The weekend started early with a concert at the United Center, where I got to see Paul McCartney live for the first time. The last time he came through, 3 years ago at Wrigley Field,  I remember listening to the show outside the stadium on Waveland Ave, cursing myself for not buying a ticket. He played for over 3 hours, mixing in songs from his vast catalog, including the Beatles, the now disbanded Wings, and solo material. He played tribute songs, “Here Today, ” about John Lennon, and for George Harrison, a ukelele version of “Something.” The pyro on “Live & Let Die” was out -of- control, and overall it was a great concert.  You might recall, I’d been reeling from the death of my girlfriend, and was in dire need of a pick-me-up. This concert was the perfect remedy. 

I was fortunate to have two really fun shows this weekend, with Friday’s show being the highlight. I got to open for Taylor Williamson, who came in 2nd place last season on America’s Got Talent. I’d met Taylor down in Tampa about 7 years ago, and found him to be a likable and funny guy. This time around the show was for about 300 people in Metamora, IL at the public golf course. The crowd was red-hot, and everyone had a blast. Hosting the show was Kansas City native  Alan Grafton, who did a
great job of setting the stage for me & Taylor.

Saturday, I had a corporate gig for Rachel Allen, a designer of specialty dresses for women, and it was held at the Sheraton in Rosemont.  They were putting on a fashion show, and needed some end of the day humor, and I was happy to oblige. I got to pretend I was a runway model for the evening, and it was a blast. My feet are still killing me from the high-heels. Kidding, of course, and they were a fun group.

     Below, are two sandwiches from the giant Italian food emporium Eately, in Chicago. Located upstairs, one of the food stations is called the “Rosticceria,” and  I’d say the prime rib is one of the best sandwiches I’ve ever eaten. From Diamond Creek Ranch in Kansas, the Angus beef came thinly sliced, on crusty french bread, with porcini rub, extra-virgin olive oil, and a touch of sea salt. The porchetta sandwich was sliced pork from Bensmiller’s Ranch in Iowa, with a similar rub, on the same bread. While not as good as the prime rib, what makes these sandwiches delicious is the simplicity of them.