In front of a crowd of a few hundred people, scattered at tables and chairs across the wide open floor of the Art Institute's new modern wing, Andrew Bird showed yet again why he is a force to be reckoned with in today's music scene.

For a performer who is finally getting the mainstream attention that he deserves, Bird is still remarkably humble and down to earth.  As a relatively recent transplant to Chicago, I unfortunately missed out on the days where you could catch Bird routinely playing at the Hideout or Schubas, but I can’t shake the feeling that he would be just as happy playing for a few hundred people as he would be performing in front of a sold-out Radio City Music Hall.  Even though his show has gotten bigger and more intricate over the years, he looked as comfortable as ever, owning the small Schubas stage and having the audience pretty much eating out of the palm of his hand.

Review of my day at Lollapalooza: April Smith, Hockey, Manchester Orchestra, Gringo Star, The Knux, The Gaslight Anthem, Bon Iver, Ben Folds, Fleet Foxes, The Decemberists, Andrew Bird, and Kings of Leon.

My first Andrew Bird experience, a free concert at Chicago's Millennium Park, which attracted over 10,000 fans.

The Grey Race and Teddy Thompson put on an amazing show that you should go see if you’re in to sweet guys with guitars and poignant lyrics and a folk-rock tinge to your music. Check them out on Myspace, pick up their albums at your local indie music store, love on them, and when you find them, kidnap them and deliver them all to my house for a giant tangling of limbs and also occasional music breaks.