Sure, people may have a different definition of “house music” in 2012, but for me, I’ll always consider the movement in the ‘70s as real house. Although I wasn’t even alive to experience Chicago in the mid ‘70s, I’m fortunate enough to be able to listen to thousands of tracks from the era online, watch documentaries, and occasionally even speak with people who were active in the scene at the time. It should be clear to everyone that the roots of house music were founded during a time more authentic and raw than the present, and it was within some of the most culturally important years for music.
I think it’s pretty easy for new-generation dance music fans around my age demographic to lose touch these days with what the music is actually about, which is why I highly recommend this story Jacob Arnold of Resident Advisor. Currently celebrating its 35th anniversary, “The Warehouse” of Chicago has quite the history, and Jacob looks back at the times spent in the legendary venue where some of the greatest DJs of all time threw nights crazier than you’d ever imagine.
Asked if there was acid in the punch, Craig Cannon exclaims, “Oh, definitely. Everything was spiked. It was just crazy.” Williams recalls that they “had marathons which lasted a couple of days. Like twenty-four hours. Kids would go home, change clothes, come back.”
