Summer may be on its last legs (yes I know it's technically done), but there's still plenty of fun to be had, especially for music lovers. There is an embarrassment of riches when it comes to musically inclined events right now, especially since concerts have been in pretty much full swing the past month or two. You can add one more this Saturday (9/25) as Middle Brow (2840 W Armitage Ave) will be hosting Ghostly International, Chicago's very own Numero Group and indie behemoth Secretly Group (Dead Oceans, Jagjaguwar and Secretly Canadian) for Paved Paradise.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05oBAu6tLZc
Housed under a couple of tents, Paved Paradise is a one-stop-pop-up-shop-block-party. Paved Paradise very clearly take its name from the Joni Mitchell lyric ("They paved paradise and put up a parking lot") and takes a different look at the melancholy line. This outdoor record fair/party is anything but a downer as it is bringing some incredible labels together to share their fantastic releases with the masses. Paved Paradise have been traveling around the Eastern half of the country in their 24ft Penske these past couple of weeks, making a few choice stops to let vinyl lovers get together and discover some new tunes and fill in some gaps from their favorites.
Each stop of Paved Paradise has offered up some fantastic surprises (their Nashville visit saw Jack White come through) and Chicago certainly has a few tricks up its sleeve. The usual Paved Paradise fare will be on hand including limited releases like Dead Oceans' Velvet Highway: A Kevin Morby Mixtape, Ghostly International's new vinyl colorways of fan favorites, and the wealth of releases from Numero Group. Seriously with titles like a limited edition 7" of Elyse Weinberg's "Houses," with Dinosaur Jr.'s cover on the B-side, the exclusive Factory Outlet: 2533 S. Troy Street LP, some loose copies of Daiquiri Dirges from their sold out Technicolor Parades (which is one of my favorite Numero box sets), and tons more, Numero Group is making Paved Paradise a must-attend event for vinyl lovers.
In addition to all the great records from the aforementioned labels, Paved Paradise will be hosting local label Sooper Records with all their fantastic releases and some great guest DJs spinning some tunes in the afternoon! Checkout the lineup below and start planning your trip into Paved Paradise for some new wax to add to your collection!
- 2pm- Glennon Curran (Sooper Records)
- 3pm- Tim Zawada (Star Creature)
- 4pm- Geoff Farina (Karate)
Paved Paradise will be at Bungalow by Middle Brow, 2840 W Armitage Ave, on Saturday, September 25. Entry to the event is free! Did you enjoy this post and our coverage of Chicago’s arts scene? Please consider supporting Third Coast Review’s arts and culture coverage by becoming a patron. Or make a one-time donation by PayPal. Choose the amount that works best for you, and know how much we appreciate your support!