She & Him at Millenium Park

The opening act "Hollows" leaves the stage as cheers float across the crowd as the realization hits... The real show is about to begin. The young teens scream and the sound is deafening. The hipsters clap politely in their matching glasses and nod to each other as if they understand something that no one else can possibly know. My roommate and I rush to the front and jam ourselves as close as we can, snapping pictures and joking with people as they squeeze in. Thousands sit behind us, confused how we managed to get past the barricade that is clearly marked with an entrance sign. And finally, when the tensions are at a boiling point, She (Zooey Deschanel of "Weeds" and "A Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy Fame") & Him (M. Ward) take the stage modestly as if no one is there.

The Millenium Park Amphitheater was packed to the brim. There was no seats available, and security was desperately trying to get people out of the aisles. We, along with many others, managed to reach the pit where it was crammed so tight, you could lift your feet off the ground. The backing band joins them and together they begin with the song "Black Hole". Finally the crowd snaps to attention and the mood gets low.

For a free show, this was by far the best free show I have ever seen. Deschanel has the pipes most people only dream of and M. Ward wails on his guitar like the best. Mixing up their set with covers like Smokey Robinson's "You've Really Got a Hold on Me" and Stevie Wonder's "I Put a Spell on You" was definitely the highlight of the show, but this by no means discredits their own compositions. Their new song "Thieves" which hasn't even hit the airwaves just yet, is something to listen for when it does on June 14th.

Unfortunately, once again, much of the crowd managed to stay obnoxious throughout the show. But at a free concert this is to be expected. The drunk preteens, confused crack and methamphetamine addicts roaming around without a clue as to what is happening, and the people who have no idea who they are seeing is a drag on the experience, but She & Him managed to keep things under control and I'm sure there are many converts waiting for the record stores to open, or just to get to a computer or iPhone and download it.

She & Him will be performing at Bonnaroo Music Festival in Manchester, Tennessee right before Tori Amos this weekend. Headlining acts include Dave Matthews Band, The National, and Kings of Leon. If you are going, be sure to stop by "This Tent" around five and catch this group.

Iron Man 2

While not the greatest movie to ever hit the theaters, it probably is the funniest film based on a serious comic book. Robert Downey Jr. is perfect once again as he reprises his role from the first film and the quips fly like a bird caught in an updraft. Nearly every line is hilarious.

Sam Rockwell, Don Cheadle, and (unintentionally) Mickey Rourke are absolutely uproarious. The only downside is Mickey Rourke, whose steroid infused muscles will scare even the toughest little kids. His accent is a bit off, and he doesn't seem to act in half of his scenes. This is not the same man we saw in "The Wrestler", which either says something for it's director Darren Aronofsky, or something against Jon Favreau.

Yet, the action is top notch. Scarlett Johansson is just the right sexy a has little speaking roles, meaning her poor acting isn't even noticed, and she can definitely kick ass. The fight scenes are fast paced, funny, and exciting like when Favreau, playing the Alfred character, is beaten to a bloody pulp after taking her lightly. "Iron Man 2" is a fun, eventually forgettable film that will make a great collection to any action fans DVD collection, but don't expect it to be more than it is. At least it realizes that.

Point Break Live

A group of young men and one woman stands in front of an exuberant audience doing jumping jacks and proving to be the best mediocre actor possible. One stands out as his Keanu Reeves accent has that perfect touch of monotone. He is quickly pulled into the fray as men in masks modeled after Nixon, Regan, and Carter storm the crowd demanding cash to be doled out. Luckily for the audience, they have their survival kits which contains fake money, a napkin, and a poncho because this show will get messy.
Taken from the film "Point Break" directed by recent Oscar winner Kathryn Bigelow, "Point Break Live" is a hilarious and unabashedly satirical mess that demands to be seen. The amount of water, fake blood and hair dust sprayed only scratches the surface what can only be called one of the most enjoyable shows in Chicago. Using the ridiculousness of the show as its comedic inspiration, the show manages to entertain every minute; the highlight being the member of the audience chosen to play Johnny Utah every night. They fall constantly, miss their cues, and are overall bad actors just like Keanu Reeves. In a word, it’s perfect.
Located at the La Costa Theater on Irving Park and Elston, the show should not be missed. Its mix of humor, surprising improvisation, and bad special effects makes it an exhilarating ride. You’d be on the edge of your seat, but that makes it easier to get robbed by the “Ex-Presidents”.

Everyone Draw Muhammad Day

Ten days from now, Muhammad is planning on making an appearance across the internet. To say that this is offensive and morally wrong is probably correct, but dammit, if someone won't be that way than this world would be so boring.

Unfortunately, a few extreme people claiming to be Muslims (which means "those who submit" in Arabic) have decided to make death threats against the creators of "South Park", Matt Stone and Trey Parker because of their episode "200". While this is old news, it is older than many may think. For the last six years, every time a major source of media, like the Swedish newspaper, attempts to show the prophet Muhammad, they get threatened. This is exactly the problem. The fact that Comedy Central censored the episode is why this extremists have the power they do. According to Michael Cavna of The Washington Post wrote, "To invoke the revivified phrase: The terrorists win." We are afraid and that is unfortunate.

I'm not saying do the same to Muslims. The fact is, most Muslims are perfectly nice people, but because of the extreme treatment of women in some circles, the whole terrorist and jihad thing, they tend to get a bad rap. Which is unfortunate. But probably the most unfortunate aspect of this whole thing is that I missed out on the South Park episode. I really wanted to see that.

So, when May 20th rolls around, I will make a image of Muhammad and post it on this blog. Sorry Muslims. It's nothing against you, just the extremists that pretend to be you.

P.S. Here's a link to the entire episode: http://stagevu.com/video/jkeakqioxcgw

New Blog

Ok, let me start by saying that this blog won't be about how amazing I am and everything that has to do with me. Instead, I plan on putting up my political viewpoints, conflicting ones, reviews of things I recently saw and projects I am currently working on along with some of my friends/associates.

So don't worry, I will not be talking about how cute Jessica's shirt was, what makes "Glee" the best show on television, and why you should all listen to my boring life. Hm. Guess I'm not a good blogger then.