Amidst the debt crisis showdown and major GOP backbiting (what, did your invitation get lost in the mail, Mitt?), President Barack Obama swooped into Chicago last month to do a little celebrating (a.k.a. fundraising) at Uptown’s Aragon Ballroom. His guest list included more than 1,000 supporters who each paid between $50 and $35,800 to get varying levels of access to the president.
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President Obama’s Birthday Fundraiser
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Aragon Ballroom
Chicago, IL
August 3, 2011
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Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood was abuzz with anticipation on that Wednesday afternoon. Local bars like Fat Cat and the Uptown Lounge hung handmade banners and red, white and blue balloons saluting the birthday boy, and residents hung out on their stoops soaking in the scene. And, yes, the much-publicized protests took place, as well, but they were segregated safely away from the well-dressed party-goers a block away on Broadway Street.
Now, I’ve been to the Aragon many times, but never like this before. Outside the venue, members of the press were frisked and searched, then we cooled our heels during performances by OK Go and Jennifer Hudson, waiting for entry into the concert hall. Most of the political writers didn’t seem to mind too much, swapping stories from the Washington beat in the waning Chicago sun (what’s up, Mary Ann Ahern?!). I, however, was there to cover the musical aspect of this most presidential of birthday bashes, and I was definitely in the minority. I strained to hear bits and pieces of the performances and can report I definitely heard OK Go’s “Here It Goes Again” and Jennifer Hudson gospel-inflected voice belt out “Let It Be.” To quote anything else, though, would frankly be fiction.
However, the fresh-faced and friendly Obama for America volunteers efficiently ushered us in just in time to catch some of Herbie Hancock’s swinging set. Hancock, in a loudly colored shirt, led his tight band through his patented smooth jazz standards, even incorporating some of his signature “Rockit”-style scratching.
After Hancock’s set, DJ Greg Corner played fist-pumping Americana hits of the classic rock variety like Springsteen’s “Born in the U.S.A.” John Mellencamp’s “R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.” and The Beatles’ “Revolution.” (Obama is a baby boomer, after all). Stevie Wonder’s “Happy Birthday” got the crowd (some donning paper birthday hats) grooving along. Jumbo video screens flanked the stage showing photos of Americans holding signs proclaiming “I’m In” pledging allegiance to the 2012 campaign.
Speaking of the crowd, it was a utopian scene of young and old, black and white and everything in between. There was a tangible air of anticipation throughout the venue, not unlike before a major concert event such as the Rolling Stones or U2. The only thing missing was the lighters held aloft.
Back to the press section. As the weak lights of laptops lit up our cordoned-off area, it was the eventual arrival of the White House Press Corps that sent a ripple through the assembled crowd. We knew that meant the President had arrived. Soon after Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel took the stage and briefly addressed the crowd, informing us that the last time he sang was at his bar mitzvah. Emanuel then reintroduced the members of OK Go, Jennifer Hudson, Herbie Hancock and DJ Greg Corner to the stage. Hudson led the crowd in a raucous version of “Happy Birthday,” during which Obama sauntered out in shirtsleeves and a Cheshire grin.
For most people, turning 50 is a big deal. For a first-term president who’s seeking re-election, it’s a golden opportunity. President Obama opened his upbeat, rousing speech with an affable ageist joke. “Tomorrow, I turn 50, which means when I wake up, I’ll have an e-mail from AARP telling me to contact President Obama about saving Medicare,” he cracked. From that moment on, he owned the crowd like an idolized rock star, even indulging in a call-and-response with the adoring crowd (“I love you back,” he told one zealous female fan). While he did get political (this was a fundraiser remember), he kept the mood light and non-controversial, hitting on the crowd-pleasing highlights: clean energy, equal pay, education, foreign policy and the like. Of course, his admired preacher-esque speaking style captivated the crowd of believers. Set against the Aragon’s trippy, Casablanca-inspired décor, it seemed Obama could set aside his troubles for a few minutes and just have some fun.
After about 20 minutes, he was done and gone, exiting the stage (perhaps a tad incongruously) to a country song, Brooks & Dunn’s “Only in America.” And, no, there was no encore.
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