The 'Small but Potent' Hideout Block Party Carries On

After nearly 15,000 people crammed into the Industrial corridor at the crux of Wabansia and Ada St. in 2014 it was unclear if the Hideout’s Block Party would carry on in the direction it was headed. The Hideout has never been about flash, or the bottom line, it’s always been about the people.
That’s what Tim Tuten’s always said, “The last one was in 2014, and we had 7,000 people each day, with Death Cab for Cutie and the War on Drugs. But we had a bad rainstorm the first night, and we almost had to call it off. It just came over me, I kept thinking we want the biggest festival we can to pack into our block. I was caught in a race to get bigger, and I realized it was a trap…The Hideout needs to be small and well-curated. We got back to the idea of what’s more fun, what’s better — standing with 100,000 people in a big field or going to a backyard barbecue?”

Today marks day 2 of the Hideout’s 21st Annual Hideout Block Party. It’s not as big as it once was but it’s exactly what it’s supposed to be. Greg Kot, of Sound Opinions and The Chicago Tribune, sat down with Tim to talk this year’s Block Party, the future of the bar in the face of impeding gentrification and where it all fits into Chicago’s broader entertainment scene . Take a read here.

(Photos by Christine Connelly / for RedEye)