Keys to the City

Emanuel Ax is curator: The Chicago Symphony Orchestra has declared Sunday Chicago Piano Day, as part of a longer series of events and concerts in the Chicago's Keys to the City Piano Festival May 23 to June 12. Note the myriad free events on the schedule that day. I enjoyed a half-hour performance by Ax at Apple Tuesday night that inaugurated the festival. David Hyde Pierce is going to play a duo with him Sunday at 1 pm and is dutifully practicing. Grand pianos have been placed around the city for civilians to play. For complete information, go to cso.org - the mid-right hand side of the page has links to video, schedule and other features.

Keys- and perhaps a brew - to Police Commissioner Garry McCarthy: He must have enjoyed the last few days, as he has been heralded, even by a rank-and-file not easily pleased with its leaders. Many city inhabitants were inconvenienced but some of us simply avoided the affected areas while NATO was in town. The last of the 70 motorcades didn’t leave until Tuesday afternoon, so that was a surprise expressway tie-up. One music venue near McCormick Place was closed for good after a policewoman walked around before NATO and didn’t like the graffiti. The police complained to the landlord and kaput. Let freedom make noise!

I was by Wrigley Field Saturday just prior to the game the dignitaries attended; it was quiet on the street. I’ve long suspected a significant portion of the game day crowd is made up of those who come to drink in the bars and hang out. Pictured is Marisol, a beer devised by Rick Bayless and Goose Island. I’m not a big beer drinker but I like this. The GI employee who worked on it said I made his day when I asked specifically for the beer.

Keys to Patrick Fitzgerald: Fitzgerald surprised us this week, and although many of us are sad to see him leave his position as the northern district federal prosecutor, he needs a change. I laugh when I see TV news put up the names of potential successors. Anita Alvarez? Please .... Sam Skinner, who once held the post and later served in the Cabinet, suggested that several on staff in the office now could perform admirably, and also said an excellent judge would be attractive. John Kass has a plan: have Fitz submit names to Sen. Durbin and let our two senators pick from that list. Mark Kirk went to his Chicago office this week to meet with,and receive an award from, the Polish delegation. His rehabilitation is progressing.

Keys from the Arts Club: I was invited to a lively lunch at the Arts Club recently. Its highlight: truncated performances of the Mixed Mamas show last weekend at Links Hall, a performance space seeking larger quarters. A professor new to performance spoke of her equestrian background and how she has synthesized her upper-class childhood and love of horses with her lesbian academic persona. Funny - and deep. She dressed in full riding costume.

Keys to heat: Please don’t let the temperature approach 100 Sunday! I don’t have AC and, although the lake breeze is lovely on most days, I once had my swimming cap melt into a piece of clothing when 100 visited us before. Say it ain’t so, Joe (or in this case, Tom Skilling).

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Keys to the City

May 25, 2012

Images from the Arts Club current exhibition, Figures and Grounds, Approaches to Abstraction, follow photos I snapped from the Goose Island beer garden near Wrigley Field.

Consider the role of art in society:

a means of conveying emotions not readily available in conversation, offering respite from distress and joy from engagement.

Politics done well is a form of art. It involves the practice of distributing power, benefits and opportunities -exacting costs - but leaving combatants eager to continue the exercise.

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