The Blue Groove Lounge returns to celebrate its 20th birthday, scene treasure and sound engineer Bob Popp dies at 49, and more.
by J.R. Nelson and Leor Galil
This weekend Chicago DJ Jesse de la Peña resuscitates the Blue Groove Lounge, the weekly hip-hop party he hosted till it folded in 2003, to celebrate its 20th anniversary. Originally held Mondays at the Elbo Room, it sometimes showcased stars as big as Missy Elliott and the Jungle Brothers; in 1998 de la Peña moved it to the Funky Buddha Lounge after complaints from the residents of new condos nearby.…[ Read more ]