A GHOST IS RE-BORN
CD Review - Wilco
Kicking Television: Live in Chicago
(4 out of 5 G's)
by Evan Smith
Originally slated as a live CD/DVD release for November 1, Wilco scrapped the DVD idea citing the footage as “claustrophobic” and took a couple of extra weeks in releasing Kicking Television: Live in Chicago, the first live album of their 11-year touring career. Recorded over three nights this past May at the Vic Theater in Chicago, Kicking Television is largely a celebration of Wilco’s recent mainstream success, with its material focusing heavily on 2004’s critically acclaimed A Ghost Is Born and 2002’s overnight classic Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.
Kicking Television is dominated by superb track innovation and pleasant surprises. The album opens with “Misunderstood,” a song from 1996’s Being There. Vocalist and lead guitarist Jeff Tweedy sets the audience up for a night of heartfelt jamming as the band pounds out the same two-note phrase over 30 times while Tweedy thanks everyone for “nothing” and the screams and applause of the crowd grow louder. Their performance moves right into A Ghost Is Born from there, with amped up versions of “Company in My Back” and “Hell is Chrome.” A Disk One highlight includes a jammed-out version of “Handshake Drugs” where Tweedy and recent addition Nels Cline showcase their guitar chops atop a billowy field of feedback and distortion. “Shot in the Arm” gets a sonic treatment, adding layers of keyboards and miscellaneous electronics to the Being There pop-anthem.
Disk Two continues to roll, opening up with crowd favorite “Via Chicago” from 1998’s Summerteeth. “Radio Cure” gets a whopping punch added to the second chorus as Wilco takes one of their most melancholy tracks and bolsters up the release so much that the song feels far more optimistic than as originally recorded on Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. The crowning achievement of the album is the band’s cranked up performance of Ghost’s “Spiders (Kidsmoke)”. The ten-plus-minute track seems almost a little out of place as the third song on A Ghost Is Born, but it fits in perfectly as a closer to the live album. Tweedy and Cline go at it once again, challenging their guitars to emerge from static murkiness and piling on so much distortion and reverb that the song’s heavy-hitting chorus nearly blasts you out of your socks.
The double-disk album only clocks in below par at two instances. Just as he did on Ghost, Tweedy forces the awkward-sounding pop song “The Late Greats” into this track list as well. Another disappointment comes with the title track of the album “Kicking Television.” The song is played further out of tune than even Wilco is used to and never really builds into fruition.
Overall, the live production quality of this album is second to none. Tweedy keeps his between-track banter to a minimum, but he does show flashes of a sense of humor in dealing with a few hecklers and commenting on the drum loop that fails to work until the end of “Heavy Metal Drummer.”
If you get the chance, there’s no substitute for Wilco’s authentic live performance, but this album is certainly a commendable second best. Kicking Television is another stalwart reminder that Wilco is possibly the greatest American band releasing new material today.
SHOGUN: A JAPANESE EXPERIENCE
Restaurant Review - Shogun
(4.5 out of 5 G's)
by Lara Nardone
If you’re looking for an exciting change from those drab, unoriginal American restaurants, then check out Shogun, a Japanese restaurant that will blow you away. Shogun features three separate dining areas of your choice: a regular dining room, a sushi bar, and the popular cooking tables.
On your first visit to Shogun, it is best to sit at one of the cooking tables to capture the whole experience. Dining in this area is unlike anything you’ll encounter at restaurants that feature American cuisine. Here you sit with other dining companions around a table enclosing a cooking area. The Shogun chefs come to your table and personally cook your meal for you right there. It’s not just great food, it’s great entertainment as well. Watch as eggs and cooking tools are tossed in the air and fire flames up from the middle of the table. If you should choose to have one of these exciting meals, you can pick from a variety of hibachi steak, chicken, and seafood.
The entrées range from about $11.95 to $29.95 and although these delicious meals are a bit pricey, they are well worth it for the exquisite taste and enthralling preparation. Hibachi-fried rice and vegetables accompany the meal, and rest assured that your plate will be full of food. The fried rice at this fascinating restaurant is perhaps the best around. The meals are large and absolutely scrumptious, the show is entertaining and enjoyable every time, and you’ll never forget the experience.
The sushi bar is just as excellent in taste and value. They have many varieties of sushi—which is most likely found at any Japanese restaurant—but Shogun’s sushi is assuredly fresh and delectable. If you’ve never had sushi before, there are some good ones to start out with, including Tuna rolls (tuna, rice, and seaweed), Philadelphia rolls (salmon, cream cheese, and cucumber) and Smoked Eel Rolls (BBQ sauce, avocado, and of course, eel). Before you brush this off with a look of disgust, try it for yourself and you won’t regret that you did.
The sushi list is very decently priced; the rolls ranging from about $3.00 to $8.00. The single pieces of sushi are all around $2.00. There are also combination platters of sushi and dinners that you can purchase. You can sit right at the bar and watch the sushi chef prepare the food or sit at a booth in the surrounding area.
Basic appetizers like the Miso soup and Japanese salad are part of the menu as well. The Miso soup is a tasty broth with seaweed and tofu in it. The salad is regular greens with a ginger dressing that is to die for.
Shogun offers a wide variety of beverages, including some very enjoyable Japanese beers. There are also a collection of cocktails served in their own decanters that are yours to take home as souvenirs to commemorate your experience at Shogun.
The décor of Shogun is absolutely beautiful and intriguing, adding much to the Japanese motif. Shogun is definitely a great place to experience excellent food. And if it happens to be someone’s birthday, take them to Shogun, for a wonderful birthday surprise that they offer at the end of your meal.
