Mental drift

The music had an optimism and polished sentimentality that sounded strangely refreshing at our underpaid retail job [READER]( One of the hardest parts about being listings coordinator is knowing just how much is happening in our city on any given night. In November, when I saw the Whistler’s monthly city pop night, Lost in Translation, was celebrating its three-year anniversary, I knew I had to go. City pop was something I only knew about in passing. A few years ago I worked at Myopic Books, and we’d play it from YouTube playlists. Where we got the idea, I can’t even remember, but the music had an optimism and polished sentimentality that sounded strangely refreshing at our underpaid retail job where we serviced an increasingly high maintenance clientele while the bookshelves sagged from the weight of titles no one had asked about since the aughts. City pop sounded artificial, similar to the forced friendliness of customer service, but also innocent and care-free in a way we permitted ourselves to surrender to because we couldn’t understand the language. It was just a feeling that we needed to hold onto. As I listened, my mind drifted to places and times removed from this workplace I loved that also took a lot from me. Days soundtracked by city pop felt mellower. That mental drift seemed to be a shared sentiment at Lost in Translation’s anniversary, which was already at capacity by 9 PM. The man in front of me in line begged a friend who’d popped out for a cigarette to sneak him in the back, but the door guy reminded them both that numbers are restricted because of COVID. When I finally made it inside, I tried to resist dancing and just observe the scene, but it was infectious. A guy who looked and dressed like a Gen Z Prince invited me to groove, and I ended up getting a crash course on Lost in Translation’s founding DJ: Van Paugam. Among other things, he told me he’d seen Paugam perform in Japan and that audience members cried during the set. When I got home, I fact-checked what I could about our conversation, then decided Paugam was someone I needed to interview for Chicagoans of Note. Talking to him, I was struck, not only with the depth of consideration Paugam had given city pop, but also his transparency about his relationship to it and its ripple effect on his life. Some readers may find Paugam’s story fraught while others will be inspired, but the questions it raises are part of what makes Paugam so interesting to me. I hope you enjoy reading stories about people who aren’t easy to pin as much as I enjoy sharing them. Sending you warm holiday wishes, Micco Caporale Listings Coordinator On January 1st, the Reader will finally, fully be a nonprofit newsroom. Everything we do at the Reader is for Chicago, and our mission is to lift up the voices of Chicagoans across our city. But we can only survive if our entire community comes together in support of independent, alternative media. [Make]( tax-deductible donation today]( and help keep the Reader alive in 2022 and beyond. [DONATE TODAY!]( [Best of Chicago bonus round nominations have started]( Tell us who should win in additional categories we should have included in the first round of nominations but didn’t—as nominated by first-round participants, from today until January 5, 2022. We've wrapped up season one of CQN! Listen back on all ten episodes [here]( or wherever you get your podcasts. We’ve pulled some of our most read stories of 2021 to highlight as we wrap up this year of the beloved Daily Reader newsletter! [‘The Long Dream’ and a labor nightmare]( The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago’s latest exhibit preaches equity, but behind the scenes artists and former museum employees are demanding real change. by [Kerry Cardoza]( [Issue of Dec 23, 2021 - Jan 5, 2022 Vol. 51, No.]( [Download Issue]( (PDF) [View this e-mail as a web page]( [@chicago_reader]( [/chicagoreader]( [@chicago_reader]( [Chicago Reader on LinkedIn]( [/chicagoreader]( [chicagoreader.com]( [Forward this e-mail to a friend](. Want to change how you receive these e-mails? You can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe from this list](. Copyright © 2021 Chicago Reader, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Chicago Reader, 2930 S. Michigan Ave., Suite 102, Chicago, IL 60616