This is a block party in the same way that the Chosen Few Picnic is a picnic. Like the latter event, the Silver Room celebration grew from humble origins—in this case, a get-together for friends, hosted by Eric Williams, proprietor of the Silver Room boutique—into an annual cultural juggernaut, attracting some forty-thousand celebrants. This year’s Block Party—the sixteenth, and the third in Hyde Park (the first thirteen were in Wicker Park)—is still produced by Williams; but while it’s now known officially as Silver Room Sound System Block Party, it’s become an institution without becoming institutional. The performers are still exclusively independent musicians (as well as comedians, dancers and performance poets), and this year’s roster of over a hundred acts includes Tobe Nwigwe, Billy Branch, The TRiiBE, Anthony Nicholson, Bomba Con Buya, Masta Ace & Marco Polo, Alexis Lombre, Ron Carroll, Vic Spencer and B VAX. There are three stages, a film festival (new this year), a skating rink and activities for kids. With no corporate sponsorship, the event has to pay for itself, and while officially free to the public, donations are suggested at the gate. There’s also a GoFundMe campaign to defray costs.
July 20 at 12PM, 5235 South Harper. Free, but donations suggested.
Robert Rodi is an author, spoken-word performer and musician who has served as Newcity’s Music Editor since 2014. He’s written more than a dozen books, including the travel memoir “Seven Seasons In Siena.” His jazz quintet recently completed a two-year residency at Uncommon Ground, and he regularly hosts a jazz singers’ jam at Lizard’s Liquid Lounge. His literary and music criticism has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, the Chicago Tribune, Salon, The Huffington Post and many other national and regional publications.
Contact: robert@newcity.com
Related Stories
Not Saying Uncle: A Preview of Phillip-Michael Scales at Tonic Room The entirety Scales' “Sinner-Songwriter” EP is a repudiation of not only expectations derived from his famous lineage, but any expectations lingering from his previous musical incarnations (he’s taken a somewhat veering path to arrive at where he is now, including a stint as folk-rocker Briar Rabbit).- Diversity Initiative: A Preview of Jimmy Herring at Park West On his most recent solo release—last year's “Live in San Francisco”—Herring and his band reach dizzying heights that combine instrumental pyrotechnics with a song-based aesthetic that balances the best characteristics of jazz, fusion and jam-based music.
- Grant Park: Legacy and “Legacy” By Seth Boustead “It’s true I didn’t come over on the Mayflower, but I came over as soon as I could,” said Anton Cermak in 1931, in response to xenophobic slurs made against him by the deeply entrenched, and deeply corrupt, Chicago mayor “Big Bill” Thompson. Threatened by Cermak’s political skill and alarmed by his growing support, Thompson resorted to…
- 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.
- 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…
