By Juan C. Ayllon As a longtime fan of the TV series, That 70s Show, I feel like Ashton Kutcher’s ditzy character, Kelso, when he yells, “Hello, Wisconsin!” at the end of their theme song. I am that giddy. Buono Rapporto Yesterday, my exhaustive piece on the finishing of our home’s basement and AV room went live. Entitled, “Building and Integrating an AV Space into Your Family Lifestyle”, a leading audiophile journal published it, and it was well received. That’s gratifying. It was a lot of work and I wrestled with its wordiness. However, I wanted to inject some color into it, sharing some of the reasoning, human and relational elements involved, where friends and contractors came alongside Belle and me to make this project succeed, and, now after some angst and hand wringing, I am pretty satisfied. If you are interested at all, you can Google it using my name and its title. Horns aplenty, Avantgarde Style Coming up very soon, I will be checking out a pair of Avantgarde Duo Mezzo horn loudspeakers ($63,000) at a friend’s home (one of his buddies is moving out of state and leaving the pair with him until he can properly ship them to his new residence). Having enjoyed their Trio several times at AXPONA (Audio Expo North America), I am anxious to hear the Duos in person. Of course, I will share my impressions here with you! An Axponential Experience Speaking of AXPONA, what’s it been? Two or three years hiatus due to COVID-19? But now I am excited that this huge celebration of all things audio is returning to the Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel & Convention Center in Schaumburg, IL on April 22 to 24, 2022. Finally! It will be great to see some of my old friends and acquaintances, as well as some of the planet’s best audio and AV equipment under one roof. While Belle won’t be attending the show, she’s already insisted that she’ll join me for the mouth watering black angus burgers at the Schaumburg Public Restaurant House Bar and Grill. It’s a date! Purview of the Perlistens In several weeks, I am planning to tour the factory of the up and coming Perlisten Audio company in Verona, Wisconsin. Soon after that, I should be reviewing a pair of their sizzling S7t loudspeakers with a custom veneer ($20,000) at a nearby dealership that will be taking on their brand. That should be a lot of fun! Mad about Madison Coincidentally, the Perlisten factory is located near Madison, Wisconsin’s state capitol, where our daughter, Colleen, attended her first year of college at University of Wisconsin-Madison for pre-med coursework. Belle and I have great memories visiting her there – so much so, in fact, that I keep a pair of their mascot, Bucky the Badger, seated in our AV space downstairs. The architecture – featuring the Wisconsin State Capitol with its towering 187 foot dome (it hosts the state’s Supreme Court, state legislature chambers and the governor’s office), the stately Memorial Union and imposing brick buildings – is stunning, the marching bands impressive, and the culinary scene up diverse and sophisticated. It was the fall of 2011, Belle and I were newly married, and visiting Colleen became a regular ritual. Strolling the UW Madison campus, we people watched, noshed on Injera (flatbread) and Tibs (stir fried beef stew) outdoors at an Ethiopian bistro, savored Italian pasta, imbibed beverages at the lakeside Memorial Union Terrace, and visited an eclectic assortment of bars and shops. Street singers were pleasant, if strained, and union hall performers entertaining. Bottom line, the energy of this college city was palpable and infectious. This was most evident when their outstanding Badgers football team hosted a Big Ten game. Unfortunately, Belle and Colleen weren’t into that, so while seas of red and white jerseys flooded the walkways, shops and streets, the closest I came to watching a Badgers game at Camp Randall Stadium was wolfing down a Classic Badger Breakfast (an omelet chock full of Wisconsin cheese with a side of bacon and a diet coke to wash it down) across the street at Mickies Dairy Bar. As the saying goes, “so close and yet so far.” Dark Underbelly Ultimately, Colleen transferred to a smaller Christian college to major in education. Although she had excellent grades, her heart wasn’t into medicine. Known for its party atmosphere, she found that aspect oppressive and, at times, frightening. It wasn’t uncommon to see a drunk stumbling down the street in the middle of the day, the dorm floor where she lived was frequented by males at all hours, and she was afraid to use the restroom down the hallway late at night. There definitely was a seedy side to that town. One night out, Colleen pointed out a bar across the street where middle aged men holding beers milled out front, saying that men in their 40s and 50s came up to meet and seduce young coeds. It was sickening. One weekend when Belle traveled solo to Colleen's dorm to catch some one-on-one girl time, a mob of young men caroused outside a salacious female’s room across the hall, and as they passed by, one drunk grabbed Belle’s shoulder and said, “Hey, Baby!” Of course, Belle brushed him off, and one of Colleen’s friends scolded him, saying, “You do know that’s her mom, don’t you?” Idiot! Hello Wisconsin
Despite its drawbacks, we have often talked of visiting Madison again. After all, it’s not uncommon for us to jump in the car and drive across the Illinois Wisconsin border to Lake Geneva, the Racine Harbor, or the Kenosha Marina. Heck, I currently commute to work in Racine! So there is a high likelihood that we’ll be making a springtime trek to UW-Madison very soon. Safe travels!
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Juan C. AyllonA writer, artist, educator and owner of Prairie Audio Man Cave, he lives with his wife, Isabel (AKA Belle), and their Goldendoodle, Liam, enjoys listening to high fidelity music and all things hi-fi at their home in the greater Chicagoland area.. Archives
March 2024
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