Andrew Bird Makes Blink-And-You'll-Miss-It Cameo on "Top Chef Chicago"

(pic via British Rock Is Always Top)

Download: Andrew Bird - "Imitosis" (Four Tet Remix)
Download: Andrew Bird - "Fiery Crash" (Live in Minneapolis)
Download: Andrew Bird - "Heretics"
Download: Andrew Bird - "A Nervous Tic Motion Of The Hand To The Left"
Download: Dosh - "If You Want To, You Have To"

Eagle-eyed viewers who like indie-rock and reality television should be in for a pleasant surprise when they watch the most recent episode of Bravo's "Top Chef". The reality competition series, in its fourth season, took to the Windy City to find the next great chef after previous stints in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Miami Beach. This being a television show, you obviously need an establishment shot to give the viewers a proper sense of where they are.

And, obviously, nothing does that better than a effin giant marquee that says "Chicago" on it.

Indeed, the marquee of the Chicago Theatre, pictured at the top, is arguably the most famous in the city. So it would seem like an effective, if wholly obvious, way to determine locale.

Now, to the indie-rock.

In this season, the introductory montage (let's see how many film terms I can throw in - Mise en Scene!), there's a quick shot of the Chicago Theatre, and then the shot pans down ever-so-slightly. If you stop your DVR/VCR at just the right moment, you can see the name on the marquee--it will be in the lower right hand corner of your screen--is none other than Andrew Bird!

Indeed, Bird played the venue this past fall--along with Bright Eyes--and TC:C was filming this past summer.

I've only seen one episode so far this season, but if this is the same footage they use for every episode, Andrew Bird gets a free, albeit very brief, plug on Bravo any time Bravo airs the show

Pretty bitchin', no?

In other Bird news, the Chicago-based violinist will make an appearance on Dosh's new album. Read more about it here. Listen to a track from the upcoming Dosh record, titled Wolves and Wishes, at the top of the post.

Andrew Bird MySpace Page

(Jonathan Graef)