Last night, it was the hottest ticket in town: Evanston, and Chicago. Beloved jazz pianist Brad Mehldau and his trio took the stage at Evanston's Space last night, playing to a sellout crowd at a far-smaller-than-usual spot for the internationally-renowned musician. Tickets were snapped up months ago, and those gathered at Space were of the obsessive sort, a perfect atmosphere for a night of world-class jazz. Despite an eerie crosswind blowing between Space's two doors—this is not a large place, it can't be emphasized enough—Mehldau and his trio were in their own world, opening up with his cover of blues standard "Hey Joe" (you probably know the Hendrix version) and blasting through his repertoire of reconfigured pop and rock classics. It was a banner night for jazz in Chicago, with a showing from the Netherlands' ICP Orchestra at the Chicago Cultural Center and local experimental guitarist Ken Camden at Hungry Brain, but last night, Mehldau and company made sure Space was the place.
The Owly: Shining a spotlight on last night's defining moment. Think we're off the mark? Make your own Owly nominations by sending videos, pictures and dispatches from the field to chicago@thefeast.com.
