Hello everyone. I sure am tired of capitalism. Maybe we should try something else?

three videos

For many years I organized experimental music shows at the Jefferson Park branch of the Chicago Public Library. I stopped at the end of 2025 because the branch manager retired and I had to wait until a new manager was hired to see if they would still be up for hosting shows. That was a process that took six months or so and I just recently learned that they are still interested.

In the meantime, however, I also learned that the church down the street from my house has an amazing multi-purpose room, complete with stage. And they were happy to host music shows, hooray!

So far I’ve had three shows there in May, June, and August. The initial performer for August, Christopher Riggs, decided to do a larger event where 10 performers would perform in smaller configurations whose groupings would be determined at random.

All this background preamble is to say that Christopher also invited me to be one of those 10 performers. So, below are the three sets that I participated in.

What was interesting for me is that I didn’t feel nervous about performing in this context. Which is how I also felt the last (and only other) time that I performed improvised music in front of an audience a couple years ago. I absolutely felt stressed and frazzled because I was also doing sound and setting all the musicians up with what they needed to perform. Logistics stuff. It was also super humid and wet from a preshow deluge, so physically uncomfortable too.

My thinking is that, with improvised music, there’s nothing to fuck up and no mistakes to be made. So there’s less pressure than if I were to be performing songs that I labored over for years knowing exactly how they are supposed to go and sound.

I find I’m actually hoping to perform in this context more. So, that’s something. Neat!

and a zine

I’ll also use this as an opportunity to say that I made a second photo zine. This one is a collection of photos I made at LaBagh Woods Forest Preserve in Chicago. There are many things I don’t enjoy about Jefferson Park and the far northwest side of Chicago. Many. But, one thing I do love is that there is a lot of green space along the Chicago River up here. And LaBagh Woods is easily in the top three good things about living in Jefferson Park cuz it’s a ten minute bike ride from my house. (Another top three good thing are the friends I’ve made in my neighborhood. Hi!)

The photos were made between 2024 and 2026 and I laid them out according to how they looked in groupings. So, the clusters of images had to feel connected or feel aesthetically linked somehow. I’m trying to learn how to design layouts where the primary focus is only photos instead of the focus being on text with photos mixed in and I look to photo books that I like for ideas. Most of the photos are of trees, which I find visually interesting and mysterious and beautiful, and there are also photos of plants and water and ice. Also, light.

As always, if you’d like a copy, just let me know and I’ll happily send you one.

On the topic of the Cook County Forest Preserves, the Teamsters of the Cook County Forest Preserves are on strike. You can read about that here:

And if you live in Cook County you can send an automated letter of support to your county commissioner here:

Tell your Commissioners: Forest Preserves Teamsters United Workers deserve a fair contract - Action Network

The Forest Preserves of Cook County Local 700 Team works hard to care for the Forest Preserves of Cook County. Tell the Cook County Board of Commissioners that they deserve a fair and timely contract.

That is about all I have for this newsletter. I’m writing this particular part on September 1 and it is fucking damp and hot in Chicago. Some might say sultry. I’d love to hear from you, let me know what you are up to! I also hope you are doing as well as you can be.

Keep loving, keep fighting! Free Palestine!
Keith