ChicagoPride.com Groove Line:

European Vacation
Plan on traveling to Europe this spring? If yes, then I highly recommend that you include Zurich on your itinerary on Saturday, May 20 as the Angels – one of Europe’s leading party promoters - host their 12th Annual White Party with headliner DJ Manny Lehman. I went to the very first Zurich White Party in 1995: a night of debauched fun and pleasure that ended up with me taking a bird bath in a McDonald’s restroom and sleeping on a park bench the following day. I can’t guarantee that you’ll have as much scandalous fun as I had back then, but I am reasonably sure that a Swiss-styled White Party experience will truly be worthwhile. Check out the way hot website: www.angels.ch

Gay Games – Chicago 2006 CD Revisited
In the last issue I talked about the official Chicago Gay Games CD (Centaur Records) mixed by Joe Bermudez without really talking about it. Well, let me tell you that this is a top-notch dance music compilation that will please many discerning ears. It has several infectious diva vocal anthems (including Vernessa Mitchell’s "Love Will Find A Way" and Deborah Cox's "House Is Not A Home") and fantastic updates on classic tracks ("Can You Feel It/Can You Party" by Todd Terry’s Royal House and "Dreamer" by Janice Robinson). And the mix thankfully breaks out of the typical "circuit music" box and incorporates tracks from truly world famous DJ/producers Deep Dish ("Say Hello") and Steve Lawler ("That Sound"). Proceeds from the sales of this Gay Games CD benefits the organizing committee here in Chicago. I highly recommend this CD: it will be money well spent.

Tidbits
Tiesto is often referred to as the most popular DJ in the world today and he’ll be in town at the newly renovated Congress Theatre on Saturday, May 6 (18+ to enter; 21+ to drink).

Details about the parties and DJs for IML weekend are still forthcoming, but rest assured that DJ Matthew Harvat will be turning it out at the closing Black & Blue Ball at Excalibur on Monday, May 29.

At this summer’s Pridefest in Milwaukee (June 9 – 11), the headlining acts include Martha Wash, Berlin, Cascada, Bow Wow Wow (the group from the 80s, not the rapper), and En Vogue.

The Chicago International House Music Festival is on tap for July 22 & 23 on Northerly Island with DJing legends Knuckles, Rosario, Tenaglia, Morales, and Carter scheduled. (More info at http://www.chicagohousemusicfestival.org).

Definitely Def
Two tracks from Def Jam Recordings recently came to my attention as urban music continues its successful assault on all aspects of the music industry, including the world of dance music. First up is LL Cool J’s “Control Myself,” from his new album called Todd Smith. The dance remixes of “Control Myself” include the Jason Nevin Electrotek version and the Joe Bermudez Tantric Experience. Both are decent enough efforts, but to be honest the album edit is just too good to pass up - it’s got great energy with the sampling of “Looking For A Perfect Beat” by Afrika Bambaataa - and is the one I’ll be playing.

Rihanna is next up with “S.O.S.” and Jason Nevin offers a way cute old-school styled electro mix with those unmistakable plunking sounds and rhythms from Soft Cell’s “Tainted Love” as a backdrop. The late night energetic club mix has been provided by Chris Cox. It’s one of his better efforts in my opinion and should keep dance floors bouncing and happy in the months to come.

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About DJ Plez

DJ Plez (aka Michael Pleasants) has been DJing since the late 1980's, sharing his passion for dance music with dance floors and listeners around the world. After many years of successful toil in the financial services industry, he’s now spending much more time in a DJ booth instead of an office cubicle.
DJ Plez has quite a diverse range of dance music “likes” to accompany his true love of house music.
The incredibly wide variety of records and CDs that DJ Plez possesses helps explain the unique style he has forged: one that melds various forms of dance music - Chicago house, progressive, tribal, underground, and club - into a cohesive presentation that is rhythmically exciting, sexy, and energetic.
DJ Plez uses fresh approaches for each of his live sets, skillfully producing intricate mixes on the fly, creating a sense of dance floor drama with his in-booth programming, and most importantly to him, making sure his sets have one abiding element: GROOVE!

As would be expected from his wide ranging style, the DJs that have most influenced DJ Plez represent the vast global dance music scene and include: Victor Calderone, Derrick Carter, John Digweed, Danny Howells, Frankie Knuckles, Susan Morabito, Ralphi Rosario, Danny Tenaglia, and Junior Vasquez just to name a few. However, the most significant influence on DJ Plez’s abilities in the DJ booth are the experiences he has when he’s out dancing at parties and in clubs, staying intimately connected to the dance floors and partygoers populating them.
It’s this connection that allows him to truly find out and understand what makes a dance floor tick, thus leading to his success in the DJ booth.

DJ Plez sees himself as an ambassador of house music on a mission to help perpetuate and grow this Chicago-born art form. During the past year he had gigs in Zurich (Nuts & Bolts Party; Labor-Bar), Montreal (Unity 2; Chrome), and Miami (Cactus) and will be adding Amsterdam, Detroit, and Los Angeles to his travel itinerary. Locally, DJ Plez has residencies at Cell Block and Ezuli in Chicago and has made several appearances at PUMP!Milwaukee. In addition to numerous private and corporate DJing gigs, DJ Plez is the Music Editor of ChicagoPride.com.

Mixes of DJ Plez have been played on internet radio at www.circuitmix.com since June 2003. Additional opportunities to listen to more mixes by DJ Plez will come about in the near future on his web site www.djplez.com.