The Weekend Wrap-Up: Ascension & Robert Williams Birthday Celebration
Ascension: Taking house heads higher and higher
I ended a busy workweek at the Cove on Chicago’s south side, attending “Ascension” a monthly party hosted by Red Diva promotions. The event features resident DJ Boxx along with special guests. This month’s special guests were Celeste Alexander and Tony Madd. The energy of the cove was electric and uplifting. From the moment you walked in you felt welcomed. The hosts, the staff and the many vendors in attendance went out of their way to make sure guests were having a good time. The check in staff was friendly and energetic, the bartenders were serving the perfectly mixed cocktail and the vendors had plenty of delicious eats and sweet treats and a nice stogie to tempt your palate.
DJs Tony Madd, Celeste Alexander and DJ Boxx, set the tone for the entire evening of dance playing the best house music of every genre. The dance floor stayed packed with sweaty bodies dancing up a storm to their favorite songs. The atmosphere was lively with shouts of musical agreement filling the air thought the night from patrons who connected with each DJs set. Ascension is truly and event that will lift your spirits in every way. It was the perfect way to cap off a hectic workweek. The musical variety from the DJs, the graciousness of the hosts and staff and the professionalism of the vendors and positive energy of the crowd was a breath of fresh air. Ascension is an outstanding event that I look forward to attending each and every time.
Robert Williams Birthday Celebration: House People gather to celebrate a living legend
Saturday evening, house heads from all around the city gathered at the Elastic Arts Center on the north side of Chicago in celebration of Robert Williams. Rarely seen without his signature shades, Robert Williams is the man responsible for opening The Warehouse and the Music Box and for bringing legendary DJs Frankie Knuckles and Ron Hardy to Chicago. He’s a legendary figure in Chicago whose influence has been felt in the House Community for decades. Saturday night people gathered to celebrate his birthday! Presented by Music and Power, and hosted by Robert Williams, Fredrick Dunson & Judge, his birthday celebration was a musical cornucopia of DJs, producers, and artists. It was a room filled with the “who’s who” in the Chicago House scene. They joined with patrons and dancers and filled the space grooving to the sounds of DJs Ron Trent, Celeste Alexander and special guest, Grammy Nominated Producer, Louis Vega. The venue filled up rapidly and was quickly at capacity.
In an evening honoring a legend, the music was nothing less than outstanding! Ron Trent and Celeste Alexander beat the brakes off of the spot and had most of us in a complete sweat before Louis Vega hit the turntables. In true Louie Vega fashion, he commanded the crowd with his own tracks and other house favorites throughout the evening until the wee hours of the morning. The night ended with an epic tag team by Ron Trent and Louie Vega that you had to see to believe. It was epic!!! Robert Williams’s birthday celebration was a musical journey through the early stages of house music to the present. The energy and atmosphere was joyful and reminiscent of parties of old, BYOB with a juice bar and patrons sweating it out on the dance floor. It was full of love and comradery. The perfect celebration for a living legend.
Until next time,
See you on a dance floor
Black widow