_edited.png)
I’m not quite sure if it’s a natural thing for Chicago to host hundreds of festivals every summer, or if this is a new phenomenon. I’m sure I have been oblivious to the cool events and fests going on in Chicago in the past. In the months of June and July alone there were more than 60 festivals programmed (Chicagonow).
Last year UIC Radio launched July with the highly anticipated Wavefront Music Festival. This year we had the opportunity to check out the Riverwest Music Festival. While Riverwest Music Festival didn’t have crazy tech filled light shows with laser beams and obnoxious cake flying through the crowds, it definitely had a cultured atmosphere which catered to true electronic music lovers. With three stages hosting different styles of music, we were able to capture a diverse array of DJ’s. While the Martinez Brothers did not perform on Friday, as had been scheduled on the festival’s promotion, I did enjoy catching the Bob Moses set. I was excited to see live vocals and guitars being meshed and mixed in with deep house.
We had one our premier House dj’s, DJ Cease Days cover saturday, and this is what he had to say: “House has been a popular genre within the electronic music community. This past weekend, I was fortunate enough to experience one of Chicago’s newest events: River West Music Festival. One of the hottest DJs was Heidi, coming from Ontario, Canada. Although she is a female, she still crowded the stage and kept the patrons dancing with her Jackin’ and Progressive House. She was one of my favorite DJ’s for the second day because not only did she mix unique tracks, but also played songs that the crowd knew, such as “The Martinez Brothers” and “Hot Since ’82”. One of the DJs that I was lucky enough to meet was Steve Lawler, a producer and DJ hailing from England. As I was on stage taking photos next to him, he turned around, introduced himself to me, and shook my hand. With almost 25 years of DJing experience, the dance floor reflected just that. Many fans sang along with the songs he played and almost everyone danced. Not only was he interacting with the crowd, but was also very exciting to watch. Among Steve Lawler and Heidi, I had access backstage an talked to many other people in the industry. Some notable people whom I talked to and are popular in the House scene: Ricky Bisharat, Danny Daze, Jimmy Edgar, Mia Wallace, and Dixon.”
Comments