Jesse Malin at the Double Door

My first time at this "hipster" hangout in Wicker Park and much to my surprise, the suburbs invaded! I kid but only half-so. The show itself was great! High energy, ripped through song after song for the first 45 minutes without much commentary. Then Jesse started to get comfy and go off on a few comical, if not odd, tangents. At one point he made the entire audience sit on the floor w/him. Luckily I was sitting on a bar stool and didn't have to find out just how clean the Double Door keeps its floors!

That said, I sort of think the group in front of me may have been in Grant Park for Blues Fest and detoured on their way back to Naperville. Now, I think it's cool for anyone to go to a show to enjoy some live tunes, but these people were clearly not there for the tunes ... or for Jesse for that matter. A group of late 30-somethings in khaki shorts, Hawaiian shirt and tennis shoes and white socks proceeced to stand in our way and act like a bunch of drunken fratards, hitting each other on the backs, bumping into people and groping their gals ... who were dirty dancing to even the ballads. I was annoyed but not nearly as much as the big white guy sitting next to me, decked out in all black with his girlfriend, having told me he had just come from work and wanted to relax, hear Jesse Malin. He told me he was just "waiting" for one of them to bump into his girl. To tell the truth, I was, too! End of show, the guy leaned over and asked me if I thought they all called each other before getting dressed...of if they let their girlfriends dress them. I admit, it was a strange crowd for the Double Door. Hopefully Jesse can find his niche here in Chicago, and next time, we can leave the Parrotheads at home :)