With summer officially underway, and Chicago\’s unpredictable weather finally settling into a warm consistency, Chicagoans would love nothing more than to pass the days away with some quality time on the beach. While that sounds great in itself, Mamby on the Beach Music Festival will soon be upon us, bringing music from local and international artists to Chicago\’s lakefront.
In the mid 2000\’s Mamby was a weekly event series curated by some of Chicago\’s most respected house music artists. While this will be the first \”Mamby on the Beach\” the ideology remains the same: celebrating Chicago as the birthplace of house music, and its contributors.
The two day event is set to kick off Saturday July 11th on Oakwood Beach. One of the big stories that day will undoubtedly be the elusive producer Zhu\’s official Midwest debut. Since his break into the scene with his smash hit \”Faded\” Zhu has simply asked that he be judged not by his personal identity, but by his music. Expect Zhu to make a memorable first impression on his Midwestern fans.
Of course, being in Chicago, Mamby is not without top-notch local representation. Festival goers seeking uplifting summertime sounds should mark down Autograf as a must-see. Simply put, I can\’t think of another act who\’s music would be more fitting for a sunny day at the beach. Expect them to leave a mark on this festival.
Day two of Mamby is stacked with equally well-rounded talent. Already a big story is the fact that Art Department\’s last Chicago gig as a duo is set to take place that Sunday. The five year \”creative marriage\” as Art Department\’s Kenny Glasgow describes it will take a step closer to the end with what should be a very bittersweet performance on the beach.
While Art Department may be the biggest story of the day, anonymous producer Claptone should not be overshadowed. The German producer has experienced a meteoric rise to fame in the last year, and is equally well known for his golden bird mask as he is by his music.
Local acts Louis the Child and Steve Gerard already made waves at Mamby\’s Shipwrecked pre-party last week. I had the pleasure of catching both acts as they played live on separate levels of a triple decker yacht named Anita Dee II. Believe it or not, that was not enough; these guys will be making it onto my Mamby schedule as well.
Be sure to catch these and many of the other talented acts set to take on Mamby this July. In the meantime, one lucky winner will receive 2 GA-Passes to Mamby. Enter the contest below or buy your tickets today.
For more info visit: www.mambybeach.com
