House music lovers rejoice! On Saturday, Chicago gets what is sure to be one of the best lineups of veteran DJ's on one bill featuring Mark Farina, Derrick Carter, and DJ Heather. All three have releases on the Om Records label and have previously collaborated with one another, but it's rare to have three internationally known heavy hitting DJ's on one bill.
Smart Bar and DJ Heather's own record label, Blackcherry Recordings, is bringing it in big way. DJ Mark Farina, a former Chicagoan now residing in San Francisco, was named "Best Dance DJ" by Urb Magazine. He'll get things rolling with some smooth mixes of acid jazz, house, electronica, and downtempo proving that he is in fact the master of the blend. Check out his recent album, "Mushroom Jazz, Vol. 6" on OM Records.
Chicago native, Derrick Carter, is internationally recognized as one of the best house DJs in the world, and the originator of the "Boompty" sound. Derrick is one of the original DJs that put Chicago on the musical map by creating the genre known worldwide as Chicago House. Look forward to Derrick pushing the beat a bit further after Farina's set.
DJ Heather is another Chicago native who is internationally recognized. She'll close out the night and keep you moving to the wee hours of the morning. DJ Heather was part of one of the first female DJ collectives known as Superjane, which also included well-known DJs Colette, Lady D, and Daytona. Like Farina and Carter, Heather spins around the globe with an upcoming gig in the UK. She used to spin hip hop, but now DJ Heather spins a mix of house, electronica, hip hop, and techno, keeping in step with the late night crowd. If you can't hit the dance floor that night, you can stream the live show, real time on Awdio, a French based Web site that has partnered with Smart Bar and clubs around the world for streaming of live sets. Check Awdio for all the DJ gigs you're missing around the globe.
Fayth Koga is a member of the NBC Chicago Street Team.
