I have to admit that music is one of my favorite arts, unfortunately I can only enjoy it as a bystander – I can’t really play any instrument with any mastery. Perhaps this is why I may be considered a music snob. My tastes are admittedly selective. So, when I find a band that I can enjoy watching every time I see them play, I get a bit excited. Dorian Taj is such a band.

Dorian Taj has been around the Chicago scene for ten years and no matter what the venue they always put on a fantastic show. And when I say a fantastic show, I mean they not only play well, but also play to the crowd, use witty commentary. Lyrically, Dorian Taj’s work is intelligent and clever while not pretentiously cerebral and musically they rock. And when I say they rock, I’m not speaking of just plain old rock ‘n’ roll music, they manage to be both deceptively simple and complex at the same time. Their sound is unique and for lack of a better term almost scruffy. All of the musicians in the band are obviously very talented, but clean and pure is not the sound they are looking for, rather Dorian Taj has a slightly gritty feel.

Last week on Western and Fullerton, in a delightful bar called Quenchers, Dorian Taj played an awesome two-set show. The first set was filled with many of their older songs that when playing single-sets and with less time they very rarely play. This set a precedent for the show that they were out to play an unpredictable, challenging, exciting and fun show. The second set consisted of their more well known songs and requests from the crowd. At such a small (and free) venue, they were able to literally talk to the crowd, take any and all requests and generally just be silly and entertaining. If you have the good fortune to see these fine gentlemen perform at any venue, I highly recommend stopping by and seeing what it’s all about.

Posted by: Conci N.

Technorati Tags: Chicago, IL, Chicago Music, Chicago Night Life, Quenchers, Dorian Taj

There is a phenomenon that occurs in downtown Chicago, that I don’t think happens anywhere else in the city. Generally, I refer to those afflicted by this phenomenon as the mosey men. The mosey men are generally composed of tourists and suburbanites who in the expeditions to downtown Chicago seem to forget that when crossing the street it is not only advisable to check for oncoming traffic, but also to reach the other side of the intersection as quickly as possible.

If you’ve ever visited or lived downtown and are a native Chicagoan, I have no doubt that you have not only encountered the mosey men, but also become incredibly annoyed by them. As a girl who not only lives downtown, but also grew up down there, I have almost no patience for the mosey men. They stand in the middle of the street trying to take pictures of the amazingly tall buildings; pointing, staring and wondering if they’ll fall. These are the people who are more than willing to pay far more exorbitant prices for the same items they could potentially buy in their own towns.

I know I’m probably not being fair to the mosey men. They don’t see high rises and skyscrapers every day. To them the magnificent mile is flashy…somehow extravagant. To me, the stores may change, the exteriors may get gussied up, but it’s still just a tourist trap and home.

Posted by: Conci N.

Technorati Tags: Chicago, Illinois, The Magnificent Mile, Michigan Avenue

Now, I’m not one that is easily impressed by the theatre and new plays. I suppose this is an unfortunate consequence to beginning my acting career when I was four and continuing along path of the young actress through college. However, I can honestly say that Steppenwolf’s production of “The Pillowman” was thoroughly entertaining and absolutely thought provoking.

I’ve never been one to give away the plot of a show or movie and I’m not about to begin with divulging the secrets of “The Pillowman,” but I can say that as a person who can almost inevitably call every turn in a script, it was a delight to see a show where even I was surprised by not only the construction of the work, but also the plot turns throughout the play. For a person as cynical and critical as myself to leave a play without a single criticism about the script, production or performances is rare.

I suppose, I must warn the readers out there that my theatrical preferences tend to lie in absurdism, so if you like things to be clean-cut and simple, you probably would hate “The Pillowman.” But, if you’re interested in magical realism and absurdity, “The Pillowman” at the Steppenwolf Theatre is a must see and I don’t say that lightly.

Posted by: Conci N.

Technorati Tags: Chicago, Illinois, Chicago Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre, The Pillowman

It has come to my attention that there is a proliferation of terrible drivers out on the streets of Chicago. And while I understand that not everyone can be as law-abiding as I am when sitting behind the wheel, I at least hope that people will try to improve their skills with experience and time. This never really seems to be the case. In fact, it seems to me that the worst drivers out on these city streets are generally those who have municipal cars. (While it may be unfair, I am lumping cabbies in with that group.)

Generally speaking, I just expect cab drivers to cut me off or do incredibly stupid driving maneuvers. When you learn to drive in the city you start to just accept cabbies as an environmental variable – kind of like ambulances or fire trucks. While ambulances may not always be zipping down the street trying to save lives, a driver has to know what to do when an ambulance is coming…the same is true with dealing with the stupidity of cab drivers.

But, apparently when your car actually belongs to the city, there is a type of authority that rises in the driver and allows them to do whatever they want when driving. This has always been true of police cars – sirens on or off you let them have the right of way. So, I suppose by default it should be (and is) true about the drivers of unmarked cop cars. I can even accept that the drivers of emergency vehicles are so used to having the right of way that they just assume they have it even when they’re not heading towards an emergency call.

So, I’ve been able to rationalize the bad driving behaviors of almost every municipal driving group, with one exception – buses. As far as I’m concerned, buses have no excuse for driving poorly, they have no rationale for sliding through red lights when they get tired of waiting – it’s a bus! Buses are supposed to be slow, they’re like the turtle of public transportation – slow and steady, but it will get you where you’re going…eventually. So, why is the turtle getting all aggressive and cutting me off?

Posted by: Conci N.

Technorati Tags: Chicago, Illinois, Chicago municipal drivers, Chicago Public Transportation, the CTA