The Silver Room Sound System Block Party is a love letter to Black Chicago
There aren’t too many parties in Chicago that cater to Black folks of all ages. I’m talking about the type of party that’s got fun activities for the kids, dusties for the moms and pops, a little house music for the aunties and uncles, and some of today’s hip hop for the millennial and Generation Z crew.
In the heart of downtown Hyde Park, Silver Room owner Eric Williams does just that. This Saturday, July 20, marks his 16th annual Silver Room Sound System Block Party. From 12 PM to 10 PM, the party takes over a stretch of 53rd Street and Harper Avenue, filling both streets with three concert stages, double dutch, face painting, arts and craft for kids, film screenings, roller skating and so much more.
At this year’s Block Party, The TRiiBE will be curating a show on Stage 3, off 53rd Street and Dorchester Avenue, called The TRiiBE & Friends. Performers will include rappers Chimeka and Tony Cartel, two artists featured on The TRiiBE’s original music-video series, The Forecast, and poet Kwynology, whose spoken-word piece, “Windy,” can be seen on The Works section of thetriibe.com.
TRiiBE music correspondent Rome J will MC the hour-long show from 4:45 PM to 5:45 PM.
“The TRiiBE’s mission is to show the multifaceted essence of Black Chicago. That’s what The Silver Room Block Party is to me,” says Morgan Johnson, co-founder and creative director of The TRiiBE. “It’s, like, the biggest love fest for Black culture. So, I mean, it’s everything that The TRiiBE gets to represent peaceful and family vibes.”
The Block Party is Williams’s love letter to the community. It first started back in 2002 near The Silver Room’s first location in Wicker Park. When Williams moved the jewelry and apparel shop to 1506 E. 53rd St. in Hyde Park, the block party moved with it.
Since its start, the block party has grown from a few hundred people to an estimated 40,000. With this year’s theme being “the Greater Good,” Williams strives to elevate the platforms of various community organizations in the city. So there’s a bunch of new activities added to the fun-filled day: including a pop-up skating rink by The Rink, along with yoga, reggae dancehall and burlesque classes at The Promontory.
In May, Williams spoke at pre-festival season event co-hosted with the Chosen Few DJs, where he shared his favorite time of the day at the Block Party.
“One is the 2 PM to 3 PM,” Williams said. “People are jumping rope. The kids are there. It’s not so crowded.”
Williams’ second favorite part of the day is around 8 PM when his friend and house producer Ron Trent jumps on stage for his dj set.
“I can stand on stage and watch everybody else have a good time,” Williams said.
To see a full list of events and transportation options, visit The Silver Room Block Party’s website.