Calling All Party People
Best of Chicago voting is live now. Vote for your favorites »
Each event, preceded by an invitation-only open-bar reception, has paired two respected underground artists for DJ sets: so far the matchups have included Prefuse 73 with Aesop Rock, Def Jux owner El-P with Stones Throw head Peanut Butter Wolf, and rapper Jean Grae with hip-hop poet Saul Williams. This week it’s Anti-Pop Consortium vet Beans and TV on the Radio’s Tunde Adebimpe. “The idea was to bring people who don’t normally play together, or to pair real DJs with people who’ve never spun in their lives,” says Frazier. “For us, it was just about having our favorite people come and play their favorite records.”
The parties are unusual opportunities for audiences, says Frazier, because no promoter in town could afford to put together a bill with both Prefuse 73 and Aesop Rock in such a small room. Fans also get the chance to hear material from albums in progress, sometimes when the release date is still more than a year away: Aesop Rock, El-P, Prefuse 73, and Jean Grae all previewed tracks from forthcoming discs during their DJ sets.
When: Fri 1/14, 10 PM
The Secret’s Out
Fulks has spent much of the past two years organizing and promoting a Johnny Paycheck tribute, Touch My Heart, and sees “Secret Country” as a way to continue his crusade on behalf of underexposed musicians. “I know a lot of really talented, obscure artists, so why not do something to introduce them to a bigger audience?” says Fulks. He’s also finished a new solo album, his first disc of original material since 2001. It’s due on Yep Roc in May.
When: Sun 1/16, 7 PM
