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This was actually a planned break; I had made plans to see the Henhouse Prowlers' album release show at the Old Town School of Folk Music long before Friday night's Cubs game had made me so upset.
It was a good time to go out for the evening; the Prowlers always put on a great show and did not disappoint. Full disclosure: Jon Goldfine, the Prowlers' bass player (and seen above doing vocals), has been a friend of mine for more than 20 years, is a huge Cubs fan and often joins us in the bleachers. The whole band is pictured at the top of this recap.
The Henhouse Prowlers play traditional bluegrass, but even if you think you don't like bluegrass, you will love them. They play every Tuesday night at Martyrs', 3855 N. Lincoln in Chicago, and often tour around the Midwest and other parts of the country. They played a high-energy show for two and a half hours, with the second set including former members of the band who have gone on to other things.
It took my mind off the Cubs for a while. I will tell you that I am working on a very long piece that, I hope, will explain better how I feel about the rebuild, and having to wait so long to see what we all want to see. I'm hoping to have this up sometime tomorrow.
Oh, yes, the game. The Cubs beat the Padres 3-2, their first one-run win in two weeks. Darwin Barney went 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBI; his seventh HR of the season matches his career high, set last year. If he has a strong September, he might be able to match his offensive output from 2012.
Jeff Samardzija had one of those games that make you think he can be a No. 1 starter. He threw eight strong innings and struck out Logan Forsythe with the bases loaded to end the eighth inning. Kudos to Dale for leaving Shark in to bail himself out instead of bringing in a reliever, who almost certainly would have blown it. For Shark, the message is, "Keep doing this."
I'm glad the Cubs won, breaking their four-game losing streak. I'm glad I went to see some music Saturday night. You're probably going to suggest I do this more often, if the Cubs win while I'm not watching. Probably not happening. In the meantime, go see the Henhouse Prowlers if you can, and buy their CD. They're awesome.