"Take Me Out to the Ball Game" at Wrigley Field - Summer 2010 vs the Atlanta Braves, August 15

Come On, Baby Don't You Wanna Go?

I do ... and I will ... back to that same old place, sweet home Chicago.

Friday, you'll be able to find me in section 123 at Wrigley Field to watch the struggling Cubbies at home for the first time since August 2008.

A lot has changed since that August game where Rich Harden pitched a gem, Marmol set up the save, and Kerry Wood closed it out for a rousing bout of "Go Cubs Go" the entire stumble of a walk back to my Lakeview home.

My company that night included my high school friends Darienne and my parents, who showed up after game time. Little did my parents know (and now my mother will if she reads this entry ... sorry mom), Darienne and I were three beers into the night by the time they showed up for the game in our bleacher seats.

Let me explain why so many so fast:

1. We got to the game at about 3:45 (for a 7:05 start) and waited in line to get into the bleachers for a good seat, which we got.
2. It was my first time being 21 at a baseball game.
   
3. It was my first time being 21 at a Cubs game.
4. It was my first time being 21 at a Cubs game sitting in the bleachers.
5. Therefore, we had no choice.

Then, upon my father's arrival, he continued to hand out beers to the two of us just as fast as the Cubs continue to lose this season. I, of course, did not turn them down. I also do not remember the walk home. What I do remember is that I will never forget that game.

It was the last one I ever went to with my dad and definitely ranks among the top three Cubs games I saw with him. Between the two of us, we sure have seen a bunch of awesome games: the Red Sox first series against the Cubs at Wrigley Field in May 2005 (where then Cubs starter Greg Maddux hit a homer run), Cubs Spring Training at Hohokam in 2006, Kerry Woods first releif appearance in August 2005, Ryne Sandberg's (second) last game before retirement in 1997, and that's just to name a few.

This will be my first Cubs game attended with my pseudo-daddy Peter. It will be full of Old Style, Chicago hot dogs, and a great deal of yelling directed toward our Cubs. It'll be just like Lou from inside the dugout only better because we have beer and Lou doesn't.

I do however look forward to the game because I can only imagine what a kick my dad is gonna get out of watching Peter and I rant on and on about how the Nationals (for once) are way better than the Cubs.

Face it Cubs fans, the Nats have a way better bullpen despite Brian Bruney's miserable numbers. But then again, things could be worse for the Cubs ... they could still be paying Jason Marquis. Then again, Zambrano's still in the pen. In any case, my bet's on the Nats finishing better than the Cubs this season in the overall standings.

Chicago Eliminated - So What Else is New?

Chicago lost the Olympic bid for the 2016 games this morning during the first round of voting held by the International Olympic Committee. All this blogger can say is "ouch".

The IOC crushed the spirits of millions of Chicagoians eager and excited for the global games to stake it's claim in the Windy City.

It also makes the Obama's trip to Copenhagen look like a complete waste of time (which -- since Chicago lost -- was). Time to focus on the important stuff, Mr. President. How about that economy we've heard so much about? Or, you know, those wars we've been fighting for years that have no end in sight? Yeah, it might be a good idea to tend to those items listed on your agenda.

Granted, this here Chicago native would have loved nothing more than to boost my city's ego to epic proportions but President Obama is not the President of the United City of Chicago -- he's the President of the United States.

It's not like we didn't see the loss of the bid coming though. Anytime the words "Chicago" and "sports" unite, it's almost inevitable that it will result in a no-win situation (some might say the White Sox winning the 2005 World Series is an excuse but this blogger begs to differ). The Cubs never win big. The Bulls haven't been TRULY good since the Jordan era. If anyone happens to keep track of the Chicago Fire -- or Major League Soccer for that matter -- then good for them, but they haven't done much of anything either. And those Blackhawks? Don't even get me started.

Chicago's gotta face it: You're a great city full of mouth-watering, artery-clogging food with a good view of the water and a winter that even the thickest skinned find hard to muster -- but those are the reasons we love you. The sports thing is just something to keep your residents entertained. Sorry to say, you just don't have what it takes.

As for the Olympic bid, all this blogger can say is what all Cubs fans know all to well, "'Til next year" or rather -- next time.

We Can Take The Long Way Home

One would think I have no obligations on this Father's Day seeing as mine passed away five months ago. Too bad that isn't true.

I have the soul responsibility of getting through today in once piece. As luck would have it, Father's Day 2009 not only lacks the presence of my own father but it's my dog Coco's 13th birthday (may she too rest in peace) and my Grandma Irene's 90th.

Today is a day that we should all be celebrating together: brunch at the country club for the humans and vanilla Häagen-Dazs® for Coco -- she deserves a treat, it is her birthday after all!

Then the obligatory exchange of gifts between my grandpa, uncle, and dad (often times these gifts include various sweaters from Brooks Brothers, Ralph Lauren, and J.Crew). The kids watch and wait while catching some cuddle time with the dog. The women sip on coffee and thank everyone for such a "pleasant" afternoon (whether or not it was one). And then -- my favorite part -- the drive home.

The drive home occurs as a result of the hour and a half trek we would take to the Father's Day celebration. You see, us Chicago folk take the day trip to Michigan City, In. It's a small town near the border of Michigan and Indiana (in case you couldn't figure that one out). Just imagine any stereotypical, mid-western small town and you'll come up with a semi-accurate picture in your mind.

The ride back always felt longer than the one on the way to Michigan City. This is because there was always more to talk about after the Father's Day festivities were over than beforehand. Yes ... there were more cars filtering through the Indiana Toll Roads at the end of Father's Day. All the commuters from North West Indiana and some parts of Chicago do make their way back and forth in less time than it would take a family of four plus two dogs in a black Volvo station wagon to get from Michigan City to Wrigleyville, but that didn't matter. Sure ... my sister and I never unpacked the car. Dad did that. And in our defense, the dogs didn't help unpack either.

But I digress...

I could never pinpoint why the car ride home was my favorite part of Father's Day. I never thought about it before. But after some thought, I've come to a conclusion. This might come to some shock or chagrin of a few of my family members since I've made a consistent attempt at never admitting my feelings toward those with a blood relation to me for whatever reason. I enjoyed the car ride home because I was stuck inside a four-walled space with people who didn't care how big of a idiot I may sound like on occasion or would yell at me for how many times I drop the "F-bomb" because it's unwomanly.

I wont lie. I miss being made fun of for constantly asking the word "what". Dad always did do the best impression of me.

The family will not be together this Father's Day. Everyone is spread far and wide: Chicago, D.C., Arizona, Michigan City, Boston, "heaven" ... you know ... everywhere you can think of except for being together. That's no one's fault, that's how the world works. Some years are better than others, some years are worse, but today I will sip some scotch for my dad and eat some ice cream for my dog.

At least we all still have our memories, L'Chaim.


Norah Jones - The Long Way Home (Video, Live from Austin)

Romance, Circumstance, and Happenstance: A Look at Rachael Yamagata

Photo By: R.H. Levitin

Singer-songwriters are a dying breed in the commercial world of popular music. Look at the Billboard charts and check how many singer-songwriters are in the Top 200 albums. There aren’t many. Why is this? It’s because they gain little exposure when compared to the Brittney’s and Miley’s of the pop planet and are often overlooked. Enter Rachael Yamagata.

Yamagata is no ordinary songstress. She’s a small name signed to a major label and a cult favorite of the independent music scene. Her unique approach to the craft of songwriting can be attributed to a few features that standout from the most listened to singles on the top 40 airwaves.

Yamagata, who says she can't believe how easy it’s been creating a career by making bad decisions and having her heart broken, has a way of commiserating with people about the most common human condition – love ... or lack thereof.

Her influences include some of the best singer-songwriters though out recent pop music history. James Taylor, Stevie Nicks, Carole King, Cat Stevens, and Jeff Buckley are all atop Yamagata’s list of artists who continue to inspire her style. Although it’s been made quite clear in various interviews that she’s more apt to recall a particular song by an artist as opposed to an entire repertoire, Yamagata’s voicing in a given song remains a story that expresses an emotion rather than an emulation of a specific musician.

Photo By: R.H. Levitin

The 31-year-old singer-songwriter got her start in music as the lead singer for the Chicago based funk-fusion band Bumpus. The band spent six years on recording three full-length albums and touring until 2001 when Yamagata got the itch to perform her own songs. Her style differed from that of the band’s which is why she took the risk of leaving the band behind to start a solo career revolving around her song-style.

The sweet soulful jams Bumpus produced with and without Yamagata sound like something straight out of the 1970’s. Imagine Joss Stone’s funky pipes serenading a crowd over Sly and the Family Stones’ band. According to The Urban Wire, Yamagata joined Bumpus at 19 but then left a few years after when she broke up with her boyfriend and fellow band member.

As a result of a broken heart, Yamagata picked up a guitar and sat down at the piano to document her relationship gone sour – and the kick-off of a solo career.

After consistent play time at Chicago-land area coffee houses, bars, and various open mic nights, Arista’s Private Music offered Yamagata a two-record deal in September 2002. Her self-titled EP, produced by Malcom Burn was released in October of that year.

Reviews of the EP were mixed among the music criticism community. Some said she was nothing special, just another “raven-haired cutie who struts and sways as she tickles those lucky ivories.” Some said her unique vocals make Yamagata standout as a MTV2 “You Hear it First”-type of musician. The five-track acoustic EP is as basic as basic gets – Yamagata, a guitar or piano, and a few studio musicians. Her use of string instruments – namely cello and violin – is one major trait that defines Yamagata’s distinct sound as an artist.

Good luck trying to define this songwriting jack-of-all-trades, her style has yet to be pegged. She’s fooled fans and non-fans alike into thinking she’s a folk singer mixing the vocal tenacity of Janis Joplin and musical prowess of Carol King. She’s been compared to jazz crooner Norah Jones due to her delicate flower of an EP released in 2003. She’s been penned as mopey gal who packs a punch and doesn’t quit by Spin magazine. But here’s the question – who’s right?

There are no exact contemporary comparisons to the Yamagata style but a few names do come close. Emily Haines, daughter of Canadian poet Paul Haines, strikes a slight resemblance to Yamagata if comparing their performances of self-composed songs.

Both Haines and Yamagata thrive off of presenting themselves as vulnerable yet strong women with stories to tell. They’re able to do this because of their unmatched ability to write exactly what they’re thinking – both lyrically and musically – and channel that emotion in every recording and live performance. Haines 2006 debut album “Knives Don’t Have Your Back” is a perfect example of what she has in common with Yamagata.

Stylus magazine music critic, Liz Colville, said the songs on “Knives Don’t Have Your Back” have such a precise contextual feel with a lingering sense of displacement, “The instruments are the enclosures in which the message resides, not imprisoned, but hovering and spectacular in their isolation and as a thematically linked group.” Yamagata does the same in her own right.

Photo By: Rachel Levitin

Yamagata has the ability to capture an exact moment in time and pinpoint a feeling via songwriting. That’s what sets her apart from the Tori Amos’, Lisa Germanos’, and Haines of the female singer-songwriter spectrum. Haunting melodies linger in the ear drums when Yamagata glides her fingers across the ivory keyboard, strum a six-string, or growls with her raspy alto voice. She’s captured what it feels like to always be in a smoke-filled room straight out of the beat poetry era – according to writer and music critic Gentry Boeckel – and she does it well.

Boeckel thought she figured Yamagata out with her 2003 release of her EP. Boeckel, who gave Yamagata a C- for her efforts, retracted her poor review with high praise with the singer-songwriter’s 2004 full-length solo debut. Happenstance, which received an A- by Boeckel, demonstrated Yamagata’s mastery of song.

"After hearing her new debut LP, Happenstance," Boeckel said, “I feel wholeheartedly penitent for ever calling her ‘just another female singer/songwriter....who struts and sways as she tickles those lucky ivories.’”


Photo By: R.H. Levitin

Boeckel admits that Yamagata is no heir to the throne of Amos or Apple, but that “she is the natural progression in a long line of female singer/songwriters.” Yamagata won Boeckel’s approval due to “wearing her influences on her sleeve and being unafraid of accessibility and radio friendliness.”

Don’t let Yamagata’s soft vocals confuse you. Her delivery is delicate with a punch that would drive any vocal teacher crazy due to a cigarette induced rasp. The range of Yamagata’s tone is consistent when it comes to live and studio performances, leaving fans pleased that there is no discrepancy between belting a ballad out on stage or rocking out on a recording session. Her range has yet to grow but it’s Yamagata’s consistency that sets her apart from the other women attempting to do the same job within the industry.

It’s obvious that Yamagata knows her stuff. The amount of musical history that she applies to her own work on a consistent basis proves her mastery of the art of songwriting. But, if there’s one thing she’s mastered besides songwriting, it would have to be her use of instrumentation and lush arraignments.

Happenstance was the first opportunity for substantial involvement in the arrangement of instrumental contributions to her work. The majority of everything from horn lines, to strings, clarinets and oboes was composed by Yamagata herself. She would track most of the parts on a BR8 recording machine and then transfer them directly into the sessions.

The differences between arrangements on Happenstance and the EP have a great deal to do with the varying stylistic approaches of the albums’ producers. Malcom Burn’s work on the EP focuses on what Yamagata calls an intense drive to capture things in a very raw and passionate live setting, while John Alagia’s view on Happenstance takes on a perfectionist-based approach that is based on an overwhelming attention to detail.

A few notable tracks on her first two releases include: “Collide” on the EP and “Worn Me Down”, “I’ll Find A Way”, and “I Want You” on Happenstance. On each of these songs Yamagata uses ambient sound, in-studio recording deception, or instrumental arrangements as stylistic additions to her compositions.

“Collide” opens with a piano track run backwards. This audio technology trick captures the ear of the listener right away. It’s abrupt and somewhat unnatural, making it a perfect transitory piece of music to shift between verse, chorus, and bold lyrical statements.

“Worn Me Down” features an on-going, single guitar line throughout the entire song – more notably in the chorus, but underneath the verses as well. This winding road of a guitar line sounds reminiscent of a single note being strummed and echoing itself in a giant cave. That haunting sound can be musically linked to the work of Brian Eno and Robert Fripp in the early 1970’s

Multi-layered ambient music made its debut on the 1973 album “(No Pussyfooting)” and was the first of its kind. Eno developed a tape tracking system that utilizes two tape recorders that allowed tracks to lay on top of one another. This new recording technique redefined how a piece of audio was layered. After working with Fripp on composing the first tracks recorded using the new technique, the duo coined the style’s title as “Frippertronics.”

Yamagata pays homage to Fripp’s electric guitar playing teamed with Eno’s new multi-layered audio when she has a single guitar to play underneath her written melodies, serving as a tone setting player in the song as a whole.

“I’ll Find A Way” also uses this guitar-line technique as a tool to strength the bass to strengthen the overall melody of the song. Yamagata also applies string arrangements, flutes, horns, and auxiliary percussion instruments to the mix to take the very empty first verse with little instrumentation and transform it into a vibrantly orchestrated masterpiece. The track closes with Yamagata’s whisper of a vocal track, sparse piano chords, drum brushes against a snare, and a very soft yet ever present humming of that single-guitar line that was used in “Worn Me Down” and throughout the entirety of the song.

“I Want You” is a perfect example of Yamagata taking the reigns on tracking her arrangements for the first time on “Happenstance.” The clarinet and trumpet styling’s of the Klezmer backing back emphasize the light-hearted tone of this feel-good, upbeat pop jam.

Enter the fall 2008 release of “Elephants … Teeth Sinking Into Heart”. This two-part, double-disk album is the best example of her instrumental artistry and trickery. Yamagata and her recording team used natural sounds including rain, tree branches falling on roof tops, and what she deems “darker, lush arrangements” to set the first half of the record’s tone. Then, she grabbed the bull by its horns for the second half of the double album with what she calls a “raw, reclaiming of personal power” through crunchy, guitar driven rock anthems.

“The two discs work nicely together,” Stylus music critic Caitlin Pollard said when reviewing the album. “Yamagata has not only grown musically, but creatively, as well. She uses the two discs to allow the mellow, sad songs to dig deeper into her broken heart, but sets it off with a powerful rock 'n' roll disc that shows her musical talent and emotions.”

Photo By: R.H.Levitin

The cynicism Yamagata demonstrates is straight from the eyes of a post-relationship survivor. Her aim is to prove that hope exists but also that life is always determined by happenstance. And according to a 2007 interview with Eva Ellinghausen on The Urban Wire, as long as her words are truthful and she’s captured them in music with her whole hearted intention of getting those words down no matter what – it doesn’t matter how painful any of it was at the time.

If there’s any message Yamagata wishes to share with her adoring fans or those who have yet to discover her, it would have to be the final line of the title track on “Elephants”.

“Throw yourself in the midst of danger, but keep one eye open at night,” sums up her vantage point and entire musical career. Push toward the unknown but be weary, you never know what will come next.

The Dawn of a New Day in America -- Barack Hussein Obama becomes the 44th President of The United States of America

I never find myself glued to a television anymore. But on Tuesday night I huddled around a friend’s television set in Washington, D.C. eagerly awaiting the millions of votes to trickle into the news stations.

Millions upon millions pieces of paper are what determined the outcome of this year’s historic presidential election. When the predictions started dominating the airwaves close to 11 p.m. on the east coast, my friends and I saw history – Barack Hussein Obama is the 44th President of the United States of America.

I found it necessary to never take an obvious side in this election. My stance on politics is a trait that I internalize unless my last nerve goes awry. Last night, I watched the faces of six other 21-year-old American University students as our country ushered in its new and unknown future.

Our generation and every other generation of American citizens were promised change. We elected the man who said he would help us get there. I don’t think I’ve ever been more proud of our country as a whole than today.

One story stick out in my mind from Election Day. Rain misting from a gray Washington, D.C. sky didn’t keep voters away from the polls. A class of mine at AU wrote and conducted an exit poll for voters in the D.C., Maryland, and Virginia polls nearby. I was stationed in a precinct in Northwest Washington.

There, I saw parents toting their small children to the booths and elderly couples linked by the arm with umbrellas in hand. Young, old, white, black, Asian, Hispanic – everyone voted.

I won’t lie, I was fearful for our country until the announcement that Sen. Obama became the President-elect. Not once during the 21 month election did I ever tell anyone which candidate my vote was going to. But watching Chicago's Grant Park on CNN last night made me proud to be an American.

My city of Chicago ushered in a new era of American history and I wasn’t there to see it. That's why it's a good thing there will be many more historical days to come. This chapter in our history books has only just begun. From here on out, it’s our responsibility along side President Obama to make the changes we seek for the future.

I tip my hat to you today, Barack Obama -- despite the fact that you're a White Sox fan. Here’s to a new day dawning in The United States of America.

Chicago Gets an East Coast Treat

If there's one thing I've learned while being in D.C. it's that people my age love a good, cheap burger. They want something tasty, they want something fresh, and ... they usually go to Five Guys.

This burger joint is ideal for the student on a budget. Heck, you even get free peanuts at your table while you wait for your good ol' wholesome American meal. It's like being at a bar sans the beer -- same solid eats and constant comrade for a mid-range price.

Today the Chicago Tribune wrote that Five Guys will be opening two locations in the Windy City this fall/winter -- one in Oak Park and one in Lincoln Park.

The #1 burger in Washington, D.C. for the past five years has been Five Guys. It's important to keep in mind that the nation's capital is no Chicago. The melting pot that is D.C. makes international dining a comfortable choice. But, in Chicago, the residents go for a more familiar taste.

Chicago is known for two types of food -- pizza and hot dogs. So, bringing Five Guys into the mix will shake dining up a bit. Let's just hope Chicagoians welcome the new flavor.

For more on Five Guys in Chicago visit: http://leisureblogs.chicagotribune.com/thestew/2008/10/five-guys-bring.html