Chicagoist Mix #17: Marty Mars & Exbestfriends Present "Plastic Romance"

By Jake Guidry in Arts & Entertainment on Jun 1, 2012 7:00PM

Chicago’s nightlife rarely is without things to do. On any given night you’ll likely find your social media streams flooded with promoters, venues, DJs, bands, acquaintances and friends pleading for your presence at some event, half of which you have no clue about. With such a wealth of things to do in Chicago, it becomes increasingly difficult to cut through the noise and find something that is truly worth your time. For Marty Mars and Exbestfriends, they hope getting back to the roots of “good music and no drama” will help you decide.

Martin Kouba (Marty Mars), and Steven Smiley and Ryan Garvock (Exbestfriends) have had visions of Plastic Romance, their new night, for years. Smiley and Garvock - a DJ and VJ, respectively - originally met in Ann Arbor, MI and gained experience throwing indie dance parties. The two later moved to Chicago together to pursue things on a larger scale, after which they eventually met Kouba through a network of friends. Kouba, Smiley and Garvock gained exposure by throwing underground dance parties around Chicago, which were mostly focused on house and disco. And while these parties were largely successful endeavors, the three felt that a night in a proper venue needed to be started based on “community, not commerce.” Once The Burlington became a viable option as a venue, Plastic Romance was born.

The core idea behind Plastic Romance is to be “more open,” says Garvock. “The content of the party will not be something you can file away as a house or an indie night.” This sentiment is echoed by both Smiley and Kouba, who adds, “there's a definite over-emphasis on genre nights and I think it limits the number of people who are going to be interested. It ignores the whole population of people who don't really care about a particular genre, they just want to go someplace to have fun.”

Today’s mix, aptly titled “Plastic Romance,” adds context to the three’s ideas of the party and what vibe to expect. It’s a collection of recognizable and not-so-recognizable songs, but they all coalesce into a fun mix that shows Plastic Romance has a bright future.

Plastic Romance kicks off tomorrow at The Burlington and will continue as a monthly endeavor. Tomorrow’s kick-off will feature special guest Bald E. (of Only Children), whose DJ style encapsulates the vision of Plastic Romance.