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Sunday, June 8, 2008

Chicago is...

First of all, I hope to see all of you this Friday the 13th (Oooo) at my Chicago show at Uncommon Ground in Wrigleyville. The Cubs are in first, the weather is beautiful. It's the best time of the year to be a Chicagoan. Come out and celebrate! I go on at 9 PM.

And if you come, you will be the first to hear my next big announcement, which involves Chicago and laying down the law. Wanna know more? Great. I'll see you Friday.

We've lived in Chicagoland six months, and we're loving it. We spent all yesterday in the Hyde Park/57th Street area, and it reminded me of growing up in Moline, Illinois, pining to live in a place as cool as Chicago. Moline is about 135 miles west of the big city, and I always thought I'd eventually wind up in Chicago, drawn there by the Cubs but staying for something else. I wouldn't have been able to say what, but yesterday driving up Lake Shore Drive I realized what it was.

The place is big enough and diverse enough to allow for just about any whim to be satisfied. If it's available anywhere, it's available here. Need to buy a used PA system? No problem. Wanna jog the lake front? Check. How 'bout see a new movie that didn't cost a billion dollars to make? Yep. Wanna catch Wilco? Play an open mic? See classic artwork? Eat Lebanese? Browse an independent bookstore? You have it all, usually ten times over. If you're willing to put up with a little stop-and-go on the freeway, you can do anything you want.

That's something relatively new for me. Five years in Ashland, Oregon, which is at least four hours away from any big city, got me used to dealing with the limitations of being so isolated. Now it feels like there's so much to do. It's a little overwhelming.

And it doesn't hurt that the Cubs are here, either.

I'm sorry, I meant the first place Cubs.

Come see me on Friday!

Art

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3 comments:

MisterJ said...

Wrong kind of "by." You meant to say "Need to BUY a used PA."

Sorry, I'm a teacher. I can't help myself. :)

Art Edwards said...

Ha!

What do you need to do by a used PA?

Anonymous said...

I'd be there if the drive weren't so long. Rock ON brother !!

Listen to Sh-Boom by the Crew Cuts before the gig to pep you up.