Report on: CONGRESS THEATER for Live "RAP / HIP-HOP" Musical Performances in Chicago

2010, 04-18:

Report on:  CONGRESS THEATER for Live "RAP / HIP-HOP" Musical Performances in Chicago

            In 1926, a movie palace called the Congress Theater was built in Chicago at 2117-2139 N. Milwaukee.  It originally could hold more than 2900 film-goers (at a single show), and was declared a Chicago landmark in 2002.  In recent years, it was turned into a location holding LIVE MUSIC events…

…  On April 16^th, I attended a Rap / Hip-hop “Spring Concert” show there, put on by Roc 10 Inc (Chicagoroc10).  The show started around 8 PM...

...  The original theater seats had been removed from the theater, with just a small number of folding ones set up in the very rear of the cavernous location.  The huge dome was well-lit by a ring of yellow lites circling the base of the dome, & the speakers were so powerful, you could feel the “thumping” about 70 feet away from the stage (where I sat)…

…  Most of the time, various DJ “mix-masters” ran a show from their huge console in the center of the stage, “scratching” & mixing some inventive music.  There also was a sort of “host” (seemingly MOE BEY, tho the voice mics were usually so “muffled” sound-wise, I often couldn’t understand just what people were saying).  He asked which “side” of town people were from, commented on all the “sexy” girls near the stage, etc…

…  A periodically-singing host (possibly SEAN MAC, who was listed as scheduled for the show) frequently held “BOOTY-shaking” contests, utilizing women in the audience whom he picked from the stage...

...  Once, he also had guys come up for a “DANCE-off”, & he got a number of quite-talented performers from the crowd.  He then let the audience “VOTE” on the winners (by acclamation), & they usually got tickets to a future show in town… 

…  There were probably 400-600 people in the audience (by the time I left around 10:30 PM), & one of the things I liked most was the way the crowd was very MIXED racially (& age-wise), & people for the most part got ALONG very well, seemingly having a GOOD time (with Security hardly having to escort anyone elsewhere)…

…  Between the “contests”, two main DJ’s took over (alternating).  One seemed to be DJ A-OH (again, it was hard to understand what people said), & another was a guy who’d worked on WGCI radio (possibly DJ MOONDOG).  The show was advertised as featuring DJ NEPHETS & REMIX ROY…

…  The main headliners were to be DJ KID CAPRI, YOUNG JOC, & Oscar-winning THREE SIX MAFIA (who wrote the 2005 song “It’s Hard Out There For A Pimp”)...

...  But, while the audience was appropriately enthusiastic for the DJ’s (& happily buying drinks from $ 5 beers on up), things became so sort of “slow”-moving & “repetitive” (with the ever-present “booty-shaking” contests & the like), since the concert could’ve gone on until 2-4 AM, I eventually left before the main acts performed…

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