TCMH, v.79: Hot Take Alert: Joliet is More Fun Than Las Vegas
Plus A Recap on MicroCon 2023, Held in, Yes, That World-Renowned Mecca of Fun, Joliet.
When you post to Facebook that you’re looking for things to see and do in Joliet, you’ll get at least a few comments about things to see and do in… Chicago. That’s understandable, perhaps, as you have 2.7 million citizens living within Illinois’ biggest city, while about 150,000 reside 45-odd-minutes away in Joliet. That town is where we spent all of our Illinois time last weekend, taking in the sights and sounds of MicroCon 2023 from Thursday-Sunday; more on that event in a moment.
We found most of what we were looking in for in Joliet, which, it should be said, is a town with a decently sized footprint for its size. You’ll likely need a car to visit and you’ll often be driving about 10-15 minutes ‘cross town. That is, if you find yourself staying at a convention hotel on the exurban edge of the city, which is exactly the kind of place that hosted MicroCon.
To find our people, we looked for regular haunts, you know the kind: thrift shops, book stores, coffee houses, the usual boho stuff. Found examples of most, though Joliet’s coffee houses tend towards the early close, so: hello, staffs of two Starbucks.
Microbreweries helped us lock in our evening plans, and we found two not very far from one another in downtown. One, MyGrain Brewing Co., featured: a funny/punny name, a great menu with an emphasis on Polish food, and a decent taplist (along with guest beers from Poland). Bonus: we were greeted enthusiastically on our second visit! We were already/practically considered regulars. A close walk/drive away was Elder Brewing Co., with a funky li’l backyard, live music programming and a shorter taplist than MyGrain alongside some guest taps. Thursday there (with live music) was busy and fun; Friday night (no band, just two old boys at the bar, plus us) was chill and fun in its own weird way.
Interestingly, directly between the two spots is a ballpark, home to both a local college team and the Slammers of the Frontier League. A whole, whole lot of businesses in town play on the prison history of Joliet, and the local semi-pro ballclub’s no exception, with a jailbird as its logo. On our third full night in town, we thought about sneaking into the park for the last couple innings, but the game had just ended, meaning… a fireworks show. While not a die-hard fireworks fan, it did make for a decent consolation prize.
While we drove from Point A to B, we noticed a museum here, a college to explore there, a hiking path worth a gander, a picture-perfect stream through the woods. Joliet is human-sized, if you will, able to be explored to a decent degree in just a few days; that isn’t a knock.
When we attended MicroCon last year, we were swamped by choices, while finding out what the whole micronational community was all about. That sense of overwhelm created a feverish 23-hour trip to Sin City, where we tried to do too much, often finding the attractions to be… suffocating. Too large. Too expensive. Too bold, too brash, too loud, too everything.
In Joliet, we were able to focus on the job at hand: covering MicroCon. Over the next few weeks, Stefene will have a piece, maybe two, up at Historiola!, while I’m working up stories for Salt Lake City Weekly and Euclid Media Group. It was fun to dive deep into the micronational scene; that was done with the inside/outside perspective as we know one of the countries, Zaqistan, through some personal connections. Without all the flash and dash of Vegas, we were able to sit back, and enjoy the slower speed of Joliet, not even remotely tempted to drive our speed-challenged Mitsubishi rental towards the appealing elements of Chicago.
Can say that Joliet’s got that nice blend of everything you need, without pretense. It’s near enough to Chicago that I’d imagine locals find their occasional bliss in the bigger city, if not traveling over a couple of times a week by train. As a place that hosts conventions, Joliet works. I liked it, as it served our purposes exactly and that’s my hot take about Joliet right there, yes! I’d seriously go there over Vegas if offered free travel to each. That’s another hot take! And my last on the subject. I like Joliet! There you go.
And a quick word about MicroCon. It’s a bi-annual gathering of micronationals, folks who’ve started their own, yes, micro nations. Some are doing it for a lark, others are wry art projects and a few are serious(ish). To attend one of these without a passionate need to be there means you’re swimming in a very unique pool, attendees often in military or monarchistic cosplay, others dressed simply. It’s weird and wacky and happens in Europe and North America every two years, with Montreal slated for 2025. There’re plenty of places to find more info and I’d invite you to at least give this short video a view. Thanks Vice News!
Interestingly, Monday saw The Free Press publish a work by Adam Popescu about sovereign citizens named Texians (rather than Texans) who reside in, yes, Texas. They’re of the more-Liberatrian-inclined bent, with various grievances against the US federal government, often tied to taxes, gun laws and Covid lockdowns/vaccines. It’s a good piece and well worth the read, though these folks don’t exactly share the approaches and vibes of micronationalists, who often seem to be involved in a sort of civic cosplay. There’d likely be some overlap, though. This piece was an interesting one to see immediately following a weekend in which I willingly tossed myself into the fantastical world of MicroCon. Some folks, like the Texicans, are definitely playing a different game that the genteel lawn croquet nationalism-lite of MicroCon’s attendees.
Newbie Orleans: There are around a dozen books that I’d 100% recommend to those interested in learning about New Orleans, whether they’re overviews of the city’s history, or contemporary looks at life and culture here. To be honest, I find Andrei Codrescu’s New Orelans, Mon Amour to be one of the handful of most enjoyable titles I’ve read on NOLA, but there’s probably a need to have at least lived here for a few years to fully pick up the nuances of this book of essays, mostly culled from writings in the 1990s.
Codrescu isn’t from New Orleans, he’s from Transylvania; yet he thinks like a local, with tons of wry asides. The book was likely slated for release right around the time of Katrina, as the first 95% of the essays take place in those pre-Katrina days, with just a few recapping the event of the century here. Even so, a ton of the things that he discusses hold true today, a couple of decades later; as a storyteller, this NPR/weekly paper essayist, novelist, poet, zine publisher and teacher knows how distill a lot of thoughts and wisdom into a 750-word byline.
If you wish to take your New Orleans studies to the next level, this is your book. Funny, clever, insightful. Worth the time and then some.
Yes, we also once wrote about a film of the same name in this space. That’s not the same project. Doesn’t have the same vibe. They bear no evident relationship, though released at roughly the same time. Both have added greatly to my knowledge of “home,” for which I’m thankful.
Mixed Media: I’m always down for some Dazed and Confused content. Now that Matthew McConaughey is a favorite of the philosophy podcast/vlog circuit, think pieces about his charismatic, career-launching character Wooderson are suddenly floating about. If you see any, I’ll read those, too…
Love to find confirmation (on Substack, no less!) that “the coffee shop effect” is real. Knew that (and live that). But I did not know this: “There’s a website called Coffitivity which offers free ambient café soundtracks.” Technology is cool…
Cried in public (well, on an airplane) reading a Washington Post mega-feature on the intertwined fortunes of tennis greats Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova. Sally Jenkins did the work on this one…
Back to watching Ghost Adventures, including a two-day binge of the episodes regarding Bobby Mackey’s Music World, reputedly America’s most-haunted venue. This Bitter Southerner piece about the club is quite amazing, just a great bit of historical writing about rural lore. You don’t even have to list the show as a guilty pleasure to enjoy this one…
A whole lotta podcasts seem to have taken the summer off, or they’re working on the next season. Whatever. I need content! Lately, I dialed into People I (Mostly) Admire by Freakonomics’ co-author and lead podcaster Steve Levitt. It’s smart pod, running about an hour, with 75% of that given over to solid conversations with a range of guests, all of whom Levitt (mostly) admires. Don’t love it, but like it plenty much. Give the guest list a whirl, see if you find a name that draws you in…
It’s a bit strange seeing one of your favorite albums from 1992 getting a contemporary write-up in Pitchfork. No complaints, as Lush’s Spooky deserves the acclaim, whenever and wherever. Also, if anyone’s in the UK and wishes to pick up a copy of Miki Berenyi’s book… well, I’d sure appreciate it.
A YouTube Lagniappe: Without apology, I enjoy most videos involving John Mulaney, a regular on the late-night talk show circuit; also should note that his darkly comedic new special on Netflix, Baby J, is quite the view. Also enjoyed on YouTube without reservation: First We Feast’s Hot Ones, in which host Sean Evans (reported net worth: $40-million) interviews stars of all sorts as they eat increasingly-hot chicken wings. This is a marriage of interests made in heaven and is, Evans says “something dumb for smart people.” Agreed (if I’m qualified). By the by, Mulaney’s ability to handle heat is… impressive. Very impressive.
The Thank You Section: Big thanks to John D. and Brian G. for becoming paid subscribers. While Memory Hall will remain a free reading experience, paid subs do help the cause. Paid subscriptions are never expected, but are always appreciated.