Zach Carstensen
@zachcarstensen.bsky.social
Music, politics, baseball and cats. Sometime freelance music critic based in Chicagoland (Oak Park), formerly Seattle 🏳️🌈
https://gatheringnote.com/
https://gatheringnote.com/
Clown fetish night at the opera
November 16, 2025 at 5:04 AM
Clown fetish night at the opera
I saw the Northern Lights in Oak Park, Illinois. This ranks right up there with the Snowy Owl who decamped to Seattle around Thanksgiving in 2020 that I also saw.
November 12, 2025 at 2:46 AM
I saw the Northern Lights in Oak Park, Illinois. This ranks right up there with the Snowy Owl who decamped to Seattle around Thanksgiving in 2020 that I also saw.
Yuck
Border Patrol agents posed at "The Bean" for an apparent photo op after a weekend of clashes in Little Village. blockclubchi.co/4oUHKae
November 11, 2025 at 2:37 AM
Yuck
The people carrying out these heinous assaults are evil.
Federal agents deployed tear gas against neighbors in Little Village and pepper sprayed a family driving in Cicero Saturday following the latest clash between immigration agents and protesters. blockclubchi.co/49KnNyq
November 11, 2025 at 2:37 AM
The people carrying out these heinous assaults are evil.
Muti affirms what matters in a Chicago Symphony program of Brahms, Stravinsky and Rodrigo
seenandheard-international.com/2025/11/muti...
seenandheard-international.com/2025/11/muti...
Muti affirms what matters in a Chicago Symphony program of Brahms, Stravinsky and Rodrigo – Seen and Heard International
seenandheard-international.com
November 11, 2025 at 1:42 AM
Muti affirms what matters in a Chicago Symphony program of Brahms, Stravinsky and Rodrigo
seenandheard-international.com/2025/11/muti...
seenandheard-international.com/2025/11/muti...
Reposted by Zach Carstensen
“Federal authorities told demonstrators Friday that there would be “no more prayer” in front of or inside the Broadview ICE facility…”
Is there any part of the First Amendment the Trump administration isn’t happy to violate?
blockclubchicago.org/2025/11/07/f...
Is there any part of the First Amendment the Trump administration isn’t happy to violate?
blockclubchicago.org/2025/11/07/f...
Feds Tell Faith Leaders 'No More Prayer' Outside Broadview Facility
In a possible violation of the First Amendment, federal officials instructed demonstrators to stop holding religious gatherings outside the immigration processing facility in suburban Broadview after ...
blockclubchicago.org
November 8, 2025 at 3:23 PM
“Federal authorities told demonstrators Friday that there would be “no more prayer” in front of or inside the Broadview ICE facility…”
Is there any part of the First Amendment the Trump administration isn’t happy to violate?
blockclubchicago.org/2025/11/07/f...
Is there any part of the First Amendment the Trump administration isn’t happy to violate?
blockclubchicago.org/2025/11/07/f...
A beautiful SF day, beautiful view of the Golden Gate Bridge marred by 555 California St.
November 8, 2025 at 8:02 PM
A beautiful SF day, beautiful view of the Golden Gate Bridge marred by 555 California St.
Scene from an afternoon stroll
November 7, 2025 at 12:28 AM
Scene from an afternoon stroll
ICYMI my Seen and Heard review of Behzod Abduraimov’s recital gatheringnote.com/2025/11/06/b...
Behzod Abduraimov brings quiet mastery to the piano and Orchestra Hall
When Beatrice Rana withdrew from the Symphony Center Presents series earlier this Fall, event organizers called upon Behzod Abduraimov to fill this prominent slot in the season. And that deci…
gatheringnote.com
November 6, 2025 at 3:01 PM
ICYMI my Seen and Heard review of Behzod Abduraimov’s recital gatheringnote.com/2025/11/06/b...
Behzod Abduraimov brings quiet mastery to the piano in Chicago’s Orchestra Hall
seenandheard-international.com/2025/11/behz...
seenandheard-international.com/2025/11/behz...
Behzod Abduraimov brings quiet mastery to the piano in Chicago’s Orchestra Hall – Seen and Heard International
seenandheard-international.com
November 5, 2025 at 5:24 PM
Behzod Abduraimov brings quiet mastery to the piano in Chicago’s Orchestra Hall
seenandheard-international.com/2025/11/behz...
seenandheard-international.com/2025/11/behz...
Classical music's youth movement grows up, grows wise gatheringnote.com/2025/11/02/c...
Classical music’s youth movement grows up, grows wise
Classical music has an uneasy relationship with youth. The very word “classical” suggests age, tradition, dust on velvet seats. Yet the field periodically becomes infatuated with young …
gatheringnote.com
November 2, 2025 at 3:35 PM
Classical music's youth movement grows up, grows wise gatheringnote.com/2025/11/02/c...
Klaus Makela, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra: Andrew Norman and Richard Strauss.
October 30, 2025 at 8:11 PM
Klaus Makela, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra: Andrew Norman and Richard Strauss.
Oude Kerk. Amsterdam’s oldest building and one-time church is now a fusion of old art and new.
October 28, 2025 at 3:49 PM
Oude Kerk. Amsterdam’s oldest building and one-time church is now a fusion of old art and new.
Rest in peace Jan Sweenlinck.
October 27, 2025 at 9:47 PM
Rest in peace Jan Sweenlinck.
The hardest thing about the Dutch language is that I don’t know any of the words or how to say them.
October 24, 2025 at 5:39 AM
The hardest thing about the Dutch language is that I don’t know any of the words or how to say them.
Medea delivers an unforgettable experience at the Lyric gatheringnote.com/2025/10/18/m...
Medea delivers an unforgettable experience at the Lyric
I had hoped to write something longer about Medea, which opened a week ago at the Lyric Opera. Time and circumstance have conspired against me, but this production demands to be acknowledged, even …
gatheringnote.com
October 18, 2025 at 3:46 PM
Medea delivers an unforgettable experience at the Lyric gatheringnote.com/2025/10/18/m...
Reposted by Zach Carstensen
I'm not an expert on California politics but this strikes me as big news. State Senator Scott Wiener is going to run for Pelosi's seat regardless of what she does. Again, primaries are good. And from everything I've heard he's a serious legislator.
www.politico.com/news/2025/10...
www.politico.com/news/2025/10...
Nancy Pelosi faces primary challenge from California state lawmaker
State Sen. Scott Wiener is expected to announce next week that he will run for the San Francisco House seat regardless of whether the former speaker retires.
www.politico.com
October 17, 2025 at 6:53 PM
I'm not an expert on California politics but this strikes me as big news. State Senator Scott Wiener is going to run for Pelosi's seat regardless of what she does. Again, primaries are good. And from everything I've heard he's a serious legislator.
www.politico.com/news/2025/10...
www.politico.com/news/2025/10...
Jordan and Hadelich lead the Chicago Symphony through its repertoire sweet spot gatheringnote.com/2025/10/14/j...
Jordan and Hadelich lead the Chicago Symphony through its repertoire sweet spot
Not long ago, while spending a week in New York, I found myself walking through Central Park after a concert by the New York Philharmonic, wondering which composers belong to which American orchest…
gatheringnote.com
October 14, 2025 at 5:42 PM
Jordan and Hadelich lead the Chicago Symphony through its repertoire sweet spot gatheringnote.com/2025/10/14/j...
My thoughts on the CSO's recent Brahms, Dvorak, Kodaly concert with Philippe Jordan and Augustin Hadelich.
Hadelich and Jordan lead the Chicago Symphony through its repertoire sweet spot – Seen and Heard International
seenandheard-international.com
October 13, 2025 at 1:23 AM
My thoughts on the CSO's recent Brahms, Dvorak, Kodaly concert with Philippe Jordan and Augustin Hadelich.
The type of meaty, big boned concert the CSO plays better than anyone else. It’s been a long, stressful summer, but it’s so good to be at Orchestra Hall again.
October 10, 2025 at 2:45 AM
The type of meaty, big boned concert the CSO plays better than anyone else. It’s been a long, stressful summer, but it’s so good to be at Orchestra Hall again.
In Chicago, a new venue makes its case with Hickey's audacious piano work Sapiens gatheringnote.com/2025/09/30/i...
In Chicago, a new venue makes its case with Hickey’s audacious piano work Sapiens
Chicago has no shortage of performance spaces, but none quite like The CheckOut. Housed in a former 7-Eleven on Clark Street in Uptown, the venue opened its doors September 12th under the stewardsh…
gatheringnote.com
October 1, 2025 at 11:34 AM
In Chicago, a new venue makes its case with Hickey's audacious piano work Sapiens gatheringnote.com/2025/09/30/i...
The CheckOut is Chicago's newest music venue. My thoughts on the venue and Sean Hickey's large piano piece Sapiens is below.
seenandheard-international.com/2025/09/a-ne...
seenandheard-international.com/2025/09/a-ne...
A new Chicago venue makes its case with Sean Hickey’s audacious Sapiens – Seen and Heard International
seenandheard-international.com
September 30, 2025 at 12:09 AM
The CheckOut is Chicago's newest music venue. My thoughts on the venue and Sean Hickey's large piano piece Sapiens is below.
seenandheard-international.com/2025/09/a-ne...
seenandheard-international.com/2025/09/a-ne...
Another small venue in Chicago, but one with alcoholic Slurpees
September 28, 2025 at 1:07 PM
Another small venue in Chicago, but one with alcoholic Slurpees
I’m almost certain Don Giovanni has an STD
September 25, 2025 at 3:45 AM
I’m almost certain Don Giovanni has an STD