A Guided Tour of Chicago

Song information

The band's first song, "An Evening of Extraordinary Circumstance," was written by Brendan Kelly on a bus. He had no band or direction at the time and felt completely helpless. Kelly has said the song still captures some of his deepest self-resentments and is his favorite on the album. The song's title was used for the band's live tenth anniversary DVD on Fat Wreck Chords. A homemade music video, featuring random shots of Chicago and the band, appeared on the Asian Man Records DVD "10 Minutes to Ogikubo Station" and the same-named live DVD. It is the only track from the album they still regularly play live. "Kevin Costner's Casino" is about the actor buying Lakota land in Deadwood, South Dakota, to expand his casinos. "A Guided Tour of Chicago" is a tribute to homeless people in the city. "Take One Down and Pass It Around" deals with drinking and gambling. "Someday We're All Gonna Weigh 400 Ibs" satirizes technology replacing human interaction. "The Northside, the L&L, and Any Number of Crappy Apartments" references the L&L Tavern, a Chicago bar, and questions the band's lifestyle at the time. "Smokestacks" is about the environment, predicting nature will be overtaken by smokestacks, concrete, and power plants. "Detention" was inspired by a crazy dream Brendan had. "Uptown Free Radio" refers to the apartment Chris and Brendan shared, where on certain days they could hear local music from across the street on their porch. "Eighteen Inches" is an introspective anthem about Chicago's harsh winters and the hypocrisy of pontification.