ComedySportz: Every Wednesday they have FREE Improv. It’s fun as hell, the beer is cheap, and the people are spectacular. It’s just East on Belmont from the El, directly across from Clarke’s. I usually head to the 9PM BattleProv show… Do yourself a favor and check it out. Here’s the schedule:

7pm – REC League
8 PM – Kayfabe
9 PM – Battle-Prov
10 PM – Improv Open Mike

Trader Todd’s: KARAOKE! KARAOKE! YES! This lovely gem is located just North of Belmont and Sheffield. They have decent house beer, good margaritas, and karaoke every night of the week! (I love karaoke… if you don’t, you suck). They also like to give away free parties (an hour of free well drinks & house beer and wine, & discount on appetizers). It’s always fun, as long as you don’t bring anti-karaoke people there… leave those people at home.

Guthrie’s Tavern: This is one of my favorite new finds since I’ve been back. I used to live right next door to this little corner bar, but even since I’ve moved, I frequent it on semi-regular basis. Located on the corner of Addison and Lakewood, (about two blocks west on Addison from Wrigley field) you’d think it would be just another Wrigleyville bar. NOPE. See, they have shelves of board games to choose from, decently priced drinks, and you can order food to be delivered there. Friday and Saturday nights it can get a little crazy (especially if the cubbies are playing), but other than that it’s just a nice neighborhood hangout. Downside: sometimes they seem a bit understaffed– it can be pretty hard to get a drink, even on a slow night.

Ross Stores is kind of like a TJ Maxx or a Marshall’s here in Colorado. It’s more organized than any of the other stores of it’s kind that I’ve been to, or so I thought. I grabbed a couple pairs of pants, and a few shirts to try on– found two pairs that fit for $10.00 a piece and a shirt I really liked for $6.00.

Then, the next morning as I was getting ready for work, I noticed the tags on the shirt. “Blah, blah, blah brand MATERNITY,” uhhh WTF?!

I debated whether or not I should return it, so I tried it on again. HELL NO, I’m not returning it. I mean, sure, it has a bit of extra room in the tummy area, but it has to be the most comfortable piece of clothing that I’ve bought in a very long time. It’s cute, it hides my pudge, and I could sleep in it. Maybe I should just start buying maternity clothes from now on! I mean, six bucks for a work worthy and comfy shirt- why the eff not?!

Please explain to me why don’t they make normal work clothes this comfortable!

So earlier this week, I was trying to move all of my contacts to my SIM card, so that if I broke my phone (again) I would have all of my numbers. BUT– it wouldn’t move all of them because there were too many, so I started looking for contacts I could delete. In doing this, I realized that most of the numbers I have in my phone are JUNK.

I have NO IDEA who some of these people are.

So that leaves two options: I either knew the person a while back, or I met them when I was out. I’m fully confident that the latter of the two is where most of my numbers have come from. For the life of me, I cannot recall who “Debbie” or “Cherie” is, and more so, I cannot recall numerous male names that plague my contact list!

Somewhere along the line I developed a trick to inputting guys numbers from bars. I put the bar where I met them after their name… So, for instance, I have “Blake- UG” for someone named Blake from  Underground (I think he was a volleyball coach?). I guess that would be handy if I ever wanted to actually talk to any of the randoms in my phone. But from my experience, I usually chat with someone for a while, get a drink, exchange numbers and never talk to them again (or hear from them again for that matter- which is fine by me). However, what I still can’t understand is why these numbers are still in my phone. I haven’t been to Underground in over a year! More to the point, I’ve been in a relationship for over a year and haven’t been taking anyone’s number while I’m out.

It baffles me that I haven’t gone through all of these before now… but then again, I guess I’ve never had a reason to. From now on, I vow to delete all numbers acquired while intoxicated the very next morning (if I’m capable of normal functioning of course). This way, I will never again have to spend an entire hour deleting people from my phone.

Not only do they deliver an extraordinary set, they also serve as an inspiration to much of their audience. On Friday, I got to speak with a girl who had never heard the band before. She was not only blown away by how much she enjoyed their music, but also with how much the band speaks to human rights. State Radio both preaches AND practices a huge focus on Activism which is hard to miss. Every concert that I’ve gone to has been preluded by some sort of volunteer work near or in the community in which they play. The program, called Calling All Crows, is a great way to get involved.

I highly suggest catching a show if they’re playing near you. I think music fans across many genres will find State Radio fascinating– and for more than just their amazing music.

P.S. You won’t break the bank for tickets to their shows. Usually their tickets are about $20.00-$25.00 in my experience.

For those of you who aren’t aware, we don’t have Street Vendors in Chicago (or if we do, I’ve never seen them over the years, definitely not in my neighborhood– but maybe they’re hiding). It’s kind of funny actually; you’d think that in a city so large, we would have them all over the place. No folks, that’s New York.

Anyways, so we waltz over to the street vendor and present him with the challenge: can you make a Chicago Dog?

His reply was something along the lines of: “Nope. I don’t have celery salt, the right relish, cut tomatoes, vienna beef, or a poppy seed bun. I wouldn’t even want to try to imitate a Chicago Dog without the ingredients.” Instead, he suggested that I try what’s called a reindeer sausage.

First of all, you have to give the guy props for A) knowing the ingredients, and B) not trying to make a half-ass imitation. The only thing worse than a crappy Chicago Dog is something someone calls a Chicago Dog which is nothing like it (see previous blog: e.g., Coors Field Chicago Dogs).

So although he may not have had the ingredients to make a Chicago Dog–  he made me a pretty tasty lunch this afternoon. This guy’s dogs are phenomenal– the reindeer sausage I had was amazing. He even suggested that I have him put cream cheese on it–weird thought at first, but a hell of a taste bud payoff. This guy knows his stuff. (Not to mention, he’s made the trip to Chicago and had the real deal; thus, truly enlightened).

So go there, get a hot dog, a brat, or a sausage and enjoy. Definitely the best dog I’ve had in Denver.

The Place: Biker Jim’s
16th and Arapahoe in Downtown Denver

On our way to the bleachers, I saw a sign that said “Chicago Style Hot Dog.” I was so excited that I cut off a five year old to hop in line. So I got my dog, and we headed to the bleachers. Then something very strange happened…

I looked down to discover that my “Chicago” dog was not on a sesame seed bun, was NOT vienna beef, and most importantly MISSING RELISH. In relish’s place– cucumbers. WHAT?!

As if the looks weren’t bad enough, it had to be the most disgusting hot dog I have ever eaten. It was bitter and the bun was stale. I must admit, I was hungry and low on cash– so I did eat it. No wonder people are afraid to try an actual Chicago dog when they visit Chi… I mean, they’ve been trained to think it’s quite possibly the most disgusting food on earth!

–

Then, last weekend… I was in Chicago. Oh, how I had dreamed about having a proper Chicago dog from my favorite joint in Chicago, Wiener Circle.

It’s known for it’s employee’s rude (and patron’s equally rude, if not appalling) behavior in the wee hours, but that’s not really a factor here. In my opinion, they have the best hot dogs in the city– char dogs. YUM.

I was only back for a wedding (in the burbs), so I had limited time in the city– read: ONE NIGHT ONLY. And unfortunately for me, a Thursday night.

After meeting up for drinks, we decided it was time to cab it over to Clark St. before Wiener Circle closed. It was 3:50 A.M. when we got there. They close at 4 A.M. “We started closin’ at 3:15 sweety.”  EPIC FAIL! My hopes for having my Chicago char dog were utterly crushed.

Until next time Chicago, I guess I’ll be continuing to search for a decent Chi-style hot dog in Denver… no matter how impossible the task seems.

Well, we might as well start at the beginning–

THE ROAD TRIP:

First off, I should tell you that the night before I decided to leave Chicago for Denver, I decided to go up to Summerfest in Milwaukee to see some friends, hear some tunes, drink a few beers, and rub my Cubby pride in all the Brewers disheartened faces.

Displaying my cubby pride despite being amongst the enemy. (P.S. The Cubs played the Brewers that night and won 9-5!)

Needless to say, this little excursion not only caused a late start to my attempt at a 5:00 A.M. departure, but it also added another 2 hours to my drive that day. See I stayed in Milwaukee that night*– when I attempted to leave in the morning, I began my trip by getting on the highway going the wrong direction. I don’t know how or why I always try to drive West to leave Milwaukee and go towards Chicago– I’ve only been driving there from the North since I was 16 and it has always been East, but somehow EVERY TIME I leave I manage to head towards Madison. FML! How can I not seem to remember that 94-East takes you to Chicago?! EAST! NOT WEST!
*Too much summershandy impairs one’s ability to drive– and thus increases one’s tendency to couchsurf.

So after adding a ten minute turn-around back through Milwaukee to my journey, I was successfully going in the right direction. But then, thanks to a whole slew of construction in Southern Wisconsin, I missed my exit (towards my parents’ houses) and ended up taking a detour route which consisted of 30 mile per hour speed limits and more construction. Needless to say, I didn’t start packing the car until well after 10:00 A.M.

THE ACTUAL ROAD TRIP:

Finally, the car was packed– and I do mean packed. There wasn’t a nook that wasn’t stuffed with some book or random toiletry. And let me just add, all I could bring with me was what I could fit in my car. I drive a Jeep Wrangler, so it wasn’t a whole lot. The last thing to go in the car were my two cats: Liko and Lilac.

Liko

Now, my cats and motor vehicles aren’t exactly a peanut butter and jelly pairing. Simply put, they hate all the things a road trip consists of: they hate the car being in drive, being outside, moving, hearing loud noises, wind, strange scenery, etc. The only thing that seemed to calm them down was organic vitamin drops added to their food to “increase contentment” and the sound of my voice.

Now, I already admit to the fact– rather grudgingly, that I spend way too much time talking to my cats. Yes, I am one of those crazy cat chicks who has at length conversations with two animals who cannot respond back– but I am still determined that I know what they are thinking.

Lilac

One of my friends once explained a joke to me which basically takes how hot you are and compares it to how intuitive you are with your cats. Based upon which side weighs out you’re either dateable (hotness > intuitiveness with cats) or undateable (intuitiveness with cats > hotness). When I asked him whether I would be considered dateable or not, he said, “uhhh… ” inhaled quietly under his breath and quickly looked away. I guess that makes me pretty cat intuitive, right?

Anyways, the cats decided to meow throughout a good five hours of the 18 hour trek. Which isn’t bad at all, considering it could have been the entire time. They were actually pretty well behaved (thanks to my intuitive powers I was able to provide appropriate and well liked topics of conversation).

REASONS DRIVING TO COLORADO FROM ILLINOIS IS POSSIBLY THE MOST HORRIFIC ROAD TRIP EXPERIENCE WHEN DRIVING BY YOURSELF:

First off, Iowa is nothing special to drive through. It’s a farming state (much like Illinois apart from Chicago), with a few more hills (think Southern Wisconsin). However, it does have things like trees and grass. It also has gas stations called, “Kum & Go“– no, I’m not joking. Yes, they do exist, and yes, it may be one of the most interesting sights the highway in Iowa has to offer.

Now, Nebraska is a whole other story. Having left at 2:00 P.M., from Chicago I didn’t get to Nebraska until about 10:00 or 11:00 at night. There is basically nothing in Nebraska. It is flat. There are fields. There are cows and tumbleweeds. It has to be one of the most boring (AND LONGEST) states to drive through. Nebraska never seemed to end.

Now, driving on July 3rd, I encountered three things of semi-significance in Nebraska.

1. Omaha has to be the largest city. It had fireworks and traffic resulting from the 4th of July events. The highway also has 6 or 7 lanes near the city.
2. There is basically nothing in Nebraska west of Omaha except for Lincoln– which seems like a small city in comparison to the bright lights of Omaha (I think the highway may have gone up to 3 lanes).
3. Hotels in Nebraska on the day before the 4th of July are A) expensive and B) hard to find.

So yes, I had to stop and sleep in Nebraska. I couldn’t have driven any more that night. I was starting to think things were wrong with my car (Is my tire pressure okay? What if I messed up my suspension permanently because the car’s so heavy? Did I just get a flat, or is it supposed to pull to the left when you’re on the left side of the highway?). I paid double what I would have paid on any other night. I had two options for rooms, two queens or a king size bed– they were the same price, so I took the king. The inn wasn’t horrible, but as I lay there trying to fall asleep and attempted to stop my body’s constant buzzing from the car ride, I couldn’t help but think of the damn shower scene from Psycho. Not that I was likely to get murdered or anything, but still– road side hotel, late at night, somewhere in Nebraska– it crossed my mind.

After three hours of sleep, I woke up and got right back on the road (kitty’s in tow– unhappier than ever to be put back in the car). Here I was thinking I was almost there, just a few more hours of Nebraska and I’d be in Colorado before lunch. WRONG. There was about six more hours of Nebraska, and in the daylight it was even more disheartening to look at the stretch of endless road in front of me. Although, I did see a sign that caught my eye. A PETRIFIED WOOD MUSEUM! Oh, the glee I felt at possibly being able to stop and see such an attraction! I also spotted a semi with large red letters printed on the side of it. The message: “JESUS CHRIST IS LORD, NOT A SWEAR WORD!” This about sums up the visual entertainment of Nebraska.

Oh, I forgot to mention. I was stuck listening to one CD the entire roadtrip. I repeat, ONE. The way my cat’s carrier had been sandwiched in my car, I was unable to eject or put in any CDs. I forgot to change the CD as I was leaving the hotel, and so was stuck with the same CD for the second day of my trip. I’m sure there are some decent radio stations, but I couldn’t find a single one that wasn’t country or top 40. Alas, I learned all of the lyrics on my mix CD by the third time it played which resulted in longer conversations with my cats and further delibaration on my sanity/undateableness.

OH, HELLO COLORADO!

Finally, I was welcomed into Mountain Time, and shortly after I was in Colorado. This was the easiest part of my trip. It was only about an hour and a half from the time I left Nebraska until I got near Denver.

As a side note: anyone who is making a similar trip should know to stop for gas pretty much as soon as they get into Colorado. For some reason, gas stops seem to be less frequent in the stretch from the state line to closer to Denver.

As I neared Denver, I finally remembered I had a camera! (Yeay sleep deprivation!)

I know it's not a good picture, but I was driving!

Finally, I got off the highway. And– my printer fell on my head as I was doing so! Ha! A perfect ending to the long, but necessary journey here.

]]> http://cassiemoran.com/2009/07/22/journey-to-the-mile-high-city/feed/ 0 Cassie Cubsshirtatsummerfest Liko Lilac Intro to Denver http://cassiemoran.com/2009/07/21/introducing-the-weekly-music-update-72009/ http://cassiemoran.com/2009/07/21/introducing-the-weekly-music-update-72009/#comments Tue, 21 Jul 2009 05:59:48 +0000 Cassie http://existingmindset.wordpress.com/?p=42 ]]> I’m always stumbling across new music that I love, so where better to share my findings?

My new obsession is a band called The Weeks. Check out their song Buttons, it’s excellent! Their music has quite a range– some songs have more of an acoustic feel and others are harder and more upbeat. Think Kings of Leon with a twisted edge.

They’re playing at Angels & Kings (710 N. Clark St.) on July 22nd at 8:00 PM. Check em out if you’re in Chicago!

Also, The Airborne Toxic Event has been making headlines lately, and their song “Sometime Around Midnight” is being played on most radio stations. However, the real news is their new song! Check out their latest song that was released– Wishing Well. AND– for all you lucky people that get to go to Lollapalooza this year, (sadly I will be able to attend) make sure to check them out!  Lolla is held August 7,8,9 2009 in Grant Park

Last, but not least is a band called Manchester Orchestra. I actually saw them at Lollapalooza last year, and they put on a fantastic show. One of their songs recently broke airwaves– it’s called I’ve Got Friends. I think you’ll enjoy it! Manchester Orchestra will also be gracing Lollapalooza with their presence, so make sure to swing by and check them out as well!

Well that’s all for now ladies and gents!

His style is acoustic entwined with a little bit of reggae and has a jam band feel. It’s a genre that I can’t quite put my finger on. Not only does he have an amazing voice, but his music is about subjects that we all ponder. His songs, although influenced by his beliefs, transcend categorical religion and promote an overall feeling of unity.

For this reason, it seems fitting that the latest song that came to my attention is entitled “Unity.” Featuring the rock, reggae, rap, hasidic Jewish artist , Matisyahu, this song not only blends sound, but culture. I think that everyone should give it a listen. Even if it isn’t your typical brand of music, I think that you’ll be surprised at what this up-and-coming artist has to offer.

I’ve seen him a few times when he has come through Chicago. His shows are always enthralling– there’s something new at every one. Also, he usually plays at smaller venues, so ticket prices are definitely reasonable. For more songs and information (including tour dates), check out Trevor’s website or Myspace page.

Trevor Hall’s Website

Trevor Hall’s Myspace