Last Night's Concert

Last night I took my parents to their very first Concert on the Square, which was sadly the fifth and second to last concert of this summer’s series. The concerts are performed by the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra and directed by Andrew Sewell. Last night’s concert featured oboist Naomi Bensdorf and the musical theme “Eye of the Storm,” a risky prophecy that was luckily left unfulfilled. As always, the ambiance was perfect, and the music magnificent.

My parents came in early and picked me up from work at 3 p.m. so we could head directly to the capitol square to find a prime spot for our blanket. Three is the earliest that concertgoers can begin reserving spots, so we found a great location left stage. From there we went home to mix together peach sangria, and then headed to St. Vinny’s on Willy Street, which is our favorite place to look for used books. As the Web site attests, St. Vinny’s “probably has the best used book section you will find in any thrift store in the country.” After purchasing a few finds, we had dinner at Eldorado Grill, which I had never been to before. It’s an upscale Tex-Mex restaurant on Willy Street. I’ll save the details for a future post, but the food was excellent. And finally, we drove to the square and located our spot among the sea of picnickers and blankets. There, we enjoyed a dessert feast and sangria while we waited for the concert to begin. It was a perfect summer night for a concert, and I’m glad that my parents were finally able to join me for one of my favorite Madison treats.