Saying A Little Prayer For The Sound Of Music On “Skanksgiving” Day!
And why not? Of all the ‘arts’, it is music that provides us with the most joyous feelings of happiness, and love, especially when that radiates on the dancefloor, and there is plenty of dancelove, and marvelous musical medleys to be enjoyed this weekend at a Chicago club near you…
Thursday, November 25th
What better way to celebrate Thanksgiving than with DJ Chuck Wren at his “Skanksgiving” party at Delilah’s? If you’re into ska, dub, and rocksteady then this is the place to be for a night of pure Jamiacan dance gold. There is no better music than ska for conveying the sheer joy of living, and happiness that can be found in music…and DJ Chuck Wren hits all the right spots with his unique horde of new and classic ska pulled from his Jump Up Records collection. Chicago-based Jump Up has been keeping the authentic ska vibe bubbling since 1993 with imports and retro releases, dug deep to buck the trends when ska-punk blew a gasket in the late 90s, and is still going strong as the only American label to offer new discs by new ska groovies. DJ Chuck is on radio WLUL-FM every week, gets ska gigs brewing, and is resident deckhand at Delilah’s once a month, with stints at Jamaican restaurant ‘The Ja’ Grill’. If you’ve not checked into the delights of ska, dub, and rocksteady, then why not give it a blast tonight? Thanksgiving is about rejoicing in life – at DJ Chuck’s “Skanksgiving” it’s all about rejoicing in the delights of a beautiful groove. It’s free at Delilah’s, north Lincoln Avenue. From 10pm
http://www.myspace.com/jumpuprecords/music/playlists/my-playlist-35772
Friday, November 26th
DJing under the name Audio Soul Project tonight is another home-grown Chicago talent Mazi Namvar who will be bringing his delicious deep house/soul to Smart Bar from 10pm. Mazi has been spinning and producing for 18 years, and is now a much-loved headliner at clubs all over the world with over 200 releases to his name. In tandem with Fresh Meat Records labelmate Nathan Drew Larsen, Mazi creates new sounds and remixes, fahsioning a cool blend of the best of house, with touches of classic soul-disco that just demands to be danced to. Mazi has played at world famous clubs such as Fabric (London), Crystal (Istanbul), Q (Zurich), Avalon (LA), Red Light (Paris), Simoon (Tokyo). Sharing the bill tonight is Gadi Mizrahi, Lee Foss, and Larsen. $15, before midnight $10. North Clark Street.
http://soundcloud.com/audiosoulproject
Heck of a party at Metro tonight by the looks of it with the Freakeasy Freakin’ Ball to celebrate his second anniversary as “host of hosts.” It’s a whopper of a gig with special guest Lady Miss Kier of Deelite fame spinning as headliner, with live stage performances from indie-house band Good Evening, and multi-media-meets-jazz-folk-rock troupe Environmental Encroachment, plus DJs Striz, Radiohiro & MC Zulu, Brad Miner, Justin Reed, and Marcin Albekier. But that’s not all – Freakeasy recreates a kind of post-modern speakeasy extravaganza with a whole array of other wild experiences including ‘live art’ (such as simultaneous ambidextrous painting), installations, video, dance, and performance (tribal belly dance for instance), topped off with a ‘Freakin’’ hot sound, and light spectacular, and event photography. There’s also the Metro Blacklight Stage install by Janelle Cooper & Dante Bliss where you can come and waggle your glo-spinning toys, bo-staffs, and glo-flags and hoops (if you register on arrival). The Freakeasy Freakin’ Ball kicks off at 8pm and won’t finish until 4am! $30, in advance $20. Free for ‘Devil’s Night’ ticketholders (proof of ID required). 18 and up. North Clark Street. http://www.freakeasy.net/
Saturday, November 27th
The Shrine tonight welcomes chart-topping soul singer/hip-hopper Dwele for a special early live show from 8.30pm. Dwele, who was featured on Kanye West’s first single from his fifth studio album, has been forging a career in music ever since witnessing the tragic shooting of his father outside the family home in 1988. Putting his emotions into his music, Dwele, who was playing the piano from the age of six, went on to play trumpet, bass, and guitar before taking up vocals and joining Detroit rap group Slum Village as MC. Determined to follow in the footsteps of his favorite artists Stevie Wonder, Donny Hathaway, Roy Ayers, and Miles Davis, Dwele (born Andwele Gardner), recorded a demo in his bedroom and sold 100 copies from the trunk of his car within a week. Having made taken a significant step in his career by being invited to sing the hook on a Slum Village track, Dwele signed for Virgin Records in 2003, and began his rise as a soul and rap singer. Described by one journal as being rooted in vintage soul while not being stuck in the past, Dwele has embraced the two genres of soul and hip hop with effortless ease. He is supported tonight at The Shrine by N’digo. $20. South Wasbah Avenue.
