CP NEWS: If You Play It, Will They Come?

[ddm-news]

-Mike Gehrig

Sometimes, no matter what you do, things just go wrong.

The age old adage rung true this weekend in Chicago with Move!, the Chicago House Music Festival. A seemingly well planned and executed event which brought a dynamic DJ lineup from both Chicago and abroad to a beautiful venue all for a good cause was undone by startlingly low attendance.

Yet, in spite of the low turnout, DJs such as Danny Tenaglia, Derrick Carter, Maurice Joshua and Ralphi Rosario proved to be true professionals and turned in top notch performances which were a reward for those who came out for the event.

Unfortunately, people probably won’t be talking about the great sets that Tenaglia or Carter laid down when they look back on this event, or how the two day festival represented a unique step forward for Chicago since the event was sponsored by CDM and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, Bureau of Tourism (IBOT).

They also won’t focus on how it took place at the new, lakefront outdoor venue Charter One Pavilion at Northerly Island, which despite being a traditional concert venue had terrific sound for the event while also offering a beautiful view of both the city of Chicago and Lake Michigan.

Instead, people will choose to focus on the attendance, or lack thereof. Sadly, this is only half the story though as the festival was officially partnered with YouthAIDS, a charity which reaches 600 million young people in more than 60 countries with life-saving messages, products, services and care.

Still, in spite of the poor attendance the event was intended to celebrate house music and those who were there, both DJs and the crowd, did just that. Every there clearly enjoyed themselves, from the older Chicago clubbers to the venue employees who couldn’t resist dancing to Carter’s set.

Tenaglia in particular played a terrific closing set on Saturday night on the main stage as the New York DJ returned to the Windy City for the first time in years. Rather than being discouraged by the crowd, Tenaglia equaled the enthusiasm of those gathered with his pounding techy and tribal set.

His set was just one of many, as Chicago legend Rosario rocked the Homegrown stage, a more intimate setting which allowed for him to connect with the crowd and friends who came out to show their support, and the performances on Sunday by the likes of Frankie Knuckles and David Morales were equally well received.

All in all it’s a real shame that more people didn’t make it out to the Move! Festival. One can only hope that if it returns next year, things go better for all involved but the music stays the same.

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