Web site: http://www.myspace.com/howlingpoppies

I'm a musician/person with a day job living in Rogers Park and working in Chicago's bizarre aspirational non-place known as "SoNo." I play guitar and sing for a culturally important band called the Howling Poppies. I grew up in the Pacific Northwest, moved here about three years ago, and will be heading south to Texas in the summer, so, unfortunately, it looks like my time in Chicago is coming to an end. This city's a great place to be if you have a good reason to be here, but it can be a crushing place to kill time. My favorite local things to brag about are seeing B.H. Obama's motorcade during the transition period, the awesome music at places like Lampo/Hideout/Hungry Brain, and, no kidding, the architecture boat tour. My glums are the obliterating 6-month cold, Wrigleyville, and the city's bottomless craving for external validation. I have no opinion about the Olympics, but I wish Mayor Daley would let me park my crappy Accord in peace.