"It'll ALWAYS Be Marshall Field's To Chicagoans": Some Holiday Meditation From DJ Matt Roan
By Sponsor in Arts & Entertainment on Nov 19, 2013 6:00AM
To ring in the holidays this year, we've teamed up with American Express' #PointsForPresents program to ask a celebrated member of the Chicago community to meditate on the holidays. What defines the holidays here? What's the best gift for someone from the city? What do you love about the holidays not just as a person, but as the die-hard Chicagoan you are? Here's what DJ Matt Roan had to say.
As a DJ, Matt ROAN has played all over the world from Miami to Milan and has performed at Lollapalooza twice. As a musician, he's assisted on numerous records and recently toured the East Coast with The 1900s. As a business owner, he and his friend Emilio Abadia, also known as E-Six, co-founded Crossfader King and have helped many local DJs get their start. You can see more at djmattroan.com.
What's a gift every Chicagoan should receive at some point? Boots. I lived in sneakers for a VERY long time and just a few years back got an excellent pair of these Cole Haan x Nike winter boots that really changed my life. Winter in Chicago is long, cold, and usually pretty sloppy. These things really stood up to the daily challenge of getting around the city.
What's the one thing in the holiday spread you absolutely have to have seconds of? I'm not usually a major sweets person, but my friend Laura's mom makes the most incredible toffee that I've ever tasted. It's just insane. She just told me yesterday that this is the year she gets to learn how to make it herself. THINGS WILL NEVER BE THE SAME. That box of goodness usually lasts about one day at our place.
Has there ever been a gift you've given that made you stop and think, "Wow, I really outdid myself this year"? The first Christmas gift I ever gave my soon-to-be wife was this vintage dress that she had modeled for a friends online shop. She texted me a picture early in November and as soon as I saw it on her I called the girl and bought it over the phone that instant. About two months later it was under the tree and she totally flipped. I kinda set the bar entirely too high, haha.
A call-in show classic: tell us a horror story from a holiday past... The entire family had just sat down for Christmas dinner when my uncle said he felt a drop of water on his head. We looked up as water started POURING out of one of the light fixtures in our dining room ceiling. Turns out my dad had left the giant sink in our laundry room on full blast and it seeped right through the floor and onto our dining room table. There was a short intermission while the mess was cleaned up then it was right back to stuffing ourselves.
Finish this sentence: "It isn't the holidays in Chicago without... Midnight Mass at Old St. Pat's, Zoo Lights at the Brookfield Zoo, the window displays at Marshall Fields (it will ALWAYS be Marshall Fields to Chicagoans)." My personal favorite is my friend Molly's "Champagne and Sequins" holiday party. You have to bring at least one bottle of champagne, dress and fancy as possible, and then get as loose as possible.
We also asked Matt to share what he might get for the loved ones this holiday, using Membership Rewards® points from American Express. These aren't the typical rewards options, so don't think it's all ball-point pens and label makers! Here's what Matt picked out for his clan. 
It's that wonderful time of year, and the Membership Rewards® program from American Express lets you use points for thousands of rewards. Most people know you can use points for travel, but why not for gifts (and we’re not talking about run-of-the-mill pens and antiquated electronics)! From useful items like a Macbook air to fun items like Beats by Dre, American Express has a wide variety of gifts for your family, your friends and all those in between.
And just in case you are worried about being too "on-the-go" to shop for holiday gifts this year, you can now download the new and improved American Express app to use Membership Rewards points from your smart phone for almost anything and everything—Metrocards or martinis (which are ok to be dry).