All over the city, the signs of summer are returning. The temperatures are going up, the calendars are filling and plans are being made. And one announcement this week has been met with a particularly joyful response from longtime fans—the return of the Silver Room Sound System Block Party following a two-year pandemic-induced hiatus.
“It made me realize how important it is to people and how meaningful it is to our community,” says Silver Room owner Eric Williams.
The Silver Room’s annual celebration of live music and community has been a part of the Chicago summer agenda for 17 years, spending 12 years in the Wicker Park neighborhood before moving to Hyde Park, near the boutique's Hyde Park location, in 2016. This summer, it’s returning July 16 and 17 with three big changes—paid entry, an extension to a two-day event, and a new location on Oakwood Beach.
“So many people want to perform and have so many ideas,” Williams says of the extension to a two-day event. As for the relocation, he says the block party outgrew its footprint on 53rd Street (an estimated 40,000 people attended the last party in 2019). The beach will allow more space for activities and a comfortable experience for attendees, especially with the likelihood of increased interest after a two-year hiatus.
The watchword of the Silver Room Block Party is “community,” built around music and performance, but also the joy of bringing people together.
“It's the beauty of gathering, especially on the South Side,” Williams says. “It's a combination of a family reunion, a concert, a fashion show, a place where people can be themselves and enjoy Summertime Chi.”
That intergenerational, family reunion element is important to Williams, and in organizing the event, he incorporates different genres of music and activities for people of all ages to make as many people as possible feel welcome and at the block party, and cites wanting to create an event both his grandmother—who lived to 102—and his 13-year-old daughter would love to attend.
“It’s important that we think about all kinds of community,” Williams says. “We have 7-year-olds performing and 70-year-olds performing.”
According to the festival website, guests can expect live music on multiple stages, food from local vendors, a health and wellness area, beach volleyball and art integrated into the festivities. “We’ve created this space to amplify talent whether it’s music and dance, or DJs and double dutch,” reads the event website.
Festival organizers will begin releasing information about the entertainment lineup gradually within the next couple of weeks, Williams says, but one new element he’s excited to share is the festival’s new design pavilion. The pavilion will focus on showcasing Black architects and Black designers and artists to familiarize people with their work, and incorporate design into the musical experience.
“I think about design when it comes to music, to art, to fashion, and that will be running through the block party this year,” Williams says.
The Silver Room Sound System Block Party will take place July 16–17 at Oakwood Beach, 4100 S Lake Shore Dr. Single-day passes are currently on sale for $30 and early bird two-day passes are $50. Children under the age of 13 are admitted free with a parent or guardian. Ticket prices will increase incrementally as performers are announced, so Williams advises reserving early. If you’re interested in performing, volunteering or getting involved, visit the event’s website to learn more.