bleaux me came out of left field- an opportunity was offered to cris bleaux by the generous owners of cellblock chicago to host his own event after they’d seen him working with multiple producers in various roles. tbh it’s something cris wanted to do for a really long time (like really long time- cris recently found an image for a flier for a party that never existed from 8 years ago or so- it was… not well made). there was back and fourth as cris tried to develop the concept of such an event. cris, rob and steve (of cellblock) as well as joe (the manager of the bar) went back and fourth a few times as cris solidified the idea with their support…

a house-music party that was gear focused. a party heavily influenced by the rave scene of the 90’s, diy queer spaces of chicago in the early 00’s, club and back rooms at dingy gay bars and the feeling you get when the bass drop and your peak meet at the same moment. a party that focused on not only utilizing local talent but also existing as a space for folks to get in the spotlight. the folks specifically should be individuals who are often not likely to get booked for such events. Black and other poc, women, trans and nb folks, etc etc etc. the idea was and is to take the spaces over as this scene should exist and have space for everyone- actually the scene should be taken up by folks who have been denied entry historically. 

cris turned to his frequent collaborator kira/grinchie and asked for her support and come september of 2023 a date was set and quickly talent was identified and booked. kira took the lead as a gogo and also became a production assistant. three different generations as well as experience of dis took the music lineup, the gogo team included folks who were both icons within the local scene as well as folks who’d never stepped on stage in their life. the hosts were extremely diverse and engaging individuals with intersecting fans and audiences.

then we threw the party at cellblock chicago on october 14 of 2023 at 9pm. 

… we sold the fuck out. we ended up booking and featuring the first Black woman to ever spin at cellblock (unbeknown to us when doing the booking). cellblock had one of its more diverse crowds ever, no actual drama took place and it was a fucking blast. kira directly after was moved to a co-producer with cris as we were booked again for feb of 2024 at cellblock again. towards the end of november of 2023 the raven room/raven room after dark reached out and booked us to throw another similar event. this proved to be more of a challenge but again was successful. The same formula was put in place- varied skill levels, every possible identity and some new additions such as local vending as well as local non-profits offering supplies which was not possible at cellblock. 

before the night ended we were booked to return to raven room after dark in march of 2024 and mobeethicc who was the first Black woman to spin at cellblock agreed to be our resident dj from here on out….

and so here we are now- less than a year old and determined to provide immersive spaces for queer and trans folks to dance their hearts out, project their most authentic selves and create joy.