JD STYLE Group

Although they named their band after a now defunct lawn-ornament shop in New Jersey, chances are you won’t find Fountains of Wayne’s Chris Collingwood and Adam Schlesinger braving the retail mobs this holiday season. You might hear their songs, though; since their release in 1997, “I Want an Alien for Christmas” and “The Man in the Santa Suit” have quietly elbowed their way onto mall playlists across the country. In a recent interview, we chatted with the two power pop kings about their feelings on becoming a part of the Christmas music pantheon. How did these songs come about? What was the inspiration behind them? ADAM: "I Want an Alien for Christmas" was written for Hanson, when they were doing a Christmas record. They didn’t use it, so we recorded it ourselves while we were on tour in the UK. CHRIS: Adam had written “Alien,” and I wrote “Santa Suit” in haste so we would have a B-side for the single. Most fans of the band know that Adam writes the funny ones, whereas mine are typically more dour. I confess that I don't like Christmas. I've always resented its mixed messages—love your neighbor, be kind, consider those less fortunate, but by all means indulge yourself with material things. The character in the song is trying to make ends meet and having a hard time of it, which I think is a far more realistic view of Christmas than you usually get in a holiday song. What are the top three presents on the man in the Santa suit's Christmas list? What's he getting Loretta for Christmas? CHRIS: First thing, he takes the money and buys a new water heater because the old one hasn't worked in weeks. Then, for Christmas, they both have a hot bath. The rest of it goes to his credit-card company, who uses it to install a gold toilet in the CEO's jet. Did you ever get the alien? If not, what's the best gift you've ever gotten? ADAM: I never got an alien, but I once got a questionnaire from Groupon. I thought that was a thoughtful gift. Which one would win in a fight: the alien from "I Want an Alien for Christmas" or the hippo from "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas"? Please explain your reasoning. Assume Dr. Demento is the referee. ADAM: The hippo would win because he actually exists. Christmas music is still dominated by the same songs we've all heard for decades (and, in some cases, centuries). What inspired you to add your voice to the mix? How did writing for a holiday with so many established classics affect your approach? CHRIS: I don't go near retail places in December for fear of hearing Christmas carols. I don't mind the occasional minor-key hymn—“God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman” comes to mind—but the rest of it sounds like propaganda to me. I have a very good friend whose wife listens to Christmas music all year-round. How that marriage has lasted is beyond me. ADAM: Writing Christmas songs is easy. Armistice Day songs are harder (although Paul Simon did it). If you were to write another holiday song, what would it be about? What topics remain underexplored? CHRIS: The genre is riddled with so many clichés that it doesn't take much to break the mold. My friend Harry Shearer wrote a fantastic one called “Christmas in Kandahar,” which is told by an Afghani in surreal observations of destruction and occupation (“there's no Kathie Lee and there's no Charlie Brown / just a couple of thousand marines out on the town”). It's a haunting minor-key chant that I've seen Harry perform. It always pierces the room and forces a collective introspection that I find inspiring. Aside from your songs, what are some of your favorite holiday tunes? What ones do you absolutely hate? CHRIS: There's a William Blake poem called “And did those feet in ancient time,” which, when set to music, is called “Jerusalem.” It's not strictly a Christmas song, in that it tells of Jesus returning to England, undoing the Industrial Revolution, and establishing his kingdom somewhere in the hills. It's a lovely melody that I sang for years without actually thinking about. It's actually kind of a nutty idea, and I think Blake may have been on opium. As for the worst Christmas song, it's a tie between “Jingle Bell Rock” and “Sleigh Ride.” ADAM: Nick Lowe just released “Christmas at the Airport,” which I wish I had written. How are you spending the holidays this year? CHRIS: I'm at home. It's cold and I'm hibernating. ADAM: Cutting coupons. Photo by Violeta Alvarez

Friday, April 19 Windy City Soul Club Held once a month at the Empty Bottle, this long-running dance party showcases DJs who specialize in rare Northern Soul recordings—regional stompers with a Motown sheen—all played on the original vinyl. Not recommended for anyone lacking a pulse. 9 p.m. Friday, April 19, and Saturday, April 20  Jim Gaffigan Broadly speaking, there are two types of standup comics: outrageous rule-breakers (Lenny Bruce, Richard Pryor) and sly observers (Bob Newhart, Jerry Seinfeld). The mild-mannered Gaffigan—an unparalleled riffer on domestic life and Hot Pockets—belongs firmly in the latter camp. His White Bread Tour pulls into the Chicago Theatre for a two-night stop. 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Ongoing Chicago Latino Film Festival The 29th edition of the festival includes screenings of 120 films from Central and South America, Spain, the Caribbean, and the United States. It runs through Thursday, April 25. Various dates and times.    Vivian Maier’s Chicago One of the biggest stars in the art world at the moment is a nanny who died in 2009. Maier’s extraordinary photographs—most of which went undeveloped during her lifetime—provide an indelible portrait of street life in New York and Chicago in the 1950s and '60s. The Chicago History Museum’s exhibition of her work is open until summer 2013. Richard III William Shakespeare’s birthday is believed to be April 23. What better way to honor the Bard than by seeing one of his plays? Staged at Underground Wonder Bar, Wayward Productions’ rowdy take on Richard III presents the Plantagenets as a bunch of violent bikers. Thursday–Saturday, 7:30 p.m.

Most people have felt grateful for a cold drink at the end of the day. When I was working in Osaka, we called such drinks “station beers,” a loose term that represented the times we would gather at the train station closest to work and indulge in anything from a cheap can of beer to a bowl of rice with an omelet on top. On my second day in Japan, I joined a number of soon-to-be coworkers for a station beer, and drank my first Suntory chu-hi. It was a cold can of what I thought was lychee-flavored malt liquor, and it cost about $1.50. Perhaps it was because it represented the promise of friendship in a very foreign land, but I thought it was the most refreshing beverage I’d ever had—until I had the next one, a seasonal cherry-blossom chu-hi, which was soon topped by yet another one, which I tried during my first visit to a Japanese pub. There, I sampled the drink in its freshly mixed form, known as a chuhai. The crisp taste lingered long after I moved to Chicago, igniting a one-woman mission to relive the sensation of that first lychee cocktail. The term chuhai is derived from “shochu highball,” a mixed drink with Japanese shochu as the liquor base, soda water, and lemon juice, though any flavor of juice will suffice. In Japan, chuhais are served at bars alongside other classic cocktails, though you’re more likely to find them at convenience stores and supermarkets sold as individual cans next to the beer and soft drinks. Unfortunately for folks in the US, Japan doesn’t export its canned chuhais like it does its beer. Luckily, plenty of bottles of shochu make it across the Pacific each year, and some Chicagoland establishments have put the liquor—distilled from rice, barley, or potatoes—to good use by blending both classic and unexpected renditions of the chuhai. Of course, you can also make station beers happen at home. Five Spots Where It’s Mixed at the Bar: 1. Daruma Restaurant (Schaumburg | 1823 Golf Rd.) It took a while, but it finally dawned on me that if I wanted to find chuhais I should probably find the restaurants that Japanese people frequent. Because of the Japanese manufacturing companies and firms located there, those restaurants are in Schaumburg. One notable eatery is Daruma Restaurant, a nondescript joint with an indoor koi pond and lots of Japanese alcohol. Along with an impressive list of sake and shochu, the restaurant has six simple and tart chuhais in flavors ranging from fresh lemon to lychee. For a truly Japanese experience, try heading to Daruma on one of Chicago’s most devastatingly humid days and sip a yuzo sour while slurping zaru soba—cold buckwheat noodles served with a tangy dipping sauce. 2. Cocoro Restaurant (River North | 668 N. Wells St.) At Cocoro Restaurant, I knew I was in the right place by the humbly displayed ramen, katsu curry, and shabu shabu. Throw an apple, plum, cranberry, or vanilla chuhai into the mix and it’s suddenly a typical weeknight in Osaka. 3. Murasaki Sake Lounge (Steeterville | 211 E. Ontario St.) Though it’s appropriately known for its sake, Murasaki Sake Lounge in River East doesn’t shy away from shochu either. The lounge’s bartenders employ lemon, lime, cassis, and plum juice for classic iterations of the cocktail, but also incorporate specialty sakes, savory and sweet liqueurs, and unique Japanese staples such as sports drink Pocari Sweat. 4. Union Sushi + Barbeque Bar (River North | 230 W. Erie St.) Of course it wouldn’t be Chicago if there weren’t at least a few craft-cocktail takes on the traditional chuhai, and I’ve come around to appreciating this creativity. Michelin-recommended Union Sushi + Barbeque Bar in River North hides its chuhais on a sprawling drink menu under the cocktail list, so you have to scan the ingredients for curious inclusions such as “Japanese potato vodka” or “rice vodka.” But the extra effort is worth it once you’ve tried inspired blends such as cava, hibiscus, and triple-sec lime, or the Notes from the Underground cocktail—carrot, celery root, ginger, lime, egg white, and chervil tincture. Sneak in during the crowded happy hour (5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.) for dollar oysters and discounted rolls and skewers. 5. Arami (West Town | 1829 W. Chicago Ave.) For a different vibe but an equally innovative take on the chuhai, West Town’s Arami hosts a peaceful, Kyoto garden-like atmosphere where elegant small plates and colorful maki have garnered acclaim from nearly every publication in the city. The drink list runs twice the length of the food menu, though, and draws heavily on high-end nectars from the Land of the Rising Sun. So it’s no surprise to find seated on the rotating cocktail list an upscale chuhai blended with orange-blossom water and garnished with a maraschino cherry. It might not be in a can, but it hits the spot. Five Spots to Help You Do It Yourself: 1. Mitsuwa Marketplace (Arlington Heights | 100 E. Algonquin Rd.) For the real thing, there is perhaps no better stop than Mitsuwa Marketplace. The Japanese supermarket has nearly everything you would find in an actual grocery store in Japan, plus its own liquor store with varieties of shochu as well as canned sour plum cocktails that are as close as you’ll get in this country to the real canned chu-hi. 2. China Place Liquor City (Chinatown | 2105 S. China Pl.) With more than 100 brands of Japanese alcohol, China Place Liquor City in Chinatown is always a reliable stop to locate a bottle of shochu. As an added bonus, the owners possess encyclopedia-like minds and can help you navigate the seemingly endless options and determine exactly what you want. 3. Warehouse Liquors (South Loop | 634 S. Wabash Ave.) This South Loop spot has a limited but notable selection, and the shop’s associates usually know where it’s hidden if you don’t see what you want on the shelf. 4. West Lakeview Liquors (Roscoe Village | 2156 W. Addison St.) 5. Vas Foremost Liquors (Logan Square | 2300 N. Milwaukee Ave.) Both sometimes carry shochu, but call ahead to be certain. Chuhai Cocktail Recipe What You Need: 2 ounces shochu 1 ounce Rose’s lime juice Soda water Lime wedge for garnish What You Do: 1. Build with ice in a highball glass 2. Add shochu and lime juice over ice 3. Stir with a bar spoon 4. Top with soda water 5. Garnish with fresh lime Classic chuhai mixers include fresh citrus, cassis, and plum juices, but flavors such as mango, kiwi, strawberry, lychee, and apple are great too. Be adventurous by swapping the juice for a liqueur, or be creative when mixing your favorite cocktail and sub in shochu for the base liquor. Top photo: © Michelle Klosinski, Groupon Bottom photo: © Stephanie Bassos, Groupon