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Oct. 5th, 2006 09:14 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
stormdogYesterday was so much fun! ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
posicat contacted me about ten o' clock to tell me that, as a result of datahawk not feeling well enough to use it, he had an extra ticket for a Jenny Lewis concert and wanted to know if I'd like to go with him.
Now, the last concert I'd been to was a fairly subdued affair at the Rosemont Horizon with my mother at least fifteen years ago, so I wasn't really sure what to expect. I'd never even heard of the performer, and I'd never been to the sort of bar environment Posi was telling me to expect. But the trip sounded like a lot of fun. I'd be down in Chicago again for a few hours, and with someone whose company I've really been enjoying lately. What's to worry about?
Soserinthia dropped me off at Posi's place after work. She stopped in briefly to talk to datahawk, but had to get going shortly. She drove back off to Kenosha in my truck since Posi had kindly offered to resolve our transport situation by driving me home at the end of the night. I got to chat with Data for a bit 'till Posi showed up with a care package for her.
We got on the road about six o' clock and made it to the Cumberland el station about an hour later. After a quick stop to buy day passes for the CTA, we were on the train. Despite the fact that we were going fast enough and getting bounced around enough to make me a bit nervous, it was great! I do like trains, even if they're little commuter lines. *bounce*
And then we got to the theater; wow! From what I'd understood, it was just a bar sort of place, but it was an actual theater. We were at The Vic, a beautiful little proscenium house built in 1912. I'd pegged it as thirties since it didn't show as strong an Art Deco influence as I'd expect from a building from the twenties. I was wrong for the right reasons; just a little too early for Art Deco.
Though it wasn't my absolute favorite style of theatre, the atmospherics, it was still very cool. The decor above the third floor box seats was particularly striking, with a couple of pieces that looked like Doric (I think; I'm not too solid on the column types any more...) columns with inset faces at the bottom, below which were triple candle-light lamps that gave the whole thing a very Greek-shrine appearance. I wish I'd had a camera! (Yes, I often feel, when I go to a theatre, that I'm buying a ticket to see the building. That's how you can tell when an act really impresses me; I'll have more to say about it than about the building.)
I was enraptured by the ladders that lead to the mid-house lighting emplacements too. They looked almost like rope ladders. They were anchored at one end to the third floor house right box seats, and at the other end to two different lighting emplacements that had been retrofitted from the ceiling. They looked amazingly treacherous and scary and I can't believe they passed OSHA regulations; I'd kill to have a chance to climb one.
We wandered around for a bit hoping to get onto the sparsely occupied balcony, but to no avail; it must have been private seating. So we settled into a spot to watch the show. It was so weird to be in a space that was obviously once full of typical theatre seating, but was now mostly empty with couches up against walls here and there. Though the changes made me a little bit sad, it was equally fascinating to see the way the old girl had been modified to suit her current purpose. I'm fascinated by the way buildings change through time.
The first band was memorable only for the lead singer's resemblance to a few of the local homeless in Kenosha. The drummer was cute though. After they finished, there was a break while some techys set up Jenny and her band's instruments. I took the opportunity to blather about the lighting instruments that I was able to recognize and what kind of lamps they take. We even wandered over to look at the light control board. I must have looked like a complete dweeb. Especially when the music began and I started covering my ears again.
But it was worth it! Though I would have had a much better time with earplugs and will probably bring some next time (maybe I am a dweeb but I don't want to damage my high-range hearing), the music was really great. I'll have to see if Posi will give me copies of some Rilo Kiley stuff to listen to. I can always get a better handle on music when I have it on media to listen to while I look at a lyric sheet, but it grabbed me enough that I'm interested in hearing more. And yes, Jenny Lewis is pretty hot. I can see why Posi gets into her hair. *grins* All in all, it was pretty nifty!
Finally things died down and we vacated the theater, stopping long enough for Posi to pick up Jenny's latest album on a 33⅓ LP. They're still pressing vinyl! Way cool! A bus took us back to a train that took us back to Posi's car that took me back home.
And as interesting as the concert was, I will freely admit that the best part of the night was listening to Posi tell me all about the stories he'd written as I rode sleepily home. I've always liked being read to. *smiles* It's so neat to have talented friends who produce writing. I've enjoyed readingserinthia's work too. Makes me wish I could find the inspiration to produce some of my own. One of these days.
Thanks so much for inviting me down with you and for the ride back Posi! I had a great time! Data, I hope you're feeling better soon!
posicat contacted me about ten o' clock to tell me that, as a result of datahawk not feeling well enough to use it, he had an extra ticket for a Jenny Lewis concert and wanted to know if I'd like to go with him. Now, the last concert I'd been to was a fairly subdued affair at the Rosemont Horizon with my mother at least fifteen years ago, so I wasn't really sure what to expect. I'd never even heard of the performer, and I'd never been to the sort of bar environment Posi was telling me to expect. But the trip sounded like a lot of fun. I'd be down in Chicago again for a few hours, and with someone whose company I've really been enjoying lately. What's to worry about?
So
serinthia dropped me off at Posi's place after work. She stopped in briefly to talk to datahawk, but had to get going shortly. She drove back off to Kenosha in my truck since Posi had kindly offered to resolve our transport situation by driving me home at the end of the night. I got to chat with Data for a bit 'till Posi showed up with a care package for her.We got on the road about six o' clock and made it to the Cumberland el station about an hour later. After a quick stop to buy day passes for the CTA, we were on the train. Despite the fact that we were going fast enough and getting bounced around enough to make me a bit nervous, it was great! I do like trains, even if they're little commuter lines. *bounce*
And then we got to the theater; wow! From what I'd understood, it was just a bar sort of place, but it was an actual theater. We were at The Vic, a beautiful little proscenium house built in 1912. I'd pegged it as thirties since it didn't show as strong an Art Deco influence as I'd expect from a building from the twenties. I was wrong for the right reasons; just a little too early for Art Deco.
Though it wasn't my absolute favorite style of theatre, the atmospherics, it was still very cool. The decor above the third floor box seats was particularly striking, with a couple of pieces that looked like Doric (I think; I'm not too solid on the column types any more...) columns with inset faces at the bottom, below which were triple candle-light lamps that gave the whole thing a very Greek-shrine appearance. I wish I'd had a camera! (Yes, I often feel, when I go to a theatre, that I'm buying a ticket to see the building. That's how you can tell when an act really impresses me; I'll have more to say about it than about the building.)
I was enraptured by the ladders that lead to the mid-house lighting emplacements too. They looked almost like rope ladders. They were anchored at one end to the third floor house right box seats, and at the other end to two different lighting emplacements that had been retrofitted from the ceiling. They looked amazingly treacherous and scary and I can't believe they passed OSHA regulations; I'd kill to have a chance to climb one.
We wandered around for a bit hoping to get onto the sparsely occupied balcony, but to no avail; it must have been private seating. So we settled into a spot to watch the show. It was so weird to be in a space that was obviously once full of typical theatre seating, but was now mostly empty with couches up against walls here and there. Though the changes made me a little bit sad, it was equally fascinating to see the way the old girl had been modified to suit her current purpose. I'm fascinated by the way buildings change through time.
The first band was memorable only for the lead singer's resemblance to a few of the local homeless in Kenosha. The drummer was cute though. After they finished, there was a break while some techys set up Jenny and her band's instruments. I took the opportunity to blather about the lighting instruments that I was able to recognize and what kind of lamps they take. We even wandered over to look at the light control board. I must have looked like a complete dweeb. Especially when the music began and I started covering my ears again.
But it was worth it! Though I would have had a much better time with earplugs and will probably bring some next time (maybe I am a dweeb but I don't want to damage my high-range hearing), the music was really great. I'll have to see if Posi will give me copies of some Rilo Kiley stuff to listen to. I can always get a better handle on music when I have it on media to listen to while I look at a lyric sheet, but it grabbed me enough that I'm interested in hearing more. And yes, Jenny Lewis is pretty hot. I can see why Posi gets into her hair. *grins* All in all, it was pretty nifty!
Finally things died down and we vacated the theater, stopping long enough for Posi to pick up Jenny's latest album on a 33⅓ LP. They're still pressing vinyl! Way cool! A bus took us back to a train that took us back to Posi's car that took me back home.
And as interesting as the concert was, I will freely admit that the best part of the night was listening to Posi tell me all about the stories he'd written as I rode sleepily home. I've always liked being read to. *smiles* It's so neat to have talented friends who produce writing. I've enjoyed reading
serinthia's work too. Makes me wish I could find the inspiration to produce some of my own. One of these days.Thanks so much for inviting me down with you and for the ride back Posi! I had a great time! Data, I hope you're feeling better soon!
