ARC Music Competition returned to Chicago’s Union Park over Labor Day Weekend, reinforcing itself as one of many nation’s strongest showcases of home music within the style’s birthplace.
This 12 months, b2b units stood tall inside ARC’s programming, a curatorial alternative that has change into integral to the pageant’s id since its debut in 2021. The weekend delivered a slew of compelling pairings: Adam Beyer with Layton Giordani in a significant mentor-mentee second; Inexperienced Velvet DJing as Cajmere with Carl Craig; Interplanetary Prison with Malugi; Boys Noize with VTSS; and Rossi with Josh Baker, to call a number of.
Expansions, a transparent crowd favourite, noticed two defining moments: Inexperienced Velvet b2b Skepta’s Mas Tiempo on Saturday and Honey Dijon b2b Derrick Carter on Sunday, which felt like a becoming ARC finale.
Chicago’s roots ran as deep throughout the lineup as a deep-dish pizza. Gene Farris teamed with Tini Gessler at elrow, Felix da Housecat linked with Mike Dunn at The Grid, and Octo Octa spun vinyl with Eris Drew at Space 909. EDM.com Class of 2024 artist Hamdi, now a Chicago resident himself, closed out Friday at Space 909 alongside Riordan in an lively B2B.
And John Summit, arguably Chicagoland’s greatest present export, wrapped up Sunday night time at The Grid with a high-energy finale, fittingly opening with “In Chicago” earlier than unleashing an anthemic set punctuated by a fireworks show.
Whereas ARC feels extra like a musical showcase than a pageant constructed round flashy mainstages, the pageant’s 4 phases stay central to its DNA. Expansions as soon as once more delivered with its wide-open dance area and crystal-clear sound. The Grid leveled up with added manufacturing muscle, set towards the Chicago skyline.
Space 909 doubled down on intimacy with encompass sound, delivery containers and graffiti artwork that fostered a gritty warehouse really feel. And elrow’s Enchanted Forest takeover as soon as once more turned the Union Park tennis courts technicolor, with roaming characters and confetti blasts that made the units really feel half carnival, half rave.
ARC’s footprint stretched far past Union Park, nevertheless, starting with Thursday’s official opening get together at Radius, the place Pryda kicked off the weekend. From there, the “ARC After Darkish” sequence stuffed venues throughout the town from PRYSM to Smartbar to Spybar and even boats on Lake Michigan, earlier than wrapping with a 7am get together on Monday at Masada. Throughout the afterparty programming, artists like Sub Focus, Amelie Lens, FISHER and Summit stored the pageant vitality alive properly after the park’s gates closed.
In simply 5 years, ARC has change into far more than a pageant. It’s morphing into its personal “Midwest Music Week,” the place daytime programming feeds into the afterhours and Chicago’s homegrown legends share the stage with at the moment’s brightest abilities.
To that finish, ARC as soon as once more reminded us that home music could also be common, however Chicago will all the time be house.
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