Chicago – Day Two: Skydeck & Union Station

The Skydeck

I’m back on the tour bus and get off at the Willis, formerly Sears, Tower. This was at one time the tallest building in the world. I’m here for the Skydeck, which is what the Tower’s observation deck is called. There’s some exhibits to look at on a lower floor after I buy my entry ticket. Then there’s a short film to watch about the construction of the Tower. Then it’s up to the top in a super-fast lift.

Entry Ticket

The views from the Skydeck are phenomenal, I can literally see for miles all around Chicago. It’s another bright, sunny – and cold – day but this visitor attraction would not be much good if the weather was cloudy or raining. You might not have a choice of course if you only had limited time in the city. Without good visibility I’m not sure it’d be worthwhile.

It’s quite crowded on the Skydeck – they do regulate how many people they allow up at any one time – but there’s still a lot of folk around. There’s also a lot of shrieking from all the teenagers as they take tentative steps onto one of the Ledges.

Ah, the Ledge. It doesn’t matter what they say on their website, or in the exhibits or film downstairs. From my experience it was a complete mind-f*** that freaked me out when I thought about stepping on to it. The human brain is a wonderful thing. It knows that I’m not supposed to walk out of the side of a building when I’m 103 floors up. Despite my eyes telling my brain that there is 1½ inch thick glass all around me to stop me falling in the abyss. You try it. 🙂

I am, frankly, quietly in my own mind, petrified. I stand by the entrance to one Ledge, but just can’t go in.

After about five minutes I move to another Ledge entrance and do the same. There are four Ledges. One is reserved for souvenir photographs so you can’t go onto that one unless you pay for the photograph. I wander about trying to get my head together. I’m not alone in this. I go back to stand by the entrance to one Ledge trying to muster up my courage and folks of all ages, sex,  race and size come up, have a look. They then start muttering, “I can’t do it, I can’t do it…” And walk away. Needless to say of course, some people just calmly walk up and enter onto the glass without so much as missing a beat.

So I spend about 15 minutes farting about, trying to decide whether I’m man or mouse. Whereupon, whilst I’m still standing by a Ledge entrance, a baby, who can crawl but not walk, is put down on the floor by its mother about a yard away from the Ledge entrance. The baby then promptly crawls straight out onto the Ledge without any hesitation. The mother and her family go nuts at this, seeing the child crawling around on a sheet of glass 103 floors up, as it looks down through the glass onto Chicago below.

This strikes me as not being a good thing. The child is too young to have any concept that what it is crawling onto is safe. It’s a bit worrying if it’s brain doesn’t realise that it should not just crawl out of an opening in the side of a building. So I’d be a bit concerned about it in the future…

At which point I say to myself “this is stupid”. A few seconds later I start to put my foot onto the glass, gradually edging out onto the Ledge – until I make it! The whole experience really did freak me out, but having made it, some kind soul offered to take a photo of me ‘being brave’. 🙂

“Down by the Riverside” * for the Architecture Tour

Architecture tour leaflet

Architecture tour ticket

Time to bid farewell to the Skydeck against the backdrop of more shrieks and screams as the latest victims arrive and decide whether they can do it or not. Back outside, after a short wait, the next tour bus arrives and I board it for a block or two then disembark at the Michigan Avenue Bridge. Down some steps to the river sidewalk and I buy a ticket for the River Architecture Tour.

It’s a great tour, if somewhat expensive in my opinion at nearly $40. The boat goes up and down various branches of the Chicago River and gives a really fascinating view of the city from down on the river. Good commentary as well. It’s still damn cold mind you and the wind is getting up as well.

All Aboard For Union Station

After the river tour I use a proper bus to get to Union Station. The architecture of the station is impressive. But the main reason for a visit, being a fan of the movies, is to see the famous staircase from the Potemkin Steps homage in Brian de Palma’s film, The Untouchables , which is set in Chicago. It turns out though that there are two staircases in the Great Hall and I’m not sure which one was in the film. And having watched the film again after returning home, I’m none the wiser. The Great Hall is very impressive as well. I find out later that there is an Architecture Tour of the station but it only runs once a day every two weeks. I’d probably have been out of luck trying to do it even if I’d known about it.

I walk around a bit taking in the architecture then have lunch in a café at the station. Then I catch another bus to Navy Pier for an IMAX 3D showing of Gravity. This is partly to kill some time but I also wanted to see the the film in IMAX. And it’s an awesome film. The 3D works well, and the weightless sequences are amazing. I really can’t see how they were done, even on the huge IMAX screen.

Buddy Guy’s Legends

It’s dark now, around 7.30 pm. I take yet another bus to Buddy Guy’s Legends club. Expecting to walk straight in, it turns out the club is closed for a private party and will not open until 9 pm. I see a diner just down the street from Legends, the South Loop Club, and walk there for some dinner. I’m sitting at the bar perusing the menu but the woman serving is really shitty to me for no reason. I decide to move to a table in the main dining area to get away from her. Which was much better, with waitress service. It’s the first bit of bad attitude I’ve had in nearly three weeks in the US. I didn’t do anything to piss her off. Bitch. The food and drink are OK.

I finish up my food and there’s a bit of time until the Legends opens so I just watch sports on the TVs. Soon though it’s 9 pm. I walk back up the street to Buddy Guy’s and into the club. It’s a world away from Blue Chicago. It’s all very nice and spotlessly clean, very business-like. It has a proper stage, lights and a mixing desk plus a technician controlling everything. But where’s the place’s soul? Answer: it hasn’t got one.

I’m one of the first people in. The club gradually starts to fill up. But everyone just quietly files inside and politely sits at their nice, square cocktail tables sipping their drinks. There’s a background hum of conversation. But it’s like being at a corporate function with everyone on their best behaviour. When the music starts the audience just applaud quietly at the end of each number. In Blue Chicago there’s hollering, whooping and shouting, and raucous applause.

Mike, the ‘Buddy regular’ I met last night, told me that even if he’s not playing on stage, Buddy himself will hang around the bar chatting to everyone and that he’s a very sociable Guy… 🙂

“Damn Right, I’ve Got the Blues” **

But Buddy’s not here tonight, the barman telling me he must be away on a gig somewhere. Terry Davidson & the Gears, the band on stage, take a while to get going but they are very good, highly professional. Before their break they hit a good groove music-wise with a great mix of blues and rock. Sadly though there’s just no buzz or atmosphere in this place. Despite this I decide to stay and hear them out for the second half rather than head back to Blue Chicago. But I don’t get why the audience are so unenthusiastic with such great music?

After the break though the band do well for half an hour or so. But they then start playing their own songs, rather than known standards or favourites. Which is when the crowd gradually starts to drift away. The audience want the stuff they know, not “Terry’s Tunes”. The playing is highly polished, the sound and lights good, but talk about how to lose an audience. There’s a dance floor in front of the stage but few people now get up and dance, unlike before the break. Maybe it’s just the ‘corporate’ vibe this place has but the dance floor at Blue Chicago was packed out last night.

By 12.15 am the club is almost empty. Whatever lacklustre atmosphere there was has now gone completely. It’s like a morgue. Yet before the band’s break earlier every table was full and loads of people were standing around. There’s still no atmosphere but all the same, it’s a great shame the club is now devoid of people. The band could have continued building momentum after the break and maybe got things going with the audience. But they lost the plot – and the crowd with it.

I’m not sure how much longer the band will play on for, but I’ve had enough as well. As it happens, as I’m moving away from the stage and dance floor area, they announce they are done for the night. The complete lack of any audience response to this news is telling, sadly.

I emailed Mike, the guy from Blue Chicago last night, when I got home to say I found the music good but the atmosphere corporate and sterile. He didn’t reply. A shame as I’d like to know if my Legends experience was a one-off or if it’s like that every night.

“Something’s happening here today” ***

I’ve no choice at this hour other than to get a cab back to hotel. Upon arrival, as it’s my last night ‘on tour’, I decide I’m not done yet. Blue Chicago stays open until 2 am tonight. However whilst it is an undeniably great place, as it’s approaching 1 am, I decide I’m not going to pay the $8 cover charge to get in. So, casting caution to the wind, I decide to check out the Underground Wonder Bar again. Despite last night’s horror show.

And guess what? As I walk through the door some twat on door duty wants a $10 cover charge to let me in! At gone 1 am! Having obviously had a couple of sherbets by that time of night, I am not quiet about complaining. I state that I’d been here for the past two nights and never had to pay to get in then. “What a cheek”, “what a rip-off”, I rant at him. I may even have swore but I refuse to pay and turn around to walk out.

I may have been just a little bit noisy because the commotion did not go unheard however. I’m followed outside by some guy who asks where I’m from. I think the old accent thing comes into play again as I tell him. Out on the sidewalk he says he heard the ‘conversation’ and he’ll get me in. So we both go back in, him in the lead, and he just tells the doorman to let me in! I’ve no idea who he was, but thank you.

Esso! AfroJam FunkBeat

Reggae Night

Anyhow, it’s reggae night and Esso! AfroJam FunkBeat are just finishing off on stage and are quite good. I decide to stay for the second band on stage later. The place is already quite full when I arrive. There’s a mixed crowd of races and sexes in the bar. Suddenly though there’s a huge influx of people, mostly – but not all – white corporate types, all in one group.

The bar stools were all taken when I arrived so I’m sitting on a bench seat behind a table against the wall. Whereupon a young – and very attractive – blonde lady in her early 20s comes up and asks if the other seats around the table are taken. “No”, I reply and she sits down next to me and beckons some of her colleagues over.

Later I suss out that they’re looking after some European customers in town for a visit to their HQ. I never find out what business they’re in though. But my new blonde acquaintance starts talking to me, ignoring her colleagues for now. I’m soon off again with my story of the past two or so weeks…

Hurricane Reggae Band flyer

Her colleagues at the table soon join in our conversation. They and the Blonde turn out to be very good company. There’s loads of them and they’ve spread out all around the club. This means the place is really packed out now. Many of these new people regularly drift over to talk to the Blonde.

I soon realise she must be Queen Bee of their hive. And because I’m sitting next to her, she introduces me, which sparks further chat all round. These ‘visitors’ then go off to find someone else to bring over. This results in a constant stream of new faces coming to chat to me and my new lady friend. Or maybe that’s the other way round?

However the Blonde and I do seem to make some sort of connection. Because with all these people she apparently knows well, who keep coming up to her to say hello, she’s staying put next to me, and we are chattering away. I must be 25 years older than her – and she’s not flirting or coming on to me (trust me, I can tell) but we’re just having a great chat.  Must be my UK charm. 🙂

More Reggae Beats

Anyhow, we’re all getting along famously and I’m having a great time. Made even better by the fact that some of the Blonde’s friends keep buying me drinks. Which is great! The banter continues and at 1.30 am the Hurricane Reggae Band arrive on stage. They immediately hit a groove and are very good indeed. I like a bit of reggae every now and again – we white folks all like Bob Marley, no? – but I’m no connoisseur so couldn’t comment on their style or genre. But it’s definitely very good.

They make a superb sound on stage and get the crowd dancing in no time at all. There’s a really great buzz and vibe in the place. At some point the Blonde got up to dance with one of the European guests. At which point I turned to face the stage and listen to the music, soaking up the atmosphere. Most the chattering had stopped by then though. Well, we actually had no choice because the band were so loud that we had to resort to shouting to each other…

The reggae beats and grooves continue but some time later, despite the great atmosphere, I realise I’ve hung on for as long as I can. My eyelids are starting to drop. So I get up to leave, looking around to say goodbye and thank you to the Blonde and my new ‘friends’. However everyone’s having such a good time they’re oblivious – or drunk – and I can get no-one’s attention.

So I decide to take my leave and just slip away quietly. Nobody notices me departing. It’s been a long, varied, interesting – and excellent – day for my last full day on the road trip. Sadly, I’m going home tomorrow. I finally get to bed just before 3 am. Knackered. But joyful.

* Down by the Riverside – traditional gospel song, writer unknown, recorded by many artists including Elvis

** Damn Right, I’ve Got the Blues by Buddy Guy

*** Going Underground by The Jam