Throughout the summer, a local DJ joins Eight Forty-Eight in studio to spin live music during the show. On Fridays, you can hear their mixes between segments before they sit down with Steve Edwards to discuss the craft, and take us smoothly out of the show and into the weekend.
The guest DJs come from all over Chicago’s music scene—spinning everywhere from clubs to roller rinks. The DJs bring years of experience and an eclectic range of sounds and styles, offering a fresh flavor to every show.
For several years now, Chess Hubbard has been dropping old and new-school cuts for the kids, and doing so under a number different monikers (and, with a number of different crews).
With Life During Wartime, she spins as DJ Mother Hubbard, and with her cohort Protman, she goes by Dangergirl. And with her all-female group Pussy Galore (titled after the James Bond character), she appears simply as Chess Hubbard.
But whatever name she’s taking on, you can always hear a bit of her inherent charm (and non-apologetic “geekiness”) come through with a wink… and a whole lot of bass. And if you think that’s more than a plateful and a side dish, she’s also involved in booking, promotions, web design and—oh yeah—good-ole geekin’ out to video games and music.
Chess spins with the LDW crew monthly at Hideout and darkroom. She spins tonight at the Venus magazine release party at Mars Gallery, and at the end of the month at the Bitch magazine 10th anniversary party at Hideout.
Mother Hubbard's other performances:
Dancers in the Darkroom on September 1 at 9 pm at the darkroom.
The Presets, Kid Sister, Mother Hubbard and more on September 10 at 8 pm at The Double Door.
Thursday, August 31—DJ Jesse De La Pena
For nearly 20 years, Jesse De La Pena has been mastering the art of digging through the crates of produce-fresh vinyl. From his stax of wax he’s put together sonic gourmet dishes fit for only the hippest among us.
In the ‘80s, while in his teens, De La Pena started finding his way in the hip-hop culture. First through breakdancing, then as a graffiti artist. His interest in music grew exponentially as his taste became more diverse. He soon began deejaying, often spinning hip-hop at house music parties, and house at hip-hop parties—all at a time when it simply wasn’t done.
He eventually brought his deejaying skills to the band setting as one of the founding members of the local band, Liquid Soul. Add to that his own online radio show, producer credits, touring in support of major artists including James Brown, Common and the Rolling Stones (and a whole host of other accomplishments), and it still comes back to one thing… deejaying.
Perhaps that’s why he’s been nominated “Best Club DJ in the City” by numerous publications including the Sun-Times and Tribune.
He’ll close out September (September 29-October 1) at Darkroom with a weekend-long celebration of his 20 years of deejaying. The event will also include spins from several special guest DJs.
De La Pena joined Eight Forty-Eight’s Steve Edwards and Chicago Public Radio’s Justin Kaufmann to raise some funds and groove on the finest legal tender of them all… music.
Wednesday, August 30—itch13
Verse and beats converge as Chicago MC and turntablist itch13 joins Eight Forty-Eight in the studio for day three of a week-long blowout of the Summer DJ Series.
Itch13 (aka DJ Itchie Fingers) rubs on a soothing salve of house, drum ‘n’ bass, rock, funk and more, all with a hip-hop sensibility. And when he’s not dropping his own beats at his club gigs, he’s teaming up with musicians and spoken word artists to create other tasty blends. In fact, Itch is also the DJ for the Young Chicago Authors. Join Itch as he spins and chats with Chicago Public Radio’s own spoken artist, Mr. Steve Edwards.
Tuesday, August 29—DJ Johnny Herndon
Outside of family and loved ones, Johnny Herndon is perhaps best known for his work as a musician (A Grape Dope, Isotope 217, Precious Wax Drippings and the almighty Tortoise). However, this indie rock veteran has been quietly creating a name for himself in the DJ world. His marriage of sounds from a variety of sources puts him into a category of DJ heretofore undefined.
On this, day two of our week-long DJ Summer Series blowout, Herndon gives us a sample of his eclectic blend.
Herndon's mixes can be heard between today's segments.
Monday, August 28—Flosstradamus: J2K and Autobot
This week, we are wrapping up summer in style with a live DJ every day on Eight Forty-Eight. The DJ team Flosstradamus kicks-off the festivities.
While deejaying may generally be considered a solo sport, J2K and Autobot have perfected the art of the tag-team match and they’re taking on all contenders—fairness be damned.
Known collectively as Flosstradamus, the DJ duo has been together for less than a year, yet their creative style has hit the palette of tastemakers across the board.
Things to know:
1. Their monthly residency “Get Outta Tha Hood” on the third Wednesday of every month in the Boys’ Town establishment Town Hall Pub is immensely popular and,
2. Their list of gigs is dense and endless and,
3. Urb Magazine recently tapped the Floss as one (or, two) of the “Next 100” to watch and,
4. They’re currently scheduled to do more remixing than your average Quisinart blender.
Flossdradamus may not be able to predict what music will sound like centuries from now, but they sure have their fingers on the pulse of its more immediate future.
Autobot performs tonight at the Funky Buddha Lounge and J2K will hit the decks this Friday night at The Darkroom, located at 2210 West Chicago Avenue.
Listen to the entire episode to hear Flosstradamus' beats behind the stories.
Friday, August 11—DJ Ron Trent
We continue our Summer DJ Series with renowned house DJ Ron Trent. Eight Forty-Eight's Madeleine Bair found him behind the booth at Chicago's Sonotheque nightclub.
Ron Trent will spin at Africa Hi-Fi's two-year anniversary celebration on Friday, August 11, at Sonotheque.
This week on the series, we welcome Brad Owen. He is not only a DJ, but also the musical director for one of Chicago's premiere dance clubs, Smart Bar.
Owen was raised in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, a city without much of an underground music scene. He spent his teen years and early 20s trekking up to Green Bay and down to Milwaukee where the rave and club scenes were a bit more vibrant. There, he became more entrenched in the culture, and found a community of likeminded music fans. As he puts it, “It’s hard to develop in a scene [Sheboygan] when you’re the only person in it.”
He eventually started a residency at a Milwaukee night club. Along the way, he was making trips down to Chicago to both purchase music and check out shows. He started booking a club in Milwaukee, and then began working with the folks at Chicago's Metro. When an artist came through either Milwaukee or Chicago, Owen and the Metro collaborated to bring the artist to both cities.
Owen moved to Chicago in 2000, and the relationship he had built with the Smart Bar, accompanied by his deejaying skills, eventually led to an infrequent first residency at the club.
When the club's musical director moved to New York in 2002, Owen accepted the position. He’s continued the legendary club’s reputation for booking premium and cutting edge artists.
The bar is celebrating its 24th anniversary this weekend, and Owen stops by to talk about his career, his style and spins some selected cuts.
Friday, July 21—DJ Lady D
The Eight Forty-Eight “DJ Series” continues this Friday as we drop the “house” down on our listeners with a studio session with local spin-stress, DJ Lady D.
This South Side native has been spinning professionally since 1995, but her first crack at the turntables came back in the mid-‘80s. D and her friends were enamored with the early hip-hop and house music scene, and they tried to emulate the styles and tricks of the big artists dominating the scene. D was picked on by her male crew for being a girl, but she refused to let sexism get in the way of her growing passion for spinning. Soon, she began finding her own way as a DJ.
In 1995, Lady D decided to turn her passion into a profession. She began spinning at clubs, and from then on it’s been nothing but forward motion. Lady D is one of the members of the female DJ powerhouse, SuperJane—which also included DJ Heather, Colette and Dayhota. She’s since worked with some of the biggest names in house, electronic, hip-hop and rock. She’s also formed her own record label, D’Lectable.
Raised in Washington, D.C., in the 1980s and '90s, DJ Ben Fasman grew up in a time when seminal, hardcore punk bands such as Minor Threat were setting the bar for punks across the country. His affinity for the music was born on first listen. Ben's collection of vinyl grew rapidly, as much of the music he loved was available exclusively on wax. And his musical tastes soon grew to include hip-hop, world music, and jazz.
As a kid, Fasman aspired to be a drummer. His grandfather, Irving Fasman—once a musician himself, performing in Chicago before starting a family—encouraged this passion. He fed Ben a steady supply of jazz greats, including Stan Getz, Sonny Stitt, Max Roach, and Buddy Rich. Another influential figure in Ben's life was his percussion teacher. She introduced him to a broad range of global beats.
After high school, Fasman set off for college in California, where he embraced hip-hop full-on. It wasn't until his sophomore year that he began deejaying, but the turntable belts haven't stopped spinning since.
After college, Ben left to work as a research assistant for author and legendary DJ Bobbito Garcia, who taught him the invaluable skills of reading a crowd and selecting songs in more creative ways. Ben Fasman carries those skills with him to this day...and he showcases them here as part of Eight Forty-Eight's “Summer DJ Series.”
Friday, July 7—DJ DMC
DJ DMC has been a part of the Chicago DJ scene since the mid-‘80s. Beginning in clubs, and then moving on to perform at private events, DMC eventually found himself with an unexpected proposition: to spin at a roller rink. That was back in 1998, and he's been spinning ‘round (and ‘round) at The Rink, located at 1122 East 87th Street in Chicago, ever since.
Four times weekly, he winds up the wheels with a musical diet that varies from day to day, and includes a variety of soul, smooth R&B, and hits both old and new. He joins us in studio for some tunes, talk, and action, and wouldn't you know it...Edwards forgot his skates.
The Tyrades
Friday, June 23—Jimmy Hollywood
Mr. Hollywood flexes his musical acumen on guitar as part of the Chicago punk outfit The Tyrades. And when he’s throwin’ down beats as a DJ, he’s drawing from a wide collection of vintage ‘60s rock and roll, garage, psychedelic, and contemporary punk.
Steve Edwards breaks out the spiked hair, tatts, and a mouthful of jewelry as Eight Forty-Eight goes Hollywood… DJ Jimmy Hollywood that is.
Friday, June 16—Tone B. Nimble
Fields aka Tone B. Nimble
For more than 20 years, Anthony Fields has been spinning his way around the world under his better-known club moniker, Tone B. Nimble. His specialty on the double-decks: underground hip-hop, rare groove, and classic soul.
As a high school student in Flossmoor, he met up with future collaborator—and renowned hip-hop artist in his own right—David Kelly (aka Capital D). Together, they form the group All Natural. They also run the record label All Natural Records. Nimble served a stint as a DJ at a commercial hip-hop radio station, and now he brings his skills to public radio.
DVD Cover for the film Waking Life
Friday, June 2—DJ Josh Werner
The first DJ to appear on the series, veteran DJ and producer Josh Werner joins Steve Edwards on Eight Forty-Eight. Werner is also co-founder, and owner of Antenna International record label, techno buyer for Gramaphone Records and a Chicago techno legend. He gives us a sample of the music and film collage that he and Rob Hamilton, aka FFWD (Fast Forward) have been creating.
Throughout the show, he will mix music tracks with some of the ambient sounds and dialogue from Richard Linklater's film Waking Life.
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