“Baltimore is the new Brooklyn.” This man (JC Brooks and his Uptown Sound) made me a believer Sunday night at Lincoln Hall in Chicago. I will be seeing this band again when they play in my town next week.
Post Script: I rolled up on JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound last week in my town in an unlikely sports bar just off campus. A real studenty venue, but nevertheless I walked in grown and solo with the expectation to see friends I had invited show up later. As I walked in, I ran into Marcel, the band’s manager, who remembered me from my front-row dancing antics at their show in Chicago. Marcel made sure I made it in free and that my friends were placed on the guest list, and then I got to chill with some of the band before the show. I thought this was really nice and made for a memorable night (I never remember to take pictures). They jammed, I danced and afterward I had a really cool conversation with the guitar player, Billy. On telling him that I was an English professor, Billy excitedly asked what I was teaching and we had a great conversation about books and film. I watched Jules et Jim later on his recommendation. It was a nice alternative to the typical oh-you’re-an-English-teacher-I-should-watch-my-grammar response. Fun times.
