Too much music, too much news

Summer can be exhausting. [READER]( The Daily Reader July 21, 2023 On Monday, as I worked through edits for the Gossip Wolf report on [WHPK’s funding crisis]( wrestled over the language of several different show previews, and chipped away at a feature coming out next week, two friends of DJ Deeon reached out to me about the ghetto house hero’s declining health. Later that afternoon, I also learned about the [$27 million TIF benefitting the Congress Theater renovation]( which would give AEG Presents control over the theater’s bookings. All of which is to say, I felt stretched thin before I could reasonably react to any one piece of news. I will say one thing: I would rather knock down the Congress than give the second-largest live music promoter in the country more of a foothold in Chicago nightlife. As I’ve said before in this newsletter, summer can be exhausting, and this week I’ve had to sit with the knowledge once again that I can’t do everything I wish I could. I’ll be attending Pitchfork Music Festival this weekend, and I know in the back of my head I’ll wish I could also swing by Cobra Lounge to see the two-day punk fest known as [the Rumble]( Militarie Gun play Saturday afternoon, and I’ve been listening to their new album, [Life Under the Gun]( with increasing frequency. I can’t swing both, even though Cobra Lounge is a short walk north of Union Park. And despite wanting to be in five places at once, I’m looking forward to my time at Pitchfork; it’ll be nice to spend time with the friends of mine who plan to be there, watching musical acts we all enjoy. This is, after all, one of the things I love most about the summer. DJ Deeon died Tuesday. I’m hard-pressed to neatly summarize his music, influence, and place in Chicago culture, since that could fill a book. But I plan to work on something about him soon, and give that story the time and space that Deeon deserves. Sincerely, “[In the 90s, we worried about Nirvana ‘selling out’. I wish that concept still made sense]( by Dan Brooks (The Guardian) “[Teenage Post-Punks Lifeguard Are Living the DIY Dream,]( by Nina Corcoran (Pitchfork) “[RIP DJ Deeon: A Force of Nature Who Rocked Speakers Around the Globe,]( by Joe Muggs (Mixmag) Sexyy Red, [Hood Hottest Princess]( Snõõper, [Super Snõõper]( Toosh, [Ordinary Monsters]( 💥 Leor’s “[July 21 2023 playlist]( playlist [Footwork pioneer RP Boo mines mundane details for dance-floor thrills]( by [Leor Galil]( | [Read more]( → [Protomartyr expand their sonic palette and add depth on the sophisticated new Formal Growth in the Desert]( by [Luca Cimarusti]( | [Read more]( [DisFest comes to the Chicago Cultural Center]( “Disabled people can do whatever they want to and make beautiful art.” by [Keidra Chaney]( | [Read more]( → [Sen Morimoto makes crowded songs all by himself]( 2018 COVER STORY – The Chicago polymath is taking the stage at Pitchfork Music Festival today. by [Leor Galil]( | [Read more]( → Reader July Giveaway Enter for a chance to win a Summer Reading Bundle with hard copies of the Best of Leor Galil and Ben Joravsky's Greatest Hits in a tote bag! Entries will be accepted until July 31 at 11:59 PM, and one winner will be chosen on August 1. [ENTER THE JULY GIVEAWAY]( [Issue of July 13 – 26, 2023 Vol. 52, No. 20]( [VIEW / 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 © 2023 Chicago Reader, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Chicago Reader, 2930 S. Michigan Ave., Suite 102, Chicago, IL 60616