This project is the "Spring In Chicago" project and the footage was collected between our Easter trip to Pennsylvania and Audiofeed. During this time, I collected several clips of Chicago drivers and made a short compilation of how some folks like to drive in Chicago.
04.02.2024 - 04.25.2024
On Tuesday April 2nd, 2024 as I left work, I took a shot out of the Truman College parking garage looking south at Chicago. As I got in the car to drive to work on Wednesday April 3rd, 2024, I captured what would be the last snowfall in Chicago. On Thursday April 4th, 2024, Elphie and I both captured some footage of Stein playing with his new toys. One is a Peep bunny and the other is a catnip paper grocery bag. My mom got them for Stein as well as her cat Charlie (footage of that is featured in the "Winter in Chicago" project).
On Monday April 8th, 2024, I went outside as the eclipse was reaching its peak in the Chicago area. We were not in the path of totality but we did experience 94% coverage though without eclipse glasses it wasn't easy to tell the difference. The sky definitely was a bit darker and street lights began to come on but a glance toward the sun, it was as bright as ever. I got to borrow some eclipse glasses from others who had them and check it out a couple times. I tried to see if I covered my iPhone camera lens if I could capture it but it didn't really work out. I captured the eclipse shape through a hole in a sign on the street projecting onto my hand. I did get to see it through the glasses with my eyes though, so that was cool. As I made my commute home, I kept getting messages of a road closure on Lake Shore Drive and traffic was definitely backed up. The detour it wanted me to take was blocked though so I kept going. I captured footage using my Crosstour CR-900 of the salt trucks lining the side of Lake Shore Drive as I passed by. All exits were blocked into the northern parts of downtown though I could have exited once I approached the parks. I chose not to because traffic remained in motion. Once I got near McCormick Place, the exit to reach there or the museums and Soldier Field was also blocked and in the McCormick Place parking lot was a bunch of CTA busses parked along the outside of the lot. I found something about President Biden being in town for a fundraiser and I assume that was the reason for everything on my commute home.
On Wednesday April 10th, 2024, during my morning commute driving north on Archer I was passed by an impatient driver on my left while I was in the left lane. This driver used the turning lane and southbound inner lane to pass the traffic due to their entitlement. The next day on Thursday April 11th, 2024, I had another driver pass me on the left but this time on Artesian. As I slowed to drive over the speed bump and the driver behind me did the same, another driver went around the speed bump and continued to the left of me and attempted to cross Pershing to the left of the car which was waiting on traffic to cross. That driver disregarded the entitled driver and went ahead of them once the traffic was clear. On Friday April 12th, 2024, as I waited for the light to change at Archer and Western, an old Asian man with a paper umbrella crossed the street in front of me and I decided to keep the video capture of that.
On Tuesday April 16th, 2024, Elphie captured some nice chalk art on the sidewalk. I captured the rainbow as I made my commute home using my Crosstour CR-900. Elphie also captured me watching the two hockey games that would determine the fate of the Pittsburgh Penguins on my iPhone and iPad. On Wednesday April 17th, 2024, Elphie captured a clip of herself serenading Stein. I watched the Penguins season come to an end...I hung up my towel for the season. On Thursday April 18th, 2024, on my commute home a driver decided that they would jump a curb into inner Lake Shore Drive rather than wait on the traffic I guess. I'm not sure that it did them much good as they had to then wait at a red light and the lane from outer Lake Shore Drive likely would get a green light first. On my morning commute on Friday April 19th, 2024, I encountered a broken down Chevrolet Bolt on Lake Shore Drive...I hope that never happens to me.
On Monday April 22nd, 2024 I captured a helicopter flying overhead while I was on Lake Shore Drive. On Thursday April 25th, 2024, I captured several more clips for the compilation of Chicago drivers. In the morning as I got into Uptown, I pulled to the curb side of the road as did the driver ahead of me due to an ambulance making its way toward us. The driver behind me passed us both and impeded the ambulance momentarily before they also pulled to the side but immediately ran a stop sign after the ambulance passed. Coming home I captured a clip of a driver doing something that seems basically standard in Chicago at this point...they pulled up next to me from 2-3 cars back so that as soon as the light turned green they could get ahead of me as they obviously felt they were entitled to do. They were impeded by pedestrians in their effort to get on the Lake Shore Drive ramp in a hurry. They did not drive all that fast and once on Lake Shore Drive, I passed them. Later I captured another fairly regular occurrence on Lake Shore Drive of folks passing on the curb side in a turning lane by the parks only to usually get one or two cars ahead before having to merge due to the lane no longer existing. At Pershing and Western I captured yet another fairly regular occurrence where folks are in the lane to turn south onto Western Avenue heading west on Pershing but their intention is to drive straight and cut off those of us in the proper lane to go straight. Driving in Chicago requires anticipation of the acts of the entitled or you likely will end up getting in an accident.
04.26.2204
On my commute into work on Friday April 26th, 2024, as I waited for folks to merge into one lane off the ramp due to road work from I-55 to North Lake Shore Drive, I captured another couple of Chicago drivers, this time using the shoulder to pass everyone as they obviously felt they are entitled to do.
In the evening, I went to Thalia Hall for a show featuring Reverend Kristin Michael Hayter and David Eugene Edwards presented by Perpetual Flame Ministries. I was pretty excited to see this show and went ahead of time to get a ticket a few months back. I guess it was sort of a birthday gift to myself. They had Thalia Hall set up with chairs and in the middle of the room there was a platform with a piano. The stage had fabric draped like a tent as well as the middle of the room from the balcony. It was definitely a unique experience with very limited tickets. I enjoyed the night and the audience was very attentive. There was very little if any talking during the performances which was a nice change. David Eugene Edwards played his set on the stage and I captured "Howling Flower" from the new album "Hyacinth." Reverend Kristin Michael Hayter played the piano in the middle of the room. Prior to starting, she put some bells and a chain I believe into the piano adding another element of sound to the performance. She played from the new material on "Saved!" I captured a clip of "Poor Wayfaring Stranger." While it was a good show, I saw a post where Reverend Kristin Michael Hayter had her songbook taken from the piano. That was a bummer to hear about and hope that it gets returned. This show happened again on Saturday night.
In the evening, I went to Thalia Hall for a show featuring Reverend Kristin Michael Hayter and David Eugene Edwards presented by Perpetual Flame Ministries. I was pretty excited to see this show and went ahead of time to get a ticket a few months back. I guess it was sort of a birthday gift to myself. They had Thalia Hall set up with chairs and in the middle of the room there was a platform with a piano. The stage had fabric draped like a tent as well as the middle of the room from the balcony. It was definitely a unique experience with very limited tickets. I enjoyed the night and the audience was very attentive. There was very little if any talking during the performances which was a nice change. David Eugene Edwards played his set on the stage and I captured "Howling Flower" from the new album "Hyacinth." Reverend Kristin Michael Hayter played the piano in the middle of the room. Prior to starting, she put some bells and a chain I believe into the piano adding another element of sound to the performance. She played from the new material on "Saved!" I captured a clip of "Poor Wayfaring Stranger." While it was a good show, I saw a post where Reverend Kristin Michael Hayter had her songbook taken from the piano. That was a bummer to hear about and hope that it gets returned. This show happened again on Saturday night.
On Saturday April 27th, 2024, Elphie made cinnamon rolls for breakfast as part of my birthday. That evening we went to Falco's to get a stuffed Hawai'ian style pizza as well as breaded zuccini. Elphie also put "happy birthday" stuff on that prior to eating. I had hockey on all day. We considered going to play some mini-golf but were blocked in by the neighbors and it was late enough that I figured it might be best to wait until Sunday. On Sunday April 28th, 2024, we ate more of the pizza and then we did go to Haunted Trails to play mini golf. On the way, I collected my free Mountain Dew Baja Blast Freeze from a Taco Bell. It was very windy and rained a couple times while we played. A hole with a castle ate our balls as well so we had to get new ones. We gave ourselves hole in ones. I won the game by 10 against Elphie. Afterwards, we got some frozen custard at Andy's just down the street. On Monday April 29th, 2024, I turned 44 and we went to Huck Finn's after I got home from a bit of a trying day at work. We both got french toast dinners. It was good. Overall, it was a decent weekend of birthday celebrating.
(note, though the video below is labeled as "April 2024" there are a couple clips from May...I included it here as a break point between April and May)
https://youtu.be/llhbiDd7d2M
(note, though the video below is labeled as "April 2024" there are a couple clips from May...I included it here as a break point between April and May)
https://youtu.be/llhbiDd7d2M
05.01.2024 - 05.11.2024
On Wednesday May 1st, 2024, Elphie and I attended the Sessanta show featuring A Perfect Circle, Pucifer, and Primus at Wintrust Arena in downtown Chicago. We parked in the general area we would normally park to go to a Reggies show and walked over from there. The event information that was sent out by email and posted in social media was very clear that no photography or video was permitted so I abided by the rule. Inside the arena it was also made clear to not take photos or video. Before getting to our seats, Elphie wanted to buy some merch. She got a couple of T-shirts and wanted to get a poster but those had already sold out. We ended up being in the very top row with only a standing room space behind us. This was very different from the picture I had seen of the section prior to purchasing the tickets and Elphie has a fear of heights...but she made it through the show. It was a good show and the set up was such that each band would play a few songs then switch to another band in the form of several "acts." There were no tear down/set up breaks and only a ten minute intermission about half way through the night. The show lasted nearly three hours. During the last song, all three bands were on stage and Maynard James Keegan announced that folks could bring out their cellphones to record the final song. Elphie did and it is posted to her Facebook page. I decided at that point I didn't really need to capture anything since several thousand other people were capturing it. As we left, some odd girl was screaming Johnny Cash at me. She was apparently excited by the patch on my jacket and wanted to get a picture. She happened to be wearing a t-shirt with the same image of Johnny Cash giving the finger. During the drive home, we encountered more wonderful Chicago drivers as they passed on both sides of me as I accelerated after a traffic light. I was in the left lane and one of the cars passed in the northbound lanes of Archer while the other car used the right lane closest to the curb to make their simultaneous pass.
On Wednesday May 1st, 2024, Elphie and I attended the Sessanta show featuring A Perfect Circle, Pucifer, and Primus at Wintrust Arena in downtown Chicago. We parked in the general area we would normally park to go to a Reggies show and walked over from there. The event information that was sent out by email and posted in social media was very clear that no photography or video was permitted so I abided by the rule. Inside the arena it was also made clear to not take photos or video. Before getting to our seats, Elphie wanted to buy some merch. She got a couple of T-shirts and wanted to get a poster but those had already sold out. We ended up being in the very top row with only a standing room space behind us. This was very different from the picture I had seen of the section prior to purchasing the tickets and Elphie has a fear of heights...but she made it through the show. It was a good show and the set up was such that each band would play a few songs then switch to another band in the form of several "acts." There were no tear down/set up breaks and only a ten minute intermission about half way through the night. The show lasted nearly three hours. During the last song, all three bands were on stage and Maynard James Keegan announced that folks could bring out their cellphones to record the final song. Elphie did and it is posted to her Facebook page. I decided at that point I didn't really need to capture anything since several thousand other people were capturing it. As we left, some odd girl was screaming Johnny Cash at me. She was apparently excited by the patch on my jacket and wanted to get a picture. She happened to be wearing a t-shirt with the same image of Johnny Cash giving the finger. During the drive home, we encountered more wonderful Chicago drivers as they passed on both sides of me as I accelerated after a traffic light. I was in the left lane and one of the cars passed in the northbound lanes of Archer while the other car used the right lane closest to the curb to make their simultaneous pass.
On Thursday May 2nd, 2024, there was a helicopter hovering over Lake Shore Drive again. I decided to capture it again. On Saturday May 4th, 2024, we attended a Lucha wrestling event in Tinley Park at the Soundgrowler. It ended up raining out after only a few matches but it was fun. We got to hang out with the Robieson's too. On Sunday May 5th, 2024, we got some Cinco de Mayo Taco Bell.
On Tuesday May 7th, 2024, our car was hit by debris while driving on I-55. It seems to have been a large rock hit the rear driver's side door leaving a dent and scratches. On Wednesday May 8th, 2024, there was an oddly low airplane over Uptown Chicago. It was also moving oddly. On Thursday May 9th, 2024, after a particularly difficult commute home again caused by Biden being in the area, I picked up some Falco's Pizza for Elphie's mom as she was coming to visit. On Friday May 10th, 2024, we went out of the city to Pioneer Woods to try to see the Northern Lights. They weren't easy to see with our eyes but I did capture some decent pictures with my iPhone. I captured a bit of video too and also captured some coyotes yipping and howling somewhere not too far away. I couldn't get much footage using my Canon Rebel T6s. I need to learn how to get proper settings for future attempts. On Saturday May 11th, 2024, we went to the Museum of Science and Industry with Elphie's mom. It was a fun experience and we saw most everything in the time we had. We then took her to get some Asian Buffet. We also drove out to Beverly Shores in Indiana to try to see the Northern Lights again. We got there in time to also capture the sunset which I did using my Canon Rebel T6s. I was able to get a few decent pictures again with my iPhone of the Northern Lights but they dissipated fairly quickly.
On Tuesday May 7th, 2024, our car was hit by debris while driving on I-55. It seems to have been a large rock hit the rear driver's side door leaving a dent and scratches. On Wednesday May 8th, 2024, there was an oddly low airplane over Uptown Chicago. It was also moving oddly. On Thursday May 9th, 2024, after a particularly difficult commute home again caused by Biden being in the area, I picked up some Falco's Pizza for Elphie's mom as she was coming to visit. On Friday May 10th, 2024, we went out of the city to Pioneer Woods to try to see the Northern Lights. They weren't easy to see with our eyes but I did capture some decent pictures with my iPhone. I captured a bit of video too and also captured some coyotes yipping and howling somewhere not too far away. I couldn't get much footage using my Canon Rebel T6s. I need to learn how to get proper settings for future attempts. On Saturday May 11th, 2024, we went to the Museum of Science and Industry with Elphie's mom. It was a fun experience and we saw most everything in the time we had. We then took her to get some Asian Buffet. We also drove out to Beverly Shores in Indiana to try to see the Northern Lights again. We got there in time to also capture the sunset which I did using my Canon Rebel T6s. I was able to get a few decent pictures again with my iPhone of the Northern Lights but they dissipated fairly quickly.
05.12.2024
On Sunday May 12th, 2024, we had planned to take Elphie's mom to church but she decided she didn't want to go. Instead, we took her north to the Montrose Dog Beach later in the afternoon. Because the weather was so nice, it was difficult to access but we got as close as we could parking then walked a bit. That evening, we took her to Reggies for dinner and a ska show! Pilfers were playing with The Kilograms and Cranberry Batcave. She seemed to enjoy herself, especially during the Pilfers set. I captured "Yakuza" by the Pilfers and "America In Black And White" by The Kilograms. Dan Alfonso was drumming for them. He plays in Flatfoot 56 too so it was cool to see him. Chuck Wren DJ'ed through the night playing various ska tunes including some interesting covers.
https://youtu.be/A6buXpB_SDY
https://youtu.be/T7r0yU77SS4
On Sunday May 12th, 2024, we had planned to take Elphie's mom to church but she decided she didn't want to go. Instead, we took her north to the Montrose Dog Beach later in the afternoon. Because the weather was so nice, it was difficult to access but we got as close as we could parking then walked a bit. That evening, we took her to Reggies for dinner and a ska show! Pilfers were playing with The Kilograms and Cranberry Batcave. She seemed to enjoy herself, especially during the Pilfers set. I captured "Yakuza" by the Pilfers and "America In Black And White" by The Kilograms. Dan Alfonso was drumming for them. He plays in Flatfoot 56 too so it was cool to see him. Chuck Wren DJ'ed through the night playing various ska tunes including some interesting covers.
https://youtu.be/A6buXpB_SDY
https://youtu.be/T7r0yU77SS4
05.13.2024 - 05.19.2024
On Monday May 13th, 2024, Elphie celebrated her "birthday" with cherry cheesecake she made with her mom. On Thursday May 16th, 2024, we went to see the Blue Man Group with Elphie's mom. It was fun! We also saw the Clothes and Hoe's box as we walked to where I had parked. On Friday May 17th, 2024, Elphie took her mom to Navy Pier. I ended up meeting them there. Afterwards, we got Andy's Custard. Before flying back home on Saturday May 18th, 2024, Elphie's mom hung with Stein and played some video games on our console. We took her to get Culver's again before her flight. On Sunday May 19th, 2024, I went to Wrigley Field to watch the Pittsburgh Pirates play the Chicago Cubs. The Pirates won the game 3-2. On the drive home I captured the Buckingham Fountain on flowing at its full capacity.
05.20.2024
On Monday May 20th, 2024, I went to the Riviera Theatre to see Social Distortion with Bad Religion and Love Crimes. Elphie was supposed to come as well but canceled due to not feeling up to it. I tried to get her ticket to someone else but no one else ended up being available. I ended up giving it away to a former client of Cornerstone Community Outreach but I have no idea if he used it or not. While he is no longer under the curfew of the shelter, I don't know if the housing he is in has a curfew or not...or what other factors may have been in play to determine if he could attend. When I arrived, there was no line, however the banister at floor level was taken by folks already. Perhaps a better choice would have been to claim a spot along the banister directly behind the sound and light boards but I decided to stand in front of that area instead with the steps to the lower floor in front of me and hopes my view would be clear. This was a poor choice as my view became obstructed most of the night by the taller folks. While I was able to get decent video clips because I didn't have to worry about blocking the view of others by lifting my arm to film, I didn't really enjoy the show since I couldn't really see much of it. Love Crimes opened the night and the band is fronted by a son of Mike Ness of Social Distortion named Julian. There was a lot of similarity in their sound to Social Distortion as well. I captured a song called "Lost In A Minute." Social Distortion took the stage second. I captured "The Creeps" as they played that and the title track from "Mommy's Little Monster" back to back. While playing a new tune, someone in the crowd had a medical emergency which caused for a fairly long delay as medics dealt with the situation. Social Distortion didn't stop playing quick enough for one guy who determined that they aren't really "punk" and just about the money because he yelled at them to shut it down...they didn't listen to him, apparently. For what it's worth, they somewhat stopped the song, then finished the song, and then stopped the set entirely. They explained what was going on and that they were going to leave the stage so the situation could be addressed. They also finished the rest of the set rather than cutting short. I suppose one can take whatever they want from all that and decide for themselves. Bad Religion finished off the night. I never really listened to them and honestly, just didn't care much about their set. I guess it is a case of just not fitting my personal taste. I captured their final song, "American Jesus." I was frustrated by Elphie's last minute canceling which probably tainted the night a bit but my choice to stand where I did was on me and probably made things worse overall as I couldn't see much. I enjoy Social Distortion but this was an expensive show so in the future, I am likely less inclined to pay that much and/or buy in advance for something that Elphie isn't 100% into so as to not be stuck with an extra expensive ticket.
05.23.2024
On Thursday May 23rd, 2024, Elphie and I went to The Forge in Joliet, IL, to see P.O.D. with Bad Wolves, Norma Jean, and Blind Channel. Traffic was terrible leaving work. I left a bit early figuring it may take a while but didn't quite anticipate it taking as long as it did. It actually took less time to get from home to Joliet than from work to home! Along the way, we saw someone skateboarding on I-55 southbound. We assume the van pulled off on the median likely belonged to the person. Upon arrival in Joliet, I chose to park in the public lot nearby hoping to utilize the charger. Unfortunately I wasn't able to get the charger to activate (I tried them all...same result) and after trying to figure it out, I gave up and we headed over to the show. The first band, Blind Channel was finishing up (couldn't get video) as we got there and the place was packed! We ended up against the back wall attempting to dodge the taller people ahead of us to try to see the show. Norma Jean played second and it was a pretty good set. I decided to capture a newer song called "Sleep Explosion." Bad Wolves was direct support...I can't say I really enjoyed them that much. It just isn't what I care for stylistically. I captured their closing song which was a cover of "Zombie" by the Cranberries. P.O.D. played a good amount of their new material along with some of the hits. I decided to capture "I Got That" which was the name of the tour.
On Thursday May 23rd, 2024, Elphie and I went to The Forge in Joliet, IL, to see P.O.D. with Bad Wolves, Norma Jean, and Blind Channel. Traffic was terrible leaving work. I left a bit early figuring it may take a while but didn't quite anticipate it taking as long as it did. It actually took less time to get from home to Joliet than from work to home! Along the way, we saw someone skateboarding on I-55 southbound. We assume the van pulled off on the median likely belonged to the person. Upon arrival in Joliet, I chose to park in the public lot nearby hoping to utilize the charger. Unfortunately I wasn't able to get the charger to activate (I tried them all...same result) and after trying to figure it out, I gave up and we headed over to the show. The first band, Blind Channel was finishing up (couldn't get video) as we got there and the place was packed! We ended up against the back wall attempting to dodge the taller people ahead of us to try to see the show. Norma Jean played second and it was a pretty good set. I decided to capture a newer song called "Sleep Explosion." Bad Wolves was direct support...I can't say I really enjoyed them that much. It just isn't what I care for stylistically. I captured their closing song which was a cover of "Zombie" by the Cranberries. P.O.D. played a good amount of their new material along with some of the hits. I decided to capture "I Got That" which was the name of the tour.
05.24.2024
On Friday May 24th, 2024, Elphie and I went to the Bottom Lounge to see Lords of Acid with Praga Khan. Praga Khan is the founding member of Lords of Acid as well. Since I don't necessarily follow the band, this was news to me...though I thought there was a similarity in appearance, ha! I captured "Out Comes The Evil" from Lords of Acid and "My Mind Is My Enemy" by Praga Khan. Elphie went to spend the weekend with her friend Kat after the show so I drove her to drop her off. Prior to the show, I left work early due to how bad traffic has been all week but managed to get in the area with decent time to eat some dinner at Chick Fil-A beforehand and find somewhere to park.
https://youtu.be/tGFrPF8bQyY
https://youtu.be/9sJgnODnWUs
05.30.2024
On Thursday May 30th, 2024, Elphie and I went to The Burlington Bar to see Dry Wedding with Convert and Bodyman Want. Our friend Jason invited us as Dry Wedding were friends of his out of Portland, Oregon and he hoped to help them have a good show. We enjoyed Dry Wedding. They definitely had some Nick Cave vibes. Convert closed the night and their bass player looked like a Ramone with a Mustache so he was deemed "Mustache Ramone." The opener was Bodyman Want and they were pretty good too. It was a good night overall and it was nice to see our friends! On my way home from work prior to going to the show, I experienced some difficulties with my iPhone. It wasn't working right on showing the maps (which I use typically to determine my route home) and so I restarted it...then it wouldn't play the podcast I was listening to either...it turned out to be an issue with Verizon apparently.
https://youtu.be/OW10fTBPNXU
https://youtu.be/si4uKjtnEs4
https://youtu.be/6USv5qqx6Pw
05.31.2024
On Friday May 31st, 2024, we went to Berwyn, Illinois to see the Nekromantix play at Distro Music Hall. The opening act, Devil Lock, was a Misfits cover band. I figured it best to avoid issues with Danzig so in part due to that, I didn't capture any video. The Nekromantix played a good and fairly long set. I captured "Gargoyles Over Copenhagen." I bought our tickets online while in line figuring it might be a packed show but it seems we probably could have made the purchase at the door. There were tables set up but the rule apparently is you must have a drink in order to be seated. Later, the waitress allowed Elphie to sit anyway. Elphie ended up buying a water.
https://youtu.be/my9X176YuLw
On Friday May 24th, 2024, Elphie and I went to the Bottom Lounge to see Lords of Acid with Praga Khan. Praga Khan is the founding member of Lords of Acid as well. Since I don't necessarily follow the band, this was news to me...though I thought there was a similarity in appearance, ha! I captured "Out Comes The Evil" from Lords of Acid and "My Mind Is My Enemy" by Praga Khan. Elphie went to spend the weekend with her friend Kat after the show so I drove her to drop her off. Prior to the show, I left work early due to how bad traffic has been all week but managed to get in the area with decent time to eat some dinner at Chick Fil-A beforehand and find somewhere to park.
https://youtu.be/tGFrPF8bQyY
https://youtu.be/9sJgnODnWUs
05.30.2024
On Thursday May 30th, 2024, Elphie and I went to The Burlington Bar to see Dry Wedding with Convert and Bodyman Want. Our friend Jason invited us as Dry Wedding were friends of his out of Portland, Oregon and he hoped to help them have a good show. We enjoyed Dry Wedding. They definitely had some Nick Cave vibes. Convert closed the night and their bass player looked like a Ramone with a Mustache so he was deemed "Mustache Ramone." The opener was Bodyman Want and they were pretty good too. It was a good night overall and it was nice to see our friends! On my way home from work prior to going to the show, I experienced some difficulties with my iPhone. It wasn't working right on showing the maps (which I use typically to determine my route home) and so I restarted it...then it wouldn't play the podcast I was listening to either...it turned out to be an issue with Verizon apparently.
https://youtu.be/OW10fTBPNXU
https://youtu.be/si4uKjtnEs4
https://youtu.be/6USv5qqx6Pw
05.31.2024
On Friday May 31st, 2024, we went to Berwyn, Illinois to see the Nekromantix play at Distro Music Hall. The opening act, Devil Lock, was a Misfits cover band. I figured it best to avoid issues with Danzig so in part due to that, I didn't capture any video. The Nekromantix played a good and fairly long set. I captured "Gargoyles Over Copenhagen." I bought our tickets online while in line figuring it might be a packed show but it seems we probably could have made the purchase at the door. There were tables set up but the rule apparently is you must have a drink in order to be seated. Later, the waitress allowed Elphie to sit anyway. Elphie ended up buying a water.
https://youtu.be/my9X176YuLw
06.01.2024 - 06.07.2024
On Saturday June 1st, 2024 I ended up working all day so to allow some staff to attend the funeral of Franck Moukiama, our co-worker who passed unexpectedly. I didn't realize it would be the whole day but that is what happened. On Sunday June 2nd, 2024, Elphie and I headed to Romeoville to Wasted Youth Tattoo and P.M.A. Piercing Studio so Elphie could get a piercing update. She got two new ones to her cheeks. It seemed to be a better experience than the previous one a few years ago. We also experienced our first cicadas of this brood including one hanging out on a pillar at Taco Bell.
06.08.2024
On Saturday June 8th, 2024, Elphie wanted to go to a techno/rave event at Concord Music Hall featuring Rabbit In The Moon and The Crystal Method. I captured clips from both and then they joined forces to do "Crystal Rabbit" which I captured a clip of that as well. It was quite a late show but it was fun.
https://youtu.be/w8Wasnw4tTo
https://youtu.be/OdGQRjLnd5o
https://youtu.be/BUAncbx0_6o
06.09.2024 - 07.03.2024
On Saturday June 1st, 2024 I ended up working all day so to allow some staff to attend the funeral of Franck Moukiama, our co-worker who passed unexpectedly. I didn't realize it would be the whole day but that is what happened. On Sunday June 2nd, 2024, Elphie and I headed to Romeoville to Wasted Youth Tattoo and P.M.A. Piercing Studio so Elphie could get a piercing update. She got two new ones to her cheeks. It seemed to be a better experience than the previous one a few years ago. We also experienced our first cicadas of this brood including one hanging out on a pillar at Taco Bell.
06.08.2024
On Saturday June 8th, 2024, Elphie wanted to go to a techno/rave event at Concord Music Hall featuring Rabbit In The Moon and The Crystal Method. I captured clips from both and then they joined forces to do "Crystal Rabbit" which I captured a clip of that as well. It was quite a late show but it was fun.
https://youtu.be/w8Wasnw4tTo
https://youtu.be/OdGQRjLnd5o
https://youtu.be/BUAncbx0_6o
06.09.2024 - 07.03.2024
On Sunday June 9th, 2024, we went to a block party to celebrate the 48th anniversary of The Alley. ORCS Leather was there and so we figured we'd come and hang a bit with the Hamptons while they were vending. Apparently we came at the right time as they were busy most of the day but it slowed down toward the end. Afterwards, we stopped at the MidsommarFest in Andersonville. Again, there lacked much of a Swedish presence. I got a Glögg slushie from the Simon's booth and searched for the Swedish hot dog but came up empty. I ended up with raclette from the Baked Cheese Haus. It is a Swiss based food. It was good.
On Thursday June 13th, 2024, Elphie and I had our 9th anniversary. We celebrated by grilling venison heart for dinner and watching the NHL Stanley Cup Finals. Elphie made mashed potatoes to go with the meat and also made chocolate cherry brownies! Elphie captured some footage when midnight struck as well. I took P.T.O. on Friday June 14th, 2024 and we went to the Medieval Torture Museum downtown. I guess that is a fitting experience for a wedding anniversary, ha! It was interesting. We took our time checking out all the exhibits. It was interactive so some of the exhibits one could move around or get inside. Afterwards, we had dinner at Luke's Lobster before heading back home. On Saturday June 15th, 2024, we decided to get dinner at Bree Thai. It is one of Elphie's favorite places to go. I noticed that airplanes were approaching Midway for landing on the corner closest to us while dining at Bree Thai so as we left, I decided to drive over to the corner so we could try to capture the landing airplane passing overhead like in Wayne's World. It didn't quite line up as I had hoped but we got close. On Sunday June 16th, 2024, after sending out Father's Day wishes, we stopped at the Nike Missile Site C-44 on the south side of Chicago. It is in the William Powers State Conservation Area. Near the entrance is a memorial with some plaques to honor veterans and we were able to drive back to where the missiles had been stored during the Cold War. I walked back and found an easy accessible path for Elphie and I to get to it so we both went in after I had scouted it. It was interesting to see and marked off yet another Atlas Obscura site.
Monday June 17th, 2024 was Anti-Procreation Day presented by Elphie's organization The Advocacy for Anti-Procreation. I worked then we hung at home watching Olympic Trials and the final minute of the NBA Finals as Boston won its 18th Championship. I also finished cleaning up the skull from the deer I harvested in the fall, glued the bottom jaw back together, and then glued in the front teeth. One of the teeth was missing. On my commute home on Tuesday June 18th, 2024 I saw a large cloud of smoke which appeared to be located north near Damen Avenue...the fire turned out to be a building supply warehouse full of wooden pallets. On Thursday June 20th, 2024, it was the first day of summer but in Chicago, it was rather cool and I captured footage using my Crosstour CR-900 as I approached downtown of the fog cover that took over the north side of the city. I also captured the same on my commute back home. On Saturday June 22nd, 2024, we attended Sanctuary at Underground Lounge for the first time (or at least the first time in a long time). The music and atmosphere were more Elphie's taste and she enjoyed herself.
On Monday June 24th, 2024, Elphie had a day out with her friend Laura and rode the Water Taxi. That night we watched the NHL Stanley Cup Final come to a close in Game 7 as Florida won its first Championship. As I left to go to work on Tuesday June 25th, 2024, I was able to capture a lightning bolt while backing out of the driveway using my Crosstour CR-900. During my commute home on Lake Shore Drive on Wednesday June 26th, 2024 I captured an errant golf ball bouncing by that must have come from Sydney R. Marovitz golf course nearby. Thankfully it didn't appear to have hit any of the passing cars. I wonder how often that has happened.
On Saturday June 29th, 2024, I decided to catch the final game of the Chicago Hounds rugby season. They were playing the Miami Sharks and came away with the win. There was a bit of a skirmish at the end as well. I ended up with a seat in the first row down at one end zone. I think I'd prefer to sit higher for better viewing but it was fun anyway. Back at the house, I captured some footage of lightning bugs. On Sunday June 30th, 2024, Elphie had a follow-up appointment for her new piercings so we returned to Wasted Youth Tattoo and P.M.A. Piercing to take care of that. Afterwards, I did some Audiofeed preparation by spray painting a sign for our Bare Bones tent. I printed the letters out to have hanging as well for another sign.
On Monday July 1st, 2024, we celebrated Canada Day by getting some poutine from Bad Apple. I got the traditional style and Elphie got the pulled pork option. On Tuesday July 2nd, 2024, the city of Chicago had begun to set up the walls along part of Lake Shore Drive for the upcoming NASCAR race. I decided to capture some footage during my commutes of all the set up. I used both the Crosstour CR-900 and my iPhone. I did the same on July 3rd, 2024 though I only used the Crosstour CR-900 that time rather than trying to shoot with my iPhone. After the drive, we finished loading up and headed out to Audiofeed.
Additional soundtrack includes "It's Spring" by Rodent Emporium, "Miracle Spring" by Candy Claws, "Man Is Like A Spring Flower" by Lingua Ignota, "Rainbow Rider Country" by Rainbow Rider, "Rainbow Signs" by Contrary To Popular Belief, "Chicago" by Sufjan Stevens, "A Tornado; An Owl" by Action Action, "Northern Lights" by Hands, "Northern Lights" by Thrice, "Dead Stars (Club Mix)" by Covenant, "Rocket And A Bomb" by Aunt Betty's Ford, "I Love You To Death (Drive Safe)" by The Juliana Theory, and "Race" by Bleach.
On Thursday June 13th, 2024, Elphie and I had our 9th anniversary. We celebrated by grilling venison heart for dinner and watching the NHL Stanley Cup Finals. Elphie made mashed potatoes to go with the meat and also made chocolate cherry brownies! Elphie captured some footage when midnight struck as well. I took P.T.O. on Friday June 14th, 2024 and we went to the Medieval Torture Museum downtown. I guess that is a fitting experience for a wedding anniversary, ha! It was interesting. We took our time checking out all the exhibits. It was interactive so some of the exhibits one could move around or get inside. Afterwards, we had dinner at Luke's Lobster before heading back home. On Saturday June 15th, 2024, we decided to get dinner at Bree Thai. It is one of Elphie's favorite places to go. I noticed that airplanes were approaching Midway for landing on the corner closest to us while dining at Bree Thai so as we left, I decided to drive over to the corner so we could try to capture the landing airplane passing overhead like in Wayne's World. It didn't quite line up as I had hoped but we got close. On Sunday June 16th, 2024, after sending out Father's Day wishes, we stopped at the Nike Missile Site C-44 on the south side of Chicago. It is in the William Powers State Conservation Area. Near the entrance is a memorial with some plaques to honor veterans and we were able to drive back to where the missiles had been stored during the Cold War. I walked back and found an easy accessible path for Elphie and I to get to it so we both went in after I had scouted it. It was interesting to see and marked off yet another Atlas Obscura site.
Monday June 17th, 2024 was Anti-Procreation Day presented by Elphie's organization The Advocacy for Anti-Procreation. I worked then we hung at home watching Olympic Trials and the final minute of the NBA Finals as Boston won its 18th Championship. I also finished cleaning up the skull from the deer I harvested in the fall, glued the bottom jaw back together, and then glued in the front teeth. One of the teeth was missing. On my commute home on Tuesday June 18th, 2024 I saw a large cloud of smoke which appeared to be located north near Damen Avenue...the fire turned out to be a building supply warehouse full of wooden pallets. On Thursday June 20th, 2024, it was the first day of summer but in Chicago, it was rather cool and I captured footage using my Crosstour CR-900 as I approached downtown of the fog cover that took over the north side of the city. I also captured the same on my commute back home. On Saturday June 22nd, 2024, we attended Sanctuary at Underground Lounge for the first time (or at least the first time in a long time). The music and atmosphere were more Elphie's taste and she enjoyed herself.
On Monday June 24th, 2024, Elphie had a day out with her friend Laura and rode the Water Taxi. That night we watched the NHL Stanley Cup Final come to a close in Game 7 as Florida won its first Championship. As I left to go to work on Tuesday June 25th, 2024, I was able to capture a lightning bolt while backing out of the driveway using my Crosstour CR-900. During my commute home on Lake Shore Drive on Wednesday June 26th, 2024 I captured an errant golf ball bouncing by that must have come from Sydney R. Marovitz golf course nearby. Thankfully it didn't appear to have hit any of the passing cars. I wonder how often that has happened.
On Saturday June 29th, 2024, I decided to catch the final game of the Chicago Hounds rugby season. They were playing the Miami Sharks and came away with the win. There was a bit of a skirmish at the end as well. I ended up with a seat in the first row down at one end zone. I think I'd prefer to sit higher for better viewing but it was fun anyway. Back at the house, I captured some footage of lightning bugs. On Sunday June 30th, 2024, Elphie had a follow-up appointment for her new piercings so we returned to Wasted Youth Tattoo and P.M.A. Piercing to take care of that. Afterwards, I did some Audiofeed preparation by spray painting a sign for our Bare Bones tent. I printed the letters out to have hanging as well for another sign.
On Monday July 1st, 2024, we celebrated Canada Day by getting some poutine from Bad Apple. I got the traditional style and Elphie got the pulled pork option. On Tuesday July 2nd, 2024, the city of Chicago had begun to set up the walls along part of Lake Shore Drive for the upcoming NASCAR race. I decided to capture some footage during my commutes of all the set up. I used both the Crosstour CR-900 and my iPhone. I did the same on July 3rd, 2024 though I only used the Crosstour CR-900 that time rather than trying to shoot with my iPhone. After the drive, we finished loading up and headed out to Audiofeed.
Additional soundtrack includes "It's Spring" by Rodent Emporium, "Miracle Spring" by Candy Claws, "Man Is Like A Spring Flower" by Lingua Ignota, "Rainbow Rider Country" by Rainbow Rider, "Rainbow Signs" by Contrary To Popular Belief, "Chicago" by Sufjan Stevens, "A Tornado; An Owl" by Action Action, "Northern Lights" by Hands, "Northern Lights" by Thrice, "Dead Stars (Club Mix)" by Covenant, "Rocket And A Bomb" by Aunt Betty's Ford, "I Love You To Death (Drive Safe)" by The Juliana Theory, and "Race" by Bleach.
Footage filmed using a Canon Rebel T6s with an Audio-Technica AT-8024 microphone, iPhone 12 and 14 and Crosstour CR-900 by Elphie and Joel A. Swanson. Titles and other animations created and project edited using Final Cut Pro X on a Mac Mini by Joel A. Swanson.
