Devon Goes to Chicago! (Part II)

Warning: You might want to make yourself a snack and bring it to your computer before you start reading this post. Oh, and if you think you might need to use the restroom in the next hour or so, you might want to take care of that too.

Wednesday: Wrock Chicago

Those of you unfamiliar with the Harry Potter phenomenon may not realize that the fandom is not limited to people who read and talk about the books. No, no, HP fans find many ways to express their love for the books, and the most interesting mode of expression is what they call Wizard Wrock. The requirements for becoming a Wizard Wrocker are very simple: using any number of fans and instruments, you simply write and perform songs that include references to the plots, characters, and culture of the HP canon, and perform them before crowds of Rowling fans in backyards, libraries, and other venues.

Devon and I arrived at the Chicago Hilton in the early afternoon, just in time to hear The Butterbeer Experience, a pixie-like girl with a great voice and unlimited energy. Each of the non-headliners had half an hour on two stages in the hotel, and both rooms were lined with the bands’ “merch” (it’s amazing how much terminology I learned during this week). The other afternoon bands we saw included Celestial Warmbottom, The Moaning Myrtles, The Parselmouths, and The Gringots Grrls.

Before the headliners took the stage that evening, I whisked Dev away to the very touristy Navy Pier to check out the Stained Glass Museum – an impressive collection for a free open-to-the-public exhibit. Many of the pieces were from old sites throughout Chicago, and they covered a variety of themes, styles, and eras. If you are ever in Chicago and have a free hour, this is a definite must-see. We also explored the arboretum, and took a ride on the giant Ferris wheel, and blue-skied plots and characters for our own best-selling young adult book series during dinner.

The big names of Wizard Wrock claimed the stage for the evening performances, and the grand ballroom at the Hilton was packed to bursting with fanboys and girls in various states of costume, with all of their parents and chaperones lining the back walls (trying in vain to distance themselves from the noise, no doubt). Instead of lighters, the crowd held wooden carved wands aloft for the rock anthem-style songs, and groupies rushed the stage and screamed every time a new band came on. Having never attended a concert outside of the classical genre before, this was quite an experience for me.

The events planners at the Hilton evidently did not know what they were getting into when they granted these bands permission to play. Heading up the escalator to the ballroom, Devon and I noticed a crowd of well-dressed people from the American Gospel Singers and Choirs Conference entering the ballroom directly below that of the crazed Wizard Wrockers. Judging by the thumping already emanating from the floor above, we wondered how disturbed the AGSCC would be when the Wrock really got underway. The Whomping Willows took the stage at 8:00, and the madness began.

The base thumped so loud as to thoroughly vibrate my bone marrow, the fans screamed, and everyone started to dance. The floor started to shake so much that I was sure it was going to collapse – I gave Devon one fear-stricken look, and then instinctively dashed to the wall farthest from the crowd. I could see it in my mind: the center of the room suddenly collapsing; the fans, stage, and bands falling through and crushing the nice-looking, be-hatted ladies of the AGSCC; the Earthquake-style scenes of carnage and chaos that would follow. Evidently, I am destined to forever be intimidated by this genre of music. (Nota bene: this theory was confirmed this past Sunday at the Fall Out Boy concert I attended after the Nike Human Race 10K – the race itself was tons of fun, by the way.)

The management arrived at about 8:30 to inform the crowd that their jumping about had completely disrupted the AGSCC conference and caused the chandeliers to sway dangerously, and that we would all be escorted out of the building if we continued. The concert was a little calmer after that (another testimony to the reputation of our Chicago PD), and I mustered the strength to stay until Draco and the Malfoys took the stage. Dev and I retreated temporarily for chocolate cake, and then she plunged back in to watch Harry and the Potters while I sought some necessary quiet in the lobby. We left the Hilton around midnight, rushing home to get some sleep before the real Terminus experience began the next morning.

Thursday: Terminus Registration and Tea

Dressed for a nice day on the town, Dev and I drove back to Chicago the next morning to get in line for Terminus registration and packet pick-up, which started promptly at noon. Although we had already bought our conference tickets online, we hoped to get there in time to buy tickets to a brunch featuring Tamora Pierce, a best-selling young adults’ author who has been writing impressive fiction for the past twenty years or so. Fortunately, Devon “found” a place in the first part of the line, and let me cut in with her. We got to the ticket desk to get two of the last five tickets available for the brunch, fortunately.

We passed the early afternoon in Grant Park, sipping Starbucks and reading over the massive amount of literature describing all of the activities taking place during the conference. We had a hard time sifting through all the information and deciding which events to attend – there were lectures and discussions on the books themselves, as well as how they were connected to education, publishing, young adult fiction, psychology, the world and ethics of fan fiction, fan communities, and politics.

That afternoon, I gave Dev her birthday present – afternoon tea at the Drake. The Drake serves its tea in a dark wood-paneled room, filled with exotic flowers, with a large fountain and harpist in the center. The food was excellent – the scones served with plenty of Devonshire cream, just like I want them – and the desserts were petite, exotic little delights. Devon and I enjoyed ourselves immensely there; we spent the entire afternoon talking about food, books, birthdays, and life.

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday: Terminus

The next three days were a whirl of lectures, discussions, live podcasts, impromptu concerts, merchandise, and great food. The talks and discussions were interesting, if a little overwhelming (I have only read the series once, and I didn’t recognize most of the names and events mentioned during the sessions). The attendees appeared to become more and more comfortable as the conference went on, and by the end, it seemed as though Dev and I were two of only a few without costumes. I have to say that I suffered from several moments of cognitive dissonance, as we sat discussing serious literary theory with middle-aged and teenage women dressed in cloaks and pointy hats. Devon tried on some witches’ hats at the vendor pavilion, and looked rather fetching in this one (although my photographic ineptitude caused me to frame the picture using the birthday-at-a-Mexican-restaurant technique).

We roamed Chicago during our breaks. Dev introduced me to the world of comic books one afternoon, a shadowy realm of quiet people and the intense smell of ink. I was handed a Serenity comic book, and I'm afraid I embarrassed Dev in the middle of Giordano's when I yelled out "Gaa! Comic porn!!" in horror at several points through the book. We even took the Red Line clear to Loyola North Campus to get more Monk's Blend tea at Metropolis. Yes, we take our tea very seriously.

We went shopping one day, and Devon found some great new teaching outfits at H&M. Most of our evenings were free, and we indulged with two nights of North & South (the Elizabeth Gaskell tale, not the Patrick Swayze, Civil War, big-haired mini-series) as only two bibliophiles and Victorian romance lovers can. Dev gave me both the DVDs and the book for my birthday – a perfect gift, in my mind.

As a rather ambitious hostess, I have a reputation for thoroughly exhausting my guests, and this visit was no exception. Dev was so tired by Sunday afternoon that, after the last talk on Sunday afternoon, we went straight to Grant Park so that she could take a rest in the sunshine.

Thanks for all the fun, Dev!