There was excitement, anticipation, and a touch of anxiousness in the air for everybody with a ticket to Arc Music Festival, in Chicago, IL last weekend. The first-year festival was held at Union Park over two days during Labor Day weekend, and it offered an impressive list of quality DJs in both house and techno from all around the world. Top that off with Elrow hosting its own stage in Chicago for the first time and multiple afterparties to choose from and what they offered was something we knew we could not say no to. Even the chance at seeing Eric Prydz in all his three forms was as much a reason as any to take this trip. It was our first festival since after the quarantine, and possibly our most challenging. Chicago would ask more of us.
Day One was devoted to techno, and you could tell immediately arriving at the festival that everybody dressed accordingly. We started our day at the expansion stage, which was an open-air stage that seemed almost medieval in its theme. There were lanterns in the trees and the stage was designed out of wood and lights, something so subtle, and yet when supported by good music and good lasers, always enough to start the party right. The mix of natural and artificial fog was a nice touch as well.
First, we saw DJ Pierre b2b Idriss D, and right off the bat they gave me one of my favorite moments of the weekend. DJ Pierre is nothing short of an absolute acid house legend and hearing him play the sound he invented in the city he made it in was as legendary a welcome to the city a person could dream of. His heavy bass and sweet vocals had me feeling Chicago immediately, and from there we never let each other go. All weekend long Chicago offered something with Arc that we knew we could not get anywhere else in the world.
After that we wandered over to the Elrow stage and prepared ourselves to be blown away by the unmatchable commitment that is always expected from them, no matter what continent you’re on. As we arrived, we were amazed by the colors, shapes, costumes, and sounds coming from deep within the Elrow tent. We found ourselves suddenly in the middle of a psychedelic portal right there in the middle of that park. I was expecting Elrow to be open air and found the tent packed all weekend long, but then again this was Elrow. What did we expect other than colorful madness everywhere? They lived up to their name and our expectations immediately, but for next year if they return, I hope they go bigger.
On that first day we found ourselves bouncing around from Layton Gioradani representing Drumcode, Rodriguez Jr. playing his smoothness at the grid, Deborah de Luca throwing bangers one after the other, and over to Eli & Fur controlling the Elrow stage. It was a buffet of good sounds that we never seemed to know where to settle on. By the time we ended up at Nicole Moudaber our heads were spinning with musical bliss.
Nicole was set to play the Drumcode after party that night, so it was no surprise to us that she chose to play a more mellow and progressive set than the techno a lot of people are used to. We have both always been huge progressive fans, so we found this a very nice and emotional surprise, with the rainfall that followed as a sign that even Chicago felt the same. That would be the only time all weekend we’d dance in the rain and Nicole made it a dance we would always remember.
Next, we were back at the expansion stage to hear Cirez D belt out his own style of techno that has always left the techno world having playful arguments over, constantly. Everybody has an opinion about Eric Prydz. I enjoyed his Cirez D set, but then again, I spoke to multiple friends who didn’t. Although, they did also mention how much they loved Eric Prydz that next day at The Grid, so again, he is just that guy that polarizes no matter where or when you see or hear him.
We showed our age during his set by finding a seat in the back of the VIP and relaxing to the music for a bit. Admittedly, not the most techno moment of my life, but I am not a young raver anymore, and having the chance to hear such quality music while still being able to relax is something us older ravers appreciate far more than we ever want to admit. We bought VIP tickets by accident months before the festival but found ourselves happy with the mistake it allowed us to take advantage of.
We finished day one listening to every moment of one of my all-time favorites Luciano, making his Chicago debut and playing that smooth Latin percussion sound I love so much. It was a beautiful moment matched with beautiful sounds in a beautiful environment, with a beautiful date. By the time the music was over we had just enough energy to catch the Green Line home to our hotel to rest after a very eventful first day back.
We had plans for an afterparty but chose to sit it out realizing we’d probably benefit more from a good night’s rest than we would from yet another afterparty. Another sign of our age, no doubt, but also one I feel no raver should ever have any shame in admitting. If you can’t make it, you can’t make it. Save you energy for the next day. I’m glad we had the foresight to see that one. Cause day 2 would take the insanity of Arc and Chicago to the next level. Day 2 was dedicated to house.
We got to Day 2, and right away you could feel the energy was different than from day one. Day one had a bit of a business techno feel, and you could feel the anxiety from a lot of people being at their first festival since the end of the quarantine. Everybody wanted it just to go well so bad that we didn’t completely let go until day 2, when we knew, it was going to happen no matter what.
We started with Chicago house Legend DJ Heather, a favorite of ours since we were teenagers, and a great way to get the day going. From there we went to see another Chicago legend, Gene Ferris, who I had never seen but always loved. The energy at the Elrow stage was much more high energy from the get-go on day 2 and you could tell Ferris was a huge reason for that. As he played a track from recently deceased legend Paul Johnson, you could feel the raw energy of the city starting to take over. Day 2 was about the city more than it was about any one DJ.
After the confetti went everywhere in the multicolored madness of Elrow, we wandered back over to our favorite stage of the weekend, the expansion stage, and we found ourselves lost in the crowd as the Martinez Brothers started right as the sun began to set on that Sunday in Chicago. They brought that funky passionate sound that only they can play, and it went wonderfully with the falling of the sun behind the trees that surrounded us. We danced and enjoyed that moment together. It was perhaps one of my favorites of the whole weekend.
Somewhere towards the end of our fun with the Martinez Brothers we agreed on doing a half and half of Lee Foss and Hot Since 82 at the Elrow stage. We caught the last half of Lee Foss, where he was playing a sound so amazing, I can say I had never heard him play so well up to that point. We have always been huge Lee Foss fans, seeing him multiple times in multiple cities, but seeing him again in such a unique environment playing such a different sound was out of this world, and another great moment for us and everybody there.
Next, we caught the first half of Hot Since 82, and he gave me my most emotional moment of the weekend by starting his set with a track a Chicago legend and favorite of mine, Mark Farina, used to play during his Mushroom Jazz sets we loved so much. Hot Since 82 found a way to connect with me that showed we both found a love for this city and its music even though we both came from such distant places from one another. House music is a language we speak to each other without actually even saying a word. I know what Hot Since 82 was saying because it was the exact reason why I was there too.
Finally, we ended with a once in a lifetime set with Seth Troxler doing a b2b with the one and only Derrick Carter to close out the festival. Seeing Derrick Carter play in Chicago was the reason I was there that weekend. Everybody seemed secondary to seeing him, and now having the chance to see him play with Seth was simply a bonus. I would compare walking to that stage to seeing Kevin Saunderson in Detroit my first time going to Movement Music Festival. It takes on the feeling of a spiritual or even religious journey. A pilgrimage. House music is my religion, and I was now hearing it from one of its creators. There are very few moments in music or even life that can match the feeling I had that night. It felt like I won the game of life.
“Can you dance to my beat?” The song echoed out of the speakers, and it appeared for a bit a blue haired mermaid with a beard was Dj’ing, although, I couldn’t get anybody to believe me. There was even a moment where a friend turned to me and said,
“I don’t even know what they’re playing. It’s like hip hop, and house, but something else. I love it.”
“Yeah, and r & b. I think I’ll call it hip house.” We laughed.
They invented a new style of music just for us right there. By the time they finished we found ourselves sitting under a tree waiting for our friends to find us.
The day had come and gone in a flash, and we found ourselves covered in layers and layers of dirt. Happy but dirty. There was even a moment where we all stood at the station and all danced and sang to ‘Billie Jean’, playing on a car passing us by. So content, so satisfied, so alive. Arc gave us a full experience and it happened in such a mad rush that it’s still hard to believe it was all real.
That night we chose the after party at radius where not only did we get more of Hot since 82, but also a very impressive closing set from Anthony Parasole, and since they had the doors to the bigger room open, we even got a chance to see Pryda for a bit, something we had no plans for, and yet, I’m glad we at least got a chance see that other side of him.
We finished with a final after party at PRYSM that Monday with Lee Foss doing a b2b with Gorgon City to close it all out for us. It was a beautiful final dance in the city we dreamed of for so long, and now we knew we’d love forever. We even found a spot where my partner could watch him and admire his mixing skills. When we first discovered house music and dreamed of Chicago as teenagers, I was the DJ. But now that we are adults it’s the other way around. She is the DJ and student of music now. It was a moment where I could feel how much both House music and we as people, had really grown up over all these years.
“He’s playing two songs at once again.” She smiled from behind her mask.
There are things I know Arc could improve on. High drink prices, only one water station, a bit of sound bleed between the stages, Adam Beyer and Christoph having to cancel, but even with saying that, I can’t help but admit the festival was a complete success. Most of the issues were out of their hands and the other ones weren’t so bad. All of which, can be improved with a second year. Next year.
It was Business techno, it was Chicago house, and it was everything else in between. We even managed to sneak in a Friday night at North Coast Music festival, but this isn’t about that, this is about Arc, and house and techno. Good music with friends in settings we used to only dream of. Chicago pushed us passed our limit, and in return it gave us so much more. If they have arc again next year, I say go. Just bring extra money, study the subway lines, and be ready to dance, a lot. See you next year.
Pictures by S. Gallegos
Words by A. Gallegos
Ourdancefloor.net 