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No Limits, No Cover

Music Without Borders delivers the goods.

Monday Jul 10, 2006.     By Ben Rubenstein

Music Feed

Though I've been keeping watch on the festivals this summer, I nearly forgot about the start of the Music Without Borders series last Thursday night in Millennium Park. It wasn't until my temporary roommate Brian proposed a trip to Bricks Chicago for half-price Fat Tire night that I remembered Seu Jorge and Amadou and Mariam would be performing at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion, and we could watch for free. Our dinner plans now pushed back, we set off on a wild scooter ride downtown (yes, two men can ride on a knockoff Vespa with no emotional scarring) to meet some friends for the show.

Upon arrival, we noticed two things; one, apparently, we weren't the only people who had this great idea, as the lawn area was packed to overflowing, and two, there was alcohol allowed inside. Soon enough we were parked in a cozy spot on the grass, a 12-pack of Bud Light in tow. Sure, it wasn't quite up to the standards of the wine, cheese and baguettes that many of the would-be Ravinia patrons were snacking on, but it suited us just fine.

Seu Jorge began to play promptly at 6:45 p.m., and his lively Samba rhythms and soulful vocals had much of the crowd shaking what their mothers had so kindly given them. Possibly the most enthusiastic fans of all were the kids in the crowd; tots ran around, through and over their parents throughout the night, contributing to the family atmosphere that pervaded. If there's one image that will stay with me (apart from the breathtaking views of the city), it was that of a father who became an unwilling participant in his kids' makeshift human pyramid. On a night like this, all the man could do was reach into a large bag of Cheez Puffs and bop his head to the Brazilian man singing David Bowie's "Rebel Rebel" in Portuguese.

What impressed me most of all was the ease of the experience. This being my first show at Millennium Park, I was amazed by the sound quality (apparently, the spider-web of speaker supports that crisscross the lawn actually serves a purpose) and the fact that I didn't have to use a port-a-potty when the Bud Light got to me. People were even courteous about going off to the side to smoke; I guess the high of leaving work to catch two of the top acts in world music for free was enough to improve relations among city folk. I'm pretty sure I even caught a security person smiling.

By the time Amadou and Mariam came on after a 15-minute intermission, I wondered whether the crowd, many of whom, like us, couldn't even see the stage, would be able to sustain the energy. But the Malian duo, who can't see anything at all, wasted no time getting the audience back in the swing of things with their joyous, jazzy melodies. I even noticed a large dance circle forming near our spot, something I haven't seen since...well, since my last visit to Shenannigan's.

My friends and I did leave before the end; we had pizza and beer to get to, after all. But if you're looking for a fun outdoor musical experience this summer, and you're running low on cash, head down to the next installment of Music Without Borders. Especially if you're that pretty girl in the bright orange shirt who was sitting a few rows in front of us; if you're interested, there's a scooter backseat with your name on it.

Music Without Borders is a series of free outdoor concerts presented by the City of Chicago at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park occurring throughout the summer. The next show will take place on July 10, with Goran Bregovic and his wedding and funeral orchestra making their U.S. debut at 6:30 p.m.

Ben Rubenstein jumps under the covers every other week in an ongoing search for freebie music that rocks. If you know of a no-cover night he should check out, email him.