It's been nearly one year since the Godfather of House Music's untimely death, and this Sunday, he would have turned 60. To toast his memory, Frankie Knuckles's many friends and admirers will gather for a night of music at Smart Bar, one of the DJ's regular haunts.
Helmed by Derrick Carter (a house legend in his own right) as part of Smart Bar's weekly Queen! series, the lineup is so loaded that the night could run past close. (The hashtag #noschoolmonday is being thrown around, referencing MLK Day.) New York City house trio Kings of House (David Morales, Tony Humphries, and Louie Vega) will headline, supported by sets from Carter, Smart Bar regulars Michael Serafini and Garrett David, and—wait for it—Jamie Principle, Knuckle's longtime musical partner and the writer of his seminal track, "Your Love."
It's under wraps whether the lot will be spinning Knuckles cuts, their own, or a combination of the two, but from the looks of it, Carter already has some tricks up his sleeve.
GO: January 18 at 10 p.m. Smart Bar, 3730 N. Clark. $15–$20.