Live 8: 8 Questions, Many Answers

3. Were there enough toilets? Were there long waits? Was it sanitary enough for you?
John: If you moved further away from the stage, it was easier to get a toilet without a long wait. During my only trip to the port-a-potties, two city employees informed people in line that there were limited toilet trailers available. They were clean, they had running water, and pretty much no one knew about them. Go figure.
Jessica:The toilets seemed plentiful, at least. I was most amused by the giant balloon advertising the universal "restroom" symbol - the male and female stick figures. Questionable sanitation aside, the hardest part was getting there. Without any marked pathways, it was literally hand over foot -- and elbow -- and knee.
Jeff:I don't know about the toilet situation, but the wall behind my friend's apartment didn't have a line.
Maria: I didn't use the toilets, so I can't answer this question.

4. Where were you located on the Parkway? Were the sound and video feeds adequate?
John: Facing the stage, I was on the right side of the Parkway under trees. I could see an obstructed view of the video screen to the right of the stage. The sound became muffled as you got to the far sides of the Parkway area, but for the most part, it was stellar for such a large, open area. The video feeds, however, were poor. They did not sync up to the sound, and the last video screen on the Parkway didn't work at all. I don't think there was anyone checking on these feeds, otherwise they would have noticed the glaring problems.
Jessica:I was near the front, on the grass before the Art Museum but unfortunately positioned behind the giant landmark statue (a lack of cultural savvy leaves me guessing as to its origin). I couldn't see the video (or the performers) but the sound was great!
Jeff: I tried to cover as much of the Parkway as possible. The sound and video was good everywhere.
Maria: I was on Easkins Oval, right in front of the south fountain (or left one, if you're facing the Art Museum). I was fairly close and could see some of the action but not much due to the large white tent at the foot of the stage. as a result i had to rely on the video feeds most of the time, which i felt were less than stellar. During many of the performances they were not on until mid-way through the artist's set. I'm sure I wasnt the only one who was standing there thinking, "What is going on?" Another thing that could have been useful was information running on the screens between the sets -- info about who was coming up next, etc. etc.

5. Were food and water available? How were the prices?
John: I packed my own drinks and food, but was pleasantly surprised that some places (mostly towards the back) actually cut down their high prices, probably because people weren't about to be gouged by the vendors. This wasn't the case as you got closer to the stage, but if you were willing to get to the sides, the prices weren't horrible, from what I saw.
Jessica: Sensing price gouging, I brought my own chips, but was surprised to find water being sold for a dollar rather than eight in the mid-afternoon. It was impressive.
Jeff:Food and drink was available everywhere but the prices were ridiculous. The $6 gyro was a steal compared to the $10 burritos.
Maria: Yes, it was available, but no, I didn't buy any. I brought a water bottle with me because I didn't feel like spending cash.

6. How did you get to Live 8 (driving vs. public transportation)? How were the crowds? How close did you get if you drove? How long did you wait for a bus/train/subway car?
John: I took the Market-Frankford El and it was a terrific call on my part. I was planning on taking the R7 Regional Rail, but Septa said it was going to be the most populated line of the day since it was a hub for Jersey and New York travellers. Dan Rubin at Blinq reported standing room only on his pre-8 am R1 train. At that point, I figured it was best to avoid the Regional Rail since I was planning on getting there only a half-hour or so before the concert began. I arrived at Frankford Terminal and didn't have to wait at all for a car. On the way back, I walked quickly and got a car in mere seconds. I hear those going to Suburban Station didn't fare as well.
Jessica: As a University City resident, I hoofed it. It took about 30 minutes each way, but with little pedestrian traffic, it wasn't hard to make it to the Parkway.
Jeff: I walked to the show. All the streets in Fairmount were closed so it looked like driving would have been impossible.
Maria: I'm a West Philly resident, so I rode my bike along the Schulykill bike path which dropped me off right at the south side of the Art Museum. Best idea that I and 10,000 other people had. It was the first time I rode along the bike path since its construction and I have to say it's wonderful!

7. Did the lineup keep your interest throughout the day? Anything particularly inspiring, enjoyable or boring?
John: The Linkin Park/Jay-Z performance was my favorite of the day. I'm a Jay-Z fan. I'm not a Linkin Park fan. The combination, however, was pretty good. Even better, though, was how electric the crowd was. This was the ultimate in "mass appeal." The rock fans were happy. The rap fans were happy. Even the cynics seemed intrigued. Otherwise, I thought the first-half of the day (Kaiser Chiefs, Black-Eyed Peas, Bon Jovi, Kanye West, Will Smith) was much more entertaining and engaging than the second-half (Def Leppard, Alicia Keys, Jars of Clay). The organizers, though, kept me around by sticking Stevie Wonder at the end.
Jessica:I'm an infrequent concert-goer, so much of what I saw was a new experience. I used to label Bon Jovi as "tired", but found myself singing along to "Living On a Prayer" with the crowd. I thought Will Smith's opening monologue trite, but cracked a smile when he sang "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air." My favorites, however? The Marleys and Stevie Wonder. Truly impressive to watch.
Jeff:The line-up wasn't the greatest but you can't really complain. I only wanted to see the Kaiser Chiefs but I slept too late. I can't say that it was all that inspiring, but I did have fun trying to count the discarded condom boxes all over the streets.
Maria: I thought the first half of the show (Black Eyed Peas, Bon Jovi, Destiny's Child, Kanye West, Will Smith) was the best part. I didn't bother sticking around for the rest, so sadly I missed Stevie Wonder. Kanye West was my personal favorite, not because of his performance, but because he was one of the few people who didn't resort to maudlin "feed the world" cliches. In fact, I'm surprised at how critical he was in his opening speech and how receptive the audience was to that. Will Smith was my second favorite act of the day. How often am I going to see him perform with DJ Jazzy Jeff and do "Summertime"? Not many, I assume. I thought he put on a great hometown performance and had the crowd, at least in my vicinity, dancing.

8. The message. Was it present? Are you convinced? Do you think, overall, that Live 8 succeeded in conveying its message?
John: It was present, at times. I praised the sound earlier, but the one time it rarely worked was when presenters came on stage, or when videos were played. It was never loud enough, and I think that hurt the cause a bit. Many people knew what they were showing up for, but I think there were still plenty of people who could have learned something, even if it was very basic. While many of us will remember Live 8 for its quirks (like Will Smith performing the Fresh Prince theme song), I think its legacy obviously will be defined by what happens at the G8 Summit.
Jessica: The crowd around me was in a mob mentality (surprise) rather than intellectually discussing the African situation. To me, Live 8 will have succeeded in conveying its message if a 10 percent of the estimated 1.3 million in Philadelphia educate themselves about Africa after they leave. A concert is not a classroom, and Live 8 was not a convincing lecture. It's learning AFTER the event, to me, that will ultimately indicate the success of Geldof's efforts.
Jeff: The message was definitley present but only for a few minutes at a time. Someone would say something inspiring and people would cheer, but the minute that the music started it seemed clear that people were only there for a free show.
Maria: I have never been able to take Geldof seriously since his role in The Wall. Joking aside, it's a bit naive to think a concert can make poverty history.

Photo credit: Tim Shaffer/Reuters