RECOMMENDED
For the last year and a half, Freakeasy has been lighting up Chicago’s underground scene with its distinctive brand of partying centered around positive vibes, community and live art and installations. Part of what makes their events so successful is the partnering of like-minded organizers including the illmeasures crew, best known for house, techno and downtempo, and DJ/producer Radiohiro, whose ethno-centric breakbeat and dubstep sounds have been building a steady following for the last few years. With the two principals at complete opposite corners of the dance-floor sonic spectrum, Freakeasy boasts among the most diverse lineups, with techno, dubstep, house, breakbeats and the kitchen sink thrown together in a single evening. Tonight, the underground bubbles above ground with an event at Smart Bar, featuring regulars Radiohiro & MC Zulu (pictured), Brad Miner and Striz, with special guests DJ Form (formerly with the Baldwin Brothers) and San Francisco-based, Sri Lanka-born Asian Massive pioneer Janaka Selekta (with JC Stokes). But sadly, I don’t think the fire-dancing performances common at Freakeasy events will be permitted inside! (Duke Shin)
February 18 at Smart Bar, 3730 N. Clark, (773)549-0203, 10pm.
Related Stories
Never Give Up: A Preview of Fantastic Negrito at Martyrs' When Fantastic Negrito emerged onto the music scene in 2015, he looked to all the world like a new, emerging artist. In fact the man born Xavier Dphrepaulezz—winner of that year’s Tiny Desk Contest for his song and video “Lost in a Crowd,” which showcase a sound that builds upon the blues, but didn’t conform to most people’s ideas about…- Especially For You: A Preview of the Smithereens at the Memorial Opera House Serious music scholars all, the Smithereens distilled their musical loves into something that ultimately sounded like nobody but them. Diken points to Gary Lewis and the Playboys as an influence; it’s worth noting that the studio cats who played on those records—immortal pop tunes like “Count Me In” —included Leon Russell and drummer Hal Blaine.
- Do It Again: A Preview of Brian Wilson at Horseshoe Hammond While today former bandmate Mike Love leads a group calling itself the Beach Boys, that band features no Brian Wilson. Wilson’s group, on the other hand, includes original Beach Boys member Al Jardine as well as late-prime-era Beach Boy Blondie Chaplin, and is jaw-droppingly facile at recreating the Beach Boys sound.
- Shock Value: A Preview of Last Fantastic Nasty at Quenchers I get the sense that Last Fantastic Nasty are still in that “figuring who we are” phase, where you’ve realized you can get attention by shocking people, but you start thinking long and hard about whether or not you want to. And they do have the musical chops to do well: the songs are metallic and complicated and compelling, even…
- Match Set: A Preview of Tennis at Metro Moore and Riley have defined an identity that—while still built upon sounds and styles of decades past—now leans in a more timeless direction.
