#23 - See a Concert at Ravinia

I can't believe I've never been to Ravinia before. 

For my Michigan friends, it's like the Chicago version of Pine Knob--except it's even easier to get to because here in Chicago, we have trains. It was just a (free) 30-minute Metra ride up to the park, letting us off right there.

Alicia and I went to see the Chicago Symphony Orchestra play a variety of Tchaikovsky (my favorite composter) pieces. We opted for the pavilion, though lawn seats (where you can bring your own or rent/buy chairs, tables, food, and drink) are a favorite. I'm kinda glad we did the pavilion though because I realized that for music I really want to pay attention to, I want to be able to see the artists.

They started with some of the Nutcracker movements. Then, after intermission we were treated to a concerto with a soloist on violin and then, the big finale: The Overture of 1812--with cannons. 

For a chunk of the performance, we were trying to figure out how the cannons came into play because, as you can see in the pictures, there isn't quite space for full-ass cannons on the stage. But, they were there! Just to the side of the pavilion. And they were loud. It was something totally different than any of the other symphony or orchestra performances I've ever seen before. Super fun, got everyone laughing and energized.

I had a great time and can't wait to catch another summer show there.