Day 17. Chicago, IL

I like Chicago a lot. If i were to move to a US city it’d be this one. It like a more intriguing New York to me. I expect NY to be amazing. Chicago sort of snuck up on me and I was not prepared. I was first here with the Pleased and Furs in 04, House of Blues Chicago was my favourite show of that tour and since then I’ve learned a little more each time we visit. This time was not the most inspiring location – the Metro is right next to Wrigley Field which meant the surrounding area was kind of just a load of sports bars and Cubs shirt stores. I took an couple of hours and wandered down to the lake, bought some cowboy shirts (that’s right; the Mars Williams fauxboy style of the 80s is returning to the Furs) and looked at some records… Was thinking i should cab it over to Pitchfork offices and hand them a copy of Jet in Carina but couldn’t be arsed in the end. Dedication right? On the way back i was almost hit with a ball that flew out of the stadium – there was a load of dudes scrambling for it, kinda wish i’d caught it and just kept walking. I wonder if that was on TV?

Got some dinner at the Chicago Diner with Paul and Amanda. My friend Marie used to work here adn i was trying to get here the whole time we were rehearsing last October but never made it. She lives across the street from us now. Hi Marie! Anyway, some serious vegetarian fare! I had the steak.

The Metro is an awesome venue. Tonight they did us proud with some good dark and moody lighting. My favourite style. Isn’t it enough that we’re standing up on a stage above everybody that we don’t need fifty white lights on us the entire time? A lot of venues don’t understand… India was off the hook tonight!

The after show introduced me to Mars’ family and featured a red wine / white shoes incident that couldn’t ended the tour! Fortunately salt was on our side… Behold; the shoes.

Happy birthday to my dad and our tour manager Tom. Adam from SWR coerced me into a couple of birthday shots at the adjoining bar. Cool guy Adam; he’s big on Silver Apples and Suicide. I can get down with that.