Public Service Announcements

This past weekend was pretty low-key, and I have to wait to get some photos prepared, but I wanted to post a few quick things that may be of interest/importance:

1) In case you haven’t already heard by now, Apple recalled several more laptop batteries including some for 15" PowerBooks (including mine). If you want to make sure your house doesn’t burn down, check out the list of model/serial number affected here. They’ll replace your battery free of charge and even ship to Switzerland!

2) Browsing Design Observer today I came across a link to this video. It was one of my absolute favorite things from Sesame Street as a kid: a making-of feature on Crayola crayons. I have always vividly remembered this segment, maybe due to my interest in art, love of color, the vats of melted wax, the kindly old employees whose positions have now mostly likely been taken over by machines—who knows? At any rate, it’s now available on YouTube for all to enjoy again.

3) I downloaded Skype yesterday, so if you have it we can talk for free over the internet. My user name is aaronmaurer (pretty easy, huh?), so feel free to add me. If you don’t have it yet and your computer has a built-in mic and speakers you should download it so we can talk. It seems pretty idiot-proof.

More Fun With Labels

Since I mentioned the Franziskaner beer the other day, I figured I’d also share its fun label:


Also, last night Farhad and I were buying some groceries at Manor when we saw this bag of candy. It was too perfect for us not to buy (and post). The candy itself was surprisingly really good…


In other news, my Rolling Stone subscription made it here (surprisingly) without missing an issue. Still no signs of Entertainment Weekly. It turns out that Farhad and some of the other employees are big Lost fans too, so we will probably buy a season pass from iTunes when the new episodes start so we can keep up (since European TV is not aligned with U.S. schedules and it’s doubtful we’ll be getting satellite any time soon). Now if only I could find someone who likes the Office…

The Hash

Last night I boarded a Tram to Carouge and ventured into the unknown. I was heading south towards the French border to an Italian restaurant called Villa Rosa outside a village called Croix de Rozon. My purpose: to find one of the two chapters of the Geneva Hash House Harriers, a running/drinking club with locations the world over. I transferred to the 44 Bus and traveled down Route d'Annecy—perhaps a road leading to Annecy, France, where the Salomon co-op job is located? I didn't know what exactly to expect, but as the busride grew longer the time edged closer to 7, which was the run’s departure time.

This story, however, really begins in Washington D.C. where I attended a gathering hosted by my good friend Joe back in June. Zach and I were visiting he and Jenny before Zach left for Utah and I left the U.S. and Joe had some people over for drinks. One girl there (a friend of Joe’s roommate) happened to hear I was coming to Geneva where she’d interned last year. “Do you run?” she asked me apropos of nothing. I said I did and she told me I needed to join the Hash, giving me a vague description. I later did some online research and signed up for the Geneva groups’ mailing list when I arrived.

Which brings me to last night. Here’s what I knew: Hashers (or Hash House Harriers) are a group of people who get together for runs which are led by a designated “hare,” there are various points where the runners all regroup together so all levels can run without being outpaced, drinking is involved, nicknames are involved, and singing is involved.
I made it to the restaurant and found the group. I met a nice man named Robin who told me a bit more about the proceedings and I found that I wasn’t the only “virgin” for the night (meaning any hazing would at least be split). We circled up and a modified version of “Father Abraham” was sung involving a bit of stretching.
Following that we departed, and I quickly caught on. The “Hares” are responsible for setting the trail with markers (in this case, blobs of flour) that designate if you are on the trail or not. Circles are checkpoints, meaning that any divergent routes must be explored to determine the correct one (this involves a lot of calling back and forth, and indicates the rabbit chases that give the group their name). It was a lot of fun, and the scenery was amazing. We ran through villages, vineyards, back roads, and even someone’s garden, all in the shadow mountains reflecting the setting sun—truly an experience that can only be had in Europe. After about 6 or so miles (or 10 or so kilometers, since it’s Europe), we hit the beer stop.

This is one of the best features of the Hash. Towards the end, instead of a water break, there is a beer stop. Don’t get me wrong: there is water to be had. But there is also pop, snacks, and a lot of beer. Everyone takes a breather and throws back a couple beers before jogging or walking back to the starting point.

During the break and the walk back I had the chance to talk with some of the others runners. Most of them seem to be from the UK, and they were all very friendly. (Another bonus of the Geneva Hashes: they are English speaking!) I even met a few people from America and a guy from here who works for a company with an office in Grove City which he visits at least once a year. It truly is a small world.

Following the run, everyone usually goes to someone’s home or a restaurant for food. Last night a dinner had been arranged at the Italian place and we were well-served with salad, lasagna as big as a DVD case, red wine, and ice cream. It was a boisterous crowd and quite a fun time. The owner had a karaoke machine out by our table and kept singing bad Italian karaoke (and bad Italian-dubbed versions of American songs), so that any time a song in English came up, someone rushed to take the mic, so at least he would be stopped. As you’ve probably already guessed, this ultimately resulted in me once again singing R.E.M.’s “Losing My Religion” in front of a drunken crowd. It was good fun and everyone was thrilled to have the Italian dude at a distance from the machine.

The group meets weekly on Wednesday nights and I think I’m going to have to make it a regular event. The people were great as was the food, drink, and scenery.

Mmm… Sacrilicious

Here’s something dad will enjoy:

While I find it kind of ironic that I’m working for a Catholic organization in the first place, it’s also pretty ironic that FI is located in Geneva, one of the hotbeds of the Protestant Reformation. Yes indeed, John Calvin lived here, wrote here, preached here, and was even exiled from here at various points. His presence is still evident in certain parts of the “Old Town” which boasts churches he taught at and an old cathedral that was stripped of its opulence during the Reformation.
It is also evidenced by the beer. Last night was nice weather-wise so Farhad and I moseyed down to Old Town and wandered around before meeting up with Mike (not my co-worker Mike, but an intern at another NGO here) for a drink at one of the bars. I decided to go Genevan and ordered a Calvinus. Yep, Calvin’s image emblazoned on a beer label. I wonder what he’d think of such a thing. (To be fair, I’ve also got a 6-pack of Franziskaner Hefeweisbier in the fridge at home—now I just need to find Lutherale or something.)

I still think this is pretty amusing, so I thought I’d share the label:

Nice weekend

The rest of my weekend was pretty low-key and refreshing.
Saturday night Farhad cooked us all a wonderful meal of pasta with homemade pesto sauce (utilizing fresh basil he bought at the market that morning). It was a nice gathering and a very tasty meal (see photo).

Following that, we watched an apparently classic 70s Bollywood film called Amar, Akbar, and Anthony. It's pretty convoluted, but basically involves three brothers who are separated from each other as children and raised one each as a Hindu, Muslim, and Christian. Through some bizarre turns of events, they meet each other, become friends, each fall in love, meet their biological parents without knowing it, and ultimately all find out that they are family. The movie was AMAZING. Not necessarily in a good way, but not bad either. Lots of ridiculous musical numbers, fights involving a lot of flipping around in the air, and plot holes you could drive a tank through. Highly entertaining.

On Sunday morning I went to the English-speaking Lutheran church which was alright. Because it's vacation time in Europe a lot of the regular attenders (including the normal pastor and music people) were gone and the liturgy moved quite slow. But it seemed like a very diverse congregation and could be fun. There I met two kids from Kent State who are studying abroad until December. They seemed pretty nice and we exchanged e-mails, so perhaps I will see them again. I found out that the Corbusier exhibits ended at the beginning of August so I didn’t seek out any museums yet.
I actually went back to the apartment and did some reading until Farhad asked if I wanted to go for a drive. He has possession of his brother’s car for awhile while his brother is traveling or something. So we picked up Carmen (a girl interning at the Catholic Migration Commission or something like that who had gone to his college) and drove across the lake to some of the small towns on the other side. They were very quaint and the view of the lake with mountains behind it was captivating.

[photo: this bad picture proves that I’m here, or at least somewhere with a big lake and mountains]
The water was so calm and almost vacant that I couldn’t help but imagine Greg out there ripping it up on the wakeboard. Although it was a bit cool. Weatherwise, it’s been a lot like San Francisco recently: low to mid-70s for highs and then down to the high 50s or low 60s at night. While it is sad that summer appears to be on its way out, the weather is perfect in the mornings for running. And the humidity here is nonexistant compared with Cincinnati.
After hanging out by the lake for awhile, we drove back to the city where we met up with Mike and Dave (two other interns at other organizations) for a beer. We were right by the Jet D'Eau fountain, where I snapped this picure. Unfortunately it was a little cloudy for a brilliant sunset, but at least you get the idea. It’s a pretty neat sight. After watching children play with the swans and ducks, people eat ice cream, and two guys almost get into a fight for some unknown reason, we decided to call it an early evening.

I came back home and put my market purchases to work, whipping up some Chipotle-style guacamole and cilantro-lime rice. It took a bit longer than anticipated but tasted delicious. At least I know that even if I can’t have the real thing, I can come reasonably close.
That is one thing I do kind of like about life here: because things move a bit slower and since I don’t have TV and everthing closes at 7, I have more time to spend on things like cooking. I enjoy cooking but during school and co-op it was always a battle with time (i.e. I’d get home from class with about 45 minutes before a meeting or something so no time to make anything, or too much homework to justify taking an hour to prepare something). And due to the wealth of fresh ingredients here (and the ease of going to the store every day, if necessary), cooking is much more attractive and feasible.
I may just have to do more of it. Or at the very least make more guacamole.

The Situation Grows More Dire…

…type-wise. Yes, I went out on Sunday afternoon for a few short hours and was relentlessly harrassed by Comic Sans yet again. Here for your mortification are three more sightings:

Example 3: Double Offender

As you can see by my amazing 3-second notations, this vehicle not only features Comic Sans, but Hobo as well. And the Hobo is flying through space or something. Amazing…

Example 4: Awning

Even small villages are not immune. This quaint little town across the lake a bit seemed to think that Comic Sans is more charming that hand-painted signage. Alas, this is not the case. (Wouldn’t you rather see the awning painted like the stuff on the window?).

Example 5: Restaurant

In this case we have the side of a building facing a parking lot advertising the restaurant’s fish selection. I can’t believe sign printers even accept art like this.

Bad Swiss Typography

I appears that one of my missions may be to post instances I witness of Comic Sans around Europe. I’m sure some of those sites like Ban Comic Sans may already include similar usage. Even so, I am in Switzerland, the land of elegant typography. When I see things contradicting this I’m gonna create awareness.

Example 1:
Café Sign/Logo.

Do not put the name of your business in this font. Ever.


Example 2:
Bumper sticker.

I hope this doesn’t say anything dirty, but I know it mentions milk in some context. And as you can see; No, Comic Sans does not look any better in French.

One Week Down

I have officially been in Geneva for a week. And what an interesting adjustment it’s been already. Yet good. (Ha! Starting two sentence fragments in a row with conjunctions!)

I have been fairly busy. Work is good. I think there will be a lot of creative freedom. I have spent most of my time thus far designing the interior of a guide to disarmament that will be distributed to the UN and to Franciscan brothers and sisters. The interior layout will then carry over to other guides on women’s rights and forced labor. I also spent some time xeroxing my hands for the cover (following a cool design system Nicki has in place).

The other interns here are a nice group and it is good to have people to do things with already. On Wednesday we had a potluck dinner where we all brought a dish (Farhad and I made a greek pasta salad) and wine, which was nice. On Thursday morning I got lost on my run and 3 miles turned into about 8. All the people I tried to ask for help didn’t speak English and didn’t seem to know where Rue de Carouge was. Eventually, I found my way back and got to work about 45 minutes late. Then I found out that some unauthorized purchases had been made from my check card so I had to get that sorted out. Stupid identity theft... I think everything will be okay though, even though I had to cancel my current card.

Yesterday (Friday) after work a group of us went to dinner and a movie. We had planned to go to an Ethiopian place but it had apparently closed down, so we ended up doing Mediterranean. It was quite good (and I had a beef moussaka which reminded me of Skyline), yet a bit pricey.

[ I should take this opportunity to explain the monetary situation here. Please don’t take this as complaining, because I did not come here hoping to get rich. I am interning and doing work for what I believe to be the greater good. Money is unimportant. When I say the city is expensive, it is because my monthly stipend is about 750 CHF (Swiss Francs). The minimum wage here is 22 CHF per hour. Basically, most people will make more in a week than I do in a month, and the stores, restaurants, et. al. are priced accordingly. However, I also have housing provided which is worth a considerable amount of coin, I’m sure.
Anyway, that’s why I may often remark about things being “expensive.” Because they are, relatively speaking. ]

After dinner we headed to the city’s major movie theater, the Pathé Balexart, to see Michel Gondry’s new film, The Science of Sleep, which was released here this week. For those unfamiliar, Gondry is the brilliant French director behind Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, one of my favorite movies of all time. While that was written by Charlie Kaufman, Gondry wrote this one so it was a little more of a personal story. It is much quirkier than Eternal Sunshine (if you can believe it) but just as affecting. I’m sure different people will take away different things and many will not like it at all. However, I think his creativity is unparalleled. This movie, like his other work, uses practical effects (all done in camera via stop motion, bluescreening, projection, and others instead of CGI). It is a bit crude like some of his music videos but also quite beautiful. It is sad and lovely at the same time. I highly recommend you see it when it releases in the states.

Today the intern posse went to a farmer’s market across the river in an area called Carouge (where I got lost on Thursday during my run) and I was able to buy fresh produce so I can make some Chipotle-style guacamole (hooray for cilantro!).
{Photo: Farhad, Nicki, and Caroline check out some wine at the market}

[ Some food notes:
•Mexican is rare here (and apparently pretty expensive). Expect any returns home to include lots of Mazatlan, La Fogata, Chipotle, Taco Bell, and any and all other Mexican facimiles available).

•However good of an idea Oretega brand canned guacamole may seem, please ignore your impulses. You will only be disappointed (and left wondering if the product contains anything close to an avocado).

•There is a lot of Italian food available here and pizzerias on just about every corner, so at least I won’t go hungry (Italian being maybe my second favorite after Mexican).

•Vanilla Coke still exists in Europe. I am enjoying it while I can (and hoping they keep “Black Cherry and Vanilla Coca-Cola” far away).

•Everything here is available with chocolate. Two of my favorites:
Chocolate Clusters cereal—like Honey Nut Clusters in America, except with Chocolate flakes and some flakes actually coated in real chocolate. This can’t be all that healthy, but the box seems to say that it provides Energy for biking (at least that’s what I interpret from the French I can’t read and the box graphics).
Coco-Cocoa Yogurt—Coconut-flavored yogurt with chocolate shavings in it. So delicious… ]

We then went to a bakery, a coffee shop, and a café where we had a delicious vegetable soup. We finished with some grocery shopping.
{top: a dragon from a fountain near the market, bottom: one of the typically picturesque and almost stereotypically European streets of Carouge}

Tonight Farhad is making pasta with fresh pesto sauce for everyone, so it should be good. Tomorrow I think I’m going to go to the English-speaking Lutheran church. I might also try out the Anglican one and a Baptist one (which I’ve been told have good communities). There is also supposed to be an interdenomenational young adult group that meets weekly but is off for the summer until September. This sounds promising, though.

So that’s the update. More will come. I hope to explore a bit tomorrow afternoon (and maybe see a Le Corbusier exhibit at one of the museums—if it’s open…)

Swiss Bank Account

Work has begun. Yesterday was my first day and went fine—they’re kind of easing me in this week which is nice. Afterwards Farhad and I rode the tram about half way home and then went to Manor, this sort of hybrid department/grocery store. It seemed pretty cool although a bit hectic. Everything here closes at 7:00pm (except for some restaurants), so people have to get their shopping done in a very small time window. Also, nothing is open on Sunday (except for some restaurants), so that day is out as well (with the exception of taking a tram to the airport where there is a lone grocery store open that day).
So anyway, we left there and each had a beer on the way home because there are no open container laws. Hooray Geneva! It was still a bit cold but at least not raining so the walk was enjoyable.

Today one of the staffers got baptized which was a huge deal for all the Franciscan brothers and sisters so there were several guests in the office. The mass was nice (although I never know what to do about communion; this time, we weren’t specifically told that you had to be Catholic to partake but since I’m not down with Transubstantiation I opted not to—plus I have a cold which wouldn't have been good for the common cup) and actually very moving. Following that, there was a big brunch at the office with some delicious quiche (two words I didn’t think I'd ever use together).

I also went to the bank today and made it official: I now have a swiss bank account. Of course, that doesn’t really mean there’s anything in it. I have significantly less than the business man with stacks and stacks of American hundreds I saw at the teller to my left. But it’s fun to pretend.

And it’s finally officially sunny here. I think we might actually have summer-like temperatures for the rest of the week (as opposed to the fall-like 50s that it’s been since my arrival). My morning run today was beautiful as the sun rose over the Lake. I signed up for the Hashers’ mailing list, so hopefully I can join up with them next week for some group running (and apparently drinking).



I’ve been reading Donald Miller’s book Searching for God Knows What recently and I think he’s got some interesting things to say about humans’ tendancies to try to prove our own worth by comparing ourselves to others. It is so obviously that if you are following Christ that these things do not matter because everyone is completely equal. We are all given our own gifts and none are more special than anothers. It’s especially tough in a field like design where everyone is constantly comparing themselves with others and tearing others down to make themselves feel better. I have been in plenty of situations where I have felt like I am entirely uncreative and others where people have really responded to my work. It’s strange, but ultimately meaningless. Any glory I ever get can only be attributed to God and I know He’s blessed me with certain talents.



On another equally random note, Hope In The Dark, Jeremy Cowart’s photography book on Africa is now available from RELEVANT. While he did most of the work, I got to help lay it out and have my name on it which is very humbling. It came out quite beautifully thanks in no small part to Cameron for sticking with it and Nick for pushing for quality printing. You can check out RELEVANT’s site for it here. (Go to “Hope In The Dark” under the “New Releases” menu.) Download the sample chapter pdf for a peak at the greatness, or just trust me and buy it (a portion of the proceeds go to organizations making a difference in Africa).
Cheers!

The First Weekend

My first weekend here was a bit of a whirlwind (with the lack of sleep and all), but nonetheless good.

After being picked up from the airport I was taken around the city for a bit before being brought to my apartment. It is much larger than I anticipated—this being Europe and my roommate having described it being small—and I am pleased with the accommodations. After getting settled a bit, Mike from the office (who was one of the people who picked me up) and his friend Kat came to take me to get my bus/tram/public transportation pass. I got some pics in a photobooth for the pass which reminded me a lot of Amelie and the process was pretty painless. Mike and I seem to have a lot in common so it will fun working with him. He’s actually from Cincinnati, having gone to Xavier, although he’s been living in Geneva for about four years now. He’s really into social justice stuff and we already had some interesting conversations.

We then walked to lunch at an Italian place where Mike informed me of a few key things: pizza does not come sliced, people eat it with a knife and fork, no one asks to take leftovers with them, and tipping is unnecessary. The food was good and I was even able to decipher most of the menu (which was only in French). We then went to the grocery store where Mike was kind enough to advise me on purchases and answer all my questions. While I knew that this city was going to be expensive, I was unprepared for the combination of high prices and small portions. It will take some adjustment, but maybe I'll even lose some weight.
I’m also now fairly convinced that half of the reason Americans are so overweight is because of the massive amounts of pop we consume. In Europe there are far fewer options (we saw Dr. Pepper at the store which I was told is a rarity), bottles are smaller, and restaurants do not offer free refills. Plus, if you have to pay 3.80 in Swiss Francs for a .5 liter bottle (as I saw at a restaurant today), you’re bound to drink a lot less sugar water. Cultural differences sure are interesting... (Also, eggs and milk aren’t refridgerated—weird!)

Anyway, following that shopping experience, I came back to the apartment and took a brief nap. At around 7:00 Nicki Armstrong (UC graphic design alumni a year above me who’s been working at FI for the past year) and her roommates—the other female FI interns—came to get me and we got dinner at a reasonably priced Asian restaurant. A couple of the girls are Canadian and one is local so she was able to interpret for those of us without any French experience (though this menu at least had English translations). By this point, I was already thinking about looking into the French classes both Mike and Nicki had mentioned. It’s not that I can’t figure out what’s going on, but I would like to at least be able to understand conversational French…
Regardless, the food was good. It turns out that I arrived on the final day of Fêtes de Genève, a big festival in the city. The finale of this event is a massive fireworks show. I forgot to take my camera so this photo is from Geneva’s tourism site from the 2004 show.

This was seriously the largest fireworks extravaganza I’ve ever witnessed. It lasted for 45 minutes, was set to music, and included a truly grand finale of huge glittery-white fireworks that were bright enough to make me have to glance away. It was quite nice and a good welcome.


Today I slept in and then went for a run along the lake which was refreshing (albeit chilly and slightly damp). My roommate Farhad returned from his trip to India so I got to meet him. He’s a really nice guy and I think we’re going to get along well. He was born in India and lived there until 14 when he moved to Canada. Anyway, this evening he and Nicki (who are dating) and I went out for some Kabob and then watched one of his Bollywood movies. It was entertaining and different… But I’m not sorry I watched it. Anyway, it’s getting somewhat late, I’m not entirely caught up on sleep, and tomorrow’s Day 1 of work, so I should sign off.

Until next time.

Friday Night Flights, Or, I’ve Arrived

After spending the better part of Thursday packing (when I wasn’t watching Ghandi, eating a last burrito at Chipotle, shopping for additional toiletries—to be checked of course, wine-tasting, and watching mom pack most of my stuff), I awoke early Friday to head to the airport. Fortunately, I had absolutely no trouble with security or making my flights on time.

I flew from Columbus to Washington D.C. where I got to sit around for about 4 or 5 hours until my 4:30pm flight to Frankfurt. That flight was about eight hours long, and with the time difference, it meant I got there around 6:00am. As I mentioned before, this is my first time overseas and therefore my first non-American flight. I took Lufthansa and I must say, European airlines (or at least this one) put U.S. airlines (at least the cheap ones I usually take) to shame. We got a free hot dinner as well as a free breakfast, about 4 beverage services which included free alcohol if desired, free headsets for the in-flight entertainment, and 2 free hot towels (though I refused them because I don't put hot towels on my face at home, so why would I on an airplane?). It was nice to drink a Warsteiner while watching Over the Hedge (gotta love that Ben Folds soundtrack) without having to reach for my wallet even once. I managed a couple hours sleep on the plane before landing and finding my connecting flight to Geneva. Even this 45-minute flight included a small cheese sandwich, while my hour-long trip from Columbus to D.C. earlier in the day didn't even include a drink.

So at about 9 in the morning I touched down in Switzerland. My only regret is not readying my camera in time to photograph the TV moniter at the Passport check. But to all you designers, picture this: Welcome to Geneva. Please have your passport or photo I.D. ready. and the same thing in French set all in Comic Sans. That’s right—even in Europe you cannot escape the pariah of fonts.

But anyway I made it. My bags made it. My iPod made it (good news for anyone familiar with my return from San Fran last year). Yea!

Lollapalooza!

Okay, so I realize this has nothing to do with Switzerland, but I spent this past weekend in Chicago at Lollapalooza and I figured I’d share my experience. This was my first big festival experience and I enjoyed every minute, seeing several great bands for the first time. I stayed with Jameson and Meghan in Arlington Heights and took the Metra train into the city each day, trekking a few blocks to Grant Park.
Each end of the park contained two main stages, and the two ends of the park were about 3/4 mile apart (about a 15 minute walk), necessitating careful planning to get around.



Day One:

I arrived early on Friday to kick things off with the Subways, a young British band (the members are all in the 19 to 21 age range). I didn’t take any pictures of their set, but they were quite entertaining. Frontman Billy Lunn ran into the crowd and scaled some of the stage supports while singer/bassist Charlotte Cooper literally bounced around the stage for about an hour.

Next I went to the other side of the park and caught a little of Aqualung’s set before claiming a spot for eels.

This picture gives you an idea how far back I was, but even so, the performance was great. “Mr. E” arrived on stage in a full flight suit equipped with aviator goggles. Other members wore cuban military uniform, yellow jumpsuit with orange hat, and a plain black t-shirt emblazoned with the word “Security.” The set included a variety of material including plenty of stuff from the most recent album, Blinking Lights and Other Revelations. Hooray for irreverance.

I left a bit early to go see one of my favorite bands, Mute Math.

Their Lollapalooza debut was typically amazing. The musicianship of these guys ranks up there with the best and I will never be able to figure out how drummer Darren King can keep up their crazy time signatures without missing a beat. The set was great and I definitely think they won over some new fans. The crowd was so into the performance that an encore was demanded and the band re-took the stage to perform “Peculiar People.” This was the only encore I witnessed during the entire weekend. Please check out their myspace site and listen to some of their tunes if you’re uninitiated.

After a brief dinner break, I caught a few songs by the charming husband-wife duo Mates of State. Then I staked out a spot for the Raconteurs, the “supergroup” consisting of Jack White (from the White Stripes), Brendon Benson, and Cincinnati’s very own Greenhornes.

This was without a doubt the highlight of the weekend for me. I found myself uncontrollably smiling throughout the set as their guitar prowess was unleashed and they plowed through material from their own record as well as covers including Sonny and Cher’s “Bang Bang” and Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy.” If you have a chance to see these guys live, take it. You will not regret it.

I wrapped up the day with headliners Death Cab For Cutie. I was too far back to get any non-shaky pics of them, but they did have a decent set heavy on the new material. I thought they were proficient, but they lacked the punch of a big day-ender. I like Ben Gibbard but he just can’t match Jack White in the charisma department. I’m sure seeing them in a club environment would feel much more natural.



Day Two:

Saturday was another great day. I got to Grant Park just in time to see The Go! Team take the stage with their unique brand of upbeat dance rock. A very rousing set that was impossible not to love…

I checked out some of Built to Spill’s performance across the park and I enjoyed what I heard. However, my mind was on Gnarls Barkley that afternoon, so I high-tailed it back to get a prime spot as soon as Coheed and Cambria finished playing. My planning worked (although it meant I had to forgoe seeing Wolfmother—but I could hear them—and wait in a mass of people for an extra hour. But the time soon passed and the moment arrived.

Festival Founder (and Jane’s Addiction/Porno For Pyros singer) Perry Ferrell took the stage to introduce the group and “We Are the Champions” began to blare from the speakers. A crowd of had 40,000 gathered to see the Cee-lo/DJ Danger Mouse collaboration and this was my view. Dressed as tennis pros, the band was introduced as Love-40 and launched into a rousing set. They changed up several arrangements, beginning hit “Crazy” with the string section and slowing down “Transformer” and almost completely reworking “Feng Shui.” Good stuff.


Then, because I had already seen Common at UC last quarter (and designed the promo materials…, I went to check out the Flaming Lips. It was my first time experiencing the band and the spectacle did not disappoint. Singer Wayne Coyne began by getting in his space bubble and walking around on the crowd. Soon, a pack of Santa Clauses and Alien chicks took the stage along with inflatable spacemen, a number of giant balls and balloons, and streamers galore. The music was fun, but not quite as precise as on the records. But when you’re having this much fun, who cares?

I missed the closing “Do You Realize???” to sprint over to the Q101 stage to see the New Pornographers. This was another highlight for me. The Canadian group was pitch-perfect, sounding every bit as good as on record, even if Neko Case wasn’t there. If you’ve never heard of them before, don’t let the name disuade you from checking them out. Twin Cinema is one of my favorite albums of last year (sorry it took me so long, Leigh).

I skipped out on Kanye (for which this crowd is gathering) to get dinner with Jameson and Meghan. I know I would have been entertained, but I had a good enough day without him.



Day Three:

So after two days of awesomeness, I was bound to be a bit let down by Sunday’s lineup. I only had a couple groups I was really excited to see and the Chili Peppers weren’t a huge draw for me. But it was still okay.
Due to a train schedule misread and subsequent lateness of the train I actually took, I only made it in time to see the final 3 songs by the Redwalls, a Chicago band that thinks they’re from England but are good enough to open for Oasis (which they have in fact done). This is my third time seeing them and I enjoyed it, although I wished I could have seen more.

Unimpressed with the mid-afternoon lineup (I’ve seen Ben Kweller before and I could care less about Jared Leto and 30 Seconds to Mars), I explored some of downtown Chicago.

When I finally returned to the festival it was time for one of my most anticipated performers: the Shins (popularized by Natalie Portman in Garden State. How can you not love a band who mentions text design in one of its songs? I got a prime spot by the stage, but the band was plagued by sound issues. I enjoyed the songs, but they just didn’t seem to be “on.” I doubt they won over any new fans and I think they underwhelmed most of the existing ones. It wasn’t until they finished up with “So Says I” that things seemed to click. By then it was a bit too late.

I then gathered up a stack of discarded beer cups which I was able to trade in at the recycling center for a free t-shirt. Taking care of the environment is a good thing, and in this case, extra rewarding.

Having seen Wilco open for R.E.M. several years ago, I opted for Queens of the Stone Age (who were performing at the same time). They were good and not quite as hard/loud as I’d expected (which, to me, is a good thing). Josh Homme wore a prominent crucifix around his neck which was an interesting choice (he doesn’t seem too spiritual to me), but regardless of attire, the music was solid.

Broken Social Scene were next and with them it’s always a party. (Seriously. There are always a gazillion people on stage living it up.) They brought the entire band including a horn section and guests including Feist and the violinist from Nickel Creek. It was a fun show and would have served as a fine end to the evening.

But that couldn’t be. The Red Hot Chili Peppers headlined and were adequate. I should say I’m not the world’s biggest RHCP fan, but I was prepared to be won over. I saw them once in high school and I honestly think that show trumped this one. I kept expecting for some big surprise (like Dave Navarro coming onstage to join the group for “Aeroplane” or something) but nothing came. The new material didn’t do too much for me, but they played enough from By The Way (my pick for their best work) to keep me from being too bitter. And while this ending may have been a bit anti-climatic, I had a great time at the festival and I love Chicago, so this was certainly a fitting end to my summer and farewell to the U.S.

Maybe I’ll get to attend one of the big European festivals that Lollapalooza is modeled after while I’m over there.