As Snoop Dogg took the stage Sunday night at Charter One Pavilion at Northerly Island, boaters in Burnham Harbor blew their horns to protest the booming music and obscenity-laced lyrics that invaded their quiet weekend on the lake.
“It’s not just about the boaters,” said protest organizer Tom Collins, 51, of Niles. “It’s also about the families who want to walk along the lakefront.”
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The protest — which organizers said included boaters on Lake Michigan and people in the arena parking lot honking their car horns simultaneously at 8 p.m. — follows a second weekend of loud music at the venue, Collins said.
He was one of dozens of boaters who exchanged e-mails about an Aug. 26 concert that featured hip-hop artists such as Wu-Tang Clan and Talib Kweli.
Collins said many boaters left the docks early Aug. 26 when the concert blasted loud music and shook their boats. Instead of sitting out on his boat and enjoying the weather, Collins eventually went inside the cabin to shield his 5-year-old niece and 7-year-old nephew from the foul language, he said.
“It shouldn’t be that loud,” Collins said. “The issue I had was with the vulgarity. They were talking about taking a snub-nosed revolver and shooting cops. You shouldn’t be able to do that, out there in the open air.”
Snoop Dogg’s Sunday performance was part of the Download 2007 festival, which included performances throughout Sunday afternoon by groups such as Brand New, Band of Horses and Wolf Parade.
Boaters have written to Charter One officials, the Chicago Park District and city officials, complaining about the noise. The Park District owns the facility, but Live Nation operates it.
Park District spokeswoman Jessica Maxey-Faulkner said Sunday she was unaware of the protests. Performers, she said, must abide by noise levels that were set in place about two years ago when the venue opened. There is a continuous dialogue between the venue and boaters, including a posting of the schedule, she added.
While the Park District doesn’t endorse vulgar lyrics, Maxey-Faulkner said, the 1st Amendment gives the only boundaries for what performers can sing about.
“It’s an exercise in 1st Amendment rights for both sides,” she said, referring to the protesters and performers.
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