NY Philharmonic in Central Park

The vibe was different in Central Park, somehow, than in Prospect Park. Maybe it's just that people were just more aggressive about staking out their turf (note the pink tape outlines extending beyond the blankets):

In addition, we were further from the stage - or at least felt further without the giant screens to show us the orchestral details:


Our crowd was relaxed and happy, with three bottles of wine to share:

Maybe some of us were even too relaxed:


The people next to us were tremendously well-organized. They staked out a huge area with four matching blue plastic tarps, and they fenced their space on the back with a row of 6 or 7 coolers filled with food and drink. Very impressive. But some of them found it necessary to rest from their labors as well:



I particularly appreciated that they included the 1812 Overture in the program - it features what Bill Watterson's character Calvin called an "interesting percussion section." Of course I also love that it gives me an excuse to tell people about the justly-neglected 1712 Overture (a beautiful spoof, with balloons popping instead of cannons).

The fireworks afterward were nice - that's always a favorite. I have some video clips of them, and might upload them later if I'm not feeling too lazy.