This past Friday was a pretty special day for Backpacks and Beat Drops. I got to cover MK’s Family Affair with Nathan Barato, our first event we officially covered as press! (Woo!) This was one of my first nights out in Chicago in a while, too, so I was excited to see some friends and dance the night away.
Sound-Bar
The show was at Sound-Bar, which in my opinion, is one of the best clubs in Chicago. Their set-up is really great. In the main room, there’s a big dance floor in the middle with bottle service sections on both sides. There are a few other rooms where they play different music (the room in the basement being more mainstream pop and hip-hop). The speakers and sound systems are awesome. Make sure you bring protection (earplugs)!
The Music
Steve Gerard B2B Intermodal
We got to the venue early enough to catch Chicago natives Steve Gerard and Intermodal play a back-to-back house set. I was pleasantly surprised by how much fun it was! Their set was giving off perfect beach party vibes, and I imagined the pair throwing down at Oak Street Beach or Castaways. Who else is up for a house music beach party this summer? Actually though, let’s make this happen. I am going to keep my eye on Steve Gerard and Intermodal and try to see them more often in Chicago.
Nathan Barato
Next up was Nathan Barato, who I only recently discovered on the Ultra Music Festival lineup. I really fell in love with him through his remix of Tim Baresko’s “Marilyn Monroe.” I was dying to see him in Miami but ended up missing him, so I was stoked to see that he was playing with MK.
Nathan’s set reminded me of the house music I had heard in Ibiza this past summer (this Chicago weather has got me longing for the beach). I absolutely loved it and could not stop moving my feet the entire time he was playing. He threw in some songs by his buddy, Carlo Lio, who I will definitely be adding to my list of must-see artists.
MK
At 2AM, MK came on to close out the evening. He was definitely my favorite of the night and well-worth staying until the very end. It was impossible for me to feel anything but pure happiness, and you could feel the love from the crowd radiating throughout the room. The room went electric when MK played some of his staples like “Piece of Me” and “17.”
My personal favorite, “17,” is a really upbeat, happy song that also gives me a nostalgic longing for my high school days. It really makes me want to hug my high school best friend while screaming the lyrics with them. My high school bestie wasn’t there, but you bet I was still screaming the lyrics. Although there were hundreds of people there, it felt like an intimate set.
MK’s Family Affair Vibes
This, by all means, was a family affair. The vibes were amazing. You could tell the majority of the crowd was there to see the artists and didn’t just stumble into Sound-Bar after googling “Chicago clubs.” All night, I was surrounded by my Shipfam and Dirtybird fam. I also got to practice my shuffling moves alongside some super down-to-earth girlies.
My only complaint about the night happened when we were leaving. Sound-Bar 100% needs help with their circulation. At the end of the night, we needed to get our coats from the coat check in the basement. However, security had blocked off the stairs and wouldn’t let anyone down.
This created a huge issue with hundreds of confused people waiting in the vestibule trying to get down to get their coats. It’s not fun to end the night being screamed at by security guards for a mess that they made.
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