Navy Pier

Donna Herula – Navy Pier – August 30, 2025

Posted on by admin

After seeing Donna Herula at the Old Town Art Fair, and good to my word (see my June 14 blog), I went to see her at the Navy Pier Beer Garden, or, in my case, the bottled water garden.

As before, she played some classic blues numbers and a bunch of songs from her award-winning Bang at the Door CD, adding some recently-recorded ones that are part of a forthcoming release, including Backseat Driver, not to be confused with the three other songs of the same name I found online.

The biggest difference from June was that her husband Tony was in attendance, resulting in Herula calling him up to the stage to sing Can’t Wait to See My Baby with her. Thankfully he then went back to his seat. The duet was better (and amusing) last time when he was absent and she sang both parts.

There was a short interruption at one point for Herula to adjust her guitar (one of four she had on stage), whereupon she apologized by saying “we tune because we care.” I’m guessing she’s used that line before. I’ll be waiting for it next time I see her play.

Chicago Live – Navy Pier – September 21, 2024

Posted on by admin

I heard that they moved the Sunday performances indoors because of the rain. I wished they had done that on Saturday because of the heat – 90 degrees and blazing sun less than 24 hours before the autumnal equinox. Don’t wait, buy your new winter getaway home in Chicago while they last.

Last year I saw a dozen different acts and planned to do much the same this time around. I wanted to see Black Ensemble Theater and Dee Alexander again and catch Second City, which I haven’t gone to in years, even though I can tell you, from personal experience, that comedy is hard and outdoor comedy in front of mobile audiences, near impossible.   

After enjoying the Porchlight Music Theatre presentation that highlighted their forthcoming 2024-25 season, I began my quest for shade, to reenergize, before my next selection. (Unlike Superman, I don’t get my strength from the sun, just my Vitamin D, and I’d already gotten my required dosage for the day, based upon the new portable body monitor I’m envisioning but haven’t yet invented.)  

Unfortunately, going inside the building that once upon a time (1945-1965) housed the University of Illinois Chicago campus (or as it was known at the time, no joke, Harvard on the rocks) brought no relief, as I was now subjected to overexposure, not to the sun, but rather to children, suburbanites and toxic aromas from fast food restaurants, more burden than anyone should have to bear. 

Same time next year.