{"id":21980,"date":"2026-08-19T01:42:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-19T06:42:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mkultramagazine.com\/?p=21980"},"modified":"2026-08-19T07:39:54","modified_gmt":"2026-08-19T12:39:54","slug":"she-rides-let-loose-upon-the-world-she-is-the-night-and-my-loneliness-in-bondage-shes-black-and-sin-runs-down-her-back-she-rides-from-the-daylight-in-chains","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mkultramagazine.com\/?p=21980","title":{"rendered":"She rides. Let loose upon the world. She is the night. And my loneliness in bondage. She’s black and sin runs down her back. She rides from the daylight in chains."},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

My friend Charlie is a chef at the very new (soft opening tonight 8\/19\/2026) and invited me and Emily to attend the friends and family dinner at TARRA and SURA Thai restaurant in River North. I was very impressed with the entire two floor layout. Its very high end and though Tac Quick remains my favorite place for Thai in Chicago but this would be a great place to meet friends from out of town for drink. Thanks Charlie!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Afterwards we walked to my bus stop on Michigan Ave through a very crowded downtown on a hot sticky Chicago summer night, The day had both baseball teams playing, the Chicago Bears at Solider Stadium as well as the Air and Water Show so it was an uncomfortable commute for yours truly who got home around midnight and had a podcast to host the next day. as well as a convert to attend in Aurora later in the afternoon. <\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Emily, Charlie the Chef and AZ at Tarra Saturday August 25, 2026<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Sunday 8\/16\/2026 Podcast with Tycoon Machete singer\/founder\/guitarist J.P. Whipple<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Founded by two Salt Lake City musicians, J. P. Whipple and James Perry, Tycoon Machete was created to explore the frontiers where flesh meets the machine. They are joined by synth master, Sean McCarthy, and local artist Erin Stout on bass and singing saw.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Avoiding conventional rock band format, the band features an eclectic mixture of instruments including a 1942 lap steel, 1890\u2019s plectrum banjo, musical saw, synthesizers, and samplers. Live performances include psychedelic visuals from SLC artist, Murray Resinski.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Podcast co host and co writer of the Totally Tubular Fest that day Ellen the Felon<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Patio 2780 S Highland Ave, Lombard, IL 60148<\/p>\n\n\n\n


HOME OF CHICAGOLAND\u2019S FINEST BARBECUE! For over 40 years, our commitment to quality, consistency, and value have made us your perfect choice for family dining. From award-winning barbecue, hearty sandwiches, homemade soups, and garden fresh salads, we offer much more than just great barbecue!<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Ellen knows me well and this thing hit the spot! Luckily we got tehre just minutes before the dinner rush.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Incredible outdoor music\/event venue on the Fox River – great staff, fun entertainment, affordable tickets, awesome stage\/sound system, solid concessions and more at this 8,500-seat concert venue with river walk, bike path, pier & naturalistic landscaping.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Now, as I began to become a V.I.P
I forgot what I’d become a V.I.P. for
I began to grow accustomed to people saying
“Right this way, sir, drinks are on the house”
Flight attendants on airplanes saying
“Please, really, I don’t wanna bother you, sir
But it’s such a pleasure to have you here on board
May I have your autograph for my daughter?”
“Yeah baby, right after I go to the toilet
I’ll give you a couple of ’em ’cause I’m a V.I.P!”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

I’d been waiting to visit this venue since it was established. I absolutely love this place and want to ride my bike out here again as soon as possible which may not be till next season at this point but you never know, I’d love to bike the Fox River in the autumn so I just might do that since Robin lives very nearby. Looking forward to returning next month for CHEAP TRICK with Greg Drunken to who I insisted tothat we’re not getting drunk before or at the show.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

ANIMOTION vocalist Astrid Plane<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

ANIMOTION vocalist and guitarist Bill Wadhams<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Sunday In The Park With Alex – A Totally Tubular Experience by Ellen the Felon with Alex Zander<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“We were somewhere around Aurora, on the edge of the river, when the drugs began to take hold.”..<\/em>. Actually, we were at River\u2019s Edge Park and it was edibles for me, a few hours before the 2026 Totally Tubular Festival started. Now, I\u2019ve seen shows with my old pal Alex Zander, before, but never at this venue and never as his Media Pass plus one. After spending the earlier part of the day co-hosting his MKULTRASOUND  PodCast, we headed out to the far western Chicago burbs to see a show we were both really excited about. The lineup was a stellar exhibition of some excellent 80\u2019s bands:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tommy Tutone<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Escape Club<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Animotion<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Producers<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Men Without Hats<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Flock of Seagulls<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thomas Dolby and The Lost Toy People <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we entered the venue, we were immediately greeted by friendly, helpful staff, all of whom were about the same age as we are. And we\u2019re not 2 minutes in the place and the guy giving patrons drink wristbands from his electric wheelchair immediately recognized AZ from \u201cthe old days\u201d  in the city (encounter # 1). Getting passes and tickets at Will Call and going through security was incredibly easy. The venue itself had been newly remodeled and was spacious, clean and a far more comfortable outdoor concert space than any places we\u2019ve been to in the city. Even the bathrooms were spotless! (The updates included an expanded grass seating area, a new southern entryway, a sponsor skydeck, upgraded sound systems, and new jumbotrons) The coolest part about the place was that it\u2019s literally tucked along the Fox River (a landmark with trails AZ has biked before). Obviously, for a nostalgia show like this, the place was filled with Boomers and Gen-Xers, some dressed in their best 80\u2019s finery. And I say \u201cfilled\u201d, not \u201cpacked\u201d… There were maybe 5,000 people in attendance, which felt comfortable and not too \u201cpeopley\u201d. I was extremely impressed that they even had an ADA section, complete with a wheelchair ramp and comfy, padded folding chairs, with a great view of the stage (and my RA addled body DID end up there towards the end of the night).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, as we explored this space, that was new to both of us, we were both impressed with the set up. As we were sitting on a bench, trying to grab some shade from the sweltering, sticky heat, a guy came up to us, telling AZ that he and his wife had noticed him from afar and he apparently looked EXACTLY like this guy\u2019s deceased brother. I took pics of them and they DID actually resemble each other a bit. The guy was very pleased, to say the least. (encounter #2).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Immediately after this, a cool looking Asian concert photographer came up to us and exclaimed that he recognized AZ from a Rick Springfield show at the Metro  (encounter #3). After downing water, Gatorade and beer to quench our thirst, a breeze finally came in off the river as the clouds began to build in the sky. Before we knew it, the clock struck 7 PM and the show was starting RIGHT ON TIME!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First up was Tommy Tutone, who was clearly having fun, but was a bit off key at certain times during his performance and may or may not have been intoxicated. Of course, everyone jumped up for \u201c867-5309\/Jenny\u201d. The Escape Club was up next and their big hit \u201cWild, Wild West\u201d was a definite crowd pleaser. I should note that because this tour has been going since June across the country, they clearly have it down to a science, because the stage changeovers between each band\u2019s set were quick – like 5-10 minutes quick, so as not to lose the momentum of each band. It was VERY impressive, to say the least.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The third band to play was Animotion, an old fave of mine from back in the day. They were clearly having a fantastic time performing and despite doing only a 3 song set, when they played their hit, \u201cObsession\u201d (which was recently used in the trailer for the film \u201cMAXXINE\u201d<\/em>), the crowd loved it. The BEST part was that after their set, they actually came out into the audience to take pictures and talk with their fans. Astrid Plane was a riot and Alex spoke with her for a few minutes and I took a few photos of them chatting. Bill Wadhams was a delight to talk to. After taking pictures with him and getting a nice hug, I actually confessed to him that I had a massive crush on him back in the day (along with Adam Ant and Bowie, which is GREAT company)… He was so flattered that he made me repeat it on video into his phone! Surprisingly, he even gave me a kiss for that! He also spent time talking to AZ, who told him that he used to play the hell out of them when he was a radio DJ back in Pittsburgh in the late 80\u2019s, (We also talked about the resurgence of their big hit due to the trailer and the soundtrack for the horror movie MAXXXINE and he told me about how he loved how the placement of the song was included in the particular movie scene which it was featured. – az)<\/em> Bill was again flattered, humbled and gave AZ a huge, appreciative hug after filming him repeating his conversation on video . Having spent time around arrogant, narcissistic musicians, both AZ and I were very impressed with both Astrid and Bill\u2019s humbleness, generosity and true appreciation of their fans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Obsession”  by Holly Knight and Michael Des Barres, written and recorded in 1983. This version was played in the romantic drama film A Night in Heaven but will live forever in my mind as part of the Ty West Trilogy starring Mia Goth. – az<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Producers played next and they were our least favorite band of the night. I used to be pals with the lead singer and guitarist Kyle Henderson, through a mutual friend, but they were never a seminal 80\u2019s band for me. The only song of theirs that resonated was \u201cWhat’s He Got?\u201d. They were a resounding \u201cMeh\u201d. Next up were Men Without Hats. Now we ALL know the \u201cSafety Dance\u201d song, which was a HUGE hit on MTV, back in the day, with the dancing dwarves and ridiculously catchy, but annoying chorus. Neither of us were expecting much from these guys, but they had incredible energy with their tunes like, \u201cI Love The 80\u2019s\u201d and \u201cPop Goes The World\u201d. Lead vocalist Ivan Doroschuk  wore a shiny, silver shirt and was bopping all over the stage in a dynamic performance that was a welcome relief after the lackluster set from The Producers. (I was particularly impressed with their high energy set being that I was never a big fan of the single although I used it back in the day to pack any dancefloor that I was working. I have completely reevaluated my opinion of Men Without Hats. I should also note that the guitarist was having a blast although he looks more like a member of SLAYER than a member of a retro 80\u2019s act)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sadly, Bow Wow Wow was suspiciously absent from the lineup, despite being advertised. I would\u2019ve liked to have seen Anabella Lwin belting out her hits like \u201cI Want Candy\u201d and \u201cDo You Wanna Hold Me\u201d, but it was not to be and I have no idea why. The 2 headliners were up next, with longer sets than the previous bands, for obvious reasons. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Flock of Seagulls took the stage and opened with “The More You Live, the More You Love” which was  the first single from their third album, The Story of a Young Heart. (an album for many reasons that is near and dear to my heart and helped me through a rough period in my early 20’s – az) as well as new songs and their biggest hits accompanied by amazing lighting and multi media background visuals. Included were \u201cSpace Age Love Song\u201d, \u201cWishing (If I Had a Photograph of You)\u201d and ended their set with \u201cI Ran\u201d. They are still in fine form, despite not having their signature  winged, shellacked, monstrosity hairdos and it was a treat to see them live again.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

And the last performer of the night was the wonderful Thomas Dolby, who\u2019s albums I still have from my high school and college days. He and his band the Toy People, which included all of the original members, plus a new trombone and bass player, were rocking ALL of his old hits. He explained that he was actually wearing the SAME suit that he wore to the 1985 Grammys, where he received 3 nominations. He also made a comment about how it used to be so nice to play songs that \u201cdidn\u2019t offend everyone\u201d – a clear indictment about how much the world and music industry have changed over the last 40 years. He is still in fine form as well, hitting every note perfectly, looking dashing as ever and using all the synth power available, as though the last 4 decades never even happened. Like A Flock of Seagulls, his background visuals and lighting were fantastically choreographed, as were his moves on stage. He\u2019s STILL got it, folks!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dolby originally formed The Lost Toy People after relocating from England to Los Angeles in 1986. The band went on to record his third studio album Aliens Ate My Buick, which earned multiple Grammy nominations and featured songs including “Airhead,” “The Ability to Swing,” “The Key to Her Ferrari” and the fan favorite “Pulp Culture.” Their Totally Tubular set will revisit much of that album while also featuring Dolby’s signature hits, including “She Blinded Me With Science,” performed live with the full band<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aliens Ate My Buick was strongly funk and dance influenced. The first single was “Airhead”, a satirical song about a stereotypical young-and-rich California woman, which peaked at # 53. The second single, “Hot Sauce”, a George Clinton song, peaked at #.80. Another single, “My Brain Is Like a Sieve,” peaked at No. 89 on the UK Singles Chart. The album was co-produced by Bill Bottrell, and featured Terry Jackson on bass guitar.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dolby has assembled a lineup that includes original guitarist Larry Treadwell and singer-percussionist Laura Creamer alongside Roxx on bass, drummer Mat Hector, whose credits include Iggy Pop, Thom Yorke and Grace Jones, and New Orleans trombonist Ethan Santos. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

He told the story of when he made an uncredited musical cameo on Saturday Night Live during the Season 11 finale on May 24, 1986. Rather than being the official musical guest, he crashed the stage with George Clinton & The Parliament Funkadelic followed  the story of their collaboration that formed after a fishing trip along the Florida coast. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The performance reminded me more of Frank Zappa than any sort of the 1980\u2019s synth pop that I was expecting. So Mr. Dolby thank you for the education. – az<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

After 6 hours at River\u2019s Edge, seeing 7 bands, a massive shift in the weather (complete with clouds, lightning, light rain and a blissful cold front that pushed the heat and humidity back into oblivion, we called it a night and headed back to my Bronco, with the cool breeze at our backs. Once again, the venue staff was affable and seemed genuinely glad that we had such a fantastic time seeing the show and experiencing the venue (again, something you will NEVER experience in most concert spots in Chicago proper). We hit the highway back to the urban decay, after having one of the best fucking summer Sundays I\u2019ve ever had! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A very special thanks to Andrea Faulk at MSO, the wonderful staff at RiverEdge Park and lastly to Bill Wadhams for being a fantastic performer and kind human for the time he gave to the fans.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

My friend Charlie is a chef at the very new (soft opening tonight 8\/19\/2026) and invited me and Emily to attend the friends and family dinner at TARRA and SURA Thai restaurant in River North. I was very impressed with the entire two floor layout. Its very high end and though Tac Quick remains my… Read More »She rides. Let loose upon the world. She is the night. And my loneliness in bondage. She’s black and sin runs down her back. She rides from the daylight in chains.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":21981,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","neve_meta_sidebar":"","neve_meta_container":"","neve_meta_enable_content_width":"","neve_meta_content_width":0,"neve_meta_title_alignment":"","neve_meta_author_avatar":"","neve_post_elements_order":"","neve_meta_disable_header":"","neve_meta_disable_footer":"","neve_meta_disable_title":"","ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_themeisle_gutenberg_block_has_review":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21980","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-diary-of-a-damned-man"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mkultramagazine.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21980","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mkultramagazine.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mkultramagazine.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mkultramagazine.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mkultramagazine.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=21980"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/mkultramagazine.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21980\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22057,"href":"https:\/\/mkultramagazine.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21980\/revisions\/22057"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mkultramagazine.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/21981"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mkultramagazine.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=21980"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mkultramagazine.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=21980"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mkultramagazine.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=21980"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}