Lost in the Sound

I'm in the middle of the greatest music Summer of my life. No, it's not because of Miley Cyrus or that song about girls kissing girls that has Moms and politicians frothing with fake outrage across the country (because impressionable young girls should avoid the pitfalls of fake lesbianism, no doubt). It also has nothing to do with any actual new music coming out, or albums I've been waiting for years to finally arrive (although the recent Wolf Parade album does fall in that category). No, it's because of Chicago.

Chicago brings the music. Earlier this year I saw Gogol Bordello for the Nth time. Then the aforementioned Wolf Parade at the surprisingly stodgy House of Blues. Now it's festival season as Pitchfork and Lolla come to my city to entertain me. That's right, its a personal favor. Others that will benefit from this, you're welcome. Having grown up in Buffalo and schooled myself in Syracuse, having all kinds of crazy big artists knocking on my door was something of a rarity. Now, I have to beat them away with a stick. yes I'm talking about you, Vampire Weekend.

In little under 2 weeks time I get to see my two favoritest bands in all of creation. One is largely responsible for recalibrating my musical taste from exactly nothing (I didn't really listen to music before going to college) to something, the other broke my head and showed me what music could be if you filled it with equal parts fun, art, and noise. I'm talking about radiohead and les savy fav respectively.

The latter is performing this weekend on the final day of Pitchfork and they are bringing all kinds of great music along with them. the Hold Steady, Spoon, the Dodos, '!!!,' are just a few. Of course being Pitchfork I don't know most of the bands performing, but that just means more new stuff to see and experience. Also possible sun poisoning. But you take the good with the bad. And seeing as Les Savy Fav put on the greatest concert of my life (back when Pitchfork Fest was the Intonation fest 3 years back) I am a little bit excited.

Then on the first day of August i get to see Radiohead in Grant Park. With like a billion other people, but who cares. I saw them in northern Ontario in the middle of nowhere 5 years ago and it was wonderful. there wasn't a town for miles let alone a city, and as the show crept towards its conclusion a gigantic reddish orange harvest moon rose up in the sky as a back-drop to the stage as if scripted. This time there will likely be less moon and more frat guy, but the band will have twice as many songs to chose from, so there's that.

So yes, lots of standing around in the sun with strangers, listening to music, and having fun. And seeing as this might be the last full Summer spent in Chicago, it couldn't have come at a better time.