We exited my apartment in downtown Chicago last night and made our way toward the Barack Obama rally in Grant Park. As Hutchinson Field had long since reached its capacity, my friends and I went to the opposite end of the park, the better part of a mile from where Obama was to give his victory speech (the stage was set up where the main AT&T Stage was at Lollapalooza). After weaving our way through the rapidly expanding mass of Obama supporters (of which there were supposedly more than a million), we spent a few minutes joining the masses in cheering and jeering at the current poll numbers being broadcast on a Jumbotron.

I was fortunate enough to be invited to the 20th-story apartment of an acquaintance, whose balcony overlooked the entire rally. I looked down on the giant sea of people in Grant Park, along with the line of people waiting to get in (shown below), which extended more than three miles down South Michigan Avenue. About three hours of watching televised poll numbers passed until the announcement of Obama's victory was made. It was obvious that he was going to win, but everyone in the apartment celebrated as if the outcome was completely unpredictable. Many of us found the moment so uplifting that being drenched with an oncoming fire hose of champagne didn't sway us in the least.

The city seemed to shake on its foundations. It was an uproar of outstanding proportions. Many of the landmark buildings, including the Sears Tower and the aquarium, were lit up with red, white and blue. The flood of lights shining down on the field created a breathtaking tapestry when complemented by the adjacent Lake Michigan on what was an unusually (and conveniently) clear night for Chicago in November.

Less than half an hour later, the city quaked with even more force when Obama, Biden, and friends took the stage for the historic victory speeches. Although we had a near perfect view of the event, the media tent blocked our view of the president-elect himself. However, he could be seen on a Jumbotron and heard for well over a mile in any direction. It was a rush to listen to the speech while standing in the doorway and watch the same thing on TV five seconds later. Obama's voice echoed off the buildings in a spectacle worthy of Hollywood.

Being that I had class early the next morning, I decided to retreat back to my apartment when the speech was over. I also wanted to beat the bulk of the crowd, which I mainly did. After picking up a quart of milk, running into an old high school friend, and helping an injured and incoherently drunk man onto his feet and out of the crosswalk, I made it back in one piece. There were no big riots, none of the possible mayhem that might have followed an Obama loss. So I won't be able to say I was caught in the middle of the "2008 Chicago Riots." Oh well.

There's no doubt we had been witnesses to history. It was not just the race thing, nor the instant relief of many to have a Democrat in the white house. It marked a new chapter, in which things could turn out for better or for worse. Earlier when the winner was announced, my champagne-covered friend and I high-fived and embraced. It was not because the nation was going to shed many of its problems, but because the first sign appeared in years that America had begun to pull its head out of its ass.

Update: Austin, TX- based concert promoters C3 Presents were responsible for this event.  Having produced festivals like Austin City Limits and Lollapalooza (also in Grant Park), C3 had since developed a relationship with the Obama campaign after producing a few outdoor rallies in Texas.  In addition to Austin's Zilker Park (host of Austin City Limits), Chicago's Grant Park has become C3's home-away-from-home.  The production company's deal with the Chicago Park District allows them ten more Lollapaloozas at the site, as well as events at the Congress Theater and Soldier Field.  They were only able to sign a ten-event deal, rather than a ten-year deal, because of Chicago's potential housing of the 2016 Olympics, for which the area will be occupied.  It's quite possible that events like Lolla and of course the Obama Rally will have created enough buzz to aid in a Chicago-hosted 2016 Olympics.  Read more here.