There’s something very special about Fenway Park. Now, I’m no die-hard Red Sox fan, but I will take any chance I can to be in Fenway Park (even during a season like the one we just had!). There is a very special feeling that the space brings to me every time I go.
My attachment to Fenway started back in the 70’s (when I was a die-hard Red Sox fan, during the Fisk, Yaz, Rice, Lynn, Eckersley, Hobson era! – I even named one of my cats “Fenway”) One of my regular past times was to walk to the park in the afternoon, go to the players parking lot, take photos, go home and develop them in my bathroom, and then come back and have them signed by the players another day. And then of course to walk back to the park at night to sit in bleacher seats for $2.50. The world is a bit different now, and that kind of access no longer exists, but there is still a certain intimacy with the park.
What makes the space feel so intimate? Is it the scale? Fenway is certainly one of the smaller fields, and you can just about see all the seats from any seat. Is it the location? – nestled into one of the densest parts of Boston, with all sorts of other types of activity surrounding it – bars, nightclubs, offices, retail, residential, healthcare all on the same “block” surrounding the park. Is it the connectedness to the city? – from all around the neighborhood you can hear the announcers, hear the crowd, and sometimes even see a ball clear the green monster while walking to a Landsdowne club! Or maybe it is all of the red seats that I love! Whatever it is, there is a magical feeling, a warmth, a familiarity that I experience every time I go.
And now the experience has evolved to include another one of my passions – music. When I first heard about the idea of using Fenway as a concert venue I thought it was a mistake, and that music would not “fit” there. But I’ve now seen Springsteen (twice) and McCartney play the full field, Jack White play the bleachers (an incredible transformation of space to turn the bullpen into a stage and seating) and Roger Waters’ The Wall, which used the green monster as a canvas for the most creative visual show I’ve seen. It is amazing to me how this special space can be transformed in use, and more importantly in feeling, from intimate to spectacle.
CLICK HERE – To see a video of The Wall – Fenway Park
A few weeks ago I had the chance to sit a few rows behind home plate – an amazing opportunity to see the expressions on the batters in the on deck circle, and attempt to call strikes on my own… But I also had a special realization that night. Sitting behind me was a man who had lost his sight – and listening to his reactions made me realize even more that the experience of Fenway is not just about what we see, it is about all of the senses. The sound of the crack of the bats and roar of the crowd, the taste and smell of beer and hot dogs, the feel of your seat mates hitting you with their enthusiastic dancing arms during the wave (which happens to be my favorite thing about Fenway!) Now I know that the wave is not unique to Fenway, but seeing all 35K people participate in this flash mob-like experience is amazing – and it especially impresses me that the momentum that carries through to left field has to jump the green monster, but it never fails to pick right up in the center field bleachers. A true team effort!!
-Felice
