On Sunday morning Erica and I went to see her friend Eric Reda play his accordion and sing in a house-shaped hole in a vacant lot. (Yes, Erica Reid's friend Eric Reda. I'm worried that someday they might touch and the matter/anti-matter explosion could take out most of Chicago.)

Eric is auditioning for a new production of Shockheaded Peter and wanted his audition tape to have the ambiance of a "junk opera". So 10 of his closest friends sat outside in 7� weather and listened to Eric work his way through an original song and covers of Toxic and Bj�rk's Anchor Song. Eventually his fingers froze and we moved inside for mimosas and another round of the songs.