As June approaches its end and the weather becomes increasingly unpredictable, one of the city's biggest and most rainbow-intensive annual parties also looms. This Sunday, the 41st annual Chicago Pride celebration in the city culminates with the raucous parade down Halsted, an event that typically attracts upwards of 500,000 drunk people and politicians to Boystown. But the parade is only part of the grandiose gayness the city has to offer for those looking to show some Pride this week. more ›

Get on your Vespa, get out your slim cut suit, your best mini-dress, and be ready to twist, shimmy, and shake atop a dusting of talcum powder to groovy retro mod, soul, R&B, garage, punk, Freakbeat and Psychedelia all weekend long. MODchicago, America’s largest Mod weekender, is making its triumphant return to Chicago. more ›

It's no secret we're fans of James Kennedy fantastic young adult novel The Order of Odd Fish. As we said last year, the novel is "a rollicking tale in the fashion of Roald Dahl and Douglas Adams," using a surreal sense of humor that appeals to adults as well as younger readers. But we're also fans of the way Kennedy has engaged with his fans. Rather than politely accepting fan letters and moving on, Kennedy has used his blog as a means to not only communicate with fans of the book, but to share their love of the book as well, including fan art. In a time when it's so easy to be cynical about things, Kennedy's attitude and enthusiasm has been refreshing. Check out this great interview he did with WBEZ's . more ›

Smart Bar will host LA-based duo CLASSIXX this Saturday in what promises to be an all night electro-disco romp, complete with syncopated hand waves, foot stomps and eyes-closed-head-swaying. CLASSIXX (Michael David and Tyler Blake) were one of 2009's front runners in the music blog scene, producing the fun, electric, bouncy "I'll Get You" (featuring Jeppe of Junior Senior) along with remixes of such notable acts Phoenix, Yacht and Major Lazer. As a result they became staples in DJ sets all over the world, bringing their unique brand of dance music that's reminiscent of some unknown 70s/80s fusion blended with 90s house. The CLASSIXX sound is distinct: velvety, nostalgic synth flows effortlessly, swelling to the pulse of friendly drums that provide the appropriate backdrop for bodyrock. The duo are unlike the majority of other producers whom with they are commonly associated; CLASSIXX brings a sensual, sexy element back to electronic dance music, a genre replete with distorted, empty sounds and zero emotion. more ›

Flosstradamus' insanely popular Oldies Night at The Burlington celebrates its first anniversary tonight. Mixing classic and underground soul with '70s shoulda-been-classic tracks, it's always refreshing to see the duo branch out from their usual kitchen sink modernism and slap down some old school sets perfect for steaming the Formica off the wet bar in your parents' basement rec room with the body heat of gyrating abandon. The party kicks off at 10 p.m. but you better get there early to make sure you can reserve your square inch of the dance floor. more ›

We could do without the soundtrack, but a single dancer's tenacity really pays off in this video. more ›

Yeah, can you believe it? This month marks Chicagoist's fifth year of keeping you abreast of the happenings in Chicago. In blog years that makes us, what? Ten? Fifteen? more ›

DJ duo Rocktapussy -- DJs Mother Hubbard and A-Cup) (a.k.a. Chess Hubbard and Jessica Gonyea) -- are throwing a party at Sonotheque tonight with He Say/She Say and Silverghost. The pair have been honing their skills both around town and on the road and have been drawing a steadily growing crowd of dedicated fans to their gigs. We dig the duo for the playful personality they've been injecting into their sets off late, and there ability to put together mixes that don't recycle the same ol' tunes you hear every other Serato DJ in this city working to the nub. more ›

Rehab, the little Monday night dance party that could, turns one-year-old tonight at evilOlive. Derek Berry's baby pulls in an amazingly motley mix of attendees, all of whom merely seem hell-bent on having fun and extending the weekend out just one more day longer. Tonight's DJs are headed by heavy hitters Matt Roan and million $ Mano so expect to call in late to work tomorrow .... if you make it in at all. RSVP for free entry to tonight's party and as an added bonus enjoy some complimentary Red Stripe from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. more ›

Bird & Whale continues to curate fine mixes from local luminaries of the music scene, and their latest offering is a incredibly soulful groove laden mix by Tortoise drummer John Herndon. Any concoction that offers a near seamless transition between Devo and Lil Wayne is deliciously deserving of a listen. more ›

There are a jillion ways to ring in the new year around Chicago, from small parties with close friends to inhumanly posh ballroom galas, but the hippest route in this town will undeniably be the Justice show at The Congress Theater on New year's Eve. more ›

Hey, just a quick note to folks who might be suffering from the same syndrome of restrictive pocketbookitis a.k.a. anorexic wallet that we are. Tonight's edition of Rehab at evilOlive features free Sparks (with RSVP) from 9 until 10. That, plus guesting female DJ-duo Rocktapussy, makes for a compelling reason to get out and shake it on the town tonight. more ›

Saturday's Girl Talk show was so much fun it was ridiculous. We've read a few negative reviews but we think those particular curmudgeons must not have fully thawed from the sudden cold snap left by Obama's departure to D.C. We kid, we kid. We're not fans of The Congress as a venue, and Gregg Gillis a.k.a. Girl Talk's set-list was similar to the one we heard a few months ago ... but who the fuck cares? It's all about having a recontextualized dance party using insanely guilty pleasures, underground oft-forgotten gems, and killer hip-pop beats straight from Sugar Mountain. Plus Nirvana. What's up with all the Nirvana we've been hearing again lately? more ›

Sloan played Double Door last Monday and we were lucky enough to catch them rip through a blistering set in top form. After the show we headed down the street to check out Rehab at evilOlive and had a surprisingly good time. We recommend checking it out sometime. more ›

Lauri Apple of Gapers Block asked me a while ago if I'd be interested in representing Chicagoist in a DJ battle against her / Gapers Block at The Burlington tonight. Naturally I accepted the challenge without a second thought. more ›

The clock to '08 is ticking. What are you doing to ring in the new year? If the answer to that question is a desperate, collar-loosening, sweat-inducing "I don't know!" then here are a few last-minute suggestions. Everything listed here will cost you less than $40 and was not sold out at the time of posting. more ›

We hope you enjoyed this morning's dance party, so let's keep it going, o.k.? We have reader E to thank for this one, since it we somehow missed it in our RSS feed last week, but Chicago's Matt Roan provided Discobelle* with a stellar new Mixin’ It Up compilation. For a while all we've had to go on, outside of fighting the crowds of beautiful people packing the room to the rafters at his... more ›

Remember how WLUW, one of our favorite radio stations, is being taken back by Loyola and will no longer be an independent, community radio station? And do you remember that program director Shawn Campbell turned lemons into lemonade by creating the Chciago Indie Radio Project? To jog your memory, CHIRP is working to bring low-power FM stations to Chicago and allow community radio to thrive, without the threat of being taken back by larger owners.... more ›

Ever wonder why it seems like EVERYONE who works at Schubas Tavern is a DJ? Walk into the venue on a typical night and one of the furthest thoughts from your mind is probably “electronic music,” as the dimly lit room and comfortable wooden tables are more likely to invite images of acoustic guitars and creaky pianos than big headphones and furious turntable laptop manipulation. Ironic then that not only has the upstairs room at Schubas’ become a destination for dancing, but the venue itself has become the 9-to-5 for a few budding jocks ready to come out of the closet. more ›

Now in its 13th year, the Chicago Underground Film Fest is almost becoming an institution. Yet after more than a decade of presenting challenging, weird and hilarious films, CUFF still manages to seem fresh. Music videos are no longer the delivery system for underground music. But many filmmakers still use film as a way to explore how one art form enhances the other. Several film series at the fest including Jeff Krulik’s "The Maryland Trilogy",... more ›