UNDERGROUND REISSUES IX
Flotsam & Jetsam, Control Denied, Disgust, Acrophet, etc.

THE DEVIL AND THE SEA
2008 Tour Diary.

TRANSISTOR TRANSISTOR
On Their Relationship W/ Their Van and Tour Diary.

COMPLETE FAILURE
Today Is The Day Tour Highlights & Lowlights.

UNDERGROUND REISSUES VIII
Skullflower, Abomination, Winter, Macabre, etc.

MORE FEATURES

MILLIONS: Chicago Scene Report.

Aaaahhhh, Chicago, when I think of you I think of fat ass pizza, a shitty short-lived internship in my late teens and kick ass rock. Especially lately; Nachtmystium, Minsk, Enuff Z' Nuff, R.E.O. Speedwagon...say whaaat???? Anyway, the new album from Millions rules. I shall be reviewing it this week. In the meantime I leave you with guitarist/vocalist Corey Lyons and his Chicago report.

 
If you're reading this you are no doubt an avid reader of Forbes Magazine as well. But just in case you missed it, Forbes just voted Chicago the third most miserable city in America. What? Yeah, winter's a pain in the ass and the only thing worse than the winter is the Cubs fans, but we're thinking whoever declared us so miserable must have missed a few things. Let Millions take you on a brief tour of the place we call home.
 
First of all, skip downtown. Cool skyline, awesome museums, blah blah blah. Like any good city the neighborhoods are where it's at. All the soul and character of the city are far removed from the skyscrapers and "Magnificent Mile" and rest in little distinct pockets around the city like Rogers Park, Pilsen, Logan Square, Andersonville, Bridgeport - you get the idea. Each 'hood has it's own unique characteristics and cuisine that even long time locals probably never fully explore. There are vibrant scenes for all things music and art, so there's always something to do. Complaining about being bored here tells more about a person's laziness than the city's lack of options.
 
We have more bands than people here, but the benefit is no matter what you want you have plenty of shows to choose from any given night. If you like it heavy, mainstays like Sweet Cobra, The Arrivals, and Indian have been kicking it for years, and the newer crop of bands like Slow Horse, Lord Mantis and Fiction are forces to be reckoned with. Catch a show at Ronny's - feel like you're getting drunk in some dude's garage and eat yourself sick on the free nachos. Beat Kitchen's got it all with booze, food and shows, and you just might spy Kris and Dylan from Emperor Cabs and Psilocin there. Plus you got SubT, Lucky Gator Loft, and a good amount of house party shows. And you can't throw a hipster ten feet without hitting a bar in this town, which sometimes makes adjusting to other cities more difficult. Huh? You mean I can't get a beer right down the street? What kind of town is this? Anyway, a few of our go-to's are Whirlaway, Bob Inn, Orbit Room and Continental, where our mid-practice "band meetings" take place.
 
One thing you'll notice when you come to Chicago: these mofo's like to eat, and with good reason. Topping the list is a place that isn't in need of any more press but it's so good it'd be a crime not to mention it: Hot Doug's. If you've ever wanted to recreate the ship manifest of Noah's Ark in your stomach, you could do no better. Anything from gourmet hot dogs, to wild game, to the standard Chicago dog - and this is the best one in the city. Even when it's 20 below and snowing, the hour-plus wait would be well worth it. Duck fat fries on Friday and Saturday. Need I say more?
 
You could probably eat at a different taqueria in Chicago every day for a year and never repeat yourself. La Pasadita is the standard by which we judge them all though, with hands down the best chicken tacos in town. They have this black roasted jalapeño salsa that's so good I often contemplate stealing the huge buckets full of it behind the counter. Then there's the heaping mound of skirt steak and nachos known as chachos. When we recorded our first seven inch with Sanford Parker we ate there twice in one day, it's that good. But if we only had one more meal in the rest of our lives it would be at Nuevo Leon in Pilsen. Cheap and out of this world, though maybe not the best for vegetarians (the lard proudly stands out in the beans). Vegetarians might wanna try Chicago Diner or Soul Vegetarian. Anna Purna is an all vegetarian Indian joint - definitely the best samosa chaat. Cheap too, always a plus.
 
Pizza is always going to be a controversial subject here but we're on the side of real pizza, that you can hold in your hand and eat. Not that abomination that is the cheese casserole otherwise known as "deep dish". No, for the real deal we go to Luigi's for the closest you'll come to getting a NY style slice around here. And Dave's Records is just down the street, though I have trouble walking out of that place with anything left in my wallet. Get the pizza first.
 
Finally, Chicago might be known for some of it's fancy schmancy restaurants, but holds it's own when it comes to good southern comfort food too. Ribs & Bibs is Hyde Park's finest BBQ establishment. Feed is another great joint worth checking out, plus you can grab a drink next door at the aforementioned Continental. Go for the gold, aka fried chicken, at local chain Harold's Chicken Shack. Or if you're like some of us in Millions, go to Stanley's Kitchen and Tap before you proudly reclaim your virginity and catch King Crimson... two nights in a row.
 
Of course we're leaving out a metric shit ton of other places and bands to check out, but this should be enough to get you started. Every city has it highs and lows, but it's hard to be miserable when there's always an awesome band and eye rolling good meal to be had.

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