In a near-unprecedented concert that kicked off a virtual five-day weekend in the city, the Dave Matthews Band–a multiracial rock/jazz fusion band with a dramatically quirky sound and stratospheric record sales–filled Soldier Field on Thursday night and had another sold-out show scheduled Friday.
The show ushered in a rolling extravaganza of entertainment over the very long 4th of July holiday period that would also see the opening of Taste of Chicago and a White Sox game Friday. The back-to-back Dave Matthews shows spilling into a 4th that falls on a Tuesday this year created an unusual combination of events that threatened to yield more traffic headaches and security alerts than usual amid the nonstop partying and traditional fireworks and concert in Grant Park on Monday.
Only the Rolling Stones in 1997 and the Grateful Dead in 1995 have sold out Soldier Field in two consecutive shows, a tally of 100,000 fans.
James Law, executive director of the mayor’s office of special events, said of the blockbuster Friday agenda, “To have Patti LaBelle [who will open the Taste] and Dave Matthews and a Sox game–it doesn’t get any bigger than this.”
City officials on Thursday declared a traffic “Red Alert” that will run through Monday night for the downtown area as they urged visitors to use public transportation. Extra police and traffic control officers are being called in to handle the crowds.
Many concertgoers dutifully took Metra or CTA trains Thursday night and then tried to cab it to the stadium. But several grew impatient with the clogged roads and hopped out to hike the rest of the way.
“We took the train to Union Station and then caught a cab, but it [stunk],” said fan Jim Duda, 18, of Bartlett. “We paid like $10 to go three blocks and then just got out.”
As walking fans neared the stadium, they merged into seemingly endless streams of other concertgoers marching antlike toward the venue to feast on an evening of mellow ear candy.
Indeed, unlike the excitable rock fans of yesteryear, many Matthews devotees listen just to chill out.
“I like his music because it’s soothing,” says Katelynn Hussman, 15, of Brookfield, who was waiting for a friend outside the stadium. “It’s calm and relaxing and sometimes his songs are about nothing.”
The Dave Matthews Band, which has been the surprise rock ‘n’ roll phenomenon of the ’90s, has not so much had big hits–though “Crush,” “Ants Marching” and “Satellite” are all signature songs–as an extraordinary, pervasive appeal that has transcended nearly all popular musical categories. And yet fans are not nearly so diverse as Matthews’ musical influences. On a racial level his very white Chicago audience ran the gamut with about one in three opting for fashions from Abercrombie & Fitch. The fans’ age range wasn’t much more varied.
Said fan Josh Izzo, 15, of Western Springs, “There are all different ages here, starting in high school and going all the way to people in college and some who are even out of college.”
“What [Matthews] is doing is unbelievable,” says concert promoter Andy Cirzan of Jam Productions. “I can’t think of another performer who has ever sold as many tickets in the market as this guy will this summer.” In addition to the Soldier Field shows, Matthews is on the verge of selling out two more shows at Alpine Valley Music Theatre in East Troy, Wis., on Aug. 19-20.
After the Alpine dates, Matthews will have played to 170,000 fans in the area this summer. Still, Thursday’s was the biggest single audience the band has ever played before in Chicago, and also the priciest, with tickets going for $52.
Although some fans griped about the price, most agreed Matthews’ shows are worth it.
“This will be my sixth time,” said Christina Cheronis, 19, of Oak Park. “In 1999, my senior year, when he came to the United Center, we had to go through a ticket broker and pay $127 and they were horrible seats, third balcony behind the stage. But it’s always worth it. He is so great live.”
As the show got under way, Matthews worked his live magic on the appreciative crowd.
But not everybody was so blissful. Michael and Monica Rhodes had seats in the far corner of the stadium, from which it was nearly impossible to view the performers and very difficult to see the video screen.
“They should not sell these seats,” Michael Rhodes, 32, of Chicago said. “You come here and you see where you’re sitting and you look around at the other people coming up the stairs and you see them look around and get this dejected look.”
Indeed, many in Rhodes’ section expressed similar discontent, but less with the performer than the organizers.
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This is the kind of loyalty and devotion that has made Matthews such a money-making attraction, outselling all but established older acts such as the Stones and Bruce Springsteen.
Although Thursday night’s traffic was problematic, Friday’s triple (Taste-Sox-Matthews) whammy will likely be worse. The biggest crunch of the holiday weekend, however, is expected on Monday when the combination of Taste, the Grant Park concert and the lakefront fireworks display are expected to attract 1 million people.
For information about public transportation, phone (any area code) 836-7000.