Essays, Interviews, Observations, Pop Culture, Stories, and other Dodginess

The Asshole Running Club

Posted on October 16, 2013

“I play real sports. I’m not trying to be the best at exercising” – Kenny Powers ‘East Bound & Down’

Reclusive author Clive Javanski, Aidan, and I went running along the lakefront on the day of the Chicago Marathon. Our friend Rooney was participating in it and we decided to show our support by jogging to the post-race party.

We didn’t stalk around viewing spots waiting for him to go by while holding up “Go friend!” signs or anything like that. We knew there was going to be beer at the post-race party – Goose Island 312 Urban Wheat Ale to be exact – and we wanted some. It was an opportunity to share a cup of beer  with thousands of people from foreign countries.

Clive wore black socks – and not the athletic ones. He did, however, don a pair of hipster plaid shorts that were once pants (Clive originally thought a 5K meant “5 kegs”). Aidan and myself wore more traditional running garb, though we’re both resistant to spending a fortune on jogging gear that only gets more ridiculous.

“Rocky jogged through the Philadelphia streets wearing Salvation Army cotton sweats with holes in the ass,” Aidan says. “He came out OK. And what’s with those compression knee socks?  I’ll admit they’re hot on some women (schoolgirl vibe) but they look like dick on grown men.”

The Asshole Running Club

A good example of long running socks.

Out of all my friends, Aidan is the best runner. Better than Johnny in high school, who always had to stop and take a shit while running. We enjoy running, especially to work off the beers we drank or prepare for the ones we’re about too. And women who run get more beautiful every year. At least the ones who aren’t dry-heaving on an indoor track.

The biggest problem with the Chicago Marathon? The lines for the post-race beer were way too long. Now that we all understand runners enjoy beer, organizers must think like Lollapalooza and street festivals as far as having more than one beer booth (and while you’re at it, have a kissing booth).

The Asshole Running Club Marathon image

Heading into the post-race party and long lines for beer.

And Then: I took a scientific poll and asked 10 marathon runners if they could name any of the previous five winners of the race. Not one did. “Someone from Kenya” was the common reply. I’m confident to say that 98.5 percent of those 40,000 plus runners can’t name a winner. I bet some of the elite Kenyan runners can’t. I’m surprised media focuses so much on those winners when most people could give a shit. I’m more interested in coverage of the race in general, and stories with a local or national angle (something Boston-related especially). And let’s fix the post-race beer issue. Because some of us asshole runners enjoy our beer. Ya think those elite runners are sticking around for a cup of ale? No, they’re collecting their paychecks and getting the hell out of dodgy.

The Asshole Running Club

My Irish running shirt

The Prettiest Mayor in the World

Posted on October 10, 2013
The Prettiest Mayor in the World

Mayor Blair Milo

Approximately 71 miles from Lottie’s Pub in Chicago’s Bucktown neighborhood where I’m typing this is a city in Northwest Indiana called LaPorte. It’s high school team’s nickname is the “Slicers.”

And it’s led by the prettiest mayor in the world. At least that’s what my friend Aidan calls Mayor Blair Milo. And after doing some research, I have to agree. Aidan’s work sometimes take him from the city across state lines and through the snow belt of Indiana. A recent stop in Laporte had him discover who their mayor was. “Not your typical, doughy white dude,” Aidan says. “She looks more like a college coed who stars on the volleyball team. I know girls her age who are doing keg stands at Wrigleyville parties. This chick’s a freakin’ mayor.”

Adding to the “wow” factor is that she’s a U.S. Navy veteran.

The Prettiest Mayor in the World

Blair Milo (photo by Dennis Proud)

Now there might be some mighty attractive (and smart) city leaders around the world but off-hand I don’t know of any and I’m not about to look it up. If you find/know of one feel free to send me some info.  I’m aware of someone like Queen Rania of Jordan, but I’m not counting royalty.

The Prettiest Mayor in the World on The Dodgy

Blair Milo (Herald Argus – photo by Matt Fritz)

Let’s play The Belle Game

Posted on October 2, 2013

The Belle Game Interview picture

Pitchfork named The Belle Game’s song “River” as Best New Track. Another song, “Tradition” – was featured in the season premiere of Grey’s Anatomy. Both tracks are from the Vancouver-based band’s debut album, Ritual Tradition Habit.

The Belle Game embarks on its first full American tour this month that includes a stop at Chicago’s Empty Bottle Nov. 1.

The Belle Game is Andrea Lo (lead vocals), Adam Nanji (vocals and guitar), Katrina Jones (keyboards and backing vocals), Alex Andrew (rhythm guitar), and Rob Chursinoff (drums). Prior to their new album the band released two EPs – Inventing Letters (2009) and Sleep to Grow (2011).

The Dodgy recently spoke with Jones about the origins of The Belle Game, the tour, the new album, and band’s name.

Nanji, Andrew, and Lo all grew up together in Vancouver. Nanji attending McGill University in Montreal, where he met Jones.

“We did a weird, long distance Belle Game thing for a couple years until we all graduated,” Jones says. Then me and Alex moved to Vancouver.”

The Belle Name

“It actually came from Adam, Alex and Andrea – one of their friends is from Germany. At the beginning of the band we used to play around with a glockenspiel.  He was over one day and played with one of them and was like ‘this is the bell game.’ The glockenspiel translation to English was bell game, or bell play.”

Ritual Tradition Habit

“The theme of the album is about all of us growing up and being older and learning what we like and don’t like about ourselves and about other people who we choose to keep in our lives. We came up with the title because there are all those little things that you do in your life that you keep or don’t keep or choose to accept or choose to reject or whatever it may be. That’s sort of the overarching theme of all the songs on the album because all the songs are about relationships or huge changes in our lives or a lot of personal stuff.”

Ritual, Tradition, and Habit are also the titles of three short songs placed at the beginning, the middle, and the end of the album.

“We just named those little tracks as a way to bookend that theme of what we were talking about.”

 The Belle Game listens to…

Jones says the gang has been listening to the Canadian band Braids. “We just played a show with them and they released a record and we were listening to it on the way back from a festival we played.”

Jones says Lo is into bands like The Xx and  “experimental-type stuff.” And drummer Rob Chursinoff is “more of a Neil Young type.”

“The band I’d want to go see very much is Deer Hunter. We saw them in Vancouver about two weeks ago and that’s how good they are I want to see them again.”

A Band Goyte Should Get To Know

The Belle Game opened up for Goyte in Vancouver during his tour following the success of the song “Somebody That I Used To Know.” Since it’s a duet with Kimbra, and she wasn’t there, I told Jones that either her or Lo should have come out to sing the part.

“He just kind of sang (her part) but crowd knew the song so well they sung it loud and carried him. It was a cool moment. But we absolutely would have done it. I think we even maybe contacted his management prior to that to ask if it was OK but we never heard back. He didn’t know us. I don’t blame him.”

Festival Express

The Belle Game met their tour mates, Bear Mountain, during the Canadian music event “Tracks on Tracks” in which about a dozen local bands boarded a train from Vancouver to Toronto with performance stops for gigs along the way. The final stop was the music festival NXNE.

“We’ve been close ever since,” Jones says of Bear Mountain.

Bear Mountain was in Chicago this summer to perform at Lollapalooza.

“They had a great time. They loved it. We hope to get some festivals like that.”

B-Sides

Adam Nanji and Katrina Jones are a couple.

The band lists “fine whiskey” and “bush parties” among its interests but Jones says they’re not a big party band. “No big drinkers or anything like that. For us it’s food. We love having a great meal. That’s more our thing. A nice dinner and go back to the hotel and go to bed.”

The band performs live as a six-piece. “We don’t have a permanent bass player. We bring a bass player on the road.”

Horns can be heard on some of the songs. Jones says they use session musicians in Vancouver and the saxophone on the new record is her playing.

The video for Ritual Tradition Habit’s “Wait Up For You” was filmed in a little Canadian town called Langley. It’s got a culty vibe and beautiful women. It was directed by Kheaven Lendowsky, who is directing a new Belle Game video for the track “River.”

“We’re keeping it under wraps because it’s something pretty exciting,” Jones says.

Jones says there’s a good chance they’ll perform in Europe for a few weeks in November and December.

“We’re looking forward to it.”

In addition to the Nov. 1 Empty Bottle concert, The Belle Game will play Cleveland Oct. 30, Detroit on Halloween(!) and Minneapolis Nov. 2. The Belle Game has a website, Facebook, and Twitter  with more information.

Let's play The Belle Game

The Belle Game