The Silver Room\'s Annual Sound System Block Party

The Silver Room 12th Annual Block Party July 19, 2014
in Chicago’s Wicker Park Neighborhood

Chicago, IL

Like the image of the raised fist painted on the south wall at North Milwaukee Ave. and West Evergreen St., the Silver Room’s Sound System Block Party, held Saturday, July 19 in Wicker Park, was a statement on the grassroots community that is thriving in Wicker Park.

For the past 12 years, the Silver Room, an independently owned jewelry store, has organized the annual block party as way to celebrate unity and the African American culture through dancing, live muralists and artists, and DJs performing house music, hip hop, and salsa on sound systems inside and behind the store and on the street.

Hundreds of diverse Chicagoans from all walks of life, age, gender, and culture attended the one-day event held inside the store located at 1442 N. Milwaukee Ave. and in the alley and street near the intersection of N. Milwaukee Ave. and W. Evergreen St. in Wicker Park.

Watch #BVNews video of DJ Ron Trent spinning to hundreds of partygoers at The 12th Annual Silver Room Block Party. Music included a salsa band, Middle Eastern belly dancing, house music, and R&B DJs.

The block party began at 11am and ended at 10pm. All day throngs of people were constant motion, moving to the music inside the store, in the alley, and on street. During the afternoon, children hop-scotched, rode bikes and skateboards, and got their faces painted.

The Silver Room Block Party DJ Tess
Photo by Kenneth Pickett

The theme for this year’s block party, "We the People," continued in the tradition of unity.

"People came out in large numbers and the team did great," said Kenneth Pickett, Project Manager for the block party. “It shows collectively what we can do organizing a large scale event like this financing through donations.”

COMMUNITY EFFORT
This year's block party was organized by Eric Williams, producer; Kenneth Pickett, Project Manager; and Rob McKay, Music Director. However, Williams said that the event is largely successful due collective efforts of all the volunteers.

“People always say thank you to me, but this event is result of all the volunteers who participate every year to make it successful. This year alone we had an average of 50-100 volunteers working to the day of the block party and also at the community fundraising events we held in months leading up to the block party.”

Five community engagement panel discussions called “We the People Series” were held in the months prior and culminated at the July 19 block party. The “We the People Series” was curated by about 80 volunteers. Each panel discussion focused on different aspects of African American culture. The programs were:

1. Culture

2. Fashion

3. Dance Matters - Hosted by Sarah Ford Thompson, Chi Arts Dance Department Head. Featured panelists discussing connections between genres, historical eras and pop culture

4. Art Speak - Hosted by Allison Glenn, Director at Monique Meloche Gallery, took a look a visual art from the points of view of the general public as well as artists and curators.

5. Old School Future Classics - An annual art exhibit, 100 Canvases, that included 12 x 12 donated art work on subject “We the People.”

FUNDING THE BLOCK PARTY
Given the thousands of people in attendance, one would expect corporate sponsors. However, Williams said he has always wanted to keep the block party about the community. “I didn’t want to wait for others to celebrate our culture when they thought it cool or hip to do so by getting eyeballs for their products,” he said. “We must celebrate ourselves.”

The cost to organize the block party includes city permits and sound system equipment. This year, Alderman Moreno helped secure city permits along with the Bucktown-Wicker Park Chamber of Commerce. In addition, every volunteer — everyone who donated their time and money — had part in making the block party financially possible. This year, volunteer Tiffany Judkins set up a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds to cover the block party costs.

Another primary source for raising funds for the block party is the annual art exhibit called 100 Canvases that featured donated works by 100 artists throughout Chicago. This year’s exhibit was curated by Janice Bond.

The Silver Room Block Party DJ Tess
Photo by Kenneth Pickett

The entertainment line-up for this year included known Chicago house music DJ Ron Trent, music by Corey Wilkes & Black Slang, No name Gypsy, Sadie Wood, and Belly Dancing.

The Silver Room Block Party DJ Tess
Photo by Kenneth Pickett

The Silver Room– True to its Origins for Unity

For more 12 years, the Silver Room has been hosting block parties and live events to unite the diverse subculture community and maintain its diverse identity that has been is the hallmark of the neighborhood. Wicker Park has been gentrified since early 2000s but the Silver Room, founded in early 1990s, remains true to its origins.

Watch video from past footage from The Silver Room's annual Sound System Block Party, featuring house music legend Frankie Knuckles.

It is unique community events like these that make one forget the well-known fact that Chicago is one of the most segregated cities in America. It was a rare sight to find people from all walks of life socializing together on Chicago’s North Side. It is even more rare to find no police presence at such a large event. Organizers believe it is a result of the people at the Silver Room block party being peaceful and simply enjoy the music and being in the presence of diversity.