Entries Tagged as 'rory lake'

Jess’s Karaoke Birthday Party

December 9th, 2009 · No Comments

Last Saturday night Jess had an epic 30th birthday party in the American Legion Bucktown‘s basement with Rory Lake hosting as entertainer and karaoke DJ. You might remember Margaret had a few parties like this before moving to New York. I found Jess’s party extra fun becuase I lost some of my karaoke shyness over the past year or so because of all the singing I’ve done playing Rock Band. Rock Band and the $2 cans of beer they sell at the Legion!

For my first song I sang “Hard to Handle” by the Black Crowes, which is a Rock Band staple of mine. People seemed to really like it. My second song, I thought would be really popular, but wasn’t was “Nothin’ But a Good Time” by Poison. Dallas was a big hit that night. Rory didn’t even call his name when it was his turn, he just played the theme song from the TV show Dallas and that was his cue to come up to the mic! Dallas sang 4 songs – “Bust a Move” by Young MC, “Super Freak” (Little Miss Sunshine style), “Poison” by Bel Biv DeVoe, and a “Regulate” duet with Sarah.

Jess’s older sisters came in from Boston and Iowa for the party and made sure the Legion hall was decorated with embarassing (and adorable) old photos of Jessica. Some of her old friends from college flew in too. It was a good showing of all of her friends. Dallas and I were the party photographers and tried to get at least one shot of everyone there. We took a ton of photos so I just made this slideshow below. Fun fun fun night! Will be hard to top that one!

And be sure to check out Susan’s photos and video from the party too!

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Goodbye Margaret

September 14th, 2008 · No Comments


Surprise!!!! :: American Legion, Bucktown, Chicago


Still in shock, singing Fat Bottom Girls :: American Legion, Bucktown, Chicago


Rory & Margaret :: American Legion, Bucktown, Chicago


Scott is the best at performing Faith :: American Legion, Bucktown, Chicago


Margaret & Rachelle :: American Legion, Bucktown, Chicago


Guys from Time Out Chicago singing to Margaret :: American Legion, Bucktown, Chicago


Olivia & Margaret singing Total Eclipse of the Heart :: American Legion, Bucktown, Chicago

I can vividly remember the first time I met Margaret. It was at a Starbucks on Michigan Avenue, I’d just moved from New York to Chicago and I was wearing a blue hoodie that said “New York” on it, I was disappearing from work for a bit (my office was a building away), I was tired from working a lot that week, and I’d just returned from a trip to Hawaii (where I met Dallas). I knew Gothamist’s Jen and Jake from when I lived in New York and Margaret was a friend of a friend of Jake’s and we were meeting to talk about starting “a site like Gothamist but for Chicago.” I have lived in Chicago around the same amount of time that I’ve known Dallas and around the same amount of time that Chicagoist has existed. They’re all one intertwined experience for me.. and Margaret has always been a big part of it. These days I barely, if at all, participate in Chicagoist… and now? Margaret is moving to New York. Sad face (as she would say)!

Last night a bunch of people surprised Margaret at her favorite karaoke place, The American Legion with Rory Lake as the karaoke DJ. Margaret has had her birthday party there for the past two years. Last year I went and had so much fun, but this year I couldn’t make it because it was the day after The Vodka Lemonade Incident and I was in rough shape. Alden was supposed to go with me but I had to cancel so he came with me last night. Margaret was totally surprised and before she could get over the shock of it someone stuck the microphone in her hand and made her sing “Fat Bottom Girls.” It was like on American Idol where they tell them they lost and then make them sing, except in a happy way.

I talked to the bartender Rod a bit (that’s Hot Rod, for the ladies) and he said that to rent out the American Legion space is a few hundred dollars. If you just want to drink there you have to be a veteran or a booster. To become a booster all you have to do is pay them $10 per year. The beer at the American Legion is $2. It seems to me that you usually have to pay a $10 cover for a NIGHT of drinking discounted beer, not a year! Plus you get a cool American Legion card with your name on it.

We stayed at the Legion until about 2:30 in the morning and then should have gone home but didn’t. We were deciding where to go and someone said it had to be “a 5 a.m. bar.” I was like “5 a.m.? I thought the bars were only open until 4 a.m.” Olivia then informed me that I was old. Which… compared to her… yes, I am! And of course, then I couldn’t go home. We went to The Continental. Of course, once there Olivia decided she couldn’t drink any more (probably a good thing). Alden and I each had one more and then all three of us split a cab ride home. I think I got home at 4 a.m. I have no idea how late Margaret and the others stayed. 5 a.m.?

Definitely tired today, but it was a really fun night. Good to see Margaret.. we’ve done a bad job keeping in close touch this year. Definitely have to see her again before she moves in 2 weeks and definitely she will be added to the list of friends to see when I visit New York.

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Happy Birthday Margaret!

July 29th, 2007 · 1 Comment

Karaoke Dallas
Dallas Singing “Bust a Move” :: American Legion, Bucktown, Chicago

Karaoke Margaret
Margaret :: American Legion, Bucktown, Chicago

Rory Lake
Rory Lake :: American Legion, Bucktown, Chicago

Karaoke Scott
Scott Singing “Faith” :: American Legion, Bucktown, Chicago

Karaoke Laura
Laura :: American Legion, Bucktown, Chicago

Karaoke Evelyn
Evelyn :: American Legion, Bucktown, Chicago

Karaoke Rachelle
Rachelle Singing “Is This Love” :: American Legion, Bucktown, Chicago

Cupcakes
Cupcakes :: American Legion, Bucktown, Chicago

For Margaret’s birthday she and Evelyn, whose birthday is only a week or so later, rented out the basement of the American Legion Hall in Bucktown and had Rory Lake, of Karaoke Dreams, come in and had a karaoke party. Apparently the American Legion is where all the cool hipsters are hanging out these days. Dallas was psyched to go to the party. He sang 2 songs: Bust a Move and Ain’t Nothing But a G Thang. He submitted a 3rd song and we were waiting for it to come up, when surprise, surprise, my name got called. He tricked me and put my name in to sing Is This Love. I tried to protest and say I didn’t put my name in and that I didn’t know the song. All I could think of was White Snake’s song Is This Love, but it was the Bob Marley song and I was ok with that. I still didn’t really want to sing it but everyone was yelling my name and I sort of got peer pressured into it. It was ok. I needed that trick to get me to sing anything at all.

The party was a great time. Everyone was singing, the American Legion guys were funny, and it wouldn’t be Margaret’s birthday without yummy cupcakes from Alliance Bakery. Oh, also all the beer was only $2/can. That always helps.

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