61 North

Chicago stands solemn like an oasis. After driving another five hours through cornfields the city had a uniquely foreign appeal. It was a pleasant sight and I felt a comfort as one who is removed from home feels. When we left Rochester a few days prior, I hugged Joeb and patted him on the shoulder, "Thanks for having us."

"My pleasure. You know I'm flying into Chicago to leg out some of this trip with you."

"You're serious?"

"Of course. You didn't think you were the only one looking to have a little fun."

I looked briefly at the car, "Well, alright. That works."

"My friend Ashley offered us a place to stay. Don't worry," Joeb saw me eying the car, "I pack light."

The traffic into the city was heavy like lead, but a welcomed change from the empty roads dividing the farms of Indiana. After so much time in a car, hours evaporate and blend and minutes cease to matter. Brandon patiently rocked with the traffic admiring the evil that exists in the exhaust of those in a hurry. We all sat quietly, listening to the soft sound of the radio while my mind wandered to vague feelings of home.

To speak of Chicago in declarative terms after spending only one night and a half of day would be ambitious and false, so this is an account of our life this night in the rich setting of Chicago. After arriving nearly precisely when Joeb paid the cab driver for his services we unpacked our routine necessities and in a sluggish manner, one we have seem to have adopted well, brought our things up the stairs to Ashley's third story apartment.

After a few minutes of mulling around I head back out to the car for my toothbrush and to smoke a cigarette. The neighborhood is brick and crimson in the night. Steam pours out of a manhole and whisks down the street. Cars packed tightly and a dog barks in one of the apartments across the way. I noticed a few blues clubs on the drive in. This feels right, this place. This night is cold and holds much promise in that I am tired and not expecting a thing.

Inside the walls feel alive but it is just us and the whiskey tastes warm.

Ashley says, "So what are you fellas' going to get into tonight?" caught up in the thrill as we all are.

"Live Music," says Brandon and Domenic nods in agreement feeling a thirst only temporarily quenched by the whiskey. I smile in compliance.

Ashley is younger but impossible to know. Or as impossible to know she was older. Age has become as hollow as tin and I remember not in time but in flashes of moments stacked on top of each other like tick, tock.

The television echoes in the background but we are laughing and I see Domenic nearly fall off the arm of the couch and we laugh more. Suddenly, the television is off and I am closing the door to the empty apartment and we are on the street diving into the night.

The first bar is too dark and smells like mold but we walk straight to the bar. Two men are plugging their acoustic guitars into amplifiers and tuning with an electrical tuner. The bar is mostly empty but a few groups sit at the small tables dimly lit with fake candles and christmas lights.

"Five shots of tequila," laughs Ashley and Brandon puffs his cheeks and blows air out slowly in a whistle.

"You sure about that, hun?"

"What, don't tell me you big bad boys are afraid of a little tequila."

"No, we'll do it, but yikes," Brandon looks and Domenic and they both laugh timidly.

The off colored liquid smells of a fruity turpentine. It makes me nauseous to even think of it. I hold up my glass, "To Ashley."

"To Chicago."

"To tonight."

"To this whole Goddamn trip."

"To all ya'll."

The burning in my gut is like acid and I see Joeb's eyes go wide and he runs into the bathroom. When he comes out his eyes are glossed and I know he vomited but chuckle softly to myself. Sitting in front of the stage the guys begin to play their set and it is a song I recognize from the radio and Domenic elbows Brandon and we all look jokingly at one another. The man could sing and they could both form decent chords but they had missed the mark long before tonight so I try to speak over the noise, "What about those blues bars?"

"We could go there,"

"This is terrible."

"Whatever, did someone say blues bar?"

"Yeah I saw two, down the street."

"Hey. We should get out of here."

"No kidding, blues bar?"

"There are blues bars around here? Any Jazz?"

"Jazz?"

"No blues bars. I saw two down the street."

"Let's get to it then."

We head out on foot a few blocks to Kingston Mines. Domenic stops along the way and I seem him disappear behind a bush. He is much more comfortable when he returns. At Kingston Mines we give the bouncer our id's and three dollars, and he ushers us inside and we immediately find a table. The lights are on and instruments shine like gold and the band is between sets. A group of girls is laughing near us and we all smile and laugh and everyone seems very happy. Joeb walks towards the table of girls and begins to talk with them and he looks awkward but he is smiling so we all laugh and stay put. Brandon says, "I am looking forward to the drive tomorrow,"

"I know, first road due west for, what is it? Seven hundred miles?"

"Something like that," I say.

"My dad's friend broke down in the Badlands and said it turned out to be the greatest night of the trip - like God dropped acid on the plains, is what he said. Spent the night under a perfect bowl of stars," says Domenic.

"Chicago reminds me of Boston," and we laugh and the waitress has our drinks and a man walks onto the stage who is black as the night wearing a bucket hat and a belly full of booze, "It's ladies night tonight, so Monica, get on up here and sing a tune or two with us. Monica, c'mon, get up here."

Applauding the band breaks into The Thrill is Gone and Joeb is dancing with the girls and we are laughing. My body moves in the seat and I smile because the music is in me. They are spinning and laughing and drinking and I am burning and happy and alone. I am with everyone and I am alone in my mind for a while and I step out for a cigarette and I meet Mike.

"Got a light?" I toss a lighter, "M'name's Mike."

"You from around here?"

"Nah, from the bayou, but been traveling around the past few years workin' at Exxon plants and playin' shows with some bands. When I make enough money, I pick up and move out to play music 'til I need money again then back at another plant. Just left Alaska a few weeks ago. Been bummin' around this place a bit too long."

"Not a bad gig."

"No, that's for certain. Cash in my pocket, can't stay in any one place too long."

Brandon stumbles out of the door in hysteria and he and Mike begin speaking. I go inside.

The lights come on and Joeb is still dancing and we head across the street to another club that apparently stays open all night. We miss the music but the night is cold and our laughter still has echoes and we pay to get in. The music wafts from another room and it is quiet at the bar. We all speak and drink and I see Mike headed into the music room. We soon follow and we enter the room and it is like diving underwater the sound so smothering. The lights are out except on the stage and it is hard to see but we manage to find a table and I see Mike and wave him over. We all sit down and watch the night becomes progressively vibrant and I drum on the table.

The waitress brings over a bucket of ice and beer and we pass them around carelessly, I see the girls Joeb had danced with dancing again. Monica, the singer, is here and so is the other band. In fact, everyone I see now has come over and that is encouraging.

Mike's shirt is untucked and hangs loosely from his bones; his hair to his shoulders. He leans across the table, "There is soul in this," and leans away tapping his foot to the rhythm.

Brandon and Mike are up for a smoke and I sit alone and smile as the room begins to spin. An Aussie joins the band and with his harmonica duels Mannish Boy and is accepted by everyone. I stand up and head for the door and I see Ashley and her friends and she hugs me and we are dancing as the night has become hole punched, and Joeb is dancing with the girls he had met from Spain and I see Domenic and Ashley's friends and Brandon and Mike and Ashley and I we all twist and spin around and laugh until it became a blur but the sun was out when we were home.