Okkervil River commands stage at The Metro
It felt like a family affair Tuesday night as Black Joe Lewis & The Honey Bears and Crooked Fingers opened for Okkervil River at the Metro in Chicago.
All three bands showed their unwavering support for the others in many ways. As the openers, Black Joe Lewis, rocked out midset, Okkervil River's drummer Travis Nelsen made a surprise onstage appearance. His instrument of choice? A tambourine.
The second act, Crooked Fingers, all sported Black Joe Lewis T-shirts. The saxophone duo from Black Joe played a couple of songs with Okkervil River, even helping them close out the show. Three very different bands. Three very different lineups. Three very different sounds. Yet, it all worked together.
With influences ranging from James Brown and Wilson Pickett to Howlin' Wolf, Black Joe was the biggest surprise of the evening. The eight-piece band, fronted by 26-year-old Austin, Texas, native Joe Lewis played a mix of R&B and soul. The set felt like something straight out of famed Chicago Blues club Kingston Mines. A throwback to sounds of the '60s, the multiracial band's music was pure magic, made even more spectacular by the members' on-stage antics. At one point, the band, sans Lewis, danced their way to the ground, continuing to play their instruments from the stage floor.
The vibe was completely different for the next act, Crooked Fingers. The Seattle-based band, led by lead singer Eric Bachman, tends to have a rotating lineup. Tuesday night, there were just four on stage – Bachman on guitar, Elin Palmer on violin, Miranda Brown on bass guitar and drummer Tim Hussman. Playing their last night in support of Okkervil River before launching their own tour Wednesday night at Shuba's in Chicago, the group played several songs from their newly released album, "Forfeit/Fortune."
Continuing a trend of noise as music, the band relied on feedback and looping to add extra depth to their songs. Palmer's violin and Bachman's interesting vocals combined to create a scattered yet solid rock performance. When Hussman's drum kit began to fall apart midset, it was the drummer from Black Joe that came to his rescue. It was just a continuation of their support for one another.
By the time headliners Okkervil River came to the stage, the anticipation from the crowd had reached a fevered pitch. Chicago has become a home-away-from-home of sorts for Okkervil this year. With four shows in six months – opening for the New Pornographers in April, Lollapalooza in August, an after-show at Schubas and Tuesday night at the Metro – the band has garnered quite the following in the Windy City.
Touring in support of their newest release, "The Stand-Ins" Okkervil chose just a few songs from the 2008 album and reached way into their repertoire for the rest. Lead singer Will Sheff's tangy, raw vocals and acoustic guitar talents added to his showmanship on stage, and it was evident he was simply being worshipped by the crowd.
Okkervil River's multifaceted sound was on full display during the show. At times the feeling ran from "Big Band" to full-out rock show, to somewhat country and back again. It was some old favorites, including "For Real" from the band's 2005 release "Black Sheep Boy" that got the crowd moving.
But it was during the encore where Sheff really shined. Coming out first alone, guitar in hand, Sheff asked the crowd for any requests. It was "Red," from the band's 2002 release "Don't Fall in Love With Everyone You Meet," that emitted the largest response.
The crowd stood transfixed for the next five minutes as Sheff played a flawless, soulful version of the tune. As the full band came out to play one more song, a hush fell over the crowd as they waited to rock out.
By 1 a.m. Okkervil had more than done its job. The band simply left fans wanting more.
Giving up at least some meat better for your body, the planet
I’ve been helping the planet for years, and I didn’t even know it.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I make a conscious decision to protect our environment every day. Between the reusable bags, the recycling, lack of consumption and driving my car only to work – walking or taking public transportation for everything else – I do my part.
I even plant a tiny garden on the back porch of my Chicago apartment.
What I didn’t realize is that I was doing more that I knew.
Years ago, I made the choice to give up red meat and pork. Mostly for health reasons, although the latter came after a visit to a pork-processing plant in college. (I can still hear the pigs scream.)
The switch was a good one. I have lost and kept off a lot of weight.
Selfishly great for me. But as I learned recently, even better for those around me. Why?
A pound of beef requires around 12,000 gallons of water to produce, compared to 60 gallons for a pound of potatoes.
Twelve-thousand gallons of water. For ONE pound. That’s enough meat for just four servings of tacos.
Let’s be generous and say the average family of four only eats beef three times a week.
Over a year, that is more than 1.8 million gallons of water used just to produce 156 servings of protein. And we haven’t even added side dishes.
Yes, as I have been told time and time again, giving up meat is not for everyone.
But gogreen.com recommends that if you are a meat eater, try cutting out a serving each week. Every little bit makes a difference.
A few weeks ago, I contemplated giving up poultry, fish, dairy and eggs as well. Yes, me. A V-E-G-A-N.
Again, it is mostly for health reasons. The more weight lost, the healthier, right?
It was through my research on veganism that I realized just how much the food we eat has an impact on our planet.
And it made the switch even easier.
Now don’t get me wrong. I haven’t gone 100 percent vegan, and know I would die if I never allowed myself cheese again.
As I told my friend Shawn yesterday, I’m working more on a 90/10 split.
I am smart enough to know that eventually I will crave sushi, and break down and go. Even if I do pair my sweet-potato tempura with a little spicy tuna roll.
I have also learned to listen. My body let me know I needed protein Saturday after a day of running around, so I ate a chicken breast.
That was the only time in a week that I had any animal product. Not too shabby, huh planet Earth?
As I count down the days for the Vandergriend Farmer’s Market in Lansing to open — or my colleague Phil Potempa to start bringing in veggies from his farm — I’m just buying what I need from area grocery stores. Organic, of course. All in all, it hasn’t been that bad.
I already feel better, lighter.
Greener.
RECIPES
Vegan Pesto
1-1/2 cups fresh basil
1/3 cup olive oil
1 cup pine nuts
5 cloves garlic
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Directions: Combine all ingredients in a food processor until nuts are ground. Pesto should still have texture and not be completely smooth. Add more salt and pepper to taste. The pesto can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Serving suggestions: Toss with warm pasta and enjoy as a side dish, or add some cooked or raw vegetables to make a meal; use as a dip for vegetables, crackers or pita chips; top a whole-wheat tortilla or pita with some pesto, cheese – vegan or otherwise – and your favorite vegetables. Cook at 400 degrees for about 7 minutes until the cheese is melted, and presto: pesto pizza. The kids will enjoy this one as well.
Creamy Broccoli and ‘Cheese’ Soup
1/2 white onion, chopped
6 cups peeled and chopped broccoli florets
3 cups vegetable soup stock
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
3 Tablespoons olive oil
3 Tablespoons whole wheat pastry flour
2 cups plain rice milk
1/3 cup nutritional yeast or 3/4 cup shredded vegan Cheddar cheese
Fresh ground pepper
Directions: Add onions, broccoli and stock in large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until tender. With a slotted spoon, remove one cup of broccoli florets. Set aside. Place remaining broccoli, liquid, parsley, thyme, rosemary and salt in blender and puree until smooth. Set aside. To make the “cheese” sauce: Heat the olive oil in the soup pan. Add the flour and cook on low for a few minutes. Stir in rice milk with a whisk, bring to a boil, then simmer until thickened, stirring constantly with the whisk. This is important — otherwise your sauce will be lumpy. If that happens, blend it or put it through a sieve. Stir in yeast flakes or cheese until blended through. Stir in broccoli puree and florets. Adjust salt if needed, and grate pepper in to taste. Heat gently, don’t boil. Serve immediately.
Quick and Easy Guacamole
1 large ripe avocado
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 cup salsa
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
dash salt to taste
dash cayenne, chili powder or taco sauce
Directions: Mash avocado with a fork until almost smooth, or until desired consistency. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until well combined. Let sit in refrigerator for 1/2 hour to allow flavors to meld. Serve with organic blue-corn tortilla chips for a truly sustainable experience.
NBC's 'Parks and Recreation' has some viewers on the edge of their seat in anticipation, parks departments simply on edge
Thirty minutes of Amy Poehler each week?
Although it doesn't cure the withdrawal symptoms I still face from her absence on "Saturday Night Live," I guess it's a start.
And while I don't think "Parks and Recreation" will garner Poehler laughs like she got on Weekend Update, I, at least, hope for uncomfortable giggles.
You know, think Michael Scott from "The Office."
Cringe.
Except this time, NBC is taking you out of Scranton, and right into the heart of Indiana.
Pawnee, Ind., to be exact.
Never heard of it? You can learn all about this fictional city with an obvious raccoon infestation at PAWNEEINDIANA.COM.
Located 90 miles from Indianapolis, Pawnee is being touted as the "state's seventh-largest city."
"My guess would be that they chose Indiana because it is seen by Hollywood as a nondescript, middle-America state," said Costa Dillon, Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore superintendent. "It has no national image to play off, so they can use it as a generic place"
OK, I am a little excited about it being set in Indiana. But parks and recreation?
Really?
"I think they chose parks and recreation because there is a certain mindset among some people that this is not a serious profession," said Dillon. "I find this disconcerting. We have staff with professional degrees including Masters and Ph.Ds. It is incredibly naive to think that park management is a job for amateurs."
Nor for comedy.
If you haven't heard about "Parks and Recreation" yet, the premise is simple.
The show, from Emmy Award-winning executive producers Greg Daniels ("The Office," "King of the Hill") and Michael Schur ("The Office," "Saturday Night Live"), is a mockumentary that looks at the exciting world of local government.
The new half-hour comedy will examine the mundane but necessary ways that people interact with their government, and ask why it's frequently so complicated – as everyone knows from standing in line at the DMV, applying for home construction permits or trying to get the city to fix a pothole – NBC says.
The cameras follow Leslie Knope (Poehler) a mid-level bureaucrat in Pawnee's parks and recreation department.
In an attempt to beautify her town, Leslie takes on what should be a fairly simple project: Help local nurse Ann Perkins (Rashida Jones, "The Office," "I Love You Man") turn an abandoned pit into a community park.
Seems funny enough.
The mockumentary style has already drawn drone comparisons to "The Office." Some critics have simply said it is the same show, different setting, different lead.
Variety's review this week said that "Daniels and Schur provide the show with moments of dry wit, and Poehler certainly has acting oblivious down to a wide-eyed science. Yet there's no escaping that this feels like 'Office Lite,' thrown together as a vehicle for the star rather than out of any grand inspiration – just as the format appears arbitrarily chosen for its compatibility to the Dunder Mifflin gang."
But Jones doesn't think the comparisons are actually that broad.
"What's similar about it is the documentary style. That, and the interviews and stuff. You get the sense of two camera crews. There's one that's following me and my cause, and one following Amy and her rise through government." Jones said.
Being panned by critics across the country could be a good thing for actual parks and recreation departments.
I received a forwarded e-mail Tuesday afternoon from Jodi Rudick, president of the ADvisors Marketing Group. According to her bio, many consider Rudick to be the park and recreation profession’s most innovative marketing and publicity expert.
"More than likely the show will amplify the blunders and 'idocracy' of park and recreation leaders and staff," the e-mail said. Rudick is hoping to help departments cut off comparisons to the show from the start.
As in: "No, there are NO speedbumps on the slides ..."
But not everyone is worried there will be negative fallout from the show.
"It's a sitcom. Its purpose is to poke fun and satirize government and civil service," Dillon said. "I would hope that viewers would be wise enough to recognize situation comedy is not a documentary."
And I can't wait for the fun-poking to start.
With high hopes, my DVR is already set for a series recording.
I am ready for giggles.
Uncomfortable or not.
