Palooza Profiles '05: Summertime Groovers: Music: Jacob Knabb: CenterstageChicago.com

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Palooza Profiles '05: Summertime Groovers

Like blissing out? You'll love Hyde Park Records.

Wednesday Jul 13, 2005. By Jacob Knabb

Music Feed

Carefree and laid-back, blissed out and groovin' in the ways of the masters, the Summertime Groovers will be seeking more mellow moments in which to relax and take in the sounds. Though the laidback crowd come in all shapes and sizes, one thing is certain: the music must be chill. With that in mind, Lollapalooza has a little taste of what you require to rock your baby to sleep. And while the theme for Lollapalooza 2005 is more up-tempo, there are a few moments of mellow gold to be mined. Saturday will deliver Ambulance LTD and Digable Planets. And Sunday offers up Soulive and G Love & Special Sauce.

Your bar = Ten Cat Tavern
Tucked around the corner from the Lakeview and Uptown hype, the Ten Cat quietly serves up an awesome Long Island Iced Tea, a small but stellar beer selection and one of the finest selections of vintage R&B, blues and jazz on any jukebox this side of the Mississippi. With a patio area, three separate rooms and a boatload of cool vintage furniture, the bar is perpetually half-full and provides a smooth laidback summertime vibe for folks looking to dip around the corner and chill away from all the hipster hype.

The Ten Cat prides itself on the eight-foot, 1940 Brunswick Sport King, and the nine-foot, 1925 Brunswick Medalist, that the owners, Connie and Richard Vonachen, plucked from a pool hall the family still owns. The tables are kept in tip-top condition and play smooth and true. Richard Vonachen himself often holds court behind the bar, and you can bring your dog if you want, after all the place got its name from the veritable herd of cats the Vonachens have at home.

Your restaurant = Skylark
Located just south of the Loop in the artists' haven known as Pilsen, Skylark offers up a small but rib-sticking soul food menu and tidy list of affordable micro-brews and obligatory domestics. Featuring a wall lined with large booths and a healthy number of tables, the Skylark also offers many of the amenities its more trendy counterparts dangle to the Wicker Park set, but the Skylark remains markedly more low-key. Relax, the staff runs a tight ship. The tunes are stellar and range from local legends Tortoise to mid-'90s giants like Wu Tang Clan. There's a photo booth where you and yours can commemorate the weekend with a trio of black & whites.

With exposed beams on the ceilings and framed Masonic flags hung over the large wooden bar and the ink-enriched waitstaff and bartenders, as well as the retro couches and literature rack up front and, Eric, the doorman, who's always buried in a book and self-publishes a cool local 'zine named after a Pilsen Towing Co., the Skylark is a no-brainer. Order the collard greens and the fried chicken. Savor a Skylark burger topped with red slaw, or go low-brow with the tater tots (but be sure to ask for the dipping sauces). The Skylark is cool as a cucumber and smooth enough to blow the candles out and be under the covers before the room gets dark.

Your record store = Hyde Park Records
Hyde Park Records is located on the South Side near University of Chicago's campus, and boasts what might just be the finest selection of vintage jazz, soul, blues and hip-hop LPs and CDs. The prices are reasonable, and the staff, rather than assuming a condescending stance, makes an honest effort to learn your name and tastes so they can assist you on your next visit. The layout is logical and easy to navigate, and the store always plays such good music you might just ditch the records you planned to buy and ask them for a copy of what they're spinning. The only downside is that Hyde Park is a bit difficult to access from the L, so a car or a bus trip might be in the works.

For Additional Info and Insider Tips: Check out the Unofficial Lollapalooza Guide on ChicagoFests.com.

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