Chicago Metal Scene

I always thought Chicago together with Florida, LA (basically all of SoCal), Seattle and the northeast have a very good Metal scene. That’s when a local metalhead told me it’s not as huge as neighbouring Philly. Which really suprised me. So I went about doing some research of my own.

There aren’t many places that play all metal, all the time but there are two places that you should really check out: Kuma’s Corner and Metal Haven. The first one is a metal bar and the other one is a record store.

The record store is on Montrose Ave. very close to the Montrose Brown line station. This guy has a very big collection of extreme metal CDs (mostly death metal) & vinyls and not so good collection of T Shirts. And as with all metalheads, the guy who owns this place is rude and has a lot of attitude so make sure you don’t piss him off.

Now, Kuma’s Corner is not your regular metal pub. It’s basically a restaurant which serves beer and plays very loud metal music. One other thing this place is extremely famous for are its burgers. Not surprisingly, all the burgers are named after metal bands. Here you’ll get the Black Sabbath burger, the Slayer burger, the Metallica burger even a Mayhem and Dark Throne burger! And as is the tradition in the Midwest, they are huge. Apart from these burgers, you have salads, the chilli, chicken tenders and you can even make your own Mac & Cheese. But the burgers are the things to pounce on.

One thing I observed is that a lot of people come here for the burgers and not the music. But this place does make it a point to play everything from Pantera to Vader at the loudest possible volume. Wicked \m/
The waitress who served us didn’t like it and a saw a few other people getting uneasy. But hey, who cares? I was having a blast.

Some other places that have live Rock/Metal acts are Doug’s Rockhouse Grill in Aurora, Double Door on N. Milwaukee Ave., Reggie’s Rock Club on S. State St., Pearl Room in Mokena and of course the Logan Square Auditorium and the House of Blues. Then there is the Cobra Lounge that plays Metal on Mondays and Red Line Tap that hosts some Metal shows.

Also check out the Chicago Metal Factory and Battle Kommand Records for a listing of events in the area.

That’s all I have. C’ya later. And stay brutal \m/

Weekend in Chicago, the windy city: Part II

It’s a Sunday, the weekend’s almost over and I’ll be heading back to Warsaw shortly. There are a lot of things I didn’t see, things I didn’t do, things I didn’t experience. But Chicago ain’t a small city and I decided to come back for more.

The two places that I did visit though were the Baha’i temple in Wilmette, north of Chicago, and the Adler Planetarium.

The temple is one of the only seven Baha’i temples (www.bahai.us/bahai-temple) in the world at present. It is circular in shape, has nine sides and is surrounded by exquisite gardens and fountains. The oneness of God, the oneness of humanity and the oneness of religion is the basis of Baha’i faith and this is reflected in the architecture of the temple. The pillars display symbols from all the major religions of the world.

And while you’re there, take a detour to the Gillson Park which is besides the Yacht Club. There’s a beach on the east side too. Check it out.

The only reason I wanted to go to the planetarium because of the beautiful view of the city skyline and boy did I get it! The view is really beautiful especially as the sun is going down and the city lights up. From here you can see everything from the Essex Inn and Congress Hotel to the Architecture Foundation building, the Sears Tower and Chase building to the Hancock Tower and the Navy pier!

This city has a very vibrant & diverse culture, a melting pot of different communities. A lot of real Chicago lives in the neighborhood taverns. It is the mixed German and Irish and Polish gift to the city, a bit of the old country grafted into a strong new plant in the new.
Overall Chicago is definitely a must go.

Weekend in Chicago, the windy city: Part I

As Friday drew closer I started to get excited, nervous and curious. I was smiling all the time. Couldn’t keep my mind steady. Is it love?! Nah, just my very first trip to Chicago
So I packed my bags, hailed a Greyhound and reached Chicago.

At first the city did not seems that different from hometown Mumbai; lotsa traffic to get in and crowded but definitely cleaner and a little less polluted. That’s the FIRST impression. The second and the more impressive and lasting one will come tomorrow.

I woke up pretty early the next day. Not because I was excited about exploring the windy city (which is the most favorite city to a lot of people I know). But because the place I slept at night was in front of a cemetery. Right in the heart of Forest Park was a cemetery so big, the entire community was nick named, “more dead than alive”!

So we took off at 7.30 in the morning, waded our way through the fog, caught the Blue line train (which starts at Forest Park) and reached the Green City Farmers Market. Lotsa greens everywhere; flowers, herbs, fresh bread, fruits, a crepe stall. Seemed like the old days when I was in school and used to accompany dad to the local market in Sundays, ah!
The Chicago Green City Market outdoor season runs May 6 through October 31, 2009, on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.
By the way, it’s all organic.

After having a crepe and buying some organic hot salsa sauce we boarded a bus to the beach near Drake Hotel. It’s a nice beach line with palm trees, makes you wonder if you are in Miami. But you’re not; the wind won’t allow you to forget!

After a quick swim it was time for the Hancock Tower. But alas! It doesn’t open till 11 a.m.
We decided to walk around the block. Once in a while we used to stop and gawk at pre-great fire buildings like the water tower, the fire station, take some pictures and move on. Finally we find some place to spend time, the Museum of Contemporary Art.

Fortunately for us there was a very interesting show on display. By a Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson. The MCA website describes his work thus, “His constructions, at once eccentric and highly geometric, use multicolored washes, focused projections of light, mirrors, and natural elements such as water, stone, and moss to shift the viewer’s perception of place and self, foregrounding the sensory experience of each work. By transforming the gallery into a hybrid space of nature and culture, Eliasson prompts an intense engagement with the world and offers a fresh consideration of everyday life.”
A thought provoking experience. Do not miss his exhibitions if they’re in your town or the town you are visiting.

Museum visiting tip: If the price of an admission ticket is marked as “suggested” on the website or the brochure, then you can go in for free! Yes the word suggested means that the management suggests the patrons to pay that much amount but you have no obligation to pay. We paid $5 for both of us!

It’s 11.30 and it’s time for the Hancock tower, yay! But the skies were cloudy and we started debating the worth of going now vis-à-vis going later. So we roamed around a little bit more, had some coffee and doughnuts and waited for the skies to clear out. They did and we went up. Now remember there is an observatory which charges $15 but you don’t have to go there. There’s a coffee shop/lounge on the 96th floor. Go there, get a bottle of water or coke for $5 + taxes and enjoy the view, as loooong as you like

Travel Tip: If you would like a view of the city skyline, Hancock tower is probably a much better choice than the Sears tower (now Willis tower). The Sears Tower will bore you with a movie on Chicago/Sears Tower. And moreover it will be very crowded since it’s very touristy. Go there only for the transparent observation deck.

Off to Navy Pier and the Smith Museum of Stained Glass Windows. There is a permanent display of 150 stained glass windows housed in an 800-ft.-long series of galleries along the lower level terraces of Festival Hall. Really worth it. Must go.

So what do you need on a hot summer day after a walking tour of the city? Yes, you have a beer, or two at the Navy Pier Beer Garden. And then head on to Millennium Park for some recreation.

Some brilliant sculptures and photo ops near the Cloud Gate, watching the kids enjoy at the Crown Fountain, visiting the Jay Pritzker Pavilion and the Lurie Garden (The garden is a combination of perennials, bulbs, grasses, shrubs and trees that are local to that part of the country.).

It is said that the Millennium park and Grant Park area was reclaimed by depositing the debris from the great fire into the lake.

We has a great finish to the tiring day by listening to the some really good Celtic Music played with a Harp at the Celtic fest followed by dinner at Star of Siam Thai restaurant (www.starofsiamchicago.com).

All I can say, Chicago cannot be experienced in a day but you sure can a wind of!