I’ve been collecting records since middle school. I started playing records in small venues around 2006. Soul music is really interesting as far as the DJ scene goes; it’s pretty divided. One of our goals was to bring together different types of DJs as well as some relevant contemporary acts. We wanted to run the gamut, from northern soul to funky breaks to Motown, and do something different than a typical 60s soul-club kind of party. We just had this month’s Soul Summit a couple nights ago [November 16]. The Menahan Street Band played, and Charles Bradley did a surprise performance, which was pretty spectacular. And we’ve got some crazy stuff booked for this next year that we haven’t even told people about yet.
DJ Dave Mata, 30, is a key player in Logan Square’s music culture, spinning records every Sunday night at the Owl and cohosting, with Odd Obsession Movies‘ Brian Chankin, a third-world movies-and-music event at the Whistler on the last Saturday of every month. He also coordinates the popular Soul Summit dance party, which takes place on the third Friday of every month at Double Door, and organizes other DJ nights centered on reggae, world music, and underground hip-hop. —Ben Sachs
Best of Chicago voting is live now. Vote for your favorites »
Alejandro Cerrudo, the dancer →
