the silver room (wicker park version) was a temple for me. 

a place that i went to on a weekly basis to just be. to run into people. to make new connections. to find accessories of self-expression. i’ve bought so much jewelry from this store.

and in the early days of Eric Williams’ vision for block party, i was there. when it was a modest half-block, one-stage, intimate gathering with dj’s playing under the train tracks. when you walked in a circle from stage to dj set to the back door of the store and out again. 

despite how crowded it could get, the vibe was always love. smiles. no fights. no drama. no bs. just great music, great people, and a curator at the center of it all.

since those early days, i’ve been on stage as a performer - once in wicker park with my old band, animate objects, and once in hyde park with my current group, dopāmēn (then known as mindswimmer). and as the block party continued to grow, i traded the bass for my camera and walked around just capturing candids before eventually getting a “work” badge and having the privilege to stand aside the artists i once chopped it up with backstage.

only now the stakes are so much bigger. the scope is so much bigger. the one thing that hasn’t changed? the spirit of love, connection, and celebration.

this is a love letter to a uniquely chicago institution. one that in troubling political times, has become an oasis in the expansive desert that is the 24/7 news cycle in a digitally connected world. unplug for just a few hours and let your spirit dance.