- Tasya Menaker Photography/Courtesy of Smart Bar
- Joe Shanahan and Frankie Knuckles
The late, legendary house DJ and producer Frankie Knuckles had an intimate connection to Smart Bar. He performed numerous times at the subterranean north-side club; of particular note were a standing Thanksgiving Eve gig and a performance in 1982 (when the club was located on the fourth floor of the Metro building) in which hip-hop pioneer Afrika Bambaataa performed downstairs on the main stage. But perhaps his most poignant visit was last January 19, when the then-ill DJ received friends in the bar’s green room while a stacked lineup of house DJs (including David Morales and Derrick Carter) performed in celebration of his birthday.
While no specific causes or partner institutions have been named yet, and the final shape of the foundation is still to be determined, Stamper says the cultural and civic aspects are obviously key. And as the impressive lineup of the Sunday night show—David Morales, Louie Vega, Tony Humphries, and Jamie Principle—suggests, so is the music.
