On Da Scene Wid Da LVB

One of the perks for having Chicago as my back yard is that I have access to all the city has to offer without having to actually deal with the city itself. For me, going downtown is almost like having a little vacation, and with the summer mounted and ready to get into full swing, my little city will turn into quite the prime vacation spot. People from all walks of life, some wearing as little clothing as possible, will make their way to the streets of Chicago to bathe in the glass, iron and concrete that has been hidden behind the walls of winter snow.

Like Cancun but with less sand; more rocks.

June 11 marked the start of the Grant Park Concert series that will run until some time in August. The series features performances at various locations at both Millennium and Grant Park, though the biggest performances are usually reserved for the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park. The "house band" is the Grant Park Orchestra and Chorus with the Grant Park Jazz Orchestra making their debut later on. The series also features verious orchestral and vocal soloists as well as a smorgasbord of different styles of music from all over the world. And each performance is free.

For a cheapskate like me, that's music to my ears.

Last Saturday, my family and I decided to attend one of the first concerts of this year. The selection for the day was Ludwig Van Beethoven's Missa Solemnis performed by the Grant Park Orchestra and Chorus with soloists Erin Wall, Soprano; Anita Krause, Mezzo Soprano; James Taylor, Tenor; Nathan Berg, Bass. The program said it was his crowning achievement, and seeing as how Beethoven has written some of the best work to come out of the classical period, this opus has got to have some bad assery from another level.

Apparently, hundreds of other people had the same idea.

The pavilion was packed by the time my family and I got there. The prime seats were all taken as well as nearly every square inch of the lawn. The crowd had even spilled over to the surrounding railings and lawns around the pavilion. The only places left to sit were these concrete steps separating the seats from the picnic lawn, and because I didn't feel like standing after traveling forty or so minutes to get here, I quickly planted myself on one of the steps. So, Beethoven's opus mass began, and even though I could not see, my auditory sense was set liberated. The orchestral melodies combined with the soloists who were accompanied by the mass choir created a cacophony of incredible sound that was only amplified by the grandeur of the open park. The music hung in the air and surrounded me in an embrace that permeated my entire being to warm my heart and to touch my very soul.

Now, if I could only get rid of all the people walking around in front of me and figure out where that ubiquitous smell of mustard was coming from...

Needless to say, my family and I didn't stay for the whole thing. We were unprepared. Unlike the veterans who took full advantage of this event and took the time to plan in advance, my family and I found ourselves shuffling out early to grab a bite to eat. If only we were like the couple who brought lawn chairs, a table, candles, wine and Pepperidge Farm cookies or this group of well dressed socialites who brought miniature cross tables covered with table cloth, wine, hors d' oeuvres, and a patio umbrella complete with pink lanterns. Or even the other couple who had brought a simple blanket to lay out in. No. My family and I had chosen speed over substance and all we had brought was a bottle of tepid water.

Luckily, we were in the City of Broad Shoulders and sustenance wasn't very far away. For dinner, we decided to check out the Park Grill where I had heard, from my friend Zab, had one of the best burgers in town.

Damn, was he right.

This bad boy was a half pound of choice beef, spiced and grilled to absolute perfection, covered in white cheddar, onions, lettuce and tomato, sandwiched between an incredibly soft sesame and poppy seed bun. We all ordered the same burger. Yes, even my family-history-of-heart-disease-and-diabetic dad ordered a burger and Sprite. I had to admit, that was a very good move, because if it was my last meal, I would've died with a big, beefy smile on my face.

So good, in fact, that I didn't even bother taking a picture, I was too busy eating.

And that ended our day in Chicago. I had fun. My sister and my dad had fun. And even though my mom got stuck paying for parking and the food, I'm pretty sure she had fun too.