Every July 3rd since I moved up here, my wife (Mrs. Bored), her sister and I have gone to Taste of Chicago to view the Grant Park Orchestra and the July Fourth Fireworks display. One reason why I've enjoyed this tradition is that they have been world-class spectacles that gave a unique sense of the Midwest.
But not this year. This year, the Grant Park Orchestra was replaced with canned music inartfully provided by The Mix. They shouldn't have even bothered.
The music, instead of enhancing the experience and building towards the familiar fireworks climax, was more of a distraction. There was absolutely no evidence that the music and the fireworks were choreographed, there was no evidence that the music was anything but an after thought. I seriously doubt the fireworks were even planned with music in mind. If it was, they did an awful job.
The fireworks rarely fit the beat of the music, and generally exploded against it. This was highly unusual, compared to the fireworks from previous years. They were so well timed, so well choreographed, that people literally would leave the lakefront -- packed in like sardines -- in a great mood. Feeling patriotic. Humming patriotic tunes.
This year's music was poorly chosen. Is this country really "living on a prayer?" Is that the kind of message we want people to think about on the Fourth of July? The whole thing just didn't seem that well thought out. There are probably more connections in the musical selections to Chicago's mob past than there were to America's birth and independence.
This effected the crowd. There were fewer AH's. Fewer OoO's. Almost no clapping in appreciation compared to previous years.
If Chicago wants to be a world-class city, it needs to perform at world-class standards. Thursday's fireworks display failed that test. It's not just that Disney would have done it better, it's that they always do. Every single night. In fact, you can bet that Washington, DC, New York, LA, Boston, Philly -- hell, almost every city in this country -- will do it better, too. Chicago could have done better -- and they have. In the past. Perhaps that's the point.
Chicago had a unique opportunity this year. It has the headquarters of a major presidential campaign, with staff from all over the country. It is the home of the likely next president. And he has moved staff from the Democratic party to work in Chicago. What do you think they thought? Besides being homesick for a city that knows how to celebrate the Fourth. It was a time where Chicago could have, and should have, shined. Instead, the whole thing just fell apart. Whether the blame lay with MOSE or The Mix, who cares? Chicago looked second class last night. By design. When it counted, Chicago didn't dazzle. It was canned...
Communist!
ReplyDeleteIt wasn't just the fireworks that was a let down.
ReplyDeleteAs I point out on my blog, crowd control and traffic control were absolutely pathetic. It is a shock that nobody was killed in a car accident.
i didn't particularly notice that, but with a million people there, i'm sure that our views are shaped by our own experience. we walked from grant park to the south grant park garage (where i ditched my stuff) then down michigan ave to the john hancock building. we didn't get the same impression that you did, but like i said, a million people. we are also used to the post-fireworks crowd, so that may also be a part of it...
ReplyDeleteThis kind of thinking is either demonstrative of; or will only lead to, issues with self esteem. Which stage of self flagellation is predominant is difficult to diagnose completely in just one post however.
ReplyDeleteYour suggestion that all of Chicagoland should join in your dissatisfaction with a fireworks display; based on the premise that it may have disappointed a small number of Democratic Party operatives from other parts of the country, is absurd on its face. While you may choose to do so, don't inflict that kind of thinking on the rest of us. We don't all need to take measure of ourselves through the perceived lense of vision of a bunch of elitist thinkers from afar. In large part a great many people have completely tuned out the Tribune editorialists for the same reasons. People here locally don't really care what they think, because we have grown weary of their mantra that we should surrender our own independent thinking and adopt their philosophy and values. Just because they may believe themselves to be intellectually superior and better suited to make value judgements, does not make it so.
There may be plenty of good reasons for you to be disappointed in changes in this civic event, but the rationale that you have displayed here speaks of deeper concerns. Take measure of yourself and your city those things from which you can take great pride, and those for which you believe come up short, seek to change not because you believe that some other elite thinkers will be disappointed, but rather because you yourself believe that it can be improved and made better.
I attended the same event that you did and the limited anecdoctal evidence that I received was somewhat re-assuring that not all is wrong with Chicago.
While at Taste of Chicago and at the fireworks show; both before and after, I spoke with individuals and families from North Carolina, Florida, Philadelphia, Oakland, Portland, and as far away as Brussels, Belgium. Every one of them had praise for Chicago, its cleanliness, natural beauty of the lakefront, ease of navigation, the interesting sites and attractions, and most of all the friendliness of its people. I am not lulled into a false sense of perfection, and I to have seen blemishes in the city from my own observation, but none so great that I would become overly concerned with how others from elsewhere would think and perceive them.
You have many reasons to be proud of our city. Don't allow some self imposed sense of inferiority foll you into believe=ing that we are less, just because you are afraid that it will not meet the expectations of O'Bama supporters that are visiting or have come to stay part time. They are short timers that will be leaving soon, just as quickly as they came. Once they're gone; hopefully with time you will better recognize the value of adopting the perspective of, who really care's what they think? We are fully capable of taking a critical measiure of ourselves here and if things need to be changed we can certainly adopt sound reasoning and a rationale approach to doing so, but it should not be, and hopefully it won't be because of some perceived inferiority to others who must certainly be far more cultured and world class than ourselves, simply because they may have come to believe and act as though they are.
Don't let them fool you. If you do, then you are only kidding yourself. This is a great, and world class city. Just because the music didn't match up with the fireworks, we will not be marginalized by anyone else as a result. Only you can inflict that way of thinking on yourself, but jsut because you elect to do so, don't impose that on the rest of us. Just like the drop extraordinary drop in circulation in the Tribune, and other MSM, we're not buying it anymore. We've turned to the internet and sites like this and others for a broader perspective and clearer thinking. Don't blow the opportunity that you have to share yours with others here with material like this.
thanks for the suggestion that i suffer from a lack of self-esteem! that's priceless.
ReplyDeletestrangely enough, yesterday (the fourth), i heard numerous people mention their unhappiness with the musical choices that chicago made in its fireworks display. while you may seem to think that we are living on a prayer, people proudly sang "i'm proud to be an american," "born in the usa" and other selections that accompanied the fireworks display i witnessed last night. the difference was chilling. chicago blew it. you could consider chicago "second city" only if the other cities you were comparing it to (in this instance) were cities like dubuque.
as for your projection of chicago's own self-esteem problems, i don't share your concerns or your perceptions of them. if chicago wants to be seen as a world-class city, then it must act as one. it did not do so on the 3rd. i haven't met a single person who was blown away by chicago's fireworks display on thursday, which is quite unusual in my experience. perhaps you remember chicago before MOSE performed at the high level i expect it to. either the office of special events has been severely crippled or it simply failed...
Yeah, Chicago blew it. And I'm a Chicagoan. American Woman? The lyrics are insulting to American Women. Living on a Prayer? Well Chicago is now, for the Olympic bid. Sheesh. Unpatriotic at best. Total letdown.
ReplyDeleteAgreed---big disappointment. Came from out of state to see them. Talk about disappointing. DEFINTELY not world class. I live in Indiana now, so my expectations arent even that high, ha ha.
ReplyDeleteSaw them 2 years ago from Grant Park and it was much better. For starters, the fireworks seemed like they were 1/2 mile off shore this year... was like watching fireworks in the distance when driving down the highway. Navy Pier's were the same way! Is it a liability issue??? Are they worried about burning down the city? It's hard to oooh and ahhhh when the fireworks arent anywhere near you and you're as close as you can get to them without being on a boat.
And how does the city allow people to rope off public property with caution tape for their own personal picnic space?? We saw people crammed together on tiny spots of grass next to 10 x 10 roped off areas with 3 people in them. We will not be returning. My mid-size Indiana hometown does much better fireworks than Chicago did!!!!
How awesome is it that the long-winded self-indulged rant was signed anonymous? Didn't even want to sign his or her name? Seems like someone has issues with self-esteem, and it's not "bored now".
ReplyDeleteI'm not here to bash that person though, just pointing out the irony. Everyone's entitled to their opinion - and I fully agree that the fireworks were a HUGE disappointment.
Regardless of the reason (or the implications of the reason) I believe this, the fact remains that it was the end of a long-standing Chicago tradition brought to a screeching halt because -- most likely -- The Mix gave a ton of money to the Taste. Really, what other reason could there be? We never heard a peep about the orchestra "stepping down" for one reason or another -- it was a very subtle move.
Don't get me started on the politics of the Olympics... But isn't it also ironic that amidst all the hype (the ads, the readings by Olympians, the Olympic fanfare) -- we actually lost one of the cultural traditions that helps make our city what it is?
There's no arguing that the fireworks were good, and of course they were enjoyed by many. But it's still a huge loss from the unique live orchestra accompaniment that have made them not good, but great -- made them worth battling a few million people to see. I have no desire to see them anymore -- I can fight less people and see a good show to recorded music in Evanston.
Here's to hoping that lots of money and powerful sponsors don't buy out more Chicago traditions -- or we may as well start rallying for the 2016 The Mix Olympics.
But don't listen to me. I probably just suffer from low self-esteem.