All possibilities

One of my favorite things about a Jon Brion show is the fact that I never know what I'm going to get. I've yet to find one anything less than captivating, but the details of any given evening are impossible to predict. This weekend I had two opportunities to watch Jon's show unfold ... plus all the extra laughter and fun we could squeeze in between.

Friday night was Jon Brion at Steppenwolf. Sooz and I sat in the center of the second row, which was, um, pretty okay. The show was perhaps a bit more formal than those to which I am accustomed from Jon - but then again, I'm used to sitting at a dim table in a tiny club in West Hollywood for these performances, so the theater atmosphere was bound to be a little different. It was an excellent set, and it's evident that Jon has a genuine fondness for Chicago. I'm incredibly grateful for that fondness, and his continued involvement with the Intonation Festival, because how many other cities outside of L.A. have seen three Jon Brion performances in the past nine months? At Steppenwolf there were some minor equipment issues, chiefly with the guitar amp, but as is almost always the case (for me) it only made things more entertaining. We were treated to some staples, like my beloved "Knock Yourself Out," and Jon responded to many audience requests as usual - including "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright" and "Waterloo Sunset." It felt like a mini Intonation Fest reprise. Of course, last June Jon didn't combine Dylan with Nirvana - his weaving of "Lithium" into "Don't Think Twice" was a major highlight of the night for me. The Prince medley was certainly up there as well - and so was Jon's reaction to Sooz's audible gasp when he requested audience volunteers for keyboard duty. We had many friends in the crowd on Friday, some seeing Jon for the first time. I think Steppenwolf was probably a very good introduction.

After late-night merriment, a lovely walk to brunch, and a few hours of quality dining room table time, Uyen and Heidi and Paul and I headed out Saturday evening to meet Kris for the Badly Drawn Boy show at Metro. The show was sold out, much to our surprise - but due to a combination of luck and more luck we were able to come up with exactly five tickets to the show. I am not terribly familiar with Badly Drawn Boy, but I was impressed with what I saw. Gwen had cautioned us that Damon's shows could be a mixed bag, but he seemed to be in an excellent mood on Saturday - full of appreciation for the crowd, interesting tidbits about the songs, and amusing asides. All that, and the closer: a rousing singalong version of Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'." I am officially inspired to check out a full Badly Drawn Boy album. Saturday night wound up at the Raw Bar with a late dinner, Bossa Nova band, and complimentary vodka shots. We started Sunday with even more booze and fun, meeting up with Laura and Kristina for a wonderfully delicious brunch (including raspberry mimosas) at Sweets and Savories, largely thanks to Sooz's Paul, who is awesome. The fuel would come in handy for that night's main event: Jon Brion at the freakin' Hideout.

I can only imagine this is even more true for the longtime Chicago residents, but I find it hard to express how utterly perfect it was to see Jon play in that room, surrounded by so many of my friends. (Well, I meant I was surrounded by so many of my friends, but I guess Jon was too.) The booths, stools, and scattering of tables up front made the cozy atmosphere even better, giving us space to mingle and chat while still maintaining some breathing room (and no fear of losing our spots). But to see Jon there, playing along with Thax, introduced by Tim, on a stage where I have actually performed (I'd rather not discuss it further) ... crazy. Jon made himself right at home, and gave a near three-hour performance that was everything I could have hoped for. It was the informal, intimate compliment to Friday's show, complete with audience participation, singalongs, guitar shredding, vocoder action, and the entire second half of Brian Eno's Here Come the Warm Jets. Jon played one of the most blistering versions of "I Believe She's Lying" that I've had the pleasure of witnessing, slayed Gwen with some Roxy Music, gave us all the chance to holler along with the Bee Gees, and ended with a fantastic ukulele rendition of Thin Lizzy's "The Boys Are Back In Town" ... and a promise to come back soon. I can only hope.

How many amazingly great weekends can a girl have in Chicago within the space of a few weeks? At least two, and I'm willing to continue research on the subject.

(Check out a few more photos here)