here are not many shows in Chicago that reveal artists literally yelling curses at the 'music industry' and promoters telling the audience they value contributions to culture more than financial gain but this was that sort of show. Reset Presents hosted the Chicago edition of Umru's 'Search Party' at the, which has already happened in New York and LA. The lineup was lined with exclusive Windy City acts with sets from Knapsack, Laura Les and more. An authentic vibe could be sensed with headlining artists casually donning the frock of fan, it is always cool to dance beside the artists who just played. The event was private but considering the quality of artists that were cycling through the stage, those in the audience felt as though they were approaching the underground.
The show began with two opening back to backs from local DJs, which led the way to Knapsack. This young producer brought a fresh energy to the stage as he paced across the stage in juke motions. You could tell he was having fun and he had his friend Circuit Hour to bounce off of.
The next set was nothing short of incredible, Laura Les has a presence on the stage that cannot be denied. Before bending the crowd into another dimension, she politely screamed that "HARDCORE WILL NEVER DIE!!!" She then went on to play danceable tracks at 220 bpm with transitions to the coolest hip hop beats with her own lyrics laced onto the heavy beats. The cacophony of sounds was disconcerting at first but psychedelically soothing by the finish. Willy Crooks delivered an emotional set thereafter which ended with a true testament of his rapping abilities.
It was then time for Umru. There was a buzz amidst the crowd and then Laura Les jumped on stage to perform 'Popular', the killer collab between the pair of producers. The tone was set to overload and Umru went on to a deliver a monumental set that showed the young artist's promise. It was no surprise to this audience that Umru could b2b with A.G Cook-- he had moxy. The party was hosted at 2831 N Broadway Ave. at at the Throne Room.
