I was told by DJ Oreo that I had to attend the Oreofest to actually know what it was. He made it seemed mythical, amazing and indescribable. This could be dismissed as hype since the Oreofest is also a celebration of DJ Oreo’s birthday. So yeah, who doesn’t hype up their birthday party?
However upon entering the Thalia Hall on Chicago’s Southwest side, I knew it was something special. Most people from the outside looking in would just see thousands of college aged people having a good time. But when you got in the crowd next to those kids you felt the energy. I felt what DJ Oreo was telling me. “My first Oreofest, and I’m here to see my nigga Logan!” Amir 20, from the Southside of Chicago, screamed out to me.
It wasn’t just that the kids dance the entire night away, it was they danced peacefully all night. It was night of love from all types of backgrounds; “We all family in her right?” DJ Oreo asked the crowd while dancing on stage. That statement epitomize the mood of the night, it seemed like the Oreofest was a big family reunion.
The night was filled with special performances from DJ Oreo’s friends. It just happens that his friends are the Who’s who of the Chicago Hip Hop scene. King Louie came by, followed by Chance the Rapper. Vic Mensa ended the show and turned it upside down, performing his Kanye West assisted jam called “U Mad.”
It seemed that was enough for the crowd to go home satisfied. I was wrong. “I been waiting all night to say this, and since all my family on stage now. When I say gang; you know what it is.” What transpired next could not be described in words; in fact when I tried to describe to people the next day, I couldn’t. I had the same smile on my face that DJ Oreo had when I saw him before the show.
It was really unexplainable. Luckily for you, I have footage of this event on our YouTube page, [ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzU4-ScMtMvX4GQstfyapJg/featured?view_as=public] and I would suggest you subscribe to our channel. In the meanwhile, I will put the Oreofest in the mental file of first road trip and the Freaknic. Because it wasn’t a show; it was an experience.