07-12-2015, 03:30 PM
By the 4th, I had this nailed. I knew where I wanted to go and how to get there. I knew where to eat well on the cheap. Don't tell me this town ain't got no heart. Just gotta poke around.
As soon as I was awake, I made a bee-line to the Art Institute, and I'm glad I did because even though I spent almost the entire afternoon there, it was hardly enough. What a magnificent collection. So many piece that I had studied in school, so many works that inspired me over the years - nothing like seeing them first hand. I had some minor epiphanies standing before Hopper's Nighthawks, Van Gogh's Bedroom, a strange 15ht century Nepalese Tara statue, O'Keefe's Cow Skull with Calico Roses, and Albright's shocking Picture of Dorian Gray. It was very moving for me. Sometimes art can really affect me, especially now that I'm older perhaps. That, in context with this amazing miracle flashback journey I was on, just hit me like thunder. I was a little disappointed with the Arms and Armor exhibit. They are planning an expansion so it seemed small, not enough swords. Some magnificent pole arms and armor however. So glad I went.
My seat was in the very back, behind the stage, one row from the back wall. Actually, the sound there was really good, and the entire structure bounced when everyone danced, so it was a lot of fun. It was Saturday night, 4th of July, so the set was predictable - U.S. Blues encore, One More Saturday Night closer, Liberty...they played Jack Straw with the line 'born of the 4th of July' the night before so that was out. This was their pop set. if that can even apply to the Dead, it was also the most lackluster of the run of 5, but a lot of fireworks covered that up. Standing on the Moon was the 3rd song, and I burst into tears as soon as it came on. That was our wedding song, my dearest dead moment ever. That was the song Jerry soundchecked at the Kaiser, and played it directly to me and another Rock Medic who snuck into the soundcheck, looking straight at us for reaction - it was a new song, never played live before that run, my 3rd dearest dead moment (#2 was lion dancing on stage for Chinese New Year). I had sunglasses on, some R,W&B 4th of July ones another deadhead gave me, and I was way at the back, so my tears were hidden, but there were a lot of tears over the run from a lot of deadheads. I struggled to text Stacy and catch a little vid of the 'somewhere in San Francisco' lyric. I get a little misty right now thinking about it.
After hooking up with a few deadhead friends at break, I ditched them and spent most of 2nd set roaming the halls, and mostly dancing behind stage where the sound was sweetest and the dancers were the most ecstatic. I watched fireworks from the Kapow platform, which offered a stunning view of Lake Michigan.
I had getting out dialed. No crazy dead-lock this night. There was one small hitch - my escape route was blocked by more fireworks, but that was cool because we got a great view and once they were done, there was a clear path. I was out in front of the pack, back on the streets, long before any of my accomplice deadheads. There was talk of going to an aftershow show (there were dozens of these) but I headed straight back to the Kimpton. I'd been on my feet all day - not only the miles to and fro from Soldier Field, but countless miles through the labyrinthian halls of the Art Institute, and I needed to get my shoes off. A few minutes after I got to the hotel, my benefactors texted me and asked what kind of pizza crust I liked as they were picking up a pizza and just a few minutes from the hotel. They had already stocked the fridge with beer. Again, I don't know how I will ever repay them.
As soon as I was awake, I made a bee-line to the Art Institute, and I'm glad I did because even though I spent almost the entire afternoon there, it was hardly enough. What a magnificent collection. So many piece that I had studied in school, so many works that inspired me over the years - nothing like seeing them first hand. I had some minor epiphanies standing before Hopper's Nighthawks, Van Gogh's Bedroom, a strange 15ht century Nepalese Tara statue, O'Keefe's Cow Skull with Calico Roses, and Albright's shocking Picture of Dorian Gray. It was very moving for me. Sometimes art can really affect me, especially now that I'm older perhaps. That, in context with this amazing miracle flashback journey I was on, just hit me like thunder. I was a little disappointed with the Arms and Armor exhibit. They are planning an expansion so it seemed small, not enough swords. Some magnificent pole arms and armor however. So glad I went.
My seat was in the very back, behind the stage, one row from the back wall. Actually, the sound there was really good, and the entire structure bounced when everyone danced, so it was a lot of fun. It was Saturday night, 4th of July, so the set was predictable - U.S. Blues encore, One More Saturday Night closer, Liberty...they played Jack Straw with the line 'born of the 4th of July' the night before so that was out. This was their pop set. if that can even apply to the Dead, it was also the most lackluster of the run of 5, but a lot of fireworks covered that up. Standing on the Moon was the 3rd song, and I burst into tears as soon as it came on. That was our wedding song, my dearest dead moment ever. That was the song Jerry soundchecked at the Kaiser, and played it directly to me and another Rock Medic who snuck into the soundcheck, looking straight at us for reaction - it was a new song, never played live before that run, my 3rd dearest dead moment (#2 was lion dancing on stage for Chinese New Year). I had sunglasses on, some R,W&B 4th of July ones another deadhead gave me, and I was way at the back, so my tears were hidden, but there were a lot of tears over the run from a lot of deadheads. I struggled to text Stacy and catch a little vid of the 'somewhere in San Francisco' lyric. I get a little misty right now thinking about it.
After hooking up with a few deadhead friends at break, I ditched them and spent most of 2nd set roaming the halls, and mostly dancing behind stage where the sound was sweetest and the dancers were the most ecstatic. I watched fireworks from the Kapow platform, which offered a stunning view of Lake Michigan.
I had getting out dialed. No crazy dead-lock this night. There was one small hitch - my escape route was blocked by more fireworks, but that was cool because we got a great view and once they were done, there was a clear path. I was out in front of the pack, back on the streets, long before any of my accomplice deadheads. There was talk of going to an aftershow show (there were dozens of these) but I headed straight back to the Kimpton. I'd been on my feet all day - not only the miles to and fro from Soldier Field, but countless miles through the labyrinthian halls of the Art Institute, and I needed to get my shoes off. A few minutes after I got to the hotel, my benefactors texted me and asked what kind of pizza crust I liked as they were picking up a pizza and just a few minutes from the hotel. They had already stocked the fridge with beer. Again, I don't know how I will ever repay them.
Shadow boxing the apocalypse