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Hideout Block Party 2008 reviews, photos and videos!

Hideout Block Party 2008 promo
Hideout Block Party 2008 promo

“Halloween in September” in koneerok’s Hideout Block Party video
Rhymefest performs Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”
with Gang of Zombies (hideout staff)
“y’all ready to have a good time, let me hear you say hell, yeah!”
Xtine’s onekindradio.com Hideout Block Party: Day One and Hideout Block Party: Day Two
johnb’s onekindradio.com Hideout Block Party 2008 according to John B
noahdj40’s flickr set
Jeremy Farmer’s KEXP Blog Live Review: 12th Annual Hideout Block Party, Chicago 9/20-9/21 and flickr photos
lindsay’s If I Only Had A Blog curse you, ragweed travelog post says “it was faaaaaaaaaaantastic”
kentaro’s flickr photos Hideout Block Party 2008
tankboy’s flickr photos from Saturday, Sunday and Zombie Dance
James Ziegenfus’ Independent Ear LIVE: Hideout Block Party
Althea Legaspi’s Paste Magazine Hideout Block Party Day One and Day Two reviews and photos
Robert Loerzel’s Underground Bee Hideout Block Party post and photo galleries
James Ziegenfus’ Gapers Block: Transmission Review: Hideout Block Party
Areif Sless-Kitain’s TimeOut Chicago Live review: Hideout Block Party
Kyle Ryan’s Decider Chicago Recap: The Hideout Block Party
rpmime’s youtube video of zombie dance
kirstiecat flickr photostream Block Party photos
Tankboy’s Chicagoist Photos: Zombie Dance at The Hideout
Robert Loerzel’s Southtown Star review Hideout party, wildest fest of the summer, doesn’t disappoint calls Hideout Block Party “…the perfect way to end a summer of music festivals in Chicago.”
Mark Guarino’s Tribune Block Party review
Jackson tribute, world music highlight Hideout Block Party
“In a crowded music season when sleek, corporate festivals tend to resemble one another, the homespun spirit of this weekend festival makes it the most eclectic and enjoyable.”
More Hideout Block Party writeups and links!
Jim DeRogatis of the Sun-Times writes “The perfect ending to what has become Chicago’s long hot summer of over-hyped but underwhelming outdoor concerts and festivals, the 12th annual, eclectic-as-ever Hideout Block Party once again takes place this weekend amid the charming urban industrial decay outside the tiny club that could at 1354 W. Wabansia. All proceeds for the two-day event will be donated to the youth organizations Tuesdays Child, Literacy Works and the Thomas Drummond Elementary School.” in his article Sweet treat! Hideout Block Party: The icing on the summer music festival cake
Reader awards Critics’ Choices for Hideout Block Party artists KatJon Band, The Plastic People of the Universe, also has nice writeups for Dan le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip, Giant Sand, Little Cow, Vieux Farka Touré, and Hideout Block Party Music Festival Feature
Tribune’s Greg Kot says “In a city justly famous for its block parties, we save one of the best for last: the 12th annual Hideout Block Party. This weekend, the tiny club with the big heart tucked inside a nondescript warehouse district heads outdoors for what should be one of the most anticipated summer festivals of 2008.” on his Turn It Up blog
Metromix lists Hideout Block Party as #1 in their It’s not over yet! 8 ways to keep summer alive
Areif Sless-Kitain of TimeOut Chicago says “The 12th installment of the Hideout’s annual throwdown boasts an impressively diverse roster of top-shelf talent.”
Paste Magazine says Hideout Block Party is “one of the most anticipated by Chicagoans” and “gathers a fine mix of local talent and international fair, with incredibly tasty food to boot”
Block Party 2008 poster by Alana Bailey
Block Party 2008 poster by Alana Bailey

Tribune’s Greg Kot lists Hideout Block Party as the number 1 show for this Fall’s top 10 list “There is no better way to wind up the festival season. This is one of the best and friendliest, with the beloved hole-in-the-wall club…”
Sun-Times’ Jim DeRogatis is “Gearing up for the Hideout Block Party” and calls it “eclectic-as-ever” and “the perfect ending to what has become Chicago’s long hot summer of over-hyped but underwhelming outdoor… festivals, the 12th annual, eclectic-as-ever Hideout Block Party… far-, far-left field bookings you won’t find at Lollapalooza, or even Pitchfork, but which make the Hideout Fest such a blast… back-to-back, over-the-top spectacles…”
Time Out Chicago Must See Shows of the Fall: Sonic Report Card: Hideout receives highest grade. “A Summer festival without the heat? Genius” “A Fantastic Line-up…”
Chicago Magazine Bright Spots for September “Devote the weekend to a perennial favorite: The Hideout Block Party… a likely sell-out…”
Chicagoist.com “Awesome… stellar line-up. Get your tickets now since this is the best line-up we’ve seen and previous years have completely sold out.”
Arief Sless-Kitain’s TimeOut Chicago Top Live Show – Hideout Block Party
Future of Music Coalition in Chicago and hanging out at Hideout Block Party!
Frank Krolicki’s Chicago Rock Music Examiner This weekend: Hideout Block Party features Neko Case, New Pornographers
Greg Kot’s Tribune Israeli garage-rockers Monotonix turn concerts into free-for-alls
Tom Lynch’s Newcity Chicago Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are – Hideout Block Party caps a season of outdoor rock
K. Tighe’s Centerstage Chicago Rock Around the Block … everything you need to know about this weekend’s Hideout Block Party…
Bill Chenevert’s flavorpill.com MORE FLAVOR: Festival – 12th Annual Hideout Block Party
Laura Emerick’s Sun Times The artists of World Music Festival Chicago on disc mentions (among many others) Vieux Farka Touré, appearing at the Hideout Block Party
a song by Dark Meat
a song by The Uglysuit
videos of le sac Vs. Pip
The Onion’s writeup says… “As festival season winds to a close, there’s perhaps no more proper sendoff than the annual, weekend-long Hideout Block Party. There’s 24 acts performing in the fest’s 12th iteration, and the majority of them would be worth seeing by themselves. Former Hideout bartender Neko Case returns to take the stage on both nights: Saturday with a solo set, and then Sunday with a rare set with The New Pornographers. Saturday also plays host to intentionally bad comedian Neil Hamburger’s “Drunken Spelling Bee,” which will see 60 contestants hungry for abuse “asked to publicly spell tricky pop-culture-related words, only after being given a shot of potent booze.” Raucous, garage-rock-influenced Israeli trio Monotonix, enigmatic desert-rock favorite Giant Sand, world-music legacy Vieux Farka Touré, and drone-meisters Black Mountain help round out Saturday’s surefire pandemonium. But Sunday is no slouch, either, with shred-tastic rock-tronica duo Ratatat, rappers Rhymefest and Tim Fite providing some nice non-rock respite, and Athens, Ga. psych-rock collective Dark Meat.”
Hideout Block Party 2008 poster by Kathleen Judge
Hideout Block Party 2008 poster by Kathleen Judge

We will also highlight band members and collaborators of Neko Case through out the festival. Kelly Hogan, Neko’s singing partner, and Tom Ray will open Saturday with their kid friendly band, Wee Hairy Beasties, followed by Neko collaborators and tour mates Giant Sand from Tucson AZ, who will celebrate this summer’s release of their new album.
On Sunday, Jon Rauhouse, Neko’s banjo and pedal steel player, will perform with his Jon Rauhouse Sestet. This will be followed by Tom Ray, Neko’s bass player, and his band Devil in a Woodpile, who will perform with recent Grammy winner Honey Boy Edwards, the oldest living original delta bluesman.
Saturday morning will begin precisely at 12 Noon with Plastic Crimewave’s Vision Celestial Guitarkestra, creating a circle of over 100 musicians, and assorted characters, creating a dramatic harmonious drone.
Other Saturday performers will represent four continents of the world. From Europe we will have The KatJon Band, featuring Kat Ex from Amsterdam and Welsh ex-pat Jon Langford. Next up Hungary’s amazing Little Cow, U.K. rappers Dan le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip, legendary Plastic People of the Universe from Czech Republic, the incendiary (literally) Monotonix from Israel, who will perform amongst the audience, followed by Vieux Farka Touré from Mali. Just for some psychedelic fun, we will throw in Canada’s Black Mountain. Meanwhile Drag City’s Neil Hamburger will host his Drunken Spelling Bee inside the bar.
Sunday will celebrate weird, raucous psychedelic pop with Oklahoma’s The Uglysuit, Georgia’s Dark Meat and NYC’s Tim Fite. Of course there will be a parade by Chicago’s Mucca Pazza.
From this hilarious psychedelic circus we will then pay homage to the 25th Anniversary of Michael Jackson’s Thriller album. Robbie Fulks will present for the first time his complete tribute to the King of Pop. Then Michael’s second biggest fan, Rhymefest, will perform material from his “Man in the Mirror” tribute CD. Be sure to dress like a scary night creature, for the culmination of this milestone in dance-pop the Hideout staff will lead the entire audience in the “Zombie Dance”!
Now come the 21st century Kings of Pop, The New Pornographers.
Enough? We will culminate this year’s Block Party with two of New York’s finest outfits. Ratatat will perform their full show, lights, smoke, projections, the works. This will be followed by a DJ set from uber-hot Hercules and Love Affair. What better way to celebrate the last day of summer, and welcome the first day of fall than by joyously dancing in the streets!
World Music Festival Chicago 2008
World Music Festival Chicago 2008

The Hideout Block Party is proud to be part of
World Music Festival Chicago 2008
About the Hideout Block Party…
From its humble beginnings in 1996, the Hideout’s Block party has grown into an influential international music festival. In 2007, Chicago Magazine called the Hideout Block Party “Perennially the Best Music Festival in Chicago.” Over the last 11 years the Hideout’s Block Parties have raised over $200,000 for various local charities. Organizations participating this year will include Chalk for Peace, Rock for Kids, Future of Music, and Voter Registration. Charities to benefit are Tuesdays Child, Thomas Drummond Elementary School, Oscar Mayer School, and Literacy Works
Here’s a song for your downloading and listening pleasure from Neko Case, it’s Hold On, Hold On from Fox Confessor Brings The Flood on ANTI- Records. Thanks to ANTI- for allowing us to offer it to you. It’s so exciting that Neko will perform at the Hideout Block Party! Please also check out a couple of great posters by the Hideout’s own Judge onsale at Neko’s store.
The hideoutblockparty.com microsite/blog contains breaking Block Party news, thanks to Tyler for creating and maintaining it!
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