Ravinia Festival, Highland Park, IL (click to see a larger image)
This evening, along with thousands of other people, we packed up food, wine, candles and blankets and sat outside under the stars listening to Ben Folds and Rufus Wainwright at Ravinia.
Tags:beaujolais·ben folds·festival·flip flops·highland park·louis jadot·Music·picnic·ravinia·rufus wainwright·slippers·wine
I just got my Apple New Music Tuesday email and discovered that Ben Folds has released a new EP entitled Speed Graphic. Ben, on the tracks:
“1. in between days – old cure song
2. give judy my notice – i just wrote it last week
3. protection – old song written with anna goodman and never recorded for real
4. dog – old song written with evan olson and never recorded for real
5. wandering – the lost folds/jessee collaboration. kinda like brick in that he wrote the chorus (the part people like to sing ‘she’s a brick’ … ‘all this wandering’ etc) and i wrote the rest (the part that leads up to the part people like to sing). he passed me the chorus a few years ago. i tried to do it justice… ”
Ben, on why he’s releasing 3 EPs this year as opposed to one full-length album and why they’re only available via www.attackedbyplastic.com or iTunes (Mac OSX users only) or on the road:
“quietly releasing my music as EP’s allow me to get it out there as i finish it. with a minimum of hype. it’s for people who buy my music anyway. it won’t be sold in the big ass chains, because that puts the price up and starts the big ass machinery – press, radio etc. then i have to pose naked at the piano, and really, i’m not a piece of meat, you know. the music will be available at gigs, and online, and on vinyl in some smaller stores. ” �read more at benfolds.com
I love him for concentrating on the music and not the marketing and for getting the whole “online distribution” thing. Hello? Lars Ulrich he is not. I can’t wait to buy the album tomorrow and listen to it at work.
Walking to Summerfest along Lake Michigan.
The US Bank Center is the tallest building in WI. It is 42 stories. The Empire State Building is the tallest building in NY. It is 102 stories.
We were at Summerfest to see Ben Folds. He played on the Piggly Wiggly stage. I’d been dying to see him live for years. Unfortunately, because of the way the audience area was set up we were barely able catch glimpses of him.
This was our view for most of the concert.
Ben Folds. You don’t know what I had to do to get this photo.
Lately I’ve been watching a lot of this A&E program called America’s Castles. It features beautiful mansions around the country and gives you a tour of the house and it’s history. The Pabst Mansion was one of the houses featured and so when I got the chance, I drug my entire family there to tour it.
Outside the Pabst Mansion. Photos inside are not allowed even though I took one inside one of the bathrooms that I plan to submit to The Mirror Project soon.
Amanda, Richard, Stephanie, Jessica and I went mini-golfing. I won’t say who won, but it wasn’t me.
Mini golf course.
I think Jess slept through the entire mini golf game and the ice cream treats that followed it.
Bumblebee in the grass.
Going to see the iMax movie Bugs. Nancy holding Jessica.
Amanda and Jessica watching the iMax movie.
After the movie we ate at Rudy’s Mexican Restaurant. Mom & Dad got done eating first so they got nominated to feed Jessica.
After only one beer dad goes all silly carrying around mom’s purse.
One of our many trips to Culver’s for frozen custard. Dad and Richard pretend to give Jess her first taste.
Jess’s first time bowling!
I’m not very good at bowling… then again, I only do it about once every other year..
Dad and Stephie bowled on the bumper lane. Mom, Amanda, Richard and I bowled on the lane to the left of it.
As you can see, I suck bad at bowling.
Tags:a&e·amanda·americas castles·bee·ben folds·bowling·bugs·culvers·dad·empire state building·imax·jessica·lake michigan·mexican·milwaukee·mini golf·mom·movies·Music·nancy·pabst·pabst mansion·piggly wiggly·richard·rudy's mexican restaurant·stephanie·summerfest·Television·us bank center·Wisconsin
“September ’75 I was 47 inches high
My mom said by Christmas I would have
A badass mother G.I. Joe
For your little minds to blow
I still got beat up after class”
I picked up the new Ben Folds Live CD/DVD set and am loooooooving it. Amazing talent.
Good morning, son
In twenty years from now
Maybe we’ll both sit down and have a few beers
And I can tell you ‘bout today
~ Ben Folds
Two things that concern me, aside from the fact that thousands of people have died or been injured, how this will affect their families and friends and New York and America as a whole, and what actions will be taken in the near future: how we talk to our children about this and how arab-americans are being mistreated