The Savage Wasteland of Chicago - A Photo Essay

The savage streets of Chicago are a dreary post-apocalyptic wasteland, where you can't always rely on the safety of numbers, firepower, or even kitty shoes.




Thugs roam the streets in motorized packs, dispensing their twisted idea of street justice to all who run afoul of them.

These gangs, loyal to local warlords, hold the city in a grip of fear. Even in broad daylight they are out, instilling terror among the general populace.

There are very few places one can find refuge. We were fortunate to happen upon one such stronghold.

Sue is a local tribal leader, and a very old friend, who holds court in her massive palace by the water.

Her hospitality toward visitors is well known, and she took a liking to us.

She even sent one of her emissaries with us, to ensure our safe passage home.

Photos from Chicago

Chicago was a great time. Relaxing and hedonistisc at the same time.

We went shopping. Nicole got a new pair of shoes.

Yes, you can take a closer look. That's right, they have kitties on them.

After she got her new shoes, we went to many bars, including The Hideout:

The Pizza Lounge (which incidentally, doesn't serve pizza):

Danny's:

And the Double Door:

Check back tomorrow for more photos from my trip!

And... we're live...

Finally, about a week after I thought it would be, the site has gone live.

It's been a lot of fun prepping for it, I've gone to some great shows, and interviewed some musicians I really dig.

Sunday, I got to go to one of the best shows I've seen in a long time. Gogol Bordello at the Magic Stick.

Here's a few photos from the evening:

It was a dynamic, high-energy show.

A high point in the show was the drum riding during the encore.

At any rate, I guess my point is:

A. The site is live, and can be found here.

B. I need a vacation. I'm leaving for Chicago in just a few minutes.

One more reason I love Detroit...

So the initial push is over, methinks. The site is ready to go live, and should launch either today or Monday I'm guessing. I'm just waiting to hear, but it feels like a big weight has lifted, and things are getting back to normal.

Because I am not busy enough, Nicole and I have taken on another thing.

First off, Nicole's sister is doing a three-day walk for breast cancer. Well, not really for it, it's more of a walk against breast cancer. But I digress.

It's the third time she's done it, and the fundraising portion is a big part of it. Sure, the three-day walk is a nice way to show support for a cause, but unless it also channels money to the cause, well you're just walking.

So, in order to help her raise money for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, we're organizing a benefit show. It's really amazing how easy it was to put into motion. I'm sure it will be a lot more work as it gets closer, but to get it going was surprisingly easy.

We just started approaching people, and they said yes. Some people even came to us when they found out what we were doing. It makes me feel good about my friends, and about the whole Detroit scene. People really want to be part of a good thing.

It's going to be at the Belmont. I asked the owner what I needed to do to set up a breast cancer benefit show. His reply? "Just ask me." That's good people.

So anyway, for all of my local peeps, save the date!


Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and National Philanthropic Trust Breast Cancer Fund Benefit
Saturday, June 24
8 PM
The Belmont

Featuring Live Performances by

The Beggars
Battling Siki
The Hotwalls
Helvet1ca
M Kadath

DJ to be announced
Poetry and spoken word by Gina Minnicuci

Some of those names have been mentioned within my posts before, but they're all great. Check out all the links, they go to their myspace profiles, and you can listen to samples.

It's a great night of music for a great cause, and I'm just honored to be a part of it.

Sometimes it's good to be in hot water...

Work continues on my new site. It should be going live at the end of this week. I have to say I am enjoying this immensely! Yesterday I did a phone interview with a musician I am a huge fan of. It’s really cool to speak with someone you admire in a business fashion, rather than the position of a gushing fan.

I’ll post here once the site goes live, and also have for time to devote to Kit Burns Was Framed! Thanks for your continued patience.

It was an interesting weekend. Saturday, I took a crew of my friends to my folks’ cottage on the other side of the state to do some landscaping. We drove for two and a half hours, shoveled stone and dirt for ten hours, then made the trek back.

I arrived home to a busted hot water heater.

I was exhausted and dirty, and couldn’t take a shower.

Stray Thoughts was with me, and I thank him for persevering as I did. He could have gone home and left me on my own, but he didn’t. He slept on my couch that night, and spent the next day helping me install a new hot water heater. It further entrenched me in the battlefield of filth and physical exhaustion, but it got done.

Monday morning I was able to take my first shower since Friday morning. It was one of the best showers I’ve ever had.

Even so, hot water heaters are a bummer in one sense; when your fridge goes, or your stove, at the end of the day you have a new stove or fridge to enjoy. A hot water heater just… makes more hot water. It’s not like this hot water is different than the previous.

In a way, the hot water heater is the unsung hero of the household. It sits in a corner of the basement, a happy little workhorse heating the water you need to keep yourself and your world clean. You don’t notice it until it’s gone.

Think about that the next time you shower. Thank that little happy worker hidden in the basement. And also take a moment to think of all the people in your life you never see and never notice, yet would shake your foundations if they weren’t around.

Next time you get a chance, say thanks to your mailman, your garbageman, or the guy who makes sure the beer cooler at the local liquor store is stocked. People like this are the hot water heaters in your life.