The Warehouse is Now a Chicago Landmark. A Block Party is Being Held in Celebration

Chicago house stalwarts Lori Branch and Alan King are among the DJs who will perform at The Warehouse’s landmark designation block party.

While the word “legendary” gets thrown around with reckless abandon in dance music, The Warehouse is among the small handful of clubs that deserve the descriptor. It traveled a long and winding road before earning the credit it was due among the general public, but it’s finally recognized as an official Chicago landmark — and a celebration is obviously in order.

Tomorrow, Saturday, October 5, a block party commemorating The Warehouse’s landmark designation will take place between 12-5pm in the 200 block south of Jefferson Street. It was organized by Choose Chicago, the Frankie Knuckles Foundation, and Robert Williams. Attendees will be treated to DJ sets by Lori Branch, Alan King, Craig Loftis, Wayne Williams, and James Vincent.

“You can expect a lot of people,” said Branch in conversation with ABC Chicago. “People like Alan and myself who were there when we were teenagers, just starting out as DJs and as club-goers. This building is very important, not only to Chicago but really to the world. It’s the birthplace of house.”

“Really, house music derived its name — in my opinion — from The Warehouse, and from this building,” added King. “It was a really special place, and a special time in Chicago where there was a lot of homophobia, but not at The Warehouse. Everybody partied together, gay, straight, Black, white, etc., and it really was the launching pad for what became the global phenomenon of house music.”

Before house music was a genre with its own idiosyncratic sound, the term was used to describe the blend of soul, funk and disco records played by the late Frankie Knuckles at The Warehouse in the early ’80s. Vincent Lawrence and Jesse Saunders‘ 1984 rework of “On and On” by Mach is widely considered the first house music recording.

In March of last year, a Change.org petition was launched for The Warehouse’s building on 206 S. Jefferson St. to be designated an official landmark after the property was sold to a new developer. It sits just shy of 15,000 signatures at the time of writing.

The Warehouse Landmark Dedication Block Party will be free to the general public. Find additional information courtesy of Choose Chicago.

The Warehouse Landmark Dedication Block Party Lineup: