Hideout Riverwalk?

Almost out of nowhere, the Hideout Riverwalk is opening today. That's right, the "hidden" music venue (where Husband and I also had our Wedding Party) has a second location on the newly revived--and very visible--Riverwalk downtown.

That's me! (photo by Husband/Tankboy)

We stopped by the soft opening last night, and the place is pretty cool. The bar inside is a mini-replica of the Hideout front porch (complete with 1354), and there's a bunch of outdoor picnic tables and a tiny Hideout stage (complete with sign--now in blue) where they'll have live music almost everyday.*  I could see myself spending a lot of happy hours here, especially since they're also serving handheld pot pies from Bridgeport Pasty. Here's a look at the complete menu:

* everyday but Wednesday and Saturday

Weekdays 5:30-7:30 and Sundays 1:00-3:00

Stepkids, Horrors, Dancers & Beer

It was a busy weekend between the Hideout Block Party, a Dance Crash show and a quick hop to Wisco for some sausage, cheese and Spotted Cow, but last night I broke my lay-low-Sunday-evening rule to accompany Tankboy to The Horrors show at Lincoln Hall. It's not too often that we are both surprisingly blown away by a band we've never heard of (simply because one of usually previews the shows we go to), but last night the opening band, The Stepkids, did just that. They reminded me of a ton of eclectic influences, but the bottom line is that they were really damn good. I totally think they should share a bill with Tame Impala and The Besnard Lakes. It would be a trippy, epic evening, with lotsa mind bending falsetto.

The Stepkids have a new album out tomorrow. Tankboy has a couple tracks you can preview.

The Hideout's Grammy Connection

Neko Case's Middle Cyclone was one of my favorite albums of last year, and not just for the stunning album art, which is absolutely outstanding on its own. Kathleen Judge, long-time Hideout bartender and design artist, designed the cover and is being recognized with a Grammy nomination for Best Recording Package. It's also pretty well known that Case, who is up for Best Contemporary Folk Album as well, once upon a time tended the Hideout bar herself.

See more of the Hideout's Grammy connections on DeRo's Sun Times blog.

The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards air this Sunday at 7pm CT on CBS.

Inauguration Day '09: Revisited

Barack Obama's Inauguration Day was one year ago today, so I thought I'd revisit my trip to DC through my tweets.

It feels like so long ago, but in a way, it feels like it just happened. The days of "Hope" and "Change" do certainly feel far away; attitudes have certainly changed since that day one year ago, but on this day, we should be reminded of what one man said while we were waiting with a horde of people trying to get on the subway to get out of downtown DC (after all the central train stations had been shut down): "CHANGE TAKES TIME!"

We stayed with a friend, had to pick up the tickets from our congressman in DC (thanks to a snowstorm days before), almost didn't even get into the ticketed area (because of security threats, six entrance gates were reduced to one), then broke out of the ticketed section, my dad was even tracking our progress and sending us tips, we went to the Hideout's celebration concert @ Black Cat, drank a lot, I live tweeted the concert and the inauguration for Gapers Block, and we drove 1400 miles through the snow. It was a whirlwind, unforgettable trip.

(ps. times on these might not be accurate, I sent my tweets via text and sometimes they were delayed and out of order.)

January 17th, 2009

Off to Hertz to pick up the rental car. They close at 2, hopefully we make it in time! 2:34 PM

Damn. They're out of cars. Now we have to try the airport...

HAHAHA! We got the same car we had in ohio! That silly looking HHR! At least this one isn't red...4:19 PM

At home packing for the trip, and realizing that my mobile twitters take forever to post and aren't in order. hmpf. 7:19 PM

January 18th, 2009

Well, woke up later than planned. Wanted to be on the road by 7, but now it's 9:11. 9:11 AM

And we're off to DC for Obama's inauguration! 9:46 AM

Welcome to indiana! 10:02 AM

Hello ohio!12:11 PM

Reading up for my kings of leon article. Tankboy's still at the wheel. And its snowing! 2:09 PM

Lunchy lunch. Pizza Hut. For some reason i feel compelled to eat crap food when i am traveling. 2:44 PM

Yay PA! 3:47 PM

Just saw the Hideout busses at a random rest stop! I wonder if the Bird is here! 5:43 PM

Figuring out i can gmail and twitter from my phones browser. Good bye battery power... (Now i need to change my billing package too) 6:35 PM

We made it! We are in DC! 8:38 PM

Aaaand we're out at the bars. Wonderland now. 9:33 PM

Disco is always oppressive. 11:39 PM

Into the black cat. 11:45 PM

People keep taking pictures of the crowd in here. Is it that unusual? 11:57 PM

Velvet vest and/or leather hat = wrong 5:39 AM

Everyone here is undistinguishable. 5:54 AM

January 19th, 2009

Wakey wakey. (With a slight hangover) 8:31 AM

Oh noes! We are lost! 9:17 AM

Just remembered we took a limo home last night. HAHAHA 9:29 AM

On the metro to luis guiterez's office to get our inauguration tickets. 10:03 AM

I feel like the metro is a disney ride compared to the el. 10:04 AM

People are actually friendly and talk to each other here. Tankboy is scared. 10:04 AM

Found Rayburn office building but there is a HUGE line. Trying the staff entrance. 10:26 AM

Tickets in hand! 10:51 AM

Just got to Arlington National Cemetery. 12:05 PM

Visited my Gramps's grave, made me cry :( He has a nice view of the Pentagon though :) 12:40 PM

Chinatown. 1:49 PM

There are TONS of people selling Obama schwag and yelling about it. 1:58 PM

DC is hilly. Chicago is not. 2:46 PM

Jim won't let me buy an Obama air freshener. Hmph. 3:20 PM

Going into a live taping of Slate's political gabfest podcast. 3:46 PM

Nerdfest. 4:03 PM

Back on the metro. The stations look like Star Wars! 5:51 PM

Dinnertime at The Looking Glass, then off to the Black Cat again. 7:45 PM

Headin to the Black Cat now. The boyfriend is on the list but no +1, so we'll see if i get in... 9:11 PM

And im in! 40 bucks to a guy whose wife couldn't make it. 9:31 PM

Venue is pretty cool. Big room. Cool little sitting area in back. And the big Obama poster is here! 9:36 PM

Tortoise is already playing. The thing started at 7:30, hope i didnt miss too much. 9:38 PM

Yo yo jeff parker! 9:39 PM

The Bird has arrived! Shut up, he's playing with tortoise! 9:41 PM

Just saw Tim Tuten, he's in hogheaven right now :) 9:44 PM

I heart AB. His voice is amazing. 10:04 PM

Tim is drunk. And yelling. 11:41 PM

You can tell the people that came on the Hideout bus bc they are the only ones dressed up for the "ball" 11:43 PM

Eleventh Dream Day! 11:47 PM

Hello Waco Brothers. Im not going to talk much about you. 11:42 PM

Can't stand this band. Going downstairs. 11:48 PM

Back upstairs. Really cleared out! 11:51 PM

Tim still wasted. And yelling but hell yeah. Obama will be president TODAY! 11:53 PM

I like this band. But i forgot the name! 11:53 PM

Tankbot doesn't exist. 12:03 AM

Wonderland! 12:13 AM

Inauguration Day!

Happy Inauguration Day! 6:42 AM

Trying to wake the boyfriend up. Difficult task. 8:13 AM

Live bloging for Gapers Block today. Hope the phones work down there. 9:03 AM

Wow it is crowded. And we havent even left the metro station yet. 9:34 AM

I dont think they're letting people in, even with tickets. 9:50 AM

Some guy just told me they let people stay there all night without tickets. 9:50 AM

Whoah. Police are seriously pushy. This could get ugly. 9:55 AM

Come on people, start rushing. You cant even get a chant together. Let us in! 10:03 AM

Oh shit. Just spotted a sniper! 10:07 AM

The chant started and then someone yelled please. Geez. 10:14 AM

We got in! Yes we did! But now we cant move. 10:19 AM

Found the real entrance. Now we are really inside! Tons of room and jumbotron! 10:20 AM

They're introducing th old presidents. People just booed Bush. The first one. 10:21 AM

This is kind of overwhelming, in a good way. 10:26 AM

Just introduced the Obama daughters. They so cute! 10:30 AM

Michelle! She has a pretty gold outfit on. 10:31 AM

Wow. Big time boos for the current Bush. Somebody said no flag waving for him. Geez. 10:37 AM

People just started singing na na hey hey hey good bye. Ha ha. 10:39 AM

Theres the man. Looking quite regal. 10:40 AM

Even bigger boos for Cheney! Come on guys, the man is in a wheelchair. 10:41 AM

Aretha! 10:54 AM

Rick Warren speaking. 10:57 AM

New VP! Yay! 10:59 AM

Yo yo! [Ma] 11:00 AM

Kind of appropiate and beautiful to see these birds flying around the capital to this music. 11:05 AM

And then he brought the sunshine out. 11:11 AM

Cannons and cheering. Ladies and gentlemen, Barack Obama is the new President of the United States. 11:12 AM

My dad suggested i tell you i am in the silver section, the back ticketed area. 11:15 AM

Well, the man can speak, thats for sure. 11:18 AM

I think Biden is speaking, but we are in a big crowd trying to exit the ticketed area. 11:39 AM

This is poorly planned. There is one entry and exit point. People are starting to jump the fence. 11:50 AM

Omg! People ripped the fence open. Some are pushing. Snipers are looking down. 11:52 AM

People are working together to take the fence down! Teamwork! 12:03 PM

We just broke outl into the american indian museum. People scaled the wall! 12:05 PM

We are out and safe on independence ave! 12:07 PM

Its gridlocked people everywhere. They wont let anyone on the metro. 12:22 PM

We are going to be stuck downtown for a while. People are going in all different directions and there are arbitrary fences blocking streets. 12:43 PM

Literally trapped downtown. I want to walk home, but we cant get anywhere! 12:54 PM

Im sitting on the floor of the lobby of some federal building. With about a hundred other people. 12:56 PM

Making another go for a further subway station. 1:33 PM

I feel like im in a zombie movie, every time you think you've found salvation, all there is is disaster. 1:42 PM

Well, made it back to Columbia Heights. Subway side was interesting to say the least. 2:28 PM

On the road again. 4:09 PM

Making a little stop in Annapolis to see where jim grew up. 5:12 PM

Dinner at Chick and Ruth's Delly, with a y :) 5:40 PM

Destination: Chicago. 7:06 PM

Stopping for the night in idontknowwhere Pennsylvania. 10:31 PM

January 21st, 2009

Back on the road, back in the snow. 9:38 AM

Cracker Barrell. Haven't been to one of these in ages. 10:35 AM

Yeah im eating country fried steak at 11 in the morning. What? 10:44 AM

Indiana. Almost home! 3:54 PM

And we're back. There's the skyline, the el and the traffic. 6:04 PM

FINALLY home. Exhausted. 8:36 PM

@tankboy, still upset you wouldn't let me buy that Obama Air Freshener. 11:24 AM Jan 23rd, 2009

The Hideout Brings Chicago to the Inauguration

If you've got plans to go to DC (and a place to stay...) for Obama's Presidential Inauguration, you can celebrate the night before with the folks from The Hideout at The Black Cat where they, with Interchange, present The Big Shoulders Ball, a Chicago concert celebrating change. Hideout co-owner and staunch Obama supporter (as is evident by the ENORMOUS picture of Obama hanging on the front of The Hideout), Tim Tuten, has chartered two buses to take the bands and company on the cross country trip. Why am I getting a feeling of America ala 60s full of VW buses, hippie braids and peace signs... Anyway, the lineup is stacked; Tortoise, Waco Brothers, Ken Vandermark and Icy Demons are among the local artists already slated to play. Tickets go on sale today at 4pm and are $50. You can get them from The Black Cat's website, or pick them up in person at The Hideout (1354 W. Wabansia). The exact date of the show is Monday, January 19 (just in case you've been living under a rock and hadn't heard when Obama would take over as Commander in Chief). The Black Cat is located at 1811 14th St. NW WDC 20009.


**UPDATE** Andrew Bird has been added to the line-up as well!