[No words-- This instrumental was directed by High Cheese who sought to represent the Cubs with an indie prog/soundtrack sound reminiscent of such second city musical heroes as Tortoise. He pushed Fungo and Sacfly to work the math on drums and bass to find emotional tides flowing in odd time signatures. High Cheese had his rhythm section record their foundation first, ending with a crescendo meant to recall Chicago's Smashing Pumpkins epic rockers. After the guitars added texture and wandering melodies, High Cheese brought the track into its ethereal, emotional plane with a virtuosic theramin track.

Apparently, the movie soundtrack sound comes across--two independent Boston film shorts have used "Friendly Confines" as their soundtracks.

So, what does this have to do with the Cubs? Well, first off, it has to do with Chicago's music. And, at least one Farmhand believes it represents the emotional tides of Cubs fans in the second city. Cubs fans are passionate, but only in the way that you might get involved with a tragic movie--you fall in love with the protagonists even though you know they'll fall by the end. No offense to New York, but Chicago boasts the nation's most vital dramatic theater. The Cubs play to an analogous crowd--mostly white, mostly good natured, mostly priveleged, mostly well meaning fans with appetites for drama and entertainment with no real expectation for
triumph and no real risk. Hence the Friendly Confines. At least,
that's how one Farmhand hears it...
--fungo]