Power Love

Your definitive resource. That's all, just your definitive resource.

28 January 2008

CONCERT REVIEW: GIRL TALK

Girl Talk show at Metro on Saturday. We went to the all-ages 7pm show. This is because apparently specific-ages Girl Talk shows sell out in 0.0653 seconds. So, while the big kids were at home legally drinking beer and maybe taking their old-age pills, Team Power Love hung out with the pre-pubescents. There were a lot of humans who have yet to go through puberty at the 7pm show. Also, I think the girls behind us were trying to figure out whose mom was gonna pick them up after.


No matter, though! Team Power Love is characteristically not self conscious about our age (72). This is because we are young at heart and we love all people equally. And also, we have a raging drinking problem and the more drunk you get, the easier it is to handle little girls who squeal. That is blatantly untrue.

The best bet was upstairs in the balcony to see this show because the downstairs was filled with the aforementioned non-zitted people, all of whom smelled like hormones.

We caught the tail end of Dan Deacon, which is unfortunate, because we hate Dan Deacon. Except that, for his penultimate song, he turned off all noise making appliances and guess what? The entire venue kept singing along and it was awesome in that we-are-all-in-this-together way, so now we like Dan Deacon. But we don't want to see him again, not that we saw him this time anyway since he insists on playing inside the audience, on the floor, with the riff raff, as though he's building a fort and all the people standing around him are protecting him from, perhaps, birds of prey.

So then the dude of Girl Talk pops out on stage and they have to get rolling, you know, this is the first show of the night, not the last, there are timetables and itineraries to adhere to, and what I can say is this: the stage was eaten up by the aforementioned pimple-free set, so that from above, the main floor looked like one flat area covered in arm-waving humans. Eventually Girl Talk dude had to move to the front of his set-up to play since the place where he originally started playing was clearly commandeered by a girl and boy both of whom had trouble figuring out "that beat thing," but both of whom were so clearly enamored with the music that it was hard not to love them. People on stage, people on the floor, people, people everywhere but not a drop to drink.

Except for the beer, which at Metro costs $458.53, without tip. BUT BUT BUT, for those of you who can remember the good ole days, Styx was played! And the highlight of the evening: Souljah Boy woven around Journey's "Faithfully" and mixed until it all became one bright arena-rock show-stopping ending and at that point I realized that maybe those aforementioned zit-free rodents down below weren't so different from me, no, we are all human, are we not? And it was a good feeling, a peaceful feeling, a feeling of oneness with the universe, which lasted about 2 seconds after I walked downstairs and heard somebody yelp, "Oh. My. Gawd. I KNOW! That hair makes her look TOO WASHED OUT!"

We met this guy on the el. He gave us suggestions for movies to watch. There are apparently many movies about The Man and how The Man is keeping us all down. Did you know that? You should. Luckily there are movies out there to tell you about it. I can't remember the names of those movies now, though, but I'm sure there's a section in Netflix called The Man Is Out To Get You Yes You section.

23 January 2008

ALL MY LIFE I'VE BEEN SEARCHING FOR SOMETHING

Humans! Tonight only!

STORYTELLING AT ITS FINEST!

Stories and music all wrapped up together like a giant, metaphorical burrito. With cheese. And black beans. OHMYGODYUM!!

Come join us--we're telling stories, but not just any stories, stories that weave around music and music that weaves around stories and it will be like no other storytelling experience you have ever had. THIS IS NOT A DRILL!! GET TO RED KIVA TONIGHT!!

2nd Story
Red Kiva
1108 W. Randolph
Chicagogogoville
7pm
$10
More here.

22 January 2008

CAN'T YOU SEE ME I'M POUNDING ON YOUR DOOR

In order to get the full effects of Saturday night's show at the Empty Bottle, you should first read Nick's account, because he actually talks about the music and also, he knows what he's talking about.

I know what I'm talking about too, unfortunately what I'm talking about only makes sense if you were one of the voices in my head, so blame the interwebnets for giving people like me a space to blather on. Also, you should blame Mayor Daley because hello! Dick Daley did not set up the traditional annual birthday parade down Michigan Avenue, which he usually does and usually there are floats and large balloons hovering over the crowd, eyeing the humans below as though we're a bunch of hors de-overs on a plate, and sometimes you have to wonder if being eaten by a huge balloon would be all that bad. I guess it depends on what kind of digestion system balloons have. If there's wireless in the bowels of human-eating balloons then there's really no need to worry. If they had teeth, though, that's another story.

As I was saying, global warming is not in full effect here in Chicago because it's 956 degrees below zero. When it's this cold, you want to wear alliterative sweatshirts.

Pink. Prestigious. Privileged.







I don't want to alarm you, but there are hipsters at the Empty Bottle. They are all over the place. I think they roam in packs.














Okay, now let's get to the real meat of the night--and by "meat" I mean "tofu" because when in hipsterville, eat hipster food. When in Rome, take a public bath. See how you are always learning something new here at Team Power Love? This is because we love you, alert Power Love reader. As I was saying, guerilla warfare is really nothing new, it's a strategy employed by many an angry group since the dawn of time. In addition, photography is clearly a skill I possess. You may see an black square, but I can assure you that this is a piece of art and will no doubt be scooped up by Rolling Stone for their annual Pictures from People Who Can't Use a Flash Properly Issue, which will be in stores in March. I will no doubt make one million dollars and I will dump that one million dollars on top of the pile of money I currently have waiting for me in my parlor. Heretofore, this is a picture of Bang! Bang!, whose use of punctuation in their name makes for an awkwardly punctuated sentence. They were good. I was enamored of the guitarist/singer. She has cool hair. And I like bouncing my head up and down whenever I can.


But really, the real thrill of the night was La Scala, named after the famed restaurant. Or a private island in the Caribbean. Translated, "La Scala" means "the scaly, articulate fish." It's true. This is a learning environment. Did you know that fish don't actually chew their food? They have someone else chew it for them. I would not lie to you. In addition, the singer dude from La Scala plays a guitar that looks like Brian Setzer's. Except that La Scala dude played music that sounded like La Scala, which is good, because that's where he's at and so that was truly a fun show to see and be-bop to. And, no, you do not have to tell me what a rock photographering goddess I am, I already know this.


Then we played pool. It was a very serious game, as you can see here. There was no dancing, no beer drinking, certainly no joking about. Pool is a very serious game. Also, it just so happens that during this pivotal game, I, in my capacity as International Pool Game Rule Maker, changed a much-maligned and controversial pool rule. In the past, when one person who is talking too much and drinking multiple beers drops the 8 ball in the corner pocket and then keeps talking while the cue ball drops in the other corner pocket, this would have been considered "a loss." After this pivotal rule change, though, it's not! Now it's called, "a win" and now I'm the championest pool player of all time, except for Nick, who can play pool with one arm, sign language with the other, and do so while quoting the Talking Heads.

17 January 2008

This is not a picture of darkness. Or maybe it is. I can see now that it's here on Power Love that it's lacking a bit of light. It's also not an homage to Spinal Tap's black album ("It's like a black mirror.") No. It's actually a picture of three squad cars and two undercover cars and one paddy wagon. They have surrounded a grey van. Two dudes stand with legs spread and palms plastered on the street side of the van while a few officers pat them down.

As alert Power Love readers know, we are all about public service around here. So, should you encounter this scenario in your own wanderings, here are some items to note: First, the police probably do not like people taking pictures of their pat downs. Though no one actually said these exact words to me, I take it from the, "Hey! Get the fuck outta here!" that there is some resistance to picture taking. Second, replying to the previous quote with, "Werd, ocifer," is not going to garner you much praise.

11 January 2008

TEAM POWER LOVE PUBLISHING AND PRINTING
CHICAGO--What's new in 08? Besides time passing quickly and the unholy union of spring weather and an early January date? What's new is this: The thing you have all been waiting for, the thing you spent many hours contemplating as you stood at the bottom of the hill on which Team Power Love HQ's mansion is perched and wondered to yourself, "Self? Hello? I do so wonder why all that rainbow colored smoke is coming out of the chimney of Team Power Love Headquarters!" As you know, you talk like a child from a Dickens novel and you speak mostly in exclamations, and that is why everyone loves you.

But this press release isn't about you, fair Dickensian wonderer, this press release is here to announce the official formation of:

TEAM POWER LOVE PUBLISHING AND PRINTING

This year, we bring to our adoring and rabid audience Team Power Love gift packs! Stories all dolled up in cool crafty materials that were on sale at Michael's! And t-shirts! You cannot beat t-shirts! Especially the ones that have Sharpie-drawn designs on them because that is the way I meant for them to be, I certainly did not mistake the permanent Sharpie for the wash-away fabric pencil, no I did not, this is art, people.

We have operators standing by so call now to order your gift pack today! The perfect gift for birthdays, holidays, the day your lover gets out of prison, casual Friday! Call now! Prices negotiable.

07 January 2008

THINGS YOU MAY WANT TO KNOW

1. Don't go get your license renewed on a day that should be spent outside.
2. Taking a photograph of a government building is the first tip off that you're a terrorist.
3. Best Graffiti of the Day Award goes to:

YES I'M DRUNK BLAME HOUSE MUSIC

04 January 2008



This bus is about to eat this bike. It's bike cannibalism. It's bikeabalism.