Chicago has entered the Grilling and Chilling Zone. Finally. The naysayers will tell you that there is a 65% chance that it snows in Chicago on Wednesday, but they are just Debbie Downers and no attention needs to be paid to them. The average temp over the next 10 days is projected to be 53.1 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s 11.7 Celsius for all my European freaks out there. I will not be providing the Kelvin equivalent, because I do not want to give those perverts any more recognition than they already have. This rise in temperature is a cause for glorious celebration.
Dang Dude firmly believes that anything over 50 degrees is grilling weather. Especially if it’s a sunny day. Because I am nothing if not a man of my word, last week it hit fifty degrees on the old thermometer – my iPhone – and I got the old grill out of winter storage – which is the same as summer storage, just colder – cleaned off the grate, emptied out the old coals, put new ones in, and fired it up for the first time in 2024. It was a beautiful thing. After it got hot, I threw down some chicken breasts, sweet bell peppers, and onions, all topped with fajita seasoning.[1] When the poultry reached 165 internal – once again that’s Fahrenheit, NOT Celsius – I chopped up the meat and served it all in tortillas with sour cream, lettuce, cheese, salsa, and a little bit of lime. If I had tomatoes, I would have put some of those on there too. A dinner to die for, and a hint at the bounties offered by the grill for the rest of the season.
As long-time readers of Dang Dude know, Grilling and Chilling season isn’t just about what meat gets put on the grill. It’s also about what music gets put on the speakers. G’ing & C’ing requires hot tunes as much as it requires a hot grill. This all means that I am excited to announce the release of Dang Dude’s “Grilling and Chilling 2024 Playlist.” Here it is:
You can find the 2021-2023 versions here, here, and here, respectively. They are each special in their own way. My precious little playlist babies. Treat them with respect. I spent a good thirty minutes on the train coming up with all these songs. Maybe even forty if you want to count the time I spent trying to find the perfect Futurebirds song to put on here. That’s a lot of work! I’m usually not one to believe in finding self-worth through work, but there are exceptions to every rule.
There are some constants on these lists across the years, namely, at least one song by Steely Dan, Nikki Lane, and Kacey Musgraves respectively. As with previous playlists, this one also has lots of what music people would call “alt-country,” which I just like to call “porch drinking music,” at least one Brazilian banger from the mid-70s, and one or two prog rock songs that everyone but me hates. A perfect melangé in other words.
Hello! It’s such an honor that you’re reading the newsletter! So cool. This is just a reminder to subscribe if you don’t already. It’s easy and all the hip people are doing it. What’s not to love? Always good to support local art!
Just because every G’ing & C’ing[2] list tries to hit the same vibe does not mean that they are all the same. They offer a wide variety of songs, artists, genres, and styles. Think of the playlists as different breeds of tomato. They all have similar features but end up looking and sounding – tasting? – quite different. Sorry, that metaphor got away from me. Whatever, you’re smart, you get it.
This year’s list leans a little more poppier and a little more upbeat than usual. Previous years have somewhat, but not completely, shied away from songs over 100 bpm. Not this year. This year we’re ratcheting it up to 125 bpm a couple of times. Certified dance hits. As I’ve recently confessed, I’m a pop guy through and through. Hell, there’s an Olivia Rodrigo song, a Lorde track, a Beyoncé bop, and not one, but TWO Chappell Roan jams on there.[3] 2024’s Grilling and Chilling season will be all about having a good time and dancing with your pals. I’m sure this says something deep about me or whatever, but who has the time for a psychological analysis of my media consumption habits when there’s grilling and chilling to do? Not me, that’s for sure.
As with all of these things, the list is never fully complete until I start the one for next year. There will probably be about thirty-ish more songs added to this one. The perfect length for a G’ing & C’ing playlist is about five hours and twenty minutes, give or take. Any longer than that and the metaphysical cohesion of the list will start to fall apart. It will turn from being a playlist into just a collection of songs. You’ll have a full semiotic breakdown. Something like that at least. These playlists are serious business.
Because this list is never fully formed, and because – as loathe as I am to admit it, I am not a perfect person[4] – I always accept recommendations of songs to add. Any suggestions are taken on probation of course. Contractually, I am under no obligation to put them on the list. But I promise you, my loyal and beautiful readers, that I will at least consider it. And what is more amazing than that?
It's supposed to rain a lot in Chicago this next week, but on the off-chance that it doesn’t I recommend you take advantage of the start of Grilling and Chilling season. Pull out your grill, or call up a friend who has one, blast this playlist, throw some veggies, some meats, or heck, even some fruits on it, and have a damn good time. Just don’t forget that Grilling and Chilling isn’t about the destination, it’s about the journey.
Enjoyed reading? Please consider subscribing! You can also like, share, and comment.
[1] Get the Cermak-brand stuff if you’re in Chicago. Or make your own, I guess. But Cermak does it better.
[2] I’d apologize for this awful abbreviation I’m using, but I’m not particularly sorry about it. I have a rotten mind and it’s funny to me.
[3] I’m running out of synonyms for “song,” which is why I stopped listing pop stars on the list. Sorry to Carly Rae Jepsen’s banger “Run Away With Me.”
[4] Hoobastank!
Another year another list of total jams. We love to see pink pony club !!!