I’m not upset that Chicago doesn’t get Flogging Molly for St. Patrick’s Day this year.  Really, I’m not.  Totally.

OK, maybe just a little.

But I’ll take them when I can get them.

I wound my way down to the Aragon Ballroom on Saturday to catch the lads again.  I try to go every time they’re in town.  We caught up for a bit before show time, spending a bit of time discussing the finer points of antenna selection amongst other topics.  I excused myself for a bit to run another errand and then came back, slapping my pass on just as I heard the first note of “Drunken Lullabies” was struck.  I ran upstairs to find every body that could be packed on the floor with drinks raised above their heads, singing along.

I made my way to the mix position to again meet up with long-time tour manager and Front of House Engineer, Aaron Glas.  I’ve seen some legendary shows at the Aragon, but those were mostly in my past.  The venue is, how do I say this gently…”acoustically challenged”.  Er, maybe “a sonic nightmare” would better suffice.  It is a building from another time – one when amplifiers and speakers were far from commonplace.  For all its failings as an ambient space, Aaron managed to work magic.  It helps to have a band as good as Flogging Molly providing the material, of course.

The set list included some newer additions – not necessarily new songs, but some seldom-heard songs (“The Power’s Out”).

Richard

My appointments were light in the early part of the day, so I got in about midway through Rival Schools at the PlayStation Stage.  It didn’t leave time to get to retro songstress Imelda May, whose set was just slightly ahead of RS and across the park; that was where I hoped to be.  No regrets though, as Rival Schools were new to me and I cannot report being put off by their sound.  Plus, afterward I was able to run from Rival Schools over to see Little Hurricane on the Google+ stage (after having caught just two tunes the day before).

From there I opted to once again head to Kidzapalooza where Tor Hyams was taking off his stage manager hat and giving his annual performance, playing keys along with guitarist Peter DiStefano, formerly of Porno for Pyros.  They were joined for a few songs by Keller Williams, who when off the stage patiently dealt with an overly enthusiastic, if not slightly stalker-ish fan.  Note to fans: if you get a chance to say “hello” and have to force conversation after that, take the hint.

As Peter DiStefano & Tor wrapped their set the backstage area began to get a bit crowded – it happens every year when it comes time for Perry Farrell to make his appearance.  As Perry made his way back to the artist tent to prepare, I ran in to endorser Ralph Covert (of Ralph’s World), who played Saturday and would be closing out the Kidz stage after Perry and Peter’s short 15-minute set.

Knowing that catching a ride on the Fest Express would be nigh impossible after Perry and Peter’s set, I got in line right as they went on.  I caught almost all of their show while a line piled up behind me.  About the fourteenth minute (not that I was counting) a cart with one opening finally stopped and I was on my way North to surprise my friend Aaron, FOH for long time endorsers Flogging Molly.

From the FOH position of the Bud Light main stage I tapped Aaron on the shoulder.  “Man, you know how hard it is to get in here without your help?” I asked, joking.

He had a surprised look on his face for a split-second and then replied, “Oh, yeah.  By the way I’m coming to Chicago!”

Moments later Flogging Molly took the stage and the crowd was rapt.  At one point Dave King pulled up his slacks to the knees and started dancing around the stage.  “I have no shame showing legs like this, I tell ya,” he bantered to the roaring crowd.  About that time I started to notice some threatening clouds bearing down on Grant Park.  Just as the band wrapped up their set I went over to let Aaron know he was probably going to want to work fast and pointed towards the approaching storm.   Behind us the PlayStation stage roared to life as endorsers Cage the Elephant launched in to their set.

During Cage’s raucous show the sky opened up and turned the most trodden parts of Lollapalooza’s 115 or so acres to ankle-deep mud.  Fortunately I had a seal-able plastic bag, in which went my phones, the Lolla schedule, and my notes from the weekend.  The rest of me was waterlogged in seconds.

My goal had been to finish out the evening with a few Deadmau5 songs and then hit the road for the annual post-Lolla deep dish pie.  However, while I would not say the rain dampened my spirits, it certainly put some punctuation on the story of the weekend.  Strolling past as Manchester Orchestra began their set, I wound my way out to Michigan Avenue in search of a dry cab and warm pizza.

We’ll see you in 2012, Lolla.  Thanks for the good time.

Richard

PS – Lolla Day 1 & Day 2

I figured I was going to be late to the show due to a public transportation mishap.  I knew they were going to play a while, but still: it’s the kind of show you don’t want to miss a minute of.  The train ended up getting there in time and I strolled in to the venue with about ten minutes to spare.  Those minutes were then spent worming my way through an absolutely packed venue to the front-of-house position, where I got to catch up to our friend, Aaron Glas.  It is a pleasure to watch the guy work.  His skills are beyond his years and it definitely won’t be for lack of demand when he’s decided to retire from the world of audio.

The intro music started and the house lights mistakenly stayed on, but that couldn’t stop anyone in the room from screaming.  The audience was almost louder than the P.A., which was not slouching.  The band took the stage, Guinesses held high, strapped it on, and tore in to “(No More) Paddy’s Lament”.  Twenty-four songs later the last note of “Seven Deadly Sins” rang out and 4500 Paddy’s Day revelers went out in to the world, absolutely charged up.

Walking the stage afterward I spotted a KSM313 on Dennis Casey’s amp.  I asked Aaron if they took any special care of it, as it’s a ribbon and I’ve not heard of any case studies of those mics on the road.  “No,” he said, “It lives in the box with everything else.”  I’ve been with this company ten years and I can still be shocked by how durable we make these products.

I didn’t have it in me to join the after party.  I can only imagine how that went on a weekend like this.

Richard

Kelly Clarkson rocks the cover of this eclectic issue, in which editor Cory Lorentz asks readers what they’re listening to and how they discover new music.

View and download the full On Tour With Shure Summer 2005 Issue on shure.com.