Magnificent Money
According to the Chicago Tribune,
On Tuesday night, a giant bright flower appeared at the corner of Michigan and Superior on the Magnificent Mile. Wondering what it was for, the life-is-a-movie side of me imagined lasers shooting from its center, destroying cars and buildings as it crawled along the street. But then the cynic in me kicked movie guy aside to realize there was only one option: marketing. Which goes to show what the city will do to accommodate people and entities with money (the car-launch spectacle was timed with the Chicago Auto Show that starts this Friday). This includes a ban on street musicians, who can be seen as a deterrent for shoppers as much as a source for (legitimate?) noise and safety concerns. I'll miss the "bucket boys" and other street musicians, as they added some spice to what's becoming the heavily-controlled, "outdoor mall" of North Michigan Avenue.
"Bucket boys" who beat on makeshift drums...will be banned from a stretch of tony North Michigan Avenue under an ordinance passed Wednesday by the City Council... The ban applies to the stretch of Michigan between Delaware Place and Superior Street... Noise aside, proponents also said that safety is a concern because crowds attracted by performers sometimes force pedestrians into the street to get past.I'm guessing this ban won't affect giant, multi-colored mechanical flowers used to promote the latest luxury automobile.
On Tuesday night, a giant bright flower appeared at the corner of Michigan and Superior on the Magnificent Mile. Wondering what it was for, the life-is-a-movie side of me imagined lasers shooting from its center, destroying cars and buildings as it crawled along the street. But then the cynic in me kicked movie guy aside to realize there was only one option: marketing. Which goes to show what the city will do to accommodate people and entities with money (the car-launch spectacle was timed with the Chicago Auto Show that starts this Friday). This includes a ban on street musicians, who can be seen as a deterrent for shoppers as much as a source for (legitimate?) noise and safety concerns. I'll miss the "bucket boys" and other street musicians, as they added some spice to what's becoming the heavily-controlled, "outdoor mall" of North Michigan Avenue.
The last time I was on North Michigan, the day after New Year's, I felt the exact feelings I feel on those rare occasions when I am in an enclosed shopping mall. I just had to get out of that area. We had walked from the beautiful, dense residential part of Old Town Norh of North Avenue, and the contrast was numbing. I love density and I should be excited about thousands of people out in the evening amid tall buildings, but they were all just there to shop at stores that I mostly could find at any St. Louis mall.
ReplyDeleteIf it wasn't for the bucket boys or the robot man, north Michigan Avenue would be culturally pretty monotonous. Isn't the point of creating density of activity, creating density of activity? It makes sense that the street performers would flock to the area where the sidewalks are crowded with people spending money. Banning the bucket boys is counterintuitive -- you would have to ban shopping to really clear the sidewalks of north Michigan to "safe" levels.
Add this sad tale to the Chicago heap, alongside last year's "no picture taking in Millenium Park".
ReplyDeleteLadies and Gentlemen,
Please return to your homes and lock the doors. Please sit in front of your BoobTubes and await further instruction.
Thank you,
That is all.
How ironic that the post about banning bucket boys precedes the one about the hidden city.
ReplyDeleteHere in DC, bucket boys used to be part of everyday life. As development and gentrification have increased over the last several years, the beats of the bucket boys have been silenced. This is a real loss. I miss the energy and joy that you get from that street music. It may not be hidden, but it's certainly one of the reasons I love to live in the city.
It's sad to hear that chicago is trying to clean up North Michigan by silencing exciting urban performance because it doesn't fit into a prescripted, conservative vision of desirability.