Dynamic, Electric... Real

The Ray LaMontagne concert last night was awesome. He's great on the CD and sounds just as solid and intense and purposefully shaky in person. I really must work on perfecting my concert yelp. I've never been good at it, and trying last night was shameful. Had dinner down the street -- from the Double Door, Cafe Absinthe and yes, The Subterranean -- at Rodan, and if you get the chance, go there. It's a South American - Asian fusion restaurant. Truth be told, I couldn't really place the South American influence much, but maybe it was more subtle. We had a waitress who looked like she could pass for an East German sewer dweller -- all wanton and distracted. Cool ambience too, with LCD TVs instead of mirrors in the bathroom. There's a camera somewhere and it is hooked up so the TV shows what a mirror would show, which is good in case someone approaches with piano wire. For awhile we were the only people in the place, which was weird, never had that before, but it picked up.

Jonathan Rice opened, and he was, like Ray, smooth and solid in person. Haven't heard his CD yet, but live he was impressive. He looked really young which made it all the more surprising. But what was disappointing was the crowd during his set. Just like the Damien Rice show in April, the crowd couldn't shut the fuck up while he was playing, and he kept making comments about how we can't hear him, could we please quiet down, etc. I don't understand that. Why is Chicago such a bastard at concerts?