I've Often Wondered ...

... what it's like to be on the Pritzker Pavilion stage. Millennium Park has a cool little program going on this winter where they set up a cabaret-style music performance on the stage of the Pritzker Pavilion. The audience and performers are protected from the harsh elements by the glass doors and some heat. Marlene Dietrich was resurrected to perform tonight (or, at least, her spirit took over Suzanne Petri)

It's kind of interesting how the snow and light reflections give the impression that there is a roof over the whole area. It's actually all open air like in this photo or this one, both from much warmer days.

Lego Avenue

You just never know what you are going to find on Michigan Avenue.

Over the summer, it was refrigerators (here and there and over here and over there). Now, it is Lego statues. I think there are six or seven sprinkled along Michigan Avenue between Grand Avenue and Chicago Avenue. These are to promote a Lego Show/Kid's Fest that will be at McCormick Place.

I like the little diver that is "stuck" behind the shark's goggles - it's shown in the lower right photo in the collage.

One More Refrigerator

This 1970s Kenmore Refrigerator, also part of the Fine Art Fridge series on Michigan Avenue, has been artsy-ed up by Chicago artist Kathryn Trumbull Fimreite. This one is called Green Lifestyles. In keeping with the name, it is covered with little pictures of "green" things people can do -- like the ones shown in the collage: riding public transportation, eating local, and using re-usable grocery bags.

Cold Feet

Is it a planter?

No.

Is Nature just taking over a lost item?

No.

It's another Fine Art Fridge on Michigan Avenue. This one is called "Running Down, Out to Pasture" by Mike Helbing. Before it was art, it was a 1952-ish General Electric Refrigerator.

Voodoo Retro Rod

I almost missed this Fine Art Fridge. This one is called Recycled Voodoo Retro Road by VooDoo Larry Grobe, a custom hotrod car designer and detailer.

It used to be a refrigerator (specifically a 1953 Philco Advanced Design) but now it is a work of art. And, according to the sign, whoever used to have it is presumably saving about $150 a year (the estimated cost of running an inefficient old back-up refrigerator) and got $25 rebate from ComEd's appliance recycling program.

Lights, Lace and Liquor

The Christkindlmarket is an annual event in Daley Plaza. German and American artisans sell their wares at little booths. They start after Thanksgiving and go until Christmas Eve. I'm pretty sure they have little heaters in their booths to help them through the cold days. These are just three of the many booths at the market. Now, I was there early in the afternoon so it wasn't as crowded as it gets in the evening and the weekends. The Gluhwein vendor is usually MUCH busier.

Lights

Lace

Liquor

A Sparrow in a Pine Tree

This little white-throated sparrow and several of his friends were enjoying Chicago's Official Christmas Tree in Daley Plaza. I guess the lights are welcoming (they're LED so probably do not give off much heat) and they have a steady stream of food from the Christkindlmarket that is also underway (brat bun scraps, pretzel pieces, etc.). I hope they stay out of the gluhwein, else they'll be flying a bit crooked.


The tree is a single 55 foot Blue Spruce tree. The city budget didn't allow for the usual jumbo tree (made of several tiny trees). The signs say that this is the first time since 1955 that the city has used a single tree. I like the natural and simple look of the single tree.

A Present for Daily Chicago Photo's Anniversary

One year ago today I started Daily Chicago Photo. While I haven't done 365 posts yet, it certainly isn't due to lack of interesting subject matter (I like a day or two off now and then.)

It's funny --when I first started this blog, I thought: "How will I find enough things to photograph for this blog?" Now, I think: "How am I going to be able to post all the things I want to photograph?"

These presents, kept from floating away with sandbags, were waiting to head down Michigan Avenue for the Holiday Lights Parade recently.

Congratulations, Rio

This was the scene at Daley Plaza today. Before, of course, the news that Chicago didn't get the 2016 Olympics.

Dearborn was packed with news trucks.

And lots of people were showing their support for the city's Olympic bid

Oh well. Maybe they shouldn't have recycled the "W" signs from the last Cubs playoff series.

Congratulations and Good Luck to Rio de Janeiro!

Bughouse Square

Every year, the Newberry Library hosts a big donated book sale the last weekend of July. In conjunction, there are the Bughouse Square Debates in Washington Square Park.

A little history first. In the early 1900s, Washington Square Park was known as Bughouse Square and it was a popular free-speech space. Speechmakers stood on soap boxes to speak their mind and respond to vocal crowds. The Bughouse debates declined after World War II (spurred by crackdowns on socialists and communists) and had stopped by the 60s.

The Newberry Library started holding the debates again on their Book Fair weekend in 1986. They also re-enact an excerpt of the Lincoln Douglas Debates. This year's topics included Immigration Rights, Religion, the 2016 Chicago Olympics bid, Artificial Turf, Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable's Legacy, and the Chicago Parking Meter Debacle. The best orator receives the Dil Pickle award, in honor of the Dil Pickle Club which was, in effect, an indoor Bughouse Square).

I thought the most interesting speech was given by Haroon Rashid from the Friends of DuSable organization. His summary of DuSable's life and contribution to Chicago was rather educational and, perhaps because of that, I don't think anyone from the audience yelled out any comments. The most entertaining was the audience responses to the Chicago Parking Meter presentation by "The Parking Ticket Geek". Audience comments included "Wait - could you stop for a minute while I go feed the meter", numerous "Get a bicycle", "cars don't kill meters, people kill meters", "Yeah, we have high parking rates ... but we get a fireworks show twice a week".

(Click to enlarge the picture)

Photos (Clockwise from top left)
The Parking Ticket Geek, Black Bear Combo,
Michael Krebs as Lincoln for the Lincoln-Douglas
Debates re-enactment, The Dil Pickle Award,
Haroon Rashid of Friends of DuSable.

Movies in the Park

Movies in the Park again last night. In addition to the movie, which was Groucho Marx's "Duck Soup", they were attempting to break a world's record for the most people wearing Grouch Marx glasses. Apparently, the current record is held by Springfield Missouri. Whether or not Chicago has the record, everyone put up a valiant effort.

I'm not a Marx Brothers fan. But, when there are Marx Brothers fans around you laughing at the silliest stuff ... well .. laughing is contagious. Plus, it was a rather pretty night. Can't beat that.

Rufus T. Firefly: Chicolini, give me a number from one to ten.
Chicolini: Eleven.
Rufus T. Firefly: Right

---

All Music All Summer

Free outdoor concerts are everywhere in Chicago in the Summer. They don't have them in the winter because it's hard to play the guitar when the strings are covered with ice.

This is a band called Better Than Ezra. This was the first of three concerts in a series that will be held at Pioneer Court and is part of an effort to collect donations for the Greater Chicago Food Depository.

Two Views of ... The Pritzker Pavilion

Most Chicagoans - me included - put up with "The Winter" because of a day like Saturday. Warm. Light breeze. Clear blue sky. Outdoor music in the park.

This is the Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park. The two views are Night and Day.

Criss-Cross

The Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park has free concerts all summer. There is a large criss-crossing structure that goes over the entire lawn area, constructed so that the sound system would cover the entire listening area. It's an amazing sound system. It's a great way to spend a summer evening -- enjoying a variety of music styles, with great company, and tasty snacks.