Introducing Obama, Mayor Rahm Emanuel said “This looks like the Uptown Music District,” a reference to one of the mayor’s pet entertainment projects.Makes us wonder if the reason Uptown and the Aragon were chosen as the site of the birthday celebration/ fundraiser, over every other music venue in the city and country, was so Rahm could pitch a suggestion to his former boss and political mentor about some federal funding for this area? We can hope.
Maybe getting the Aragon's a/c fixed should be top of the list, according to people who were there (and have the sweat stains to prove it).
UU Note: NBC5 has a minute-by-minute timeline of Obama's stay in Uptown. Looks like the whole thing lasted just about three hours.
This is what I said in "More information about Tonight"
ReplyDelete'Come on people think positive.. This is good for the area and good for Rahm to get some support for his "music district" he is dreaming of... Stop complaining people..'
YES PEOPLE, this is the only reason why we were chosen.. So let's give a good round of applause to Rahm for convincing his Buddy to have it at the Aragon..
If anyone can help spur on the rehabilitation of the Uptown Theatre I hope that its Obama. Chicago should get some benefit from his presidency.
ReplyDeleteAnd where better in the entire city to spend the money on?
More return on investment than anywhere else IMHO.
Whoever thought that Obama was Rahms mentor? That is crazy talk. One might hold higher political office but the other has more skill.
ReplyDeleteIts hard to imagine the party happening there if Daley was in office. The Daleys did a good job for Chicago overall but treated Uptown like the proverbial red-headed stepchild.
ReplyDeleteThe UMD is definately on the Rahm Radar, Obama had the pick of the litter in venues city-wide....this couldn't be coincidence.
One way I was thinking The Uptown Music District could be advanced.....bring Columbia College and/or other educational institutions back to Uptown.
Columbia used to have a dance center on Sheridan, believe it was the space Alternatives is in now. Columbia has an awesome Jazz Program as well as theater, there are other schools and companys already up and going elsewhere in Chicago.
If we can attract them here it would add a valuable cultural dimension and fill days on the calendar of some of our venues, we could be their home base.
Having them nearby would also position them nicely for local youth outreach and adult education.
So I pose these two questions to the community-at-large:
1) What institutions, besides Columbia College, do you think we could or should have here to enhance the UMD. Large or small?
In whole (as in Giordano Dance moving to Andersonville), or in part as an extension program.
2) What can we do as a community, our Alderman(s), Uptown United/Chamber of Uptown, and Social Services/non-profits do to motivate a move to Uptown?
What actions can we take unilaterally or in collaboration?
If I may indulge one more point.
A large mural celebrating our music and entertainment past...we have wealth of material to choose from.
Cheers!