WBEZ 91.5 Chicago

Even if you are no longer as young as you feel, this Chicago dance music institution will welcome you with no judgment. Truly great places always do.

Chicago has been a significant breeding ground for all kinds of music, from gospel to improvised jazz--and so it was with alternative rock. The genre was huge in Chicago and the FM radio station Q101 was at the epicenter.

Nate Seider goes by Nate Manic when he’s at the turntables. In addition to his own mixes, he’s also the person that selects the DJs who spin at one of Chicago’s long-standing dance clubs: Smart Bar. He’s also the Talent Buyer and Music Director for the club.

Marea Stamper has been involved in the Midwest’s underground rave and dance scene since her early teens. That’s a world that kind of skirts around the edges of the law.

Music courses through Ron Trent’s body like blood through veins. His father was a DJ so it’s not surprising that he grew up to be a DJ and music producer himself.