No-kay Computer

By Tankboy in Arts & Entertainment on Jan 9, 2006 4:44PM

So let’s get this straight. Last year the city finally ditched its rockaphobe tendencies and opened the way for two stellar outdoor music festivals that finally thrust us back in the national spotlight. The Park District makes mucho dollars off these events and is mighty eager to host further musical extravaganzas that will culturally enrich the city (and fatten the coffers.) Then Radiohead – Radiohead! – says they want to do play a two-day stand in Millenium Park and are willing to fork over $100,000 a day in rental fees to the city.

Unfortunately for all of us the Park District doesn’t have any say in Millenium Parks’ programming. Instead that privilege falls to the city’s Cultural Affairs Department and they say, “Naw, the orchestra has a rehearsal in that space that day.”

Cue the seismic tremors caused by 2.5 million jaws crashing through the frozen topsoil at this morning’s release of that absolutely dunderheaded response.

Now we could take the high road and accept the fact that grown-up endeavors (and what is an orchestral rehearsal if it ain’t the epitome of “grown up”) take precedence and that schedules were built to be adhered to, but we are a petty bunch so we ain’t gonna do that. Instead we are going to buy three dozen eggs this afternoon and bring them home to sit in the window of our back porch – in direct sunlight – for the next week or two. Then we are going to take those eggs to the Cultural Affairs Department and…

Seriously though, it’s not too late for someone in that office to come to their senses and realize the tremendous error they’ve made in rejecting a concert that would shine a bright light on the city while (again) filling its pockets with oodles and oodles of cash. Is it?