Summer Music
I go to far too few concerts for someone who loves music so ardently. But I wasn’t going to let Lollapalooza pass me by, even if it was in Chicago. There was a very special name on the bill, someone I’ve been trying to see for years…
I fell in love with the music of Manu Chao the very first time I heard it. An ecclectic mix of punk, reggae, classic spanish ballads and sound bites, sung in no less then six languages (often mixing two or more in the same sentence) it was utterly enthralling in a ‘what-the-heck-is-going-on-here’ kind of way.
On first listen I thought my Spanish was rusty, before realizing the lyrics were in Portugese, Galician, French, English and Arabic, as well as Wolof (a language spoken in Senegal and Gambia.) Who the heck was this guy? And where could I hear more?!
I quickly bought Manu Chao albums and listened to them with an obsession that was almost comical. Why change the CD in my stereo when this was so entertaining? I even listened on my iPod, walking down city streets with a substantial dose of energy from the music.
When I heard Manu Chao was playing Lollapolooza I debated whether I was really going to get on a plane to go to a festival 750 miles from home just to see one act. The answer: Yes I was.
I made plans to meet my friend Jason in Chi-town and we headed to the festival grounds on Saturday. We bounced around Grant Park all day, taking in all sorts of acts, including some of Kidapalooza (where they were rapping in Yiddish if you can believe it), checking out vendors, avoiding over-priced Budweisser and chilling in the AT&T Blue room, which was mercifully airconditioned. (They were also handing out these cute little personal fans with tiny water containers that you could use to cool and mist yourself. We used them as water guns…squirting each other in the face and snickering, though I was never able to get water up Jason’s nose.)
We were not totally impressed by anything we saw for most of the day, realizing that we probably should have just showed up later for the bigger acts. Meanwhile I was getting myself one hell of a sunburn!
Finally we stumbled over to the Dresden Dolls performance, and were pleasently surprised by their punk cabaret act, complete with whitefash makeup. Simply a two-piece, and personal pet-project of Trent Reznor, the group was wacky and fun and the first thing all day that got me really smiling.
After the performance we took a seat at the abandonded stage and watched the Flaming Lips from across the field. Their shinanigans could be seen from space, with dancing go-go alien girls, a fleet of Santa Claus, the lead singer rolling over the audience in a ball and a ridiculous amount of confetti and ballons.
Next up, back where we were sitting, Thievery Corporation which was really, really good. They brought out a bellydancer on the first song and a sucession of vocalists on the next few. The crowd was grooving to their down-tempo, sitar-infused, danceable beats. We thought it was a good time to make our escape and head over to the Manu Chao stage.
We picked our way across mud and debris to grab a spot as close to the front as we could. I think we ended up standing next to Manu Chao’s biggest fans, this crazy group of Mexicans who screamed and chanted for a full half hour before he even reached the stage. They made friends with everyone around them, asking politely for everyone to chant with them. Too bad I never quiet understand what they were saying…
Thievery Corporation ran long and the Manu Chao crowd was getting restless. We were pressed together, already hot and sweaty, some drunk, some stoned, and no one wanted to wait anymore.
Finally…the show began…and the crowd surged…and I knew almost immediately I was in for one of the best shows I’d ever been to!
As the musicians pogoed on stage the crowd became a giant hopping mob, dancing ‘pits’ broke out which were agressive but not dangerous (more a reckless abandon feel) and I was pushed this way and that. I took a bit of a beating when a giant guy decided he was going to crowd surf, on the heads of the diminutive, mostly Mexican, crowd. I ended up taking a kick to the nose but faired okay overall.
The show was amazing. One and a half straight hours of music…no stopping between songs, no sipping of water bottles, no break what-so-ever…just music, music, music.
There was actually quite a bit of material I didn’t know, most of which came from earlier versions of the band (Mano Negra & Radio Bemba Sound System…whose music I am now rushing to get), but it was fantastic, the whole crowd singing and dancing…intoxicating. It seemed that if you liked him, you LOVED him…his fans were, well, fanatical.
I kept moving closer and closer to the stage as the show went on…finally close enough to watch the stage and not the jumbo-tron…but deafened by enormous speakers. I couldn’t hear a thing for an hour after the show. Still…I couldn’t wait to see them again!
And the oppurtunity came sooner then I thought possible!
On Monday, still in Chicago, I got a call from Jason, now safely home. He asked me if I knew where Manu Chao was playing next. “Nope…no idea,” I replied. “Um…Brooklyn…tonight!” came the response…which is when I started freaking out.
I actually headed to the airport, got on an earlier flight, raced to drop my bag at my house, and hopped a bus to Prospect Park ….all for a show that was sold out! I couldn’t believe I went all the way to Chicago to see someone who was playing not 30 blocks from my house!! I decided to right my silliness, and go to this show too…no matter it was sold out…I would persevere!
Ha! There were literally thousands of people milling around Prospect Park…and it seemed half of them were looking for tickets! I made myslef a little sign that said, “NEED 1 TICKET”…then added “PLEASE!” and stood around looking hopeful.
I got a lot of response, mostly laughter but also a couple ‘hang in there’s, when the police showed up. I tried to hide my sign, unsure of the actual rules of scalping tickets but the cops saw it anyway. One friendly officer told me he heard there were tickets being sold by a specific entrance…but to watch out because there were a lot of conterfeits begin sold. Thank you helpful police man!!
I headed over to the specified gate and was there just 2 minutes when a couple from Scotland walked up and said they had a ticket to sell. How much? Just $35! -basically at cost for a $25 ticket with surcharges! (I know there were people paying as much as $100 a piece for tickets, many of which turned out to be fakes.) I couldn’t believe my luck! I ended up giving them $40 because none of us had change, and told them they’d made my day!
When I got inside I simply walked as close to the front as I could and ended up in the front row on the far left side of the stage! Again it was a crazy Latin crowd but with more of a mix of faces then in Chicago. And still, everyone seemed a die-hard fan!
This concert was even better then Chicago! The band played for nearly 2.5 hours! The concert/park people kept coming and telling them they had to stop, but they wouldn’t! Some fans got on stage and security rushed them, only to be stopped by Manu Chao who waggled his finger at them and then danced along with his fans. He did about 7 encores, even bringing his brother out to sing in Arabic, singing Mexican folk songs in honor of the crowd and repeatedly professing he was coming back to Brooklyn and thanks for the energy! Every time the band left the stage, the crowd began to chant “Ole-ole-ole-ole-Manu-MANU! ” and the band would reappear. I thought they were going to have to pull the plug on him.
I was a great show…well worth the mad-dash from Chicago. I guess I qualify as one of those rabid fans too!
Tags: Round the US
LizG