Last night I went back for more fun and awesome music at the Hideout's Block Party. Unfortunately I took a longer nap than I had intended, and missed more of the concert than I had anticipated, but I got there in time to catch most of the The Frames, which, although I am unfamiliar with them, was a great set.
Even better was Chicago's very own Andrew Bird, who headlined the festival last night. He didn't rock out quite like Bloc Party did the prior night, but I must say, I was thoroughly impressed. Sometimes the sound at outdoor street festivals can be dicey at best, especially when on a breezy night with music as delicate as his, but the violin he rocked was spot on.
While walking around I found myself next to this one guy whom I started talking to about the music we were hearing. OK, I swear, it was not because I thought he was hot (although he's not a bad looking guy) but he seemed really into the music. Turns out we had a lot in common. Just like the guy I met the other night he also graduated from my college with a arts/media degree.
When the concert finally ended (37 minutes past the 10PM sound curfew, fucking awesome) I asked him if he wanted to get a drink, and he said "yes". I swear, sometimes flying solo is the best way to met people. Try it people! The options for getting a drink in this particular neck of the woods can be elusive, so we headed up North.
We settled on a small, "nothing special" type place and ordered a pair of IPA's (I love Pale Ales) and got to know one another a bit more. After my second beer I asked the question that I had wondered about for the last few hours, which is, "um, I don't mean to intrude or anything, but I was wondering if you are gay". He paused for a moment, and responded, "I was wondering the same thing about you...but...um, yes, I am".
From there we conversed about the difficulty of the coming out process, which for him was much more difficult for me. He grew up in a neighborhood of Chicago called Bridgeport (where both Mayor Daley's hailed from) which is a VERY conservative/blue collar/Catholic/Irish enclave.
The details of said conversation elude me at this point, but the overall tone was very positive. Soon after wards, an old friend who just happened to be visiting Chicago joined us, along with her friends. The stated plan for the night was for me to join them at a karaoke bar, but since karaoke makes my ears bleed, and I had just met this new friend, we wen to this other bar.
It was odd having this new, apparently gay friend interact with an old female friend from high school, but good nonetheless.
OK, I must admit, I started typing this up before I met my Father for lunch, who proceeded to drop a bomb of sort on me. It's a positive development, but one that will take some time to wrap my head around. To all my NYC readers/blogger friends, I'll be out in your neck of the woods in less than 3 weeks. Anyone want to hit up GYM?
In the meantime, enjoy the hotness that is Andrew Bird, this is "Imitosis", a song I fully intend to play the next time I make out with a guy:
Even better was Chicago's very own Andrew Bird, who headlined the festival last night. He didn't rock out quite like Bloc Party did the prior night, but I must say, I was thoroughly impressed. Sometimes the sound at outdoor street festivals can be dicey at best, especially when on a breezy night with music as delicate as his, but the violin he rocked was spot on.
While walking around I found myself next to this one guy whom I started talking to about the music we were hearing. OK, I swear, it was not because I thought he was hot (although he's not a bad looking guy) but he seemed really into the music. Turns out we had a lot in common. Just like the guy I met the other night he also graduated from my college with a arts/media degree.
When the concert finally ended (37 minutes past the 10PM sound curfew, fucking awesome) I asked him if he wanted to get a drink, and he said "yes". I swear, sometimes flying solo is the best way to met people. Try it people! The options for getting a drink in this particular neck of the woods can be elusive, so we headed up North.
We settled on a small, "nothing special" type place and ordered a pair of IPA's (I love Pale Ales) and got to know one another a bit more. After my second beer I asked the question that I had wondered about for the last few hours, which is, "um, I don't mean to intrude or anything, but I was wondering if you are gay". He paused for a moment, and responded, "I was wondering the same thing about you...but...um, yes, I am".
From there we conversed about the difficulty of the coming out process, which for him was much more difficult for me. He grew up in a neighborhood of Chicago called Bridgeport (where both Mayor Daley's hailed from) which is a VERY conservative/blue collar/Catholic/Irish enclave.
The details of said conversation elude me at this point, but the overall tone was very positive. Soon after wards, an old friend who just happened to be visiting Chicago joined us, along with her friends. The stated plan for the night was for me to join them at a karaoke bar, but since karaoke makes my ears bleed, and I had just met this new friend, we wen to this other bar.
It was odd having this new, apparently gay friend interact with an old female friend from high school, but good nonetheless.
OK, I must admit, I started typing this up before I met my Father for lunch, who proceeded to drop a bomb of sort on me. It's a positive development, but one that will take some time to wrap my head around. To all my NYC readers/blogger friends, I'll be out in your neck of the woods in less than 3 weeks. Anyone want to hit up GYM?
In the meantime, enjoy the hotness that is Andrew Bird, this is "Imitosis", a song I fully intend to play the next time I make out with a guy:
3 comments:
It's funny you say that about Imitosis....I beat you to it.
-roomie
Haha. It is kinda funny to be chillin' with a new bud the same time as you meet old friends. Especially if he's a cute boy who you're probably trying to figure out a bit more completely. But hey, at least you already know he's cool with your friends! Haha.
Sorry/glad to hear about your pops's Big News. : )
Nothing Golden Stays
justin, sounds like one HECK of a weekend. chicago, the guys, the music.. .ahh yeah.
have a good week. later.
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