Out to Pasture

I checked into a hotel in downtown Chicago today. Going down in the elevator, a man, woman and small child (a boy of around 4) got into the car. It was crowded and I didn't look twice, but then the man said to the child, "Come over here and stand by me." There was something very familiar about that voice and when I looked, I couldn't be sure, but it did look like Tom Hanks. Grey haired, tall and pudgy, he got out of the car before we got to the bottom, so I really couldn't be sure.
As it happens Hanks is in Chicago today, but if it was him I'm not sure who the kid was as his family are grown.
Well, he's not the only 'star' in town. Glen Hansard is here supporting Eddie Vedder, and today supported Low in a free gig in Millennium Park. Thankfully I missed the pompous git, but I did get to hear Low. I have heard their music in the past, but am not that familiar with it. As it was, there were some similarities between Hansard and them, but not enough to ruin it for me. Instead they came across as a mix of Yo La Tengo and Mogwai. Rock minimalism, and not very sophisticated on the lyrics front (though 'take your baseball bat and knock those bitches out to pasture' did have a certain poetic ring). Enjoyable, from a free point of view at least.
Following an online recommendation I went for sushi in Friends Sushi on Rush Street. Rush was the appropriate term. I got there around 9:40 and they seemed to be closing at 10 (though I only found this out after I ordered). First they put me by the door away from everyone despite there being tables in the restaurant proper. At least I had a couple of flies on the wall for company. Then they forgot the miso. Then they gave me a dish with a good deal of the sashimi missing (I went for the delux platter and got a minor bowl). The fish wasn't even that great. Very disappointed. I left by 10:10, voluntarily.