It’s been a few years since I’ve been to Chicago. This summer seems like as good a time as any for a visit. Especially since Pitchfork just launched the site for their second music fest. Ted Leo, Mountain Goats, Mission of Burma and more. What’s not to like? Oh yeah, it’s a music fest. My first experience with one happened to be the very first Lollapalooza. I remember being annoyed by all of the drunken fools…especially the ones who were burning piles of cardboard pizza boxes for no apparent reason. It was a warm summer’s day, it’s not like they needed a heat source. And man, that was super smelly. And it had rained recently so the ground was all muddy. And I’m short so it was difficult to see anything…other than all of the drunken fools. Hmmm, maybe I’m talking myself out of this already.
In other memories from 1991…I’ve never been a sports fan, but I do recall the Twins winning the World Series that year. But the 1987 Twins win, now that I remember much more clearly, because my brother was still alive and he was such a very big Twins fan (his was more of a quiet intensity, rather than the spazzy yet infectious enthusiasm I’m known for). During one of the ‘87 games my dad, brother and I were upstairs at Sweeney’s Saloon, attending my step-sister’s wedding reception. Rather than interacting with the other guests we were hiding out in a corner, huddled around a very small television. I didn’t much care about the game. It was just good to be with those two. And I would gladly subject myself to any amount of sports viewing - if it meant the three of us could be together again.