MUSIC

continued from p. 47 school student, and the group helped Chicago youth keep carrying the disco torch as the music dri ed out of sync with mainstream pop. Williams stabilized the Chosen Few’s lineup over the next few years, first bringing aboard Jesse Saunders, then Tony Hatchett, Alan King, and finally Tony’s younger brother, Andre. They helped evolve the culture of dance music in Chicago, building upon and expanding what Frankie Knuckles had incubated at the Warehouse. But as house music became a citywide phenomenon in the early 1980s, the members of the Chosen Few began moving away for college. Their annual summertime tradition is sometimes called the Chosen Few Reunion Picnic in part because the collective—which added Terry Hunter in 2006 and Mike Dunn in 2012—could use the Fourth of July weekend to reconvene in Chicago. It all started in 1990, when the Chosen Few DJed at the Hatchett family’s annual Independence Day barbecue behind the Museum of Science and Industry.

A lot has changed for the gathering in 33 years. In some respects the Chosen Few Picnic, which draws tens of thousands of people to Jackson Park, now resembles a more traditional summer music festival: it’s become a gated and ticketed event, and these days the DJs spin on a stage outfitted with a jumbotron. But much of the spirit of the picnic’s original incarnation remains intact. Large groups of family and friends show up in the early morning with tents and barbecue grills of all sizes, set up camp in the park, and kick back—and when the music moves them, of course, they dance. Every member of the Chosen Few spins for an hour, along with a slate of guests. As usual, the DJ lineup is filled with dance veterans this year, including Masters at Work cofounder Kenny Dope, London house pioneer Stan Zeff, and Chicago’s first woman house DJ, Lori Branch. The vocalists on the bill perform shorter sets but almost always light up the crowd. This year’s picnic features old-school R&B and gospel singer BeBe Winans and classic Chicago house vocalist Lidell Townsell—and I hope Townsell performs his 1991 Clubhouse Records single, “Nu Nu,” which alternates between easygoing and spicy. Organizers usually don’t release a detailed schedule till closer to the picnic, but this isn’t the kind of event where you dip in for one set and then leave—it’s about soaking up the atmosphere that all the DJs, singers, dancers, and grill masters create. In other words, you’ll want to get there early.

—LEOR GALIL

Disinter The Everscathed, Abraded, and Derangement open. 9 PM, Reggies Music Joint, 2105 S. State, $15. 21+

Disinter have been spewing forth evil blackened death metal for more than three decades. The Chicago longtimers have changed their lineup many times since their 1997 debut full-length, Desecrated (Pulverizer)—only guitarists Mike “Bats” Martocci and Mike LeGros have survived from that era to the present. But their sound has maintained an unholy consistency, with fierce blizzards of blastbeats, meaty knots of prog-guitar buzz, and largely unintelligible lyrics about bones and hell and death. (It’s fi tting that the band contributed to Satyrn Studios’ recent Slayer tribute album, Forever Reigning , with a very fine cover of “Show No Mercy.”) Old-school fans may still mourn the departure of original vocalist “Evil” Ed Suzuski, whose distinctive low-pitched gargle gave Desecrated a crusty frog-demon slither that the band hasn’t quite manifested since. Still, current vocalist Casey Loving, who came aboard in 2018, is more than capable of handling the throat-defenestrating duties. His vocals on the band’s fi rst full-length in 18 years, 2022’s Breaker of Bones (Pest), are more cathartic and less weird than Suzuski’s, but they add an anthemic charge to tracks such as “Cold Cell Torture.” If you crave a demonic infusion of metal that keeps the (anti-) faith, don’t miss Disinter live.

—NOAH BERLATSKY

LustSickPuppy Johnnascus and Casper McFadden open. 7 PM, Subterranean, 2011 W. North, $18. b

LustSickPuppy is a filthy cyber dog. A swaggering slut beast. A party howler. The Brooklyn artist’s sound combines elements of hip-hop, breakcore, and nu metal, capturing something animalistic about moving through a mechanical world. Onstage, they use prosthetics, contact lenses, face paint, studs, and spikes to create a strange, sexy interruption of everyday life—like if the erotic thrill ride of Cool World were executed using the settings and characters of Space Jam. Their music is a perfect marriage between club-kid uncanniness and juggalo attitude, promising a party atmosphere that’s alien, exaggerated, and feral.

The title track of LustSickPuppy’s most recent EP, the 2022 release As Hard as You Can , says it all. Against a blistering glitch beat, they describe showing up as an avatar of the self to realize the mission of a fuck- frenzied VR canine. When they scream “I want you to feel me / Feel me, eat me / Treat me like I’m filthy / Feed me, feed me / I want you to need me,” it’s the feverish moans of a dog glitching between being the chest-puffing leader of the pack and someone’s simpering pet. Delivered in a measured, mechanical tone, each line hits like a demand for attention from a spiteful sex Tamagotchi. At this show LustSickPuppy is sure to provide a funny, angry, mainframe-shattering catharsis.

—MICCO CAPORALE

Square Roots See Fri 7/7. On the North Stage, Superchunk headline; Eleventh Dream Day, the Cosmic Country Showcase, Split Single, Nathan Graham, and Jonas Friddle’s Jug Band Happy Hour open. On the South Stage, Divino Niño headline; Gabacho, Jon Langford & Sally Timms, Angela James, and Holy Joke open.

At Maurer Hall (4544 N. Lincoln), Los Vicios de Papá headline; Vagando, OvejaNegra, and

Shanta Nurullah’s Sitarsys open, a er a teen showcase and the Old Town School’s Second Half jam.

The Sunnyside Stage (the festival’s family stage) features Clamor & Lace Noise Brigade, Bollywood Bhangra & More!, Them Queers, and the Dreamtree Shakers, in that order.

Noon-10 PM, Lincoln between Montrose and Wilson, suggested donation $10 for adults, $5 for kids and seniors, $20 for families. b

Sunday9

Square Roots See Fri 7/7. On the North Stage, Real Estate headline; Slow Pulp, Brigitte Calls Me Baby, Tuvergen Band, Chicha Roots, and Mariachi Cuatro Vientos open. On the South Stage, Lala Lala headline; Disq, Etran De L’Aïr, Samba Parade, Dill Costa, and Urban Twang open.

At Maurer Hall (4544 N. Lincoln), Uncovered: Live Band Karaoke headlines; Steve Dawson & the Lucid Dreams, Moontype, and Sabine McCalla open, and a teen open mike starts the day.

The Sunnyside Stage (the festival’s family stage) features a bilingual dance party with Renée, Bill Brickey’s soul sing-along, Abby Lyons, Brandi Berry Benson, and a family barn dance with the Silver Trotters, in that order.

Noon-9 PM, Lincoln between Montrose and Wilson, suggested donation $10 for adults, $5 for kids and seniors, $20 for families. b

Tuesday11

Home is Where See Pick of the Week on page 46. Smidley, OK Cool, and Everybody’s Worried About Owen open. 8 PM, Beat Kitchen, 2100 W. Belmont, $15. 17+