Jim Flanigan Looks at the World
Turning the Mundane into Fundane Since 2015
About this time of the year, I’m getting emails about all sorts of summer concert announcements. This one caught my eye.
Not so much for Three Dog Night, but the supergroup Asia sounds interesting. But who is this John Payne? He wasn’t in Asia, was he? And with that question, I found myself down a rabbit hole chasing musical dogs in Asia (featuring John Payne). Come join me.
Continue reading “Musical Asian Dogs”
We had extended summer weather into the first week of October here in Chicagoland. Temperatures exceeded 80F (>26.5C), and I took full advantage of them. Outdoor pools and beaches had closed in August, but I still had my secret illegal swimming pond open all year round.
With temps cooperating, I was able to utilize my secret swimming hole in late September and into the first week of October. People do ask me if I feel it is safe to swim in a potentially polluted pond. Well, I saw this near the pond and felt much better about swimming there.
Continue reading “Endless Summer Ends”
Not those types of ends as shown in the title pic, although I guess those ends can start something, too. But(t) that’s a post for another day on another blog I run under the nom de plume of Lance Romance. For the purposes of this blog, lots of things are ending in my life right about now. This is a tough time of year for me mentally, but I have to force myself to not just look at what’s ending but also what’s beginning. For example, summer is definitely ending. The air is comfortably cooler and inconveniently wetter. So, what’s beginning? The painfully slow slide of autumn into three brutal months of winter. I really need to work on a more positive attitude. I guess I should look at the looming indoor winter months as an opportunity to get some writing done, like this blog more than once a month.
With the end of summer comes the end of outdoor summer concerts. I saw a few that I enjoyed this summer, but nothing was memorable. I had hoped I could squeeze in a couple more this summer. As I write this, I have free tickets tonight to a concert I thought I wanted to see, but instead I accompanied the family to Woodfield Mall, once the largest indoor mall in the USA when it opened. I was initially excited to score tickets to see Noel Gallagher of Oasis tonight in Chicago. I really like this recent song of his. But I got my n-names confused. It’s Neil Frances playing a free show in Chicago tonight. That’s what happens when you get old. Neil Frances becomes Noel Gallagher in my head but in reality is still Neil Frances, who is perfectly fine but not somebody I would make the effort to see.
I had a decision to make about seeing Blue Oyster Cult, the BoDeans, or REO Speedwagon recently for what most likely was to be the end of outdoor concerts for me in 2023. I was waffling (sans syrup) between BOC and REO. BOC would have required me to park elsewhere and take a shuttle bus to the concert grounds. That seemed like too much work, so I opted for REO which sold out a local 9000 seat facility right on the Fox River at $50 a head. I did the math and am amazed that 50+ year old REO Speedwagon still grossed almost half a million for the show! With the show sold out, parking was limited. So, I parked half a mile away (where’s a shuttle bus when I need one?), hiked to the river, and settled in across the river from the concert venue in my lawn chair to see (through a semi-obstructed view) and hear (nicely) REO’s full set for free. It was a mix of gritty 70’s bar band rockers and 80’s predictably pleasant arena anthems. But what was really fun to see was these three guys taking to the Fox River to get closer to the concert.
Continue reading “Ends Beget Beginnings”
Summer has arrived early in Chicago with temps around 90F/32C this weekend. And you know what that means – shirtless driving! Come on, it’s easy. First step, take off that shirt.
And then jump in your car and start driving or riding.
Flags are totally optional.
Ladies are welcome to participate, too. Just stay legal …
Continue reading “Shirts Off, Chicago!”
The weather is cold. There are patches of snow and ice on the ground. More snow is on the way. The coldest part of winter is still to come in January. However, I am so happy to see our neighborhood already planning for next summer. Looks like our neighbors across the street are putting in a pool and changing cabana.
There is no discussion about whether my 2018 summer concert experience sucked or not. It did. I could see it coming for a variety of reasons that I don’t have the time, space, or desire to explain here. My 2018 summer music experience consisted of 3 consecutive nights of music detailed in this blog post and this one. Pretty sad since I live close enough to Chicago to attend the Lollapalooza and Pitchfork music festivals, and Summerfest in Milwaukee is just a couple hour drive away.
But that was where my 2018 concert experience was at when we got an invite from neighbors to see Rock & Roll Hall of Famers Cheap Trick over the Labor Day weekend at Naperville’s Last Fling Festival. The invitation came as a complete surprise since most people make it a point to spend less time rather than more time with me. I had always wanted to see Cheap Trick, so I didn’t mention their invitation error as we accepted and made plans.
By the day of the concert, our Chicago area weather had turned from warm, still days of summer to the unpredictability of fall. Hot and sunny one minute. Cool and wet the next. The day of the concert was just such a day. Storms were predicted that hot and muggy night after the concert should be over, but it was already sprinkling as we backed out of the driveway on our way to the show. Sigh! But on we went. I regretted not accepting our neighbor’s offer to buy the tickets for us just in case it got rained out. I was in an Eeyore mood and just not looking forward to parking a half mile away, sitting on a blanket in a wet, grassy area and getting drenched.
After parking, we walked towards the music, and I asked one of the festival people in a courtesy cart for the most direct way to an entrance. We were invited to hop aboard for a ride over. I asked her if we looked so old that we needed a ride. She politely didn’t really answer my question, but she told me that if I wanted to see old, just wait until we see Cheap Trick.
And speaking of looking old, as I waited in line with my ID in hand to get a wristband so I could buy overpriced beer, I noticed that IDs were being carefully checked. I extended my hand holding my ID, and a band was immediately attached to my wrist, ID unchecked. After that, I knew I was ready to give Cheap Trick a run for their money when it came to looking old.
As we waited for Cheap Trick, we sat through an opening act called Lucky Boys Confusion. I took a pic of them onstage for this blog post because the dark storm clouds were rapidly heading our way.
I figured if I posted a blurry pic, I could pass them off as Cheap Trick in this blog in case of a rainout. But I didn’t need to engage in any blog trickery. Before we knew it, Lucky Boys Confusion had finished their entertaining set, and the stage was being readied for Cheap Trick. But before that, we were treated to a show by an artist known to some as The Trash Panda. Pics follow.
I’m trying not to have a cow, but am struggling. Since this issue has to do with Steely Dan, I threw into the Bart Simpsonish title the Black Cow reference to their great song of the same name. I know, really clever. Another day, another clever title. But I am upset about what I see advertised for Steely Dan this summer …
My wife and youngest daughter just spent a week in Denver visiting family and hiking in the mountains as a summer vacation. I spent a week home alone with my 2 college-age children and 2 geriatric dogs as my summer vacation. Guess who drew the short straw on that one? But I tried to make the best of it, and although I am not sure if I made the “best” of it, I think I at least made the “better” of it. Here’s how …
Continue reading “How I Spent My Summer Vacation & Other Musings Upon My Wife’s Return”
My concert weekend was a big mixed bag of good and bad, and I didn’t even go to one.
Jim Flanigan Looks at the World 