close your eyes, and feel what is happening

Six months ago today, I went to the Beat Kitchen in Chicago to see a band that I'd only heard of three weeks before. I had friends online who were fans of the guitarist's previous band, and they were raving about his new band. And it was an excuse to meet up with people I hadn't seen in years and people I'd gotten to be friends with online but had never met in person. I didn't really know much about the band I was going to see, outside of giving the songs on their MySpace a couple listens before I headed out for the show. (I was more worried about standing in line alone in the January cold to see Jeff Tweedy, which was the day before. I'll tell that story some other time.)

That band was Empires.

To be honest, I don't remember much of their set except for the photographers shoving past me the whole time and thinking that the bass player was not listed on their MySpace. But they were good enough that I kept checking back to see if they were playing again somewhere else, and a month later, they played the Metro. Two weeks after that, they performed at a charity program at AV-Aerie, and I managed to make conversation with everyone in the band. It was pretty ridiculous how nice they all were, and somehow they are even nicer three months later. Does it help that they know me now? I don't know.

As of today, I've been to nine of their ten shows. Two weeks ago, they opened for Gavin Rossdale at the House of Blues in Chicago sounding their best yet, and looking more comfortable on stage than I've ever seen them before - and in front of a crowd that, for once, wasn't really there for them. When that curtain went up and they launched into "Spit the Dark" in front of that famous House of Blues backdrop, my heart was in my throat. But they seemed to win at least some folks over, judging from how many people stopped by the merchandise table once Rossdale's set had finished.

I've spent a lot of time trying to put into words exactly how Empires has changed my life. It's such a foolish-sounding thing to say about a band, you know? But in the last six months, I have gone places I never thought I'd go - and not just for them. I've met people I never thought I would meet, and I've made some seriously amazing friends. I've had conversations I never thought I would have. I've stood in the front row for other bands that hardly anyone has ever heard of and danced until I felt like I would fall over. And I am just not the same person I was in January. (I didn't dance, okay?)

And I have experienced such kindness. Not only from Sean, Tom, Max, Al and Ryan, and their friends and family, but from the people I've met going to their shows. There's something amazing about being in line with twenty people and knowing all their names because this is where you've met them before, half a dozen times. It never gets boring when there's that many people to pass the time with. (After Wilco, I know all about being bored in line. I had it down to an art form. Bring a book you don't care about losing.)

In May, Empires posted their first record Howl as a free download from their website. In one week, it logged fifteen thousand downloads from all over the world. Nope, that was not a typo. Fifteen thousand. And it wasn't an album they intended to make. It was a collection of demos that, the more they worked on them, formed themselves into an album. And for the most part, I think they did it in Max's basement. (I hope I'm not giving away any secrets there.) And it's not like it's perfect. It's raw and kind of jagged and so young (which, well, they are young and no one over the age of 25 touched this record) and not polished at all, and I love it with all my heart for exactly those reasons. And it's weird. I enjoy that as well.

Free fall with me to open up, to open up. I feel like that is an amazing sentiment to open the album with. Follow us down this path. It's not pretty, it's not soft or polished or even all that nice. It's dark and sometimes kind of mean and there are songs that hurt, songs that say things like If it ain't your love, I want blood from you, things about people being destructive together, things about hell and cheating and books and novels and movies.

If you're reading this and you haven't heard it yet, go now.

Empires are going on tour with Mark Rose for two weeks, starting August 7th in Aurora, IL at Doug's Rockhouse. They're hitting Missouri (St. Louis @ the Bluebird), Indiana (Highland @ Woodmar Methodist Church), Ohio (Toledo @ Frankie's, and some yet-to-be-posted place in Cleveland Heights when they swing back through), Pennsylvania (Pittsburgh @ Garfield Artworks, Altoona @ Jaggard UMC, and Philadelphia @ the Fire), New Jersey (Hoboken @ Maxwell's), Maryland (Baltimore @ Ottobar), New York (Amityville @ Village Pub South). Mark Rose was formerly in Spitalfield, and he's also a very sweet guy and an excellent musician, so if you go to any of these shows for Empires, please stay for Mark. And tell him thanks for me, for letting slip most of the tour dates before they were posted.

If someone would have said to me after the first show, "Molly, this band will change your life. You will drive to strange shady places in Chicago and pick up people you've never met from the internet and then one day you'll turn around in the drink line and Empires' drummer will be standing there and you'll talk to him," I would have laughed in your face and said that I'd never be able to do that. But it happened. I think going to see Empires the first time was the first really spontaneous, throw-caution-to-the-wind choice I had made in a long time, since there was like a week between when I found out about the concert and when the concert was. And somehow I have just kept on doing it, all for this band. When I said my goal for 2008 was to get out and do stuff, I did not expect things like this.

It's only been six months. I'm excited for what's next.

mushroom risotto

My first food post!

This is what I made last night for my parents (my mom has cancer, so I make dinner over there occasionally - it's always an experiment since my cooking skills are fairly lacking), it fed four of us and there was some left over.

You need: butter (or your favorite substitute), olive oil, an onion, arborio rice (one cup), fresh mushrooms (I used two whole packages, one white mushrooms and one baby bella mushrooms), some sort of broth (several cups, at least four), seasonings to taste

Saute your choice amount of white onion in combination olive oil/butter. I used 3/4ths of a large onion, and 1/2 a stick of Smart Balance and a tablespoon olive oil. I let it cook for a few minutes, until it was all soft and translucent.

Before I started the onion, I heated several cups of water in the microwave and added two veggie bouillon cubes, two bay leaves, and four dried Shiitake mushrooms. Microwaved it another few minutes and then let it sit to steep. (The broth has to be hot when you add it to the rice.)

In a separate pan, melt a little butter or warm some olive oil with about a clove of chopped garlic. Add the mushrooms and let them cook down while you make the rice. It took me about half the time the rice did, so I just turned off the burner when the mushrooms were done.

When the onion is done, add a cup of the rice and cook (keep stirring) for about 3-4 minutes. Then a splash of white wine (optional), just enough that you can smell it, and then start adding your broth at the rate of about a half-cup to a cup at a time (keep stirring, don't stop yet). I just poured some in, let it cook in, and then added more. You want it to be almost entirely absorbed before you add the next cup, but it won't look like regular cooked rice. The constant stirring releases some of the starch so it gets creamy.

Keep adding broth and stirring it in until the rice is cooked. It will take, at the very least, twenty minutes. Both times I've made risotto, it's taken a lot more than twenty minutes. During this time, I added salt, pepper, a dash of chili powder, and some dried basil.

When the rice is cooked through and almost all the liquid has been absorbed, stir in the mushrooms and you're done!

I grated some parmesan on mine and also sprinkled just a little bit of crumbled goat cheese. My dad and I ate ours with some baby spinach that I wilted down with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. It cut the richness of the risotto just a bit.

Traditionally, butter and/or some cream are stirred in at the end, but this was certainly rich and creamy enough for me. Next time, I want to try using saffron.

miscellanea, etc.

I now know the secret to being in the front row at The House of Blues, although it means having the camera on your face the whole show. Not so down with that. But I was only there for the opener, so hopefully they did not run the cameras for that.

Some bands you should check out, especially live if you can get to them:

Empires: Five dudes from the suburbs. With a free record here. (There will be another entry about them sometime.)
Walrus: Four dudes and one awesome gal. Not from the 'burbs, they want you to know!
Jane Vinyl: I tried to get them to play the bowling alley, but they weren't down with that.
Kindle: Any band that can rock three drummers in one song, I have to link to.