped into his creative happy place on Brighton’s debut EP on Loose Tooth Records. The songs are expansive without losing intimacy, and the talented group of musicians behind Kerstein makes for a pretty captivating live show. Though there’s no real hint of alt-country in Kerstein’s songs, there’s something distinctly “Americana” about this music - it feels homey and familiar in the same way it does to play Blood On The Tracks or The Joshua Tree on vinyl. There’s a warmth that Brighton, MA manages to translate on tape but which is best appreciated in the live setting. Big things are definitely expected of the band in the coming months, and they (rightfully) don’t seem too concerned about their ability to delivery.

So take our word for it and check ‘em out tomorrow night, if the lights are back on. Which reminds us - if you were all geeking to go to the Puppini Sisters at Schubas tonight, it’s been moved to Martyrs.

Brighton, MA plays Schubas Saturday night | 10pm | $10

Four years ago, Rich Seng was a former seminary student making low-budget TV ads for local businesses when a friend took him to a hip hop open mic at Subterranean. One thing led to another that night, and before anyone knew what hit ‘em two renowned local emcees were freestyle battling each other. An idea was born, and Seng started organizing the first Rhyme Spitters rap battle tournament. He relied on word of mouth and hand-to-hand flyering to attract 60 would-be rappers to Wicker Park for the preliminary rounds of the tournament. Thirty-two finalists reconvened that night at The Note in a NCAA-style, bracketed showdown. That was 2004 – fast forward to 2007 and Rhyme Spitters 4 is set to bring this volatile and often brilliant art to life at the *slightly* larger and higher-profile Metro tomorrow night. This year’s prelims took place last Saturday, and the 32 finalists and 40 up-and-coming beat producers are sharpening their tongues for the ultimate test of an emcee’s mettle, wit, and balls. Every since we lost our shit watching Doomsday tell Lyric, “I got a great flow, you need to lay low - you look like you need to be hosting the Reading Rainbow” during a match in the final rounds of Rhyme Spitters 2, we’ve been ready to see the verbal carnage on a stage like Metro’s. If you think emcee battles can’t be as clever or exciting as in 8 Mile, get your whack ass out tomorrow and see the kind of hometown hip hop genius Chicago’s been cultivating while Kanye’s busy being robbed of Grammys.

The Rhyme Spitters 4 finals hit the Metro Saturday night | 9pm | $13

You know, all these food posts today made us hungry around the offices. If they've done the same for you, here's some reading material for you while you we ourselves a plate of something.

• Just the kind of publicity BP needs right now. The source of an oil leak that made its way to Munster, Indiana's storm sewers Monday night was one of BP's seeping, inactive pipes.
• In addition to jurors getting to view the video that started it all, prosecutors in the R. Kelly child pornography trial say that veins - in the singer's hand, you gutter dwellers - will reveal that he is indeed the person on tape having sex with a 14-year-old girl.
• Former Harpo Productions employees weigh in on the story the $32K for 800 hours in overtime claimed by Carla Hill, executive assistant to The Big O's co-executive producer.
• Dick Cheney'll have to continue shooting hunters in the face the old-fashioned way. Governor Blagojevich signs a law outlawing hunting via remote control.
• Mayor Daley on charges that he's undermining his Inspector General by creating an Office of Compliance to monitor city hiring: "What undermining?"
• Those personal seat licenses for Bears games will drive a wedge between family members.
• Police are investigating whether the the possibility that an elderly couple found with gunshot wounds to the head in their Northwest Side garage is a suicide.
• Rex Grossman's performance in Monday night's exhibition against the Colts already has Jay Mariotti resorting to his Chicken Little "replace-Rex-or-the-sky-will-fall" routine.
• Meanwhile, "the Sex Cannon" gets some sage, real-world advice from the Punky QB known as McMahon.
• In the wake of Michael Vick admitting to leading a dogfighting ring, the Tribune's Rick Morrissey warns of the greater problem of athletes abusing women.

"Kara is Scary" courtesy of Todd Burbo. Her - and Intelligentsia's - latte art is one of the things we miss about working downtown.

Back in January we told you a little about Chicago filmmaker Daniel Kraus' ambitious documentary series, WORK. The first film in the series, Sheriff, will be released on DVD by Facets in October; and Musician has its premier this Friday night at the Siskel. It profiles Ken Vandermark, who, now that James Brown is dead, is certainly in the running for the title of Hardest Working Man in Show Business. The awesomely dedicated reed man played at Pitchfork this summer and just wrapped up a week-long "Vander-fest" at the Velvet Lounge.

So how was Kraus able to snag Vandermark for a rare solo set for Friday's premier?

"It was a one in a million chance," Kraus told us. "The only week KV had free this fall was the same week the premiere was set ... I guess I'm charmed."

We've been to many film lectures at the Siskel (and a wonderful appearance by 'Tippi' Hedren) but it's pretty darn unusual to have a film along with a mini-concert. For that reason alone we recommend that if you're interested you splurge for advanced tickets (which you can buy online or in person at the box office anytime before the show).

Musician moves on to New York for a week-long run at the Pioneer Theatre in early September and will also be released on DVD next year. Kraus is already working on the next film in the series, Truck Driver. Although it would probably violate his strict, Wiseman-influenced aesthetic, we're holding out hopes that it'll include "Convoy" on the soundtrack.

Image by Juan-Carlos Hernandez

Earlimart's newest disc Mentor Tormentor has been getting a lot of play in the Chicagoist offices. In truth, we admit that we've strong-armed a few of the newer writers out of their turn when the time came to make their own selection on the office hi-fi, just so we could hear the disc one more time. If you're newer to the band, the simplest reference points one needs to get a grip on the group's sound is to imagine Grandaddy fronted by the melodic smarts and emotional delivery of Elliott Smith. And if those musical reference points are meaningless to you, then instead we ask you to imagine a band whose lush style is filled with contradictory delivery methods honed to perfection in the studio. And if that still comes off as gobbledygook, then let's just describe them as being pretty kick-ass.

On the road, the band releases the ties holding together the densely packed recorded versions of their catalog, allowing the music to tumble forth, fighting for space as the air reverberates off their cabinets, spilling off the stage and over the crowd. The tender melodies remain, but get delivered with a more primal immediacy, and the crowd roars its approval.

The last time we saw the band they played Schubas, and we believe that room is the perfect size for them, allowing their music to fill every nook and cranny without suffocating the crowd. So we're pretty stoked that they're coming back through town and stopping by Schubas again on August 30. But what we're really excited about is the fact that the band wants to invite two Chicagoist readers to enjoy the show for free! All you need to do is fill out the entry form after the jump before August 28 and you'll be in the running to score two free tickets to the August 30 show. And, just so you know, and can sing all the new songs along with the band when you see them, Mentor Tormentor is out today.

Photo by Eric Nowels

• A Southern Baptist Church in Romeoville had problems with their divorced pastor remarrying, but turned the other cheek when they allowed another preacher/convicted sex offender to become more involved in church business. Both resigned last week.
• A local plastic surgeon was reprimanded by North Carolina authorities for unprofessional conduct when a woman seeking laser hair removal died undergoing treatment at a clinic he supervised.
• An outburst in court won't help Frank Calabrese, Sr.'s case.
• Chicago Public Schools CEO Arne Duncan is doing the hard sell for first-day attendance...
• while a new payroll system implemented by CPS has shorted or failed to issue checks for hundreds of teachers and other staff.
• Two teenagers were charged with vandalizing a North Side mosque.
• An two-week-old infant boy was abandoned on the steps of a Southwest Side home Sunday night.
• Ken Nordine's Word Jazz blog and podcast (via)
• Budweiser and Clamato. 'Nuff said.
• Tribune Company shareholders prepare to meet tomorrow to approve Sam Zell's offer to buy the company. But some have doubts about whether the deal will hold.

"2007-07-20 - WalkAbout_054" courtesy of Absinthe-N-Me.

We all still love rocknroll...right? We’re still recovering from all that Lollapalooza coverage over here at Chicagoist HQ, but that doesn’t mean we’re too tuckered to tie into an old skool, roll-on-the-floor-in-stale-beer sort of show this weekend.

The Gallery Cabaret in Bucktown will play host to the inaugural edition of Do You Still Love Rock ‘N’ Roll?, an eleven-band, all night filth affair of rock for the love of rock. Starting at 7pm and costing a big fat NOTHING to get in, this is the grown-up version of going to see your high school friends jam out their teenage angst under the florescent lights of someone’s basement. Don’t miss We Make Thunder’s 2-minute bursts of pluckish punk or Tall Friends kicking out a pop-like take on hard driving rock. This is the kind of festival with no tiered ticketing (or tickets at all), no corporate presence, and no $7 Bud Lights...just a good opportunity to see live music because it’s a really fucking swell time.

Do You Still Love Rock ‘N’ Roll is at the Gallery Cabaret on TONIGHT | 7pm | FREE

Imagine this: You're 10. You just learned to play guitar four days ago. Now you're in a band, and where is your band's first show? Your parents' backyard? Your friend's basement? Your school cafeteria? No, it's at Metro.

Girls Rock! camp has been in full effect all week, ramping up its attendance from a measly 14 girls last year to a whopping 60 this year. The girls have been engrossed in the world of rock music a la Jack Black for the past 5 days, learning to play either guitar, bass or drums, watching local female rockers perform and learning a variety of other band-related skills. On the first day of camp they formed bands, and tomorrow, they get a chance to show their friends, family and the rest of Chicago what they learned.

Not only will all 15 all-girl bands (with members between the ages of 9 and 16) be taking the stage, but they'll also be performing all-original material that they wrote this week.

There's also going to be a special kids-only area roped off in front of the stage, so bring your kiddos or at least borrow some for the day. These newly emerged female rockers need all the audience support they can get.

Girls Rock! Chicago showcase goes down tomorrow at Metro at noon, doors at 11:30. Entry is $6, and all proceeds go to benefit the camp.

Image of GR!C campers from last year, courtesy of the camp.

A lot of you came out with discussion and comments when we told you about the changes that were being made over at WLUW-FM (88.7). We were on the same page ... sadness, disgust, trepidation about the future. But one of the best things we can do in any shit situation is do something to effect change and work toward something positive. And that's what friends of WLUW have done. They've started a non-profit called the Chicago Independent Radio Project (CHIRP), aimed at preparing for a potential future low-power FM station. We sat down with Shawn Campbell to get more details and to find out what they have in store in the near future.

Chicagoist: The order of things has radically changed at WLUW. There has been a lot of speculation as to what might happen in the future. What was/is your take on the recent history?

Shawn Campbell: Obviously, I am disappointed. I invested eight years of my life in this project, and thought we had built something that reflected very well on Loyola University as the license-holder, and also served everyone involved very well, including audience, student volunteers, and community volunteers. We taught people how to create interesting, thoughtful radio, brought a lot of programming to the Chicago airwaves that wasn't available elsewhere, and created a huge body of support. We proved that people still want to care passionately about "their" radio station, that they *will* care passionately if you give them something worthwhile to care about.

It's hard to say what will happen in the future, because Loyola University hasn't said much about their intentions. They have not met with the current volunteer staff, which includes over 100 students, despite an initial indication that they would. Honestly, I don't know that they have any idea yet what they will do with the station once it reverts to their control next July 1. At the end of the day, the station belongs to them, and they can do with it whatever they want, as long as they are within the FCC guidelines that govern non-commercial educational
licenses.

C: Does CHIRP have a mission statement?

SC: The ultimate goal of the Chicago Independent Radio Project (CHIRP) is to apply for and receive a low power FM license once they become available in Chicago. In preparation for this effort, the group will work to convince Congress to expand LPFM signals to urban areas and raise money so CHIRP will be in good position to be able to fund the application, buildout, and management of a new radio station. CHIRP hopes this effort will also help other groups who would like to apply for LPFM stations in urban areas in Chicago and elsewhere.

C: What do you hope to accomplish with CHIRP?

SC: Eventually, we want to bring new low power FM radio stations to cities, including Chicago. It isn't just about getting one new license here -- I think it would be great to have multiple LPFM signals serving Chicago's extremely diverse neighborhoods. But the first thing that needs to happen is that the Local Community Radio Act has to pass Congress. It was introduced in both Houses on June 21 with bipartisan support. It's actually an issue that many people on the right and left agree on. The coalition includes religious broadcasters and the NRA, as well as progressive groups like MoveOn.org and Prometheus Radio Project. And all five FCC commissioners have gone on the record saying they believe it would be good to revisit the issue of LPFM in urban areas. The decision in the early aughts to limit LPFM to rural
and exurban areas was flawed, something almost everyone involved in the debate acknowledges now.

You’ve got to hand it to the University of Chicago for releasing the findings of a study that calls out the City of Chicago for not nurturing its hometown music scene, right on the heels of the most lucrative 3 days on the city’s annual music calendar.

The study examined the economic impact of the music industry on the 50 most populous metro areas of America, pulling together data like number of jobs related to the business and annual revenue attributed to music in each city, and Chicago ranked no worse than fourth in any measurable category (ticket sales, seating capacity, record sales, etc.). The study also found that 53,000 people in Chicago work in some capacity in the music industry, which generated $818 million citywide in 2004. Both numbers place us in a solid third after the coastal hot spots of New York and Los Angeles, which (just about anyone, from industry insider to casual MTV viewer, will tell you) seems about right.

Much of what the study bases its chiding of Chicago on is fairly subjective - that outsiders don’t associate Chicago with a vibrant music scene like they would Nashville or Austin. The two-year-old Chicago Music Commission is working to change that perspective, both internally and beyond the city limits, but there are certain immoveable obstacles to nurturing a niche industry in a huge city. Even in New York, the thriving independent scene that the rest of the country associates with that city isn’t on the Upper West Side of Manhattan or on Staten Island - it’s in a couple of very self-contained areas of Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn. Events like the CMJ New Music Marathon, one of the two most important music conferences in the U.S., barely registers on most New Yorkers’ radars. Smaller cities like Portland or Austin are able to envelope their music industries in community-wide support and hang their hats on the local scenes because, to those communities, having a vibrant music scene is integral to the image of the city as a whole. Austin can turn every public venue into a performance space during South By Southwest each year because the city relies on its association with live music and its reputation as an accommodating host to that ultra-important event.

For right or wrong, it seems as though Chicago has far more lucrative industries to court - telecomm, manufacturing, airlines - and far more bureaucracy to deal with as the country’s third largest metropolitan area to spend much time or effort on catering to the underground music business. Bummer, because we think we’ve got one of the most nurturing and consistently productive scenes in the world.

What do you think? How can the City of Chicago best support its music community?

A mountain of peanut butter and banana sandwiches were waiting for runners as they completed the 10th Annual Elvis Is Alive 5K Fleet Feet race yesterday in Lincoln Park, which benefit Rock for Reading, a non-profit group fighting the trend of illiteracy and working to renew interest in reading.

2007 marks the 30th anniversary of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll’s passing, and race organizers expanded the post-race concert, adding additional Elvis impressionists. Chicago’s tribute run is the largest in the country, surpassing Memphis’s Elvis Presley International 5K by at least 1,000 participants with over 1,700 runners registered yesterday. Runners wearing Elvis attire lead the race. Hunk-a, Hunk-a, burnin’ love 41-year-old Al Baumgartner of Palatine, Ill., was the fastest Elvis, clocking in at 19:20.

Alice Peacock, Rock for Reading co-founder and singer/song writer performed a post-race concert, opening for Elvis impressionist Doug Church and the Anthony Guitar Street Orchestra.

“What Elvis was, was revolutionary,” said Peacock, who admires him for understanding the power of music. Today, she and her husband Hugh Haller are turning up the volume. “We have the power of music, and we can use it as an awareness building tool. Music does need to be used for good reasons.”

“A population that doesn’t read, doesn’t vote. They don’t support the arts,” said Peacock. “One out of three Chicagoans are functionally illiterate, which means they can’t even read at a third grade level. Being unable to read is the source of so many problems. If you can’t read, you can’t dream of something bigger and something better.”

If Elvis were alive today, we’re certain he’d sing his hit, “I Can Dream,” along with Peacock.

Photo provided by the author.

Eighty years ago AT&T was quite the different company when it came to privacy of its customers and free speech. A quote lifted from a Boing Boing post on Thursday where AT&T spoke out against warrantless surveillance, "The telephone has become part and parcel of the social and business intercourse of the people of the United States, and this telephone system offers a means of espionage to which general warrants and writs of assistance were the puniest instruments of tyranny and oppression."

Flash forward to 2006, the EFF files a class action lawsuit against AT&T for its collaboration with the NSA in its wiretapping and data mining of customer data. Because, as we all know, fighting the war on terrorism means you should have no expectation of privacy. It's for your own safety people.

The latest act of that oppression that AT&T previously fought against, was its censorship of Pearl Jams anti-Bush lyrics at Lollapalooza (or, the festival we promised not to speak of again until next year). The AT&T "Blue Room" offered those without the dough or stamina the opportunity to watch some of the acts perform on the Blue Room website. Here, the lyrics were censored. The lyrics that were censored were, "George Bush, leave this world alone" and "George Bush, find yourself another home", during the cover of Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in the Wall".

Pearl Jam immediately posted the following to their website, "This, of course, troubles us as artists but also as citizens concerned with the issue of censorship and the increasingly consolidated control of the media." The worry Pearl Jam was expressing was one that is troubling many a artist these days, those large and influential companies are literally controlling what we see, hear, and do.

On Thursday AT&T responded to the criticism and placed the blame on a mistake by the Webcast vendor they used for the broadcast. Pearl Jam has both versions of the song on there website and AT&T said they are working with Pearl Jam to put the uncensored version on the "Blue Room" website.

Well, it is shaping up to be quite the warm weekend. Any of our lovely readers want to invite us to some type of pool party? We'll bring waterwings shaped like Mayor Daley's face. Someone should really make those. In the event we receive no invitations, we've lined up some other activities certain to help you, and us, take advantage of another weekend.

• As we mentioned yesterday, Calsfest 2007 is taking place at Cal's Liquors, 400 S. Wells St. today and tomorrow. Bonus - due to construction the festival will be taking place indoors this weekend. Now you can adequately respond to someone when they say, "Oh yeah, what has construction done for you lately?" Minor setback - even indoors it will still be hot as hell.
• While we are normally too busy responding to emails with the subject, "be a big man with a big penis", we have heard there are some great opportunities out there for those of us that are willing to let certain Nigerian Prince's give us millions of dollars that they recently inherited. We knew in no time these Prince's would receive pop culture references in movies, music, or plays. (Come on, Common is singing about Myspace these days) Stop by the Lakeshore Theatre 3175 N. Broadway, today at 10 p.m. for a little slice of history. Nigerian Spam Scam Scam is a performance piece recounting Dean Cameron's 9-month correspondence with one of the Nigerian scammers, whereby Cameron becomes a sexually confused Florida millionaire. We assume he used a certain member of Congress as his inspiration. Tickets are $15.
• We are going to put on our nerd hat right now, we are pretty obsessed with Battlestar Galactica, mostly Number Six and Gaius Baltar. Well, Number Six (real name: Tricia Helfer) will be on hand at the 2007 Wizard World Chicago. The three day festival will feature Comics and Gaming vendors as well as speakers and other guests. Today is the only day you could meet a Cylon, so head over!

Ah, Cals … what can we say about this South Loop throwback to the days of ashtray floors, free-flowing swill beer and dirtbag rock 'n' roll? Many a wide-eyed, rag tag band has kicked out their first live jams at this grungy beer-and-shots room that caters to bike messengers, blue collar workers, and traders who lose their asses before lunch.

Calsfest, approximately 12 hours of balls-out, gutbusting rock per day this weekend, is a perfect celebration of this hallowed and hated shithole. Local up-and-comers Hot As Hell, Rabid Rabbits, Mannequin Men, The Dials, and Headache City will leave it all on the floor (literally, there’s no stage at Cals), along with the stale beer, cigarette butts, and (most likely) bodily fluids … but that’s part of the charm, right?

Calsfest kicks off at 3 p.m. tomorrow, at Cals, 400 S. Wells, $5.

For a long time, local band Plane seemed terrified of any sort of classification. They moved from simple pop, to noise rock, to meandering sonic experimentation, and back. But while their albums seemed slightly fractured, their live sets always maintained a common thread, and often betrayed just where frontman Edgars Legzdins' head was at, at least for that evening.

On the flip side, we have Office, long headed by Scott Masson with a rotating cast of charachters providing the onstage presence for the band. Masson's previous two released discs are mined for material on the group's first "label" effort, A Night at the Ritz. Some of the songs are cleaned up, others are punched up, and one is slightly diminished, but against the current pop tapestry, all stand out like red on blue. The new album maintains the Office brand as one you can count on for excellent power pop with a new-wave sheen.

Plane seems to have settled on a similar, if slightly more inventive, path while succumbing to their love of early New Order to produce I See Love In the Future. The instruments are analog, but they feel slightly synthetic and compressed, lending the recording a forced timelessness that's endearing in its familiarity. There's also a certain audiophile's quality, as ghostly vocals float from one channel to the other, or a subdued snare suddenly comes to the fore only to recede just as quickly. Like Office, the group decides to revisit past recordings, deciding to rework long-time set-piece "I See Love In The Future" to pleasing results.

In Office's case, the re-recordings (and we suspect, simple re-inclusions) work alongside the new compositions to create the group's first masterwork. It's as if the previous album s were sketchbooks Masson was working out his ideas within, and this national bow is his first gallery show. The only weak spot -- and by weak we only mean in relation to Office's previous output -- is the new "Plus Minus Fairytale" since we prefer the more in-your-face approach the tune had on the group's The Ice Tea Boys And The Lemonade Girls album. But we're nitpicking.

Both bands seeme primed for the future, but if we had to lay odds, we'd say Office has the head start (not hurt at all by the relatively recent (within the timeline of the group's whole existence) inclusion of three talented young ladies that aren't terribly difficult on the eyes). Masson's songs are instant winners across the board, infused with that Midwestern workingman's pop, polished by a faux suit and tie sheen, and given a dancefloor ready spin. Plane has always been able to deliver similar results in concert, but I See Love In The Future is the first time they've been able to consistently make their case on record.

MP3: Plane "Blood On The Waves"
MP3: Office "The Ritz"

Plane (upper image) plays a fundraiser for The Chicago Independent Radio Project tonight at Double Door.
Office (lower image) plays a free show (RSVP required) tonight at Schubas.

This weekend’s music festival inspired us to check out some local indie talent with our kiddo this week. We’ve heard rumors that Mr. Singer (with or without his band the Sharp Cookies) was the best around: a talented guitarist whose folksy music set featured music you could bob your head to, a kids’ musician who was more Springsteen and less Old MacDonald. We were not disappointed.

We arrived at the concert venue, the yellow barn at the Lincoln Park Zoo’s John Deere farm exhibit, and had to slalom around Bugaboos and nannies chatting on cell phones. Inside, however, the atmosphere was less snobbish and more down-home. Mr. Singer and his friend Marius Mustard (on the washboard and maraca, as well as backup vocals) sat perched in front of a fireplace, chatting with a slew of entranced toddlers, many of whom the performers knew by name. When Mr. Singer left the room to make his entrance, a few little girls burst into tears.

We were expecting the usual kids’ songs: the ABC’s, something with animal noises, etc. Singer impressed us by starting his acoustic set with a rockin’ Cat Stevens cover, and later got the kids dancing (OK, hurling themselves around) to “She’s the One.” In addition to these surprises, his playlist included songs that got the audience clapping and singing along: “Day-O”, Springsteen’s version of “Jesse James”, and Wiggleworms favorites “Hurry, Hurry, Drive the Fire Truck” and “Chocolate.”

Singer’s clearly a man who loves to perform; he rocked every tune, brandishing his guitar, jumping to the beat and pausing only to use his hokey bandana to wipe his brow. He towered over the more than one hundred assembled to hear him, and somehow exuded a sexy confidence despite his overalls and twirled mustache. The children adored him, and the mamas and nannies in the audience certainly gave him their rapt attention.

Singer plays around the city, performing at least three shows a week. While you can see him this summer at the Family Fun tent on Tuesdays in Millennium Park, the Lincoln Park Zoo’s farm-in-the-zoo was a great place to kill time with our kid after the show. Show up early to the yellow barn to grab one of the rocking chairs flanking the performance space and hang with one of the coolest indie rockers (for the toddler set) in Chicago.

Mr. Singer performs at the yellow barn, for free, every Wednesday at 9:15 and 10 a.m. Check out Mr. Singer’s other concert dates on his website, or listen to his acclaimed CD, Muddy Water Beaver Dam Band, on CD Baby or iTunes.

We've finally recovered (well, mostly) from the whirlwind weekend that was Lollapalooza 2007. There were certain highs, and definite lows, but overall we've still pleased that the festival has chosen Chicago as its home.

In its third year many of the past problems (like sound bleed or wonky scheduling that necessitated obscene amounts of walking in extremely limited spans of time) seemed mostly solved. There were a few cruel overlaps schedule-wise, but when you have 130+ bands playing over three days, that's going to happen.

We also noticed that while it seemed like there were more people in attendance this year, we never felt like we were fighting through a crowd to get from one end of Grant Park to the other. And we were again surprised at how well-behaved everyone was. People were looking out for each other, and aside from one or two barreling drunks, folks seemed to remember how to say "excuse me" when making their way through the crowd.

Ironically our biggest complaint about the weekend is one that was completely out of the organizer's control; the heat and its penetrating and debilitating attacks throughout the weekend. Security did its best to provide water to the packed crowds near the stages, and we noticed folks taking advantage of cooling stations, but when all was said and done, it was pretty hard to remain comfortable — much less lucid — when the sun was bearing down. We actually had to leave for a while during The Rapture's set to regain our own battered sensibilities. But a few liters of water and some time in the shade later fixed us right back up.

And what about the music? Glad you asked.

As promised, this post will briefly explore (in first-person singular) life on the other side of the gate at Lollapalooza. Why? Because we know you're dying to read more things about that giant music festival that took place in Grant Park this past weekend.

When The Polyphonic Spree recorded part of their newest album, The Fragile Army, at Steve Albini's studio Electrical Audio, they called up local tap dancer and Chicago Tap Theatre artistic director Mark Yonally to lay down a tap track on the song "Mental Cabaret." Although they were briefly in the studio, Mark developed a quick rapport with lead singer Tim DeLaughter, who told Mark he'd like to have him perform with the band when they returned to Chicago in support of the album.

Over a year later, the album is released, and it just so happens that the Spree's first date in Chicago is at Lollapalooza. And for some reason when Mark pitched the idea of his whole company dancing with the band at the festival, they went for it. And because I'm a member of the company, on Friday I found myself tap dancing on stage in front of at least 5,000 people.

I have been performing my entire life and have never looked out into a crowd that seemed to go on forever, where I couldn't recognize a single person's face. I have never had a Jumbotron camera in my face, projecting me on a big screen five times my size. It was hard to come down from that high, and my friends are definitely tired of hearing me talk about it at this point.

That night, I Google searched high and low for coverage of the Polyphonic Spree's set. I searched every major music magazine's blog. I searched for local MSM critics' comments. As a member of the media who knows how quickly people turnover coverage during these festivals, I wanted instant gratification, and I wanted praise. It was clear from some of the coverage that some critics only witnessed the Spree's encore, which included a cover of Nirvana's "Lithium" and the entire band dressed in their signature choir robes. And not everything written was positive, but most writers were astonished that there was even room for 12 dancers on a stage already filled with a harp, horns, two drum sets and a choir.

I wanted to be more stoic about the whole thing. I really did. It's the "rock star" thing to do. But when you're used to dancing on tiny stages in front of about 50-100 people at a time, it's hard not to get excited about performing in front of such a large crowd in a show that people around the world are writing about. Now my inner rock star wants to demand to never perform for a crowd of less than 1,000, but I'm pretty sure it's back to the black box theatre circuit for me.

After the Spree's set, I was lounging in the shade when M.I.A. and her crew rolled up and were standing in front of me at the backstage bar. A drunk, shirtless, sunburned dude, who I had just heard tell someone he was in the Silversun Pickups (he wasn't), either thought I was M.I.A. or was at least with her, as he drunkenly fumbled to say something intelligent about her music and ended up just telling me he "really, really liked" my sunglasses. That's about as close to a "rock star experience" as I had, and that's like Beloit Snappers minor.

It’s difficult to choose only one performance that was my favorite from 2007 Lollapalooza. Polyphonic Spree's joyous performance captured my heart and made me remember what Lollapalooza and all music festivals are for — losing myself in the music. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs put on an energetic, tight set, and Daft Punk brought it all home with a phenomenal stage show that was never topped throughout the weekend.

The performance that was miles ahead of everyone else for me was Iggy and the Stooges. I came into the show with high expectations. He’s a legendary performer renowned for his live show — it’s impossible to not have any expectations. Those expectations were not only achieved, they were exceeded by far. Iggy ran out on stage to screams, mugged for the cameras, humped amps, ran out into the crowd, and never once stopped.

The mayhem factor grew even larger when he invited the crowd on stage much to the chagrin of the security. As hundreds of fans started climbing the barricade and storming the stage, my friend and I looked at each other with wide eyes; this could get out of control fast. Surprisingly, the stage exit of the fans was orderly, and Iggy continued the show just as possessed by the sound as before. During "T.V. Eye," Iggy kicked a cameraman while he was filming, and then later that same cameraman’s aide was slammed up against the stage scaffolding by a security guard. The set was always on the verge of mayhem, a little scary, a little sexual, a lot loud and very rock-n-roll.

Iggy’s energy never waned. He covered every inch of that stage making sure every member of the audience could partake in that energy. It was a rock-n-roll primer for every other performer on any stage this year at Lollapalooza, and I was happy to have been there for the schooling.

Photo of Iggy Pop by Olivia Leigh.

To background, I manage a Chicago band called Tom Schraeder & His Ego, which landed a coveted spot on the 2007 bill. Though our slot was early (12:30 p.m. on Friday), the work for artists doesn’t stop once they’ve loaded up their vans (or in our case, the hearse) and exited the festival grounds. To give our esteemed Chicagoist readers a quick sketch of life deep on the Lollapalooza undercard, I kept a scribbled-note journal of the big day:

7:30 a.m.: Meet Tom at the Starbucks on Damen and Irving, load up on coffee and hit the road.

8:05 a.m.: Arrive backstage at the BMI area, where we’re greeted by our friendly stage manager, Quinn, with the straight-faced report that “[our] hearse has already arrived.”

8:25 a.m.: Make our way from the BMI stage to the artist area to pick up our artist credentials and treat ourselves to the impressive catering tent’s breakfast spread.

10:45 a.m.: Back to the stage via the “Fest Express,” one of those drunk trolleys that’s ubiquitous in Wrigleyville on a weekend night. Last year they had golf carts serving this same purpose — running bands between the artist area and the stages — but they traveled on the sidewalk and not the city streets. Since the trolley couldn’t pull over on LSD to let us out, we end up taking the roundtrip back to the artist area and hopping on a golf cart as I fielded frantic texts from the stage manager and the band as to our whereabouts.

11:15 a.m.: Make it to the stage on time only to realize that I’ve left the keys in the ignition and my car on for the last 3 hours. Totally out of gas.

12:20 p.m.: Tom’s elves return from handing out free CDs in the park, and the shady knoll that is the BMI stage begins to fill up with Tom fans and curious early birds.

12:30 p.m.: Tom & band hit the stage to about 500 onlookers and play a really tight set of Brit-pop Americana tunes, despite distractions that included a woman in a silver space suit waving a bubble machine in front of the stage.

1:45 p.m.: Get the band off the stage and all of the photos taken and autographs signed, and it’s off to the press tent to convince the fickle Lolla media-pass holders to write about an unsigned kid from Chicago.

2:15 p.m.: Tom plays acoustic set for a podcast in the press tent, then gets snagged for an on-air interview with Los Angeles’ Indie 103.

4:00 p.m.: I leave Tom chatting with Jim DeRogatis of the Sun-Times and head to the accounting trailer to settle with Lollapalooza.

4:15 p.m.: I’m told that we’ve already been paid, which we have not.

4:30 p.m.: Finally have our modest paycheck in hand, and it’s off to grab a soothing cocktail in the open bar-equipped artist lounge.

5:00 p.m.: Notice Pete Wentz and Ashlee Simpson holding court in the artist lounge. Consider asking him what the balls he was thinking at Schubas several weeks back.

5:40 p.m.: Get a call from the director of the Lollapalooza documentary saying that they’d like to interview Tom in 15 minutes. Scramble to locate my cell phone-less artist.

5:47 p.m.: Track down Tom via a bandmate and get them on a golf cart, headed back to the interview tent.

5:50 p.m.: Get second call from the documentary director, postponing the interview to accommodate something Perry Farrell wanted filmed. Le sigh.

6:30 p.m.: Realize that what Perry wanted filmed was his band’s set. Fine, you’re slightly more important than we are.

7:30 p.m.: Just deliriously tired enough to bob around to LCD Soundsystem’s fantastic set.

8:30 p.m.: Daft Punk blows the festival’s first night out, though we can only hear from the artist area.

10:30 p.m.: Briefly consider hitting the Polyphonic Spree after party at the Hard Rock Hotel before coming to my senses and collecting my band to head home and collapse on a futon in my living room because I’m too tired to shower off the festival dirt and crawl into bed. But don’t get me wrong — we did it all again the next day ... and the day after that.

Thanks to Laura Gray for the above photo.

Braless and wearing an oversized white T-shirt with a hand drawn peace sign and the word "Love" written underneath it, Patti Smith humbly began her set with an extra-Jamaican sounding "Redondo Beach," fumbling some of the lyrics and apologizing to the crowd for being too excited.

We have been waiting approximately 26 years to see Patti Smith live, and with this spirited, yet slightly clumsy beginning, we were beginning to wonder if we waited too long. But about three songs into the set, Patti had regained her bearings and transformed into the dynamic rock star we've always read so much about. Patti may not have been born with exceptional musical talents, but she makes up for it tenfold in performance.

As the rain poured down, Patti only sank into her performance further, closing her eyes and gracefully motioning her hands toward the crowd as she recited each lyric like a line of poetry. And even though the festival crowd was at least three sheets to the wind at this point, and a cloud of weed smoke had begun to surround the entire audience, we all hung on her every word, almost unable to sing along to hits such as "Because the Night," anticipating that the one moment we broke our focus would be the moment she would lead the rest of the crowd to another level of enlightenment. As she sang her cover of "Are You Experienced?" (from her most recent album Twelve), and she wailed on the clarinet, we felt sorry for all of the suckers who were on the other side of the park watching Spoon. Yeah, we love Spoon, too, but when are you going to get to watch Patti Smith cover Jimi Hendrix during a rainstorm in Grant Park?

By the time she broke into "Gloria," the crowd was going insane with fists pumping in time with each "G, L, O, R, I eye eye eye eye eye eye," and Patti was in full Iggy Pop strut mode. She had once again transformed from peaceful poet to fucking rock star, priming us for the second Nirvana cover we had heard since Friday. (The first being the Polyphonic Spree's cover of "Lithium.") We've heard the words to "Smells Like Teen Spirit" a million times, but they've never given us chills until they exited Patti Smith's mouth and entered our ears.

Just as it seemed the set was about to come to one tight, neat close, Patti grabbed the mic, threw a fist into the air and yelled something to the effect of "I haven't fucked much with the past! But I'm sure as hell gonna fuck with the future! THE FUTURE IS NOW!" as her band thrust into a no-holds-barred version of "Rock 'n' Roll N*****" Everyone jumped in unison as she led us, yelling "outside of society!" until we were all sufficiently soaked in rain and sweat and hoarse from screaming.

God it was a great show.

Because everyone, including our Chicagoist photographers, was busy shooting Spoon, we don't have any shots of Patti in action to accompany this post. Shot of Patti's trunk, also taken at Lollapalooza, via Mister Scratch.

This writer-photographer had never been to Lollapalooza and came with mixed expectations. Fortunately, we seemed to choose our acts correctly, and between the tight sets from The Hold Steady and Muse on Saturday and the intense energy offered up by Iggy and the Stooges and Cafe Tacuba on Sunday, we left the weekend without any disappointments. Chicagoist was fortunate enough to secure a few coveted photo passes, allowing us access to the photo pits where we were alternately met with disdain and love by the crowds. Watch our handy little slideshow to check out some of our favorite pictures of some of the bands we saw over the weekend, along with a few shots of the spirited crowd.

Bands shown (more or less in order): The Hold Steady, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Spoon, Muse, Amy Winehouse, Paolo Nutini, Iggy and the Stooges, Peter, Bjorn and John, Bound Stems, Modest Mouse, and Cafe Tacuba.

Here’s what happened while Obama turned 46 and you were rocking your ass off:

The Sunday Trib assessed McCormick Place’s new West Building, which opened Thursday. Blair Kamin deems the monstrously huge space a success, citing its flexibility and openness to its neighbors.

The list of August dance festivals keeps growing, sort of. Reasons for Moving, an Interdisciplinary festival presented by Striding Lion features theatrical work incorporating movement, text, and music, starts August 9 at the National Pasttime Theater.

Sick of hearing about Lollapalooza? The Guardian (UK) whines about the Glastonberry Festival and it’s a familiar refrain—the over 30, stroller-pushing crowd is taking over.

Congratulations to Bad At Sports on their 100th weekly podcast!

Chicagoist (this one, anyway) doesn't fancy ourself to be a music critic. We sometimes think the years we spent working "in the industry" may have caused us to prefer to keep our distance to avoid ruining all of our fun. But we do love music, obsessively so, and have been known to traipse all over the continent proving that fact. So when an internationally renowned music festival shows up in our backyard, there's not much of a chance that we'll miss it (especially when we manage to score the $60 three-day passes).

Armed with two frozen bottles of water (stays colder longer and you can drink the melted bits as the day progresses), a "Neat Sheet" named Harvey (don't ask), sunscreen, and a well-funded text message plan to help keep track of everyone we're supposed to meet up with, we braved the throngs of Eddie Vedder lovers (with the t-shirts declaring that fact) and the heat and the rain for three days of musical euphoria, starting with The Fratellis and ending with TV on the Radio (sorry Eddie).

Lollapalooza wins in our minds not just for the decent food and fantastic and diverse musical selections, but the extraordinary people-watching opportunities. We saw wizards and vampires and superheroes and futuristic spacepeople, girls (and one guy) with homemade puffy paint tank tops that revealed their weekend itineraries (among other things), a variety of tutus, kilts, and lederhosen, and one shirt that seemed to follow us around the festival that featured a questionable declaration of its wearer's friend's sexual orientation. And that's not to mention all the miscellaneous t-shirts. Sensory overload! One of our favorite pastimes at Chicago festivals is counting how many people we see wearing Sufjan Stevens' "Come on feel the Illinoise" t-shirts. The Lollapalooza 3-day tally wound up at 14. Not bad, but we've certainly seen better.

Congratulations! You've made it to the last day of Lollapalooza (but probably not the last day of our coverage). You've stuck it out through the heat and the occasional rain. Maybe you've been subsisting on energy bars and your refillable water bottle or you've been ducking out of the masses of people to grab a bite outside the fest at McDonald's or Subway. But today is different.You know your hunger pains are going to hit right between Peter, Bjorn and John and Modest Mouse, and you're not going to want another McChicken.

There's good news — the food at Lollapalooza is actually good for a festival, and most items are priced between 4 and 6 bucks, which is cheaper than one of those collector's cups of beer. As an extra bonus for vegetarians, there are at least two meat-free stands and several others which offer a veggie option. Chicagoist tried the Chicken Satay with Cucumber salad ($6) from Star of Siam after watching them grill the chicken right in front of us. We were presented with a large serving of sliced chicken covered in spicy peanut sauce with sliced cucumbers nestled next to it in a cardboard boat.

Perhaps our favorite thing about the food area was strangers asking each other about their meal choices. Everything from "How spicy is that?" to "Is that actually good?" was heard all around us. From these conversations we learned that the boneless rib sandwich is tasty as well as the pork tacos. Ask someone about their food today — trust us, it won't be as weird as it sounds.

The next two posts written by writer Sarah Dahnke will be written in first-person singular, in order to recount her personal experiences at Lollapalooza. For those of you who have never quite grown accustomed to our signature "we" style, we hope this is a breath of fresh air, but don't get too used to it.

As I will report in further detail in the near future, this Chicagoist writer was fortunate to be a guest performer at Lollapalooza on Friday, so I was given a Guest wristband to use for the day. Not knowing what boundaries are placed on holders of the Guest wristband, I figured I'd just see where security would let me go. However, like any large event with a volunteer staff, each security person was schooled slightly differently on who to restrict from certain areas, and the Guest wristband was definitely the most confusing of the lot.

Before I continue further with the story, let me clarify a few things as far as the wristband system goes. Aside from the regular, three-day pass wristband for general concert goers, there are at least nine different levels of VIP-type passes, all with barcodes and able to be scanned on a whim in a very Brave New World way. I've tried my best to arrange them in order of most access to least.

Dive head-first into a Lollapalooza wristband tutorial after the jump.

Each morning we're going to highlight five bands playing at Lollapalooza that we think are worth seeing. Some will be popular, some less known, but we believe they're all worth your time. Today we're keeping it short and not including an after fest show because, to be honest, we're beginning to get a little worn down. We love that all this great music is happening in our fair city, but it tends to get a little overwhelming four days in (and we're counting all the "kick-off" shows Thursday night too ...).

Heartless Bastards
We're on the record as fans of The Heartless Bastards and while we think their gutter-punk blues riffs are best served in a dark smoky bar, their swagger is big enough to fill out a festival stage. (MySpace stage, 1:15 p.m.)

Lupe Fiasco
Yesterday's set by Rhymefest only served to remind us that Chicago is at the epicenter of a new movement in hip-hop that's forward-thinking and wildly inventive. Lupe Fiasco is part of that movement but while his debut was critically lauded -- rightfully so since it's a masterful blend of beats and ingenious wordplay -- it received a definite lack of love from the general public. Hopefully this high profile spot on the festival's largest stage will expose his talents to a bigger audience. (AT&T stage, 2:15 p.m.)

Peter Bjorn and John
You've heard Peter Bjorn and John's "Young Folks" a million times, we know. But they're more than a single song, and we think most will be surprised at the band's brash and powerful live show. In person they turn down the twee and crank up the amps, so it should be a good time. (Citi stage, 5:00 p.m.)

TV on the Radio
"Wolf Like Me" was the summer jam of 2006, we don't care what anyone else says. TV on the Radio slay live, and if you miss them don't expect us to lend you a shoulder to cry on because we'll be too busy telling you what a huge mistake you made. (MySpace stage, 7:15 p.m.)

Pearl Jam
Shut it. We didn't like Pearl Jam all that much either when we first heard their debut in 1992. Then we saw them the first time they played Lollapalooza and we realized that Pearl Jam is quite possibly one of the best live bands ever. Seriously. We've seen them many times since then and have only walked away from one of those shows in a state of less than awe. We think they're the perfect choice to close out the evening, but get comfortable because we have a feeling they'll be breaking that 10:00 p.m. sound curfew the city has set ... (AT&T Stage, 8:00 p.m.)

Before we teleported up into the great nightclub in outer space, Chicagoist took a few hours to walk around Grant Park this weekend and have a friendly chit-chat with some of the many fine folks who came to Lolla this weekend. Some of them came from nearby - North Side, South Side and the suburbs. Others came from farther away, places like New Jersey. Still others came to visit us from other countries, like Ireland.

Laura (19) and John (17), the first two people that we met this weekend, came from Arlington Heights. This was their first time at a large music festival, but not their first time seeing a show in Chicago "Oh yeah," said John. "We come here all the time. There's always lots of free shows here, especially downtown. We saw the Decemberists at Millennium Park." "I'm looking forward to seeing Modest Mouse," said Laura. "And Muse," she added. "Yeah, we love Muse," agreed John.

John and Ryan, both 22 and from Palatine, come up to the city "pretty often", usually to see the museums, shows, or to hang out around North Side neighborhoods. They thought Lollapalooza seemed "fun" and since they work for a company involved in the production of some of the promotional materials for the show, they had access to free tickets. While John felt like he could see himself living in the city "sometime in the next five years", Ryan was less certain. "I'm an art teacher," he told us. "Art programs are pretty neglected here in the city, and I need to live in the community where I teach." Regardless, both felt that Chicago was a great place to be, with a tremendous diversity of people, "ethnically, socially, and culturally."

Dan and Elizabeth, both in their mid-thirties, came from Maplewood, New Jersey. It was Elizabeth's third time in Chicago, but Dan's first. "I'm ready to move," said Dan, laughing. "Some cities, you're just like 'Wow. This is great!' The public art, how clean and pretty it is. And if you have kids, well, Chicago just seems so friendly for families." Elizabeth agreed, adding that she was looking forward to showing Dan Wicker Park, and taking an architectural boat tour over the weekend as well. "And The James. Write that down - we're staying at The James, and it's probably the best hotel in town."

Chicagoist has the unique pleasure of chatting with two city workers and two cops (who at their request asked to remain anonymous). "We were told not to talk to the media," said one of the Park District employees, an older woman from Bronzeville who was busy emptying garbage cans. "I think this is great," she told us. "More revenue for the city, and it just makes us look good as a city." As the officer looked over the crowd with his partner, he observed that "this is the kind of work that I like - everyone is having a good time, the girls are pretty, and we can relax a little bit."

Ronan, 21, came all the way from County Cork, Ireland for the summer on a work visa "trying to live the American Dream - have some fun and make some money." Like Americans who go to Europe, he wanted to come have an American experience. Staying on 53rd and Kilbourn, he likes Chicago, "except for the heat...." His brother Colin, 20, was a bit more forthcoming: "the drinking age in Ireland is 18, so it's not much fun." Colin flew in for the week to see his brother and take in the City by the Lake. "I like it so far, as there's always something on."

We hope you've enjoyed this weekend as much as we have, even if you're not from here.

Image via Smussyolay

Each morning we're going to highlight five bands playing at Lollapalooza that we think are worth seeing. Some will be popular, some less known, but we believe they're all worth your time. And for those not making it to the festival itself, we'll round it out with an additional show going on after the grounds close down for the evening.

Matt & Kim
Bouncy, jouncy, fun, and happy, Matt & Kim are just the sort of duo to kick your day off with a smile. Matt's off kilter vocals are endearing and the duo's melodies are playful enough to snare both the indie rockers and the dance kids. (adidas stage, 11:45 a.m.)

Tokyo Police Club
We caught these boys a few months ago at Subterrnanean and thew blew us away. Let's say you took Television's songs, sped them up double-time, and cut them in half ... then you have an idea what Tokyo Police Club sounds like. Our only worry is that their immediacy gets a little lost on the massive stage at the south end of Grant park. (AT&T stage, 12:45 a.m.)

Silverchair
We've been getting press releases about Silverchair about every other hour for the past two months, so we almost didn't write about them on principle alone. However their new disc is really, really good -- they're no longer a bunch of teenage grungesters, that's for sure -- so here we are, writing about them. The band has taken the Beatles route of mining their strengthsd and expanding thm with fractured art-rock leanings, leading to results that are surprisingly engaging. (AT&T stage, 2:30 p.m.)

Rhymefest
Rhymefest's debut should have been a monster, but ended up being criminally overlooked. This rapper's rhymes and beats leave most of the mainstream in the dust, and we're not just saying that to lean on / attempt to support our "underground" standing. Hell, any dud e that samples The Stroke and make Julian Casablancas' vocals his bitch, deserves our love and respect. (Playstation stage, 3:30 p.m.)

Muse
Muse makes Queen seem understated. With pop hooks an roaring choruses that take up where Radioheads' The Bends left off, Muse is the perfect capper to an evening downtown. Sure, Interpol is playing across the way, but wouldn't you rather see the night off with a bang instead of the whimper the Joy Division tribute band is bound to deliver? This is why you'll see us fighting our way through the crowd to hit stage center for Muse. (AT&T stage, 8:30 p.m.)

Juliette and the Licks, Suffrajett, theStart
Juliette Lewis' outfit just wasn't meant for sunlight, so we're catching her angry Hollywood grrrl rock at her Lolla afterparty that's open to the public.Chicagoist pals Suffrajett open, and we're totally holding out hope for a face off between singer Simi and Lewis. Also opening is the dance rock combo theStart, who's album is pleasant enough, if somewhat faceless. We're hoping their live show adds a little extra bite. (The Note, 9:00 p.m.)

Each morning we're going to highlight five bands playing at Lollapalooza that we think are worth seeing. Some will be popular, some less known, but we believe they're all worth your time. And for those not making it to the festival itself, we'll round it out with an additional show going on after the grounds close down for the evening.

The Switches
We are sure we'll be cursing this band from England throughout the day. Why? Well, if it wasn't for The Switches, there's no way we'd be getting to Lollapalooza at the crack of 11:15 to open the festival. But they are, and there's no way we're missing their turbo-charged and slightly swishy glam-pop, even if it means braving a mid-day sun in full hangover mode. They actually sound like a peppier and goofier version of one of our other favorites of the weekend, Muse. Their mixture of bombast and youthful snot should wake everyone in their audience right the heck up. (BMI stage, 11:15 a.m.)

Ted Leo + Pharmacists
How good is Ted Leo's live show? So good that even though we're seeing him tomorrow night at Double Door, we're still willing to brave the masses to catch his daytime set at Lollapalooza. Hypercharged punk, tinged with ska, and impossible falsetto acrobatics drives his show. But the biggest charge comes from the interplay between Leo and his Pharmacists as they barrel through every tune with the desperate energy of a drowning man swimming towards an ever-receding surface. (MySpace stage, 1:30 p.m.)

The Polyphonic Spree
Honestly, having only experienced The Polyphonic Spree within the confines of The Empty Bottle every time we've seen them, we should be dreading their set as a potential let-down. However, we loved their most recent album, The Fragile Army, and appreciate the fact they finally figured out how to harness their wall of sound and direct it through tighter arrangements and stronger melodies. Plus, one of our own is slated to appear on the stage with them in the local dance troupe Chicago Tap Theatre. In other words, it sounds like Tim DeLaughter and his merry clan of noisemakers have figured out how to make the transition to the big time. (Bud Light stage, 2:30 p.m.)

Silversun Pickups
We admit to being a little torn about this one, since The Rapture is playing at the same time, but we're betting that Silversun Pickups' massive guitars will fare better in a festival setting. We're still not sure why everyone keeps comparing them to Smashing Pumpkins, when the only thing the two groups seem to have in common is a love of distorted guitar. Silversun Pickups write songs that always sound slightly fatigued before dive-bombing into glorious sludge. These kids share way more in common with My Bloody Valentine in the way they bury the hooks beneath sheets of glorious noise. (Citi stage, 5:00 p.m.)

LCD Soundsystem & Daft Punk
We're counting this as one band, since they're sharing a field and one goes on right after the other. There is no other place to be to close out tonight's bill. We fully expect to wander out exhausted after the non-stop dance party both bands will deliver smudged with the wonder of experiencing both in tandem with the opening day's sun slowly dying behind the Chicago skyline. (LCD Soundsystem is on the MySpace stage at 7:30 p.m., and Daft Punk is on the AT&T stage at 8:30 p.m.)

Sybris
We've long been fans of Sybris and their swerving rock. We admit the first time we saw them we were convinced we were watching Edie Brickell on acid (oh wait, can we say that?) ... but that was their very first show, and they've gotten much better. The songs still sway majestically, but now there's an added force behind their rhythms, and a closer eye upon the melodies. The last time we saw them they were opening for Wolfmother (!), and they more than held their own in the face of that Australian trio's assault. That only cemented our belief that Sybris is a force to be reckoned with, and it's only a matter of time before this Midwestern buried treasure gets discovered by everyone else. (House Of Blues on the Porch Stage, 10:30 p.m.)

Photo of Silversun Pickups by Chona Kasinger

It’s coming down to the final moments before Lollapalooza begins. We’ve emailed our Lollapalooza schedule to our friends. We’ve purchased a gallon of sun block. We’ve stocked up on water and batteries. Now we have some time to gossip about Lollapalooza. We don’t think Perez Hilton should be the only one to have all the fun while he's in town for the festival.

We’ll start off the gossip talk with this one from finifinito in the comments at firedoglake hearing that Donita Sparks may make an appearance during the CSS set for a rendition of “Pretend We’re Dead”. Apparently lefties can have good taste in music, who knew? It certainly explains why YearlyKos is in Chicago this week.

Be a gossip – let us know what rumors you’ve heard about Lollapalooza performances, performers, or celebrity attendees in the comments.

Image via University of Washington Libraries

The city's biggest music festival of the summer kicks off tomorrow, and you can feel the excitement building in the Chicagoist offices. However, we've had to put our cub reporters through some summer festival basic training, since this one blows all the others out of the water in sheer scope and size. The bands are the draw, and the primary source of fun, but there are a few other things you -- and our cub reporters -- need to keep in mind to ensure the experience stays positive. Believe us, there's nothing worse than waking up sunburned, drunk, and abandoned by your friends. Not that we would know. So to prepare you, dear reader, we've decided to share our top five tips on prepping for Lollapalooza this year.

It's going to be HOT!
We've gotten off pretty easy this summer, but Helios isn't letting us totally off the hook. It's going to be Buster Poindexter-level hot this weekend, so make sure you're dressed for the heat and drink plenty of water. In fact, either bring your own water bottle, or save the first one you buy, so you can refill it for free during the day. When you're losing water at the rate most people will in 90+ degree heat, it can get awfully expensive to stay hydrated if you keep paying for that agua.

This is also a pretty good reason to hold off the booze until later in the day, when it cools down a little. Seriously. We love to get plastered just as much as the next music critic, but even we know that you don't imbibe at 11 a.m. when it's already 93-degrees. And if you're as fair-skinned as we, after hours of either sitting in the office or sipping whiskeys by bar-light, slather on the sun block. Spare not an inch of skin that sweet, sweet protection of industrial strength SPF.

If you have a 3-day pass, take advantage of the re-entry policy.
One of the great things about a festival in Grant Park that allows re-entry is that it affords you all sorts of eating options that aren't just 2-pound slabs of funnel cake or 18-inch greasy slices of pizza. Sure the food downtown isn't any less expensive, but it sure tastes better. Also, re-entry means you can go wander around, take a break, and re-energize before re-entering the fray. Also, if you need to beat the heat for a bit, we hear the Art Institute is an awesome cooling station.

Never heard 'em before? Maybe now's the time.
You could go nuts trying to catch every band you want to see. After you've mapped out your schedule take a long honest look at the map. We know you see Regina Spektor and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs work out perfectly schedule-wise, but when you factor in that the stages are almost on opposite ends of Grant Park, it becomes pretty obvious you're not going to catch both.

So instead, while you're waiting for Spoon / Patti Smith / whomever to go on next, wander around and take in some of the surrounding bands you've never heard of. We've found some new favorites that way. (Case in point: Whilst we had heard Of Montreal before last year's Lollapalooza, we had never heard them live ... and that made all the difference in transforming us into fans of the band. Same thing went for the first time we saw Pearl Jam, the first time they played Lollapalooza.)

Get ready to hike about 27 miles a day.
Wear some comfortable shoes. Personally, we've stepped up our cardio training in the last month just to be able to survive.

Don't be a douchebag.
Or "that guy." Or Jeremy Piven. Just enjoy the show.

Photo of guy from Lollapalooza 2006 that could have used the advice above taken by Jeremy Farmer