"Taste's awful but, still licking your plates clean!"

Michael Jackson once sang, "Feed the world...make it a better place...for you and for me, and the entire human race". Despite what you hear or read, don't let the media fool you into believing this year's "Taste of Chicago" was any better than the previious ones. In fact, it's a sign of the changing times which lie in the shadows of a poor economy. Wrap the whole foodfest up in a doggy bag and feed it to Rover... Better still, give the leftovers to the homeless. They're already in bad shape, so why punish them even more by refusing them food and making them fish your giant turkey leg bones out of the garbage can?! The "Taste" is in fact, a waste! Besides Chicago, where else can you go out in the hot sun and get lost inside a hurricane of drunks, obese peope, crying babies, and LOTS of body odor just to get a taste of a slice of pizza for $8.00 when for a few bucks more you can go to the same restaurant and get an entire pizza? Well, there are folks who call themselves "wordly" or, they expect you to believe that they keep a close eye on the calendar for the last week of June so they can get deep fried alligator sticks a hamburger made from an old racing horse, or goat's milk ice cream. Funny thing is, despite all the tom foolery, price gouging, and pick-pocketing, the "Taste" always finds a way to set some sort of record. Mayor Richard Daley has taken this festival to a whole new level of the stratosphere by allowing restauranteurs to charge an arm and a leg for a sample and then on the final evening, take whatever's left over and throw it away! Why isn't this stuff given to the people that really need it? Street people have their pride too! Don't make them dig through the garbage like a hungry racoon...give the last hour of "The Taste" to them. The "cost of living" for the average street person is hurting them as much as it is us. Cut the prices in half for goodness sake! ...And that's only for starters. Why must a person shell out an hours pay for a bottle of Aquafina? Last time I checked, there was no "Space Mountain" or Mickey Mouse in Grant Park so what's with the Disney prices? Trim the fat a little. You would think that with the recent increase in sales tax in Cook County that the average Joe would get a break on something else. Think about the dopes that camp out by the lake for a week to save a spot for the fireworks show which by the way, is free. Charge these dummies $10 a head or $150 to "sace your spot on the grass" a week in advance while lowering the price of food! Save all the gourmet crap for Gordon Ramsey! If you can only get the stuff once a year, chances are you don't need it. The homeless of Chicago only have "Streetwise" to sell us and I don't think there's any future Rupert Murdoch's sleeping in the alleys of Chicago. Next year, when your stomach can't take anymore greasy, fried, samples or finger food, don't toss what's left in the trash...think about what I said and leave it on the curb for someone else to enjoy. Most importantly, leave a can of Clorax Handi-Wipes on the curb too!

Now Hear This: "A llittle off key, but not out of gas...YET!"

Chicago area concerts are in full swing... grab your can of "Off" and a blanket and check these acts out! Before you head out the door however, give yourself a swift kick in the ass when you think about the $29.95 you spent to see these guys a few years ago. Yes ladies and gents, these groups may have passed their prime and have had (or still have) their share of problems but you too can have a front row seat for a "fin" or for free! This year brings out a boatload of reunions that you may want to hum along with.

• The Gin Blossoms: Hey, remember these guys from way back in the early 90's? They were from Arizona and had a big list of hits. Their first album went PLATINUM and had those types of catchy hooks that had pencil pushers dancing in their cubicles at the office. These guys were nominated for Grammys, one of which was for "Best New Artist" (a moniker that usually spells "sudden death" for anybody.). Second album? Huh? Where was it? the cutout bin for $1.99 at Best Buy. Don't get me wrong now, a few of these CD's make for dirt cheap pizza cutters or coasters for your drink. Several years later, this musical group called it a day and blew away with the tumbleweeds in the Arizona desert. Now, THEY'RE BACK! Sort of. Only a few days into a reunion tour last week, old demons resurfaced at a County Fair out west. The drummer, who was either high on dope or drunk OR both, made a mockery out of their performance and passed out during the set. With a shocked crowd waiting in limbo, a roadie with no drumming experience grabbed the sticks and aided the remaining group for their encore. No word yet on the group's future.
• Sugar Ray: These guys were all over the music charts as recently as a few years ago. What happened? Lead singer Mark McGrath swerved off course to play "Rock and Roll Jeoprady" on VH-1, and soon after got a job as "correspondant" on the tabloid gossip show "Extra". McGrath thought he was doing a good thing by leaving the group to chase after Anna Nicole Smith's overdoses and hospital stays. Now, in 2008, this one time "Headliner" has travelled back in time to become the opening act for groups that used to open FOR THEM! McGrath may be a smart cookie when it comes to trivia nut, his business sense got the band a bunch of gigs to perform for free or close to it. Anyway, check these guys out. The beer garden will cost you more than a ticket to their show. Coming to a fair/carnival near you soon!
• Blues Traveller: Scored big in the mid 90's with their hit "Runaround". They were sizzling hot for a while there and hit the road with big groups such as The Black Crowes. Before too long, the music was pushed to the back while marijuana took front and center. Lead Singer John Popper tipped over the scales at nearly 400 lbs and suffered a few heart attacks before a dramatic weight loss. Imagine a Blues act with a skinny John Popper...it's like imagining an anorexic Chris Farley in "Beverly Hills Ninja". It's not entertainment. None the less, these guys have decided to try again. Instead of playing the "House of Blues" for $30 a ticket, you can see them for free in Indiana.
• The Ides of March: These guys hit it big in the early 1970's with the hit, "Vehicle". You may bot know the name of the song, but you'll know it when you hear it. Irony here is that like the froup, "Chicago" they had horns and a lot of people in the group. It also helped that they were from Chicago as well. The leader was, and still is, Jim Peterik who you may or may not know, was the man behind the group "Survivor". While Survivor lives on somewhere with a bunch of replacements, Peterik cut ties with the group not long after the hit single "Eye of the Tiger". It was a dispute over copyright issues, royalties, etc. While reluctant to ponder on his Survivor days, Peterik gets in full swing with "The Ides" and is currently hitting the area with the horn section blowing full steam. Check these guys out, and enjoy with the parents if you please..