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Soccer is the world’s most popular sport. It is played all over the world in city’s streets, fields and even beaches. The popularity of the sport will most likely never vain around the world, as America still tries to play catch-up on this phenomena. The country is slowly catching up to the rest of the world and over the weekend was just an example of how great it can be, as 2010 Chicago Beach Soccer Festival took place on Montrose Beach.
The festival is exactly what it says it is: a beach soccer festival for boys and girls, young and old. Going into the festival I was not quite sure what to expect and was pleasantly surprised when I arrived there. First off, I noticed the amount of cars that were parked in and around the parking lot. Once over the small hill it was a very different view – 12 soccer fields full of men and women playing beach soccer.
My first impressions were very positive. The fields were marked in a professional manner and one could distinguish the referees from players from a far. The sponsors’ tents were surrounding the field on the entire west side of the beach and even the beach/playing pitch seemed in decent condition, not even 24 hours after some awful weather went through the Chicago-land area.
The tents featured included both of Chicago’s pro soccer teams – Fire and Red Stars alongside numerous other health and fitness companies. On Saturday the Red Stars included its midfield star and England International – Karen Carney for an autograph session, while Sunday was reserved for the Chicago Fire mascot Sparky to mingle with the crowd.
The fields were completely full of non-stop action and the whole mood of the festival seemed to be upbeat. People playing looked like they were having fun and even those in the stands (on Montrose Beach there are rocks lined along the beach in form of stands) were enjoying themselves.
The event organizers were very pleased with the turn-out, in particular following the awful weather on Friday night, which flooded part of the beach causing the event to be postponed for a couple of hours. Around 11 a.m. on Saturday the festival began its schedule and the rest went on as planned.
Alfonso Mitchell, a Delegate-at-Large for Illinois State Soccer Association, was in charge of the whole festival and shared some thoughts on the festival.
“Considering the weather last night I am extremely pleased with how things have turned out,” said Mitchell.
“Lots of teams came out and that’s why we have 12 fields set up here, but I hope we can have even more next year.”
Mitchell also added that the participants are mainly out Illinois, although there were some from the neighboring states of Indiana, Wisconsin and even Michigan. The goal is to attract the great players and teams from all over the U.S. like California and Florida but it’s still a process that is growing, continued Mitchell.
“We have a great relationship with the Chicago Park District and one of my goals for the future is to use up all of the Montrose Beach for even more soccer fields, as well as more entertainment options such as Reggae bands or even some Samba.”
Mitchell continued by saying he hopes the event will continue to grow in the near future by adding new sponsors and he hopes to include more teams, free shirts and even prize money for the winners.
“You come here and play the beautiful game while enjoying the amazing scenery of a Chicago beach on a gorgeous summer day, what could be better?” said a smiling Mitchell.
For photos from this event please click on our Facebook page.
The humid air was stifling when I entered the Near West Side’s Union Park for the sixth annual Pitchfork Music Festival on Saturday. The blistering mid-July heat, combined with the crowd of 18,000 within a few city blocks, led festival organizers to take the stage before 2:30 p.m. act Delorean and urge attendees to stay hydrated and watch out for each other.
Though sirens did blare within the festival gates a few times, coming to aid those who had fallen victim to the unfortunate weather circumstances, on the whole festival-goers’ behavior was a reflection of the festival’s vibe itself: smart, forward-thinking, and humane, as bottles of water passed out in the front row reached the very middle of crowds where scorching sun and body heat reached their apex.
Many could forget, as unassuming indie music fans, that the heat notoriously takes its toll most not on attendees, but on performers. Moving rapidly, rocking to the beat furiously, elevated ten feet up under the sun’s rays and stage lights, and often times in garb far more conservative than bikini-clad attendees, several performers made note of the weather, but in some way or another acknowledged that “the show must go on.”
And oh, did it go on! Delorean, a Spanish quartet of summery alternative dance music, opened my day with energetic Animal Collective-esque samples and breezy melodies. I particularly enjoyed the classic drum and bass foghorn sample used in their opening bit, which was layered and textured with several diferent musical pieces. I discovered quite soon that this intricate layering is the trademark of the group, who broke through only this year with album Subiza after nine years in the underground. My eyes stayed on the keyboardist, Unai Lazcano, who threw his whole body into each track–take note, all you veteran bands lacking stage presence and enthusiasm. One thing that was left to be desired, however, was vocal quality; bassist and lead singer Ekhi Lopetegi nailed the cheery lyrics well, but at times his pitch and volume distracted me from the impeccable instrumentals in the background. Nonetheless, I heard other attendees raving about the early afternoon show well into the evening, and I bet that Pitchfork goers who hadn’t heard of Delorean before yesterday consider themselves fans now.
Following Delorean, I headed toward the Balance Stage for a good spot for L.A. modern funk extraordinare Dam-Funk. Signed to Stones Throw Records, he brought the progressive back to funk with his double-album, Toeachizown, released in 2009. Though I was a fan of that work, I was disappointed by his live show–though he made sure to layer each element of his show with long delays and spaced-out sound, his performance still felt more like cheesy karaoke rather than forward-thinking grooves. Perhaps it was the vocals, which seemed far too loud and crooning for fans, or maybe it was the dumbed-down instrumentation that sounded significantly lower and simplified than on record. No matter the cause, I was disappointed by what I expected to be my top show of the day, and left after four tracks to catch Raekwon back at the Aluminum Stage.
I arrived to the biggest crowd I had seen thus far, apparently transfixed by the large Wu-Tang Clan symbol adorning the DJ’s laptop. My first trip to Pitchfork two years ago also led me to see Raekwon, but that time he was accompanid by fellow Clan member Ghostface Killah. Apparently it didn’t mean much to Raekwon, who felt no need to hog the spotlight and brought a large entourage of supporting rappers and friends on stage with him, for a set of what he promised to be old favorites and throwback tracks. What he wasn’t anticipating, however, were recurring technical difficulties that left his DJ’s instrumental backing sputtering and skipping partway through every song he started. Visually agitated, Raekwon assured fans that he would freestyle acapella if it came down to it, and did his best to make it through fan favorites “C.R.E.A.M.” and “Wu-Tang Clan Ain’t Nothin’ to F*** With”. Still, the crowd full of hip-hop fans in a festival with only a few such names was left hanging after the error left them with empty silences for minutes on end, and it was a disappointing problem for the veteran MC’s numerous supporters.
The heat began to get to me after a solid four hours of bouncing from set to set, so I took the next few to peruse the unexpectedly varied and large selection of food, craft and art vendors lining several central areas of the park. I discovered hidden gems like Chicago dance vinyl warehouse Groove Distribution, exquisite porcelain jewelry from independent designer Sofia Masri, and vintage-inspired brass and gold pieces from Austin-based Ornamental Things. Also offered were dozens of music posters in various creative permutations, and several food vendors ranging from soy ice cream by Temptation to deep dish pizza by Chicago favorite Connie’s. Also present was a water fountain station that I witnessed tally up a line of nearly 150–could have used a few more spigots, to say the least.
After resting up, I headed towards the Connector Stage to get a good spot for Panda Bear, the elusive founding member of Animal Collective who notoriously avoids performing solo due to his stage fright. Perhaps this stage fright is due to an apparent disconnect between the unusual, soundscape musical perspective of Panda and the outside universe; while at times textured spotlessly and fitting echoing guitar and synths seamlessly into the mood of the summer evening, his mumbles and occasional yelps with minimalist bell ringing and drum patterns still came off unapproachable. He gets extra points for the well-coordinated trippy visuals, but lost me before his set to get a good spot in the already massive crowd awaiting LCD Soundsystem.
And as the sun set on Union Park and all of the near 20,000 attendees gathered around the main stage, James Murphy led LCD Soundsystem under an enormous disco ball for their first Pitchfork appearance. A darling of the indie music scene since the self-titled album was released five years ago, it was surprising that he had never graced the stage until 2010–but the performance made up for lost time. The setlist covered both new releases from 2010’s This is Happening and older fan favorites like “Daft Punk Is Playing At My House” and “All My Friends”. In lieu of Murphy’s recent announcement that the group will retire after this tour–after three nearly universally acclaimed albums and attracting dance-happy fans across the globe–his spot-on vocals and energetic band backing were a bittersweet farewell as the group closed out Saturday night at Pitchfork.
The greatest sporting event in the world has concluded its play and with it millions of viewers around the world can finally return to normal everyday schedule. The tournament, first ever hosted in Africa was great and aside from some refereeing errors and the constant noise of the vuvuzelas most people will view it as a success.
For the final on Sunday, I decided to go to Soldier Field and watch the game with a couple thousand fans at Soldier Field. The event was called 2010 Chicago World Cup Festival and it featured live soccer matches on the field, live music and entertainment, as well as a live viewing of the final game between Netherlands and Spain.
The event did not draw a crowd that the organizers were hoping for (I’m assuming) but the atmosphere at the stadium was great nevertheless. Lots of Spain and Holland supporters came on to cheer their country in this historic game. (Neither team had won the World Cup before)
The first noticeable thing I came across as I was arriving at Soldier Field (walking from Grant Park) was the shortage of signs pointing people in the right direction. The entire north side of the stadium was barricaded off and after walking downstairs and upstairs numerous times, myself and a large group of others decided to circle around the stadium and try our luck from the south entrance. That turned out to be the right way to go, but the lack of any signs whatsoever and the 90 degree heat made the walk a very uncomfortable one.
Once at the gate there were several tents outside providing the fans with free Coke Zero or Powerade refreshments. This certainly seemed to raise the spirits of those who just spent half an hour trying to figure out a way in. Once in and inside the concourse of the stadium there was a real, party like atmosphere. Live entertainment, music and numerous tents made the event seem like a Sport Expo. There were tents sponsoring different charities, offering newest equipment, to the official South African tent with all kinds of different memorabilia, including an option to buy a signature “vuvuzela.” After purchasing mine, I decided to see what exactly is happening on the field.
The field was split up in three different areas, which created three smaller size soccer fields enabling the tournament to be completed quicker. There were many different age groups on display ranging from the young adults, teens, girls teams to even young guys in grade school. The quality of play was great and it certainly provided entertainment for those waiting for the final to start.
The final between Spain and Holland was a disappointment from a quality of game perspective but not in terms of drama. Andres Iniesta’s goal in the 116th minute gave Spain its first ever World Cup title, much to the delight of the Spanish fans at Soldier Field.
Couple things I didn’t like about the event was the admission price ($20 a little to expensive for my taste) and even the food inside the stadium was the same price like it is during Chicago Bears games. Buying a $6 beer or a $5 hot dog is expensive even when at a Bears game, let alone at an event such as this one was. In my opinion the food was overpriced and it probably stopped some people from ordering. Another problem was the lack of signs on the north side of the stadium leaving people to wonder which way they needed to go. A couple of signs on either side would have solved this problem and saved a bunch of people less walking on a hot summer day.
Overall, the festival was an interesting experience to attend as a fan and a member of the press. I got to see a World Cup Final alongside a couple thousand other fans at Soldier Field. Sure there were some things that could have been better but I have yet to go to a festival that didn’t miss a thing here or there. I will definitely be looking forward to a similar event in July of 2014 when the World Cup takes place in Brazil. Hopefully USA will make a deeper run in that tournament.
To view pictures from the event click here:
As I stepped off of the Montrose Brown Line El platform, it was immediately visible to me where the Old Town School of Folk Music’s 13th annual Folk and Roots Festival was happening. Though it was four or five blocks west of the station, dozens of people clad in breezy ethnic prints and holding fresh mango and watermelon bouquets were headed home from the fest with contented grins on their multi-generational faces.
As I walked toward their origin, the sound of hand drums and Spanish guitar wafted through the humid July air, and it was then that without a doubt I had arrived at the most varied and well-respected collection of internationally and folk-influenced music at a Chicago festival this summer. After paying the $10 donation for entrance, I was greeted pleasantly by six music stages, thousands of generally free-spirited families and single attendees, and a multitude of vendors straying outside of the traditional street festival box.
Such booths included personal favorites Bigbite Catering, who offered vegan and vegetarian-friendly options in eco-friendly packaging, and internationally influenced goods like Haitian steel drum sculpture and free trade clothing from India.
Moving beyond the immediately visible vendor booths, each of the festival’s six stages offered a fresh and unique perspective on the Old Town School, ranging from local Latino musicians in the Nuestra Musica tent to the School’s staff performing traditional Japanese music on the Staff Stage. Kids’ entertainment featured musicians who I caught singing songs about butterfly metamorphosis, and the Dance Tent instructed couples, families and curious singles alike how to groove to everything from Brazilian beats to traditional Argentine tango.
At the end of my few hours perusing the Lincoln Square festival grounds—with the help of free bike carriages for a cool breeze and sightseeing—I, too, left the festival with a contented grin and fruit bouquet, a sweet ending to a midsummer glimpse of what Chicago and the Old Town School have to offer.
There are those who like sunny weather and then there are those who love a good storm. Well, those in search of some wild weather should consider themselves lucky enough to be in Chicago this summer. Why? Because there is an exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry for those in search of answers: Science Storms.
Ever wondered how lighting occurs? Or even a tornado spins? Perhaps how does a flame burn the way it does? The answer to these and numerous other questions can be found at this exhibit. People who come to Science Storms can ask questions about a specific natural wonder and have those question answered by an experiment right in front of them. That way no one leaves the place wondering how certain things work.
The exhibit features over 50 different experiments and it spreads over two floors and over 26,000 square feet. People who come to the exhibit can learn about a variety of different natural phenomena: tornado, lightning, fire, tsunami, atom, avalanche and even sunlight. For example in the tornado exhibit, one stands in front of a 40-foot tube that recreates what a tornado looks like. The best part about this is that a person standing in front of it can actually control the speed and the power of this man-made toy.
For every one of these amazing wonders displayed at Science Storms, there are buttons and or controls allowing those who came to the exhibit to play the role of God, even if only for a couple of seconds.
This exhibit is for anyone who has ever been good at Physics in school, or all those that wondered for years how certain natural wonders work. Young or old, people of all ages will find this fascinating and will not be sorry for attending this outstanding exhibit.
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