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June 12, 2006
Lisa Loeb and other Jews
So on Sunday I went to the Chicago Jewish Festival. My sole motivation for leaving my Sunday NY Times at 11:30 this morning was to see Lisa Loeb for free. It ended up costing me a $5 forced donation, but I suppose that was worth it for Lisa.
Unlike most people, I own a Loeb album (Hello Lisa) and I didn't even remember that her #1 single was featured in the movie Reality Bites. I've also been listening to her on Rhapsody. So I was pleasantly surprised that she played a few of the songs from the album I've come to appreciate via Rhapsody - The Way it Really Is. There were only two downsides to her performance: an extremely obnoxious "festival staff" person in a bright orange shirt who refused to get off the stage (he was taking pictures of her and the audience and completely distracting both her and the audience from her performance), and it was too short. Well, a third downside: I had to listen to a rabbi rockin out while waiting for Loeb to perform. It totally reminded me of Crossing California, including the random female groupies to the side of the stage.
I'm really glad I went with someone because chatting with her made it okay that I was at a really dorky, completely uninspiring Jewish event. I also managed to get in an argument with an Israeli ex-Special Forces guy. This because my purse has my WCUSP button on it. (WCUSP = Women Challenge US Policy: Building Peace on Justice in the Middle East, a national campaign of Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, and I am the WILPF US Program Chair.) Then my friend and I started debating the Israel / Palestine issue. And the whole thing made me realize that I need more ways to explain my views to other Jews who believe that a Jewish state is absolutely necessary to avoid another holocaust. I could go on, but I don't want to talk off the cuff on such an important issue.
Afterward, we went to Ribfest on Lincoln in my hood. I had half of a fried Snickers, a corn on the cob, a rib sampler, and a few bites of a Ribwich sandwich. I should've bought another ticket and gone for the Cuban sandwich I had originally been eyeing. Then again, having found an authentic recipe on the net, I now remember why I've never tried one before: garlic is a main ingredient in the roast pork, and I'm allergic to garlic. In any case, I'm not exactly wasting away so it's fine with me that I threw out most of the sandwich.
Posted by cj at June 12, 2006 01:42 AM