'Round Midnight comes to you from the great American city of Chicago, Illinois this week. My Academy's annual conference & exposition will be hosted there next year. Consequently, I went with some colleagues to scout out the convention center and other locations, including hotels, nightspots, etc., all in preparation for the 8,500 attendees we'll bring in late September '08. Mayor Daley and his citizens/cronies want the $12 to $18 million everyone involved with our $how will ultimately inject into the Windy City's economy when we're there.
This was my second business visit to Chicago in two years. I was involved with another expo back in '05 at Navy Pier. I always try to take in as much culture from cities I travel to when I'm there working. My readers know how much I love all kinds of music but especially blues, jazz, and rock and roll. Chicago is a landmark in multiple eras and fields of all kinds of creativity, so expect many future posts about artists, clubs, etc.
On this trip, one of the things I noticed was how the infamous Al Capone has been demoted from Public Enemy #1 to essentially a toothless, family-friendly image on key chains, refrigerator magnets, tee-shirts, etc., in giftshops all over the city. Hotels and event management companies have speakeasy-themed professional events. I wonder if Capone's estate ever officially licensed his likeness for commercial purposes or if it was released into the public domain because of his criminal notoriety and ultimate conviction. Moreover, I wonder if any kind of legal technicalities or moral fact checking would stop seemingly everyone in Chicago from celebrating and promoting their very own "Robin Hood":
Hip-hop moguls and performers have appropriated a lot of gangster culture throughout the past quarter century. The other Scarface is as much if not more a blueprint for gangsta rap as are all those James Brown and George Clinton samples many seminal rap acts cribbed. Promoting your image as ruthless and uncompromising is tough, so why not turn to cinematic, real-life inspiration?
We ended one day of location scouting with a "hard hat tour" of the legendary Blackstone Hotel. It's being redesigned and refurbished for a January 2008 launch. Very interesting to walk through and see the building as hundreds of laborers scrambled around us to meet the deadline for reopening the property (and believe me, it's not easy to make a Chicago Teamster scramble).
In addition to the political involvement of multiple American Presidents, and the fact it was briefly owned by the Beatles' onetime guru Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in the late 80s, what I found most notable about the Blackstone Hotel is Lucky Luciano allegedly held one of if not the first meeting of modern organized crime in the Crystal Ballroom on the 10th floor. (I stood in there imagining all the cigar smoke and duplicity hanging in the air back then.) I also lingered inside a gorgeous room that was used for filming a memorable scene in 1987's The Untouchables:
2 comments:
I had to check this on the web (see http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4155/is_20070225/ai_n18634196), but I recall the Blackstone as one of the former homes of the Jazz Showcase, the best Chicago jazz club in my memory. (Before that, it on Rush near Division if memory serves.) I stayed there a time or two during the 80s or early 90s, and it was a serious dive. Glad to hear it's getting a face lift.
I like Chicago generally, because it's got a lot of what NYC has and half the price and none of the attitude. Unless attitude is what you're looking for, of course.
I can't wait to spend more time in the Blackstone. Hopefully, that's where I'll stay during the conference.
In that same room where De Palma filmed, they're putting in a new Spanish restaurant featuring a chef who's slated to go up against Bobby Flay on Iron Chef America in January.
I agree with your thoughts on Chicago v. New York.
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