Moon Boots Enters Chicago's Orbit Tomorrow Night At The Mid

By Katie Karpowicz in Arts & Entertainment on Nov 20, 2014 7:00PM

Photo: Callie Barlow/Courtesy of React Presents

Thanks to his seven-year stint living in Chicago, local sets from Moon Boots are always especially warmly received.

The Brooklyn-born house and disco DJ was last here over the summer when he was sandwiched between Chicago mainstays Zebo and Derrick Carter at React Presents' Spring Awakening Music Festival. Moon Boots, real name Pete Dougherty, told Chicagoist playing before one of his idols in a city that holds so much meaning to him was certainly a "trippy" experience.

That said, now that winter is here, Doughtery is happy to move back indoors and hit up the dark, pulsing clubs that he's most comfortable in on his current tour.

"Oh my God, I so much prefer playing clubs," he told Chicagoist over the phone just before heading out on tour. "Nothing against festivals. There are a lot of benefits to them but I don't want that to be my only option for too much of the year. When I go out, I prefer to be in a club environment."

He's at The Mid tomorrow night along with Henry Krinkle (whose track "Stay" comes Moon Boots recommended), ExMag and Zebo.

If Moon Boots has managed to stay off of your radar, you might not be looking for music in the right places anymore. Like many producers in Doughterty's young generation, he's spent most of his career veering away from traditional release cycles, dropping one new song at a time via his SoundCloud page.

"[Putting out a full length album] is definitely a long term goal but it's tough to do and keep it fresh. My whole M.O. when releasing music is spending a lot of time on a track but, when it's done, I want to release it immediately. To do an album, you kind of have to do the exact opposite. You have to have a couple of singles ready and your first single will usually be released over a year after you finish making it."

We can only imagine how eager he was to release his latest single, "There's No Love"—a perfect blend of lo-fi drum beats plucked from the classic house music sound that inspires him and a new age swell of synths that will make you believe in disco again.

If you're of the belief that house music in America and, more specifically, in Chicago goes unappreciated, we recommend catching the French Express-affiliated producer's set tomorrow night. After all, Moon Boots admits he moved here after college in part because his growing love for the genre made him want to "go to the source."

"I think that [house music] is just kind of a fabric of the city. I don't think people take it for granted but it's part of people's everyday lives. But it's also very Chicago to not put things up on pedestals, right?

At the same time, it's certainly interesting that you've got guys who are named Route 94 and Second City who have number one pop hits in the UK. There's a real irony there. I think that [you could argue that it's more appreciated overseas] but to say that Chicago doesn't appreciate or care about house music, I think, is kind of crazy."

Well spoken, sir.

RSVP for tomorrow night's show or purchase express entry for $10.