HILARY RAWK finds Chi in a K-Mart parking lot.

Hilary Rawk  gets talked about a lot in Chicago. If there is somebody who can guarantee a party with max attendees its Hilary. Looking for a good underground party with some sophisticated hipster boys and girls? That's her too. You can also count on a lineup that traces what the upper crust of the party scene is about in Chicago. Originally not from the Midwest, we talk to Hilary about her party roots and how she came to know what this city needed next.
 

AB: Where are you from? When did you hit Chicago?

Hilary: I was born in Puerto Rico, moved to Mexico City when I was 6 months old, lived there for 5 years, moved to Southern California (the OC!) and lived there for about 5 years, then moved to AZ till I graduated high school, moved to VA for college, back to AZ, to Portland, back to AZ, then to Chicago in Sept. 2005. So I don't really claim a state/city/country.

AB: That makes sense. I imagine you hit the ground running as soon as you got to Chicago though?

Hilary: Not really. I was working for Walgreens Corporation, that's how I ended up here. I was super busy my first year here just focusing on my day job and getting settled. I didn't even really start going out until the fall of 06, but the first people I met here were all DJs, musicians and involved in the 'industry' in some way, so it was kind of inevitable.

AB: What were some of the first events you started checking out?

Hilary: Well, I was up late one night, couldn't sleep, so I went for a drive in my little Prius. I remember I was sitting in the K-Mart parking lot,
it was freezing, and I was flipping through the radio stations. I ended up on WLUW and heard some great music. The DJ was giving away a list spot for some event so I called and chatted with him. He put me on the list. It was M50. He invited me to 660 E.L. for Halloween. I went alone,
and met a bunch of cool people. I stayed out til 9am and my network started growing.

AB: That must have been culture shock...

Hilary: Haha not really.

AB: ...or had you done some raving already?

Hilary: I was used to going to raves in college, in northern AZ, and in Phoenix. Huge, warehouse raves, like at the Icehouse in PHX. I went to one on a military base in Flagstaff, an airplane hanger. THAT was crazy. So... this seemed like a pretty natural transition, though you're right, the culture in Chicago is much different than AZ or Portland.

AB: What kind of music were they playing out there?

Hilary: It was mostly weird, techy stuff. Lots of people reading poetry over beats and experimental stuff like that. That was what they played at the forest parties. They were all Burning Man kids, so they were into that whole edgy futuristic stuff, dressing up, and partying around fires in the middle of nowhere. At the clubs though it was the time when the Global Underground was big. Artists like Paul Oakenfold, & Paul Van Dyke were influencing what we heard out. I saw Oakenfold play in Vegas in like '04 or something. That was a super fun show, it was at Luxor. So at parties mostly experimental/techie/acid house stuff and at clubs, trance... ewww...trance. Hahaha.

AB: In the last couple years you have been really successful at pulling in crowds for your own parties. Why do you think that is?

Hilary: The truth is I started checking out clubs and parties when i got to Chicago and I was .. bored? So I started designing my own events, with more layers, including art music and fashion. I could see that people in Chicago were interested in that stuff, but there really wasn't anywhere where you could find it all in one place, and the clubs were so stuffy. So I figured I would put together some fun, arty parties, and see what happened. People really responded, and they still do. I think its kind of refreshing to not have to go to a club with a dress code where people stand with their friends and judge you. Loft events lack pretension. People want to talk, dance and turn the lights off. Its just fun and its easy to promote. I mean, who doesn't like that?

AB: Do you dance? What does dancing and music mean to you personally?

Hilary: Of course! I love to dance. That's kind of two questions. So what does dancing mean to me? Its like a deep release, its a vehicle to help you relieve stress and forget about your job, week, boy/girl goo, etc What does music mean to me? Music is life. I don't watch television, so i pretty much listen to music 3/4 of my waking hours. Its amazing how a song can trigger a memory, or change your mood. I always get inspired when I hear something new that moves me, like that Bang Gang song, or the Telefon Tel Aviv remix of Apparat...so fucking pretty.

AB: What memories do you associate with these songs or have they set in yet?

Hilary: Well it's less a time memory, than an emotional memory. I remember how I felt when I heard that Apparat song. It was like being lifted and wanting to cry at the same time... I hope that makes sense. I guess I felt like someone knew where I was coming from. The way Telefon remixed the song with the shattered sounds at the beginning and the echoes just reinforced that emotion.

AB: Are you trying to promote a certain style of music right now when you plan a party? What is your criteria when booking artists?

Hilary: Not at all. I actually try not to book the same artist twice, because I want to give other people an opportunity to get noticed. I'm always on the lookout for new talent. Criteria? They just have to play fun, danceable music! ...and not train wreck.

AB: What DJs really get you going?

Hilary: Gene Hunt is amazing. So passionate, it comes through in his music. Girl Talk is SO fun. DJ Shadow, DJ Spooky, all great showmen, and super super smart. I think Frankie Naples is a great DJ, though I haven't seen him play out for a while. Machine Drum does a sick live PA.

AB: MachineDrum is very prolific as well. I like him too.

Hilary: Yeah Travis (Machine Drum) is fun. Trancid is consistently good. Tommie Sunshine does really cool rock stuff and Aoki too. Hollywood Holt
is probably the best live show I've seen from Chicago in a while, so much energy.

AB: Where was that?

Hilary: At the Fierce party (Hilary's '07 Halloween Party) He was standing on this huge, wooden table rapping and everyone was dancing, sweating, & reaching up. The energy level was higher than Ive seen it since the last Girl Talk show, and that's saying a LOT. Cuz that boy Gregg (Girl Talk) gets the hipsters movin.

AB: I know that you have a magazine of your own in the works. What are your plans for RAWK! magazine? What is the focus?

Hilary: RAWK! is a magazine focused on music and design, and the intersection of the two. I am planning to go online by this summer and print another issue. It takes a LOT of time and money. I just hit my money mark though, so I can print another issue, which is awesome! I'm headed to SXSW in march and will pull a lot of interviews from that, and put it into the summer issue. I'll try to keep the online version current with everything from MP3s, to show reviews, to a calendar of upcoming events etc. A kind of an all-encompassing site for music lovers and people into film, fashion, graphic and industrial design.

AB: What other publications have you written for? Can you name some artists that where particularly fun to meet or interview?

Hilary: New City, Buzz, Love Chicago. I did live interviews for MyTune.com & Blender at Lollapalooza last summer.
Rhymefest was a pleasure [to interview,] he rapped for us. He repeated the first rap he ever made. It was his school assignment
to write about why its important to stay in school. He wrote a rap, performed it for the class, everyone stood up and got all excited. The rush of that inspired him to be a rapper, but he failed the assignment. Kevin Williams, voice like an angel, and sweeeet as hell. DJ Spooky was so interesting. OK Go, Battles, The Roots, The Satin Peaches were hilarious, & Motion City Soundtrack also so fun.

AB: Have any good stories about meeting any of these people?

Hilary: I was standing in the VIP room of the Hard Rock with DJ Greg K, and I look over and see these dope shoes. I look up and its Qwest Love
from The Roots. We chatted about shoes for like 15 minutes. Hahaha. He's coming out with a custom shoe this year. MachineDrum was a great interview. I call him and he picks up the phone, its fucking loud, I hear an air gun, and I'm like, "What the fuck, where are you?" He's like (yelling) "Oh! I'm in the studio listening to Daddy Yankee!" I laughed so hard.  He went on about how great air horns are, amazing.

AB: What about Spooky, what made him so interesting? What did you talk about?

Paul is interesting because he is interested in music as a form of art. He's also a writer and is interested in doing nonprofit stuff. I was really impressed that he had so many levels, because as an artist with that much attention i would imagine its very easy to get selfish. He doesn't seem that way at all. His focus is outward. He genuinely wants to help people, and spread the word of art and music, as therapy, as a way to uplift people, and pull them from their daily grind.

AB: So you two had a lot in common?

Hilary: Haha. I don't want to say that for fear of sounding pretentious, but I really hope so.

AB: What other creative projects are you involved in outside of party promotion and journalism?

Hilary: I have a photo studio at Fulton and Damen, in the Fulton Street Collective. I am also their Events Coordinator. I just started as the Event Designer for 773 gallery (http://www.773photography.com) They have a beautiful space at 1030 n Milwaukee, and host everything from weddings to private parties to art shows. I also started The Really Helpful Group (http://web.mac.com/reallyhelpful/Site/Home.html) with engineer Ken Paul who has mastered and built studios for artists like DJ Sneak and Derrick Carter. I'm focusing on getting RHG off the ground, booking events at both galleries, and building my Fashion and Band Promo Photography portfolio. Busy busy :)

AB: You recently started DJing. What style of music are you playing most? How does DJing fit into your master plan?

Hilary: Haha... master plan...to take over the world? It was a total accident, my roomie Surachai and I were sitting in the kitchen one day playing music and he was like, "You should be a DJ." I laughed, and then Brent Kado from Avant/Chicago approached me and asked me to DJ at Liars Club. I learned Ableton the hour before I had to go on thanks to Alex Zelenka! I 'caught the bug' as The Oracle says. Its just so fun. I love music and sharing it with people. It's rewarding in a way I never imagined possible.

AB: How do you see yourself fit into the Chicago music scene? Why do you do what you do?

Hilary: My goal is to try to promote local musicians, designers, & artists who I think are amazing. I book my favorite DJs, and hope that people love them. I hope they will get exposure, gigs, and new fans. I guess I fit in as the 'enabler.' I'm just really helpful and try to network talented people together. The thing is there is no such thing as competition in the party scene. There is a certain level of talent that people strive for and maintain. As far as pulling crowds and all of that, I just put together something that's fun with talented musicians and unique bonuses. People come. So yeah... I am the enabler, or the network, something like that. People call me for everything from an apartment, to a loft space, to finding DJs, or car repair shops. It's awesome that I can help people, I love it.