Greg Wilson Returns To Smartbar Friday 8/24
“One night during the period I wasn’t deejaying, turning off my mind, relaxing, and floating downstream I had what might be termed a moment of clarity. Paradoxically, although I was no longer a DJ in the literal sense I suddenly became aware that I’d never actually stopped being a DJ, for even if I was in a room with just one person I couldn’t help but ask them ‘have you heard this?’, and not only ‘heard’, but ‘have you seen this / read this?’, for it goes beyond music. Already taken somewhat aback by this nugget of self-discovery, I realised, in true eureka style, that this all pre-dates my being a DJ and goes back as far as I can remember – I’ve always had an inherent need to share, it’s absolutely central to my nature. This was quite a revelation.”
The legendary UK re-edit maestro returns to Chicago, to treat Smartbar patrons to another memorable session of disco, funk, and house music, both classic and modern, via his trademark reel-to-reel mixing setup.
Perhaps you were witness to his perfectly populist set at this year’s DEMF, or maybe you’ve heard his classic Essential Mix, truly chock-full of some of the finest dance music recorded over the last 40-dd years or so.
Or maybe your old-school cred runs a bit deeper, and you were a GW fan before his noted period of retirement, when he gained notoriety in early 80s Manchester for his residencies, at a relatively young age I might add, first at Legend, then The Hacienda.
Or maybe you just like to read his blog, where he gives detailed, introspective musings on dance music, dj culture, his inspirations, or other topics of the day. His active presence on soundcloud is another revelation to music lovers, where he’ll frequently interact with listeners wanting track requests, provide context or other information about past gigs, and share re-edits for free.
Greg Wilson is the rare dj who actually deserves to be called “Legendary”, and because of this, Friday the 24th at Smartbar is as close to a cant-miss night as we can give you.