Through the enduring chatter of collective club nights and warehouse afterhours, the monthly installation Cameo—spun together by Sophia Kuhn, Isaac Treece, and Matt Dell—is among the newcomer parties catching waves for its expansive tastes and deep cuts. Their February inauguration event caught fire at the dim-lit General Lee’s tucked inside Gin Ling Way, an alley known for its high-end lowbrow galleries and low-end highbrow parties. And despite being in its infancy—the collective is just getting a third show under its belt—Cameo’s sets by past selectors like SWISHA, Swan Meat, and MARAL have already cemented a reputation for bringing diverse and irresistible music to the greying quietude of Chinatown, crossing through territories of pop, experimental, ambient, jungle, 90s freestyle UK bass, dembow, footwork, bailefunk, and kuduro. For the jaded post-psych youth and the displaced club kids, it’s a godsend, but for the organizers and the artists, it’s just a free weeknight party.
This Wednesday, Cameo’s third free pop-up arrives to the Grand Star Jazz Club with Mess Kid, Helikonia, Habibiboi, E**N (Chicago), and a special b2b set with Matthew and Bapari (moon casual, Laza Records), with live visual accompaniments by Nick Zhu, Tea Strazicic, and Camille Lacadee.
Suss it out and watch for their collaboration with labels Juke Bounce Werk and Mall Music Inc. featuring DJ Paypal, DJ Orange Julius, and DJ Mastercard at UNION on 6/29. – Ryan Mo, flyer by Caleb Ali Miller