Chicago, IL (February 9, 2010) The end of an era will be marked and celebrated with a farewell concert and final goodbye to two Chicago music scene legends: the venerable Dr. Wax Record Store in Hyde Park (5225 S. Harper, Chicago, IL) and DJ JP Chill of WHPK 88.5FM on Sunday, February 28, 2010 at The McCormick Auditorium, 3241 S. Federal Street, Chicago, IL.
Chicago, IL (February 9, 2010) The end of an era will be marked and celebrated with a farewell concert and final goodbye to two Chicago music scene legends: the venerable Dr. Wax Record Store in Hyde Park (5225 S. Harper, Chicago, IL) and DJ JP Chill of WHPK 88.5FM on Sunday, February 28, 2010 at The McCormick Auditorium, 3241 S. Federal Street, Chicago, IL.
Dr. Wax Records in Hyde Park has been an important part of the Chicago music scene since it first opened in 1980 in Lincoln Park and in 1984 in Hyde Park. The Hyde Park store will close on February 20th, 2010. Few music retailers in the world have had the impact on their local community that Dr. Wax has had, from the countless customers who bought their music there, to the scores of local musicians and artists who sold their projects on the stores' shelves. When asked why he decided to close Dr. Wax, store owner Sam Greenberg said "The store isn't making it. There are just not enough customers. Downloading hurt us, but the economy put us under." Dr. Wax music buyer and 11-year employee Duane Powell agrees with Greenberg about the economy being a factor in the closing, but attributes much of it to the Hyde Park neighborhood being "eaten away by the University of Chicago buying up properties, which killed the foot traffic." When asked what he will do next, Greenberg is unsure. He will sell off his remaining inventory online for the next year, but isn't sure beyond that. What he is sure of is that he "will miss the record store customers, employees, and the relationships with artists" he developed over the last 30 years. Powell is equally unsure about his own future. "I want to weigh my options," he says, "and I still want to be around music."
December 2009 saw the end of the on-air career of radio DJ JP Chill of WHPK 88.5FM. Chill retired after 23 years of bringing Chicago music fans the best and brightest stars of Hip Hop. His radio show first hit Chicago airwaves in 1986 and is well-known for being one of the first Rap and Hip Hop radio shows in the country. JP Chill's show was a major launching pad for many local Hip Hop artists, giving them radio play at a time when no other stations would air their music. The farewell concert will give Chicago fans a chance to show Chill what his show has meant to them. He is considered by many to be a true Chicago legend and his absence will be a large empty spot on the Chicago music landscape.
The Chicago City Council, led by 4th Ward Alderman and Cook County President Democratic nominee Toni Preckwinkle, has drafted resolutions congratulating and thanking both Dr. Wax and JP Chill for their many years of outstanding service to the Chicago music community and the city at large. The resolutions will be presented to the Council for ratification on February 10, 2010.
The concert will feature a full lineup of live performances, including a set by award-winning, International soul singer Julie Dexter (http://www.juliedexter.com/), as well as Innosphere (www.reverbnation.com/innosphere), All Natural (http://www.allnaturalhiphop.com/), Zzaje (http://www.zzjae.net/), MC Adad of Eulorhythmics (www.myspace.com/eulorhythmics), Fly Phoenix (www.myspace.com/flyphoenixmusic), Thaione Davis (www.myspace.com/thaione), Rita J (www.myspace.com/ritajackason), and others. Doors will open at 6PM and the show will start at 7PM. There will also be an after-party at The Shrine (2109 S. Wabash Ave., Chicago, IL) beginning at 10PM that will feature live sets by Fly Phoenix as well as Chicago's post-punk neo-soul powerhouse JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound (www.myspace.com/theuptownsound), a band that has torn up stages, radios, and TV sets around the world in 2009. DJ Tone B Nimble will be spinning to keep the magic going into the night.
Tickets for the farewell concert are $15.00 and $10.00 for the after-party. Ticket buyers can go to http://www.afinalgoodbye.eventbrite.com/ and type in the discount code "DRWAX2010" to get $5.00 off their ticket purchase. Tickets are also available at Dr. Wax and those bringing in an event flyer for the concert will also get a $5.00 discount. For more information, please contact TruSoul Entertainment at 773-407-6627.
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