Weekend Dance Party: Azari & III Hit Smart Bar

By Jake Guidry in Arts & Entertainment on Jul 22, 2010 9:40PM

For all intents and purposes, this upcoming weekend is a lull in Chicago's otherwise packed summer season. Pitchfork Music Festival has come and gone, and there are still some days/weeks before Wicker Park Fest and Lollapalooza. Your first inclination may be to pack it up and stay in for the next few days. Maybe enjoy a couple flicks with the significant other. But then again, we know you better than that, don't we Chicago? It's summer, and there are way too many cold days the rest of the year to not take advantage of short sleeves and good dance music. For the second week in a row, Smart Bar is your dance destination of choice, as they host the duo Azari & III, this week's pick for Weekend Dance Party.

Azari & III (pronounced third) bring a solid blend of techno-disco-house to the table, themselves producing a selection of original tracks and remixes that remind one of the styles of Detroit, Chicago and even Berlin. The duo hails from none of these destinations, but rather Canada, a burgeoning scene the last few years for excellent dance music (Chromeo, A-Trak, Jokers of the Scene, Crystal Castles to an extent, etc). Their music also has a nice range of emotion, everywhere from dark and dissonant to the light and poppy. We expect a great night of more traditional-style dance music, so for you original gangsters, be sure to check it out.

Azari & III, Saturday, Smart Bar, 10pm, 21+, $10