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This past Saturday, I volunteered at the Hideout Block Party, which celebrated the venue’s 15^th birthday.  The Hideout is a small music venue that appears to be a normal four bedroom home located at 1354 W. Wabansia.  This hidden gem is located in an industrial area, not somewhere you would find a music venue or a four bedroom home.  The Block Party took place outside the venue, nearby streets and a parking lot that is usually filled with industrial type vehicles.

This mini-festival was headlined by local indie favorite, Andrew Bird and R&B legend, Mavis Staples.  In addition to a rockin’ headline, there were local vendors and mouthwatering food trucks.

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After I checked in for my volunteer duties, I scouted the festival grounds and found fellow graduate student, Shannon Gallagher.  She was selling posters from the Hideout’s archives and for Kathleen Judge, owner of Judge Works.  Every year, Judge has designed the poster for the Hideout Block Party.

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My role as a volunteer was to help run a charity auction at the Rock For Kids tent.  We had signed items by Wilco, Andrew Bird, My Morning Jacket, Patti Smith, LCD Soundsystem and a few others.

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In addition to helping with the auction, I got to talk to local community members and inform them about how Rock For Kids connects with children living at or below the poverty line by providing them music education.

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Rock For Kids also received a moment in the spotlight when Andrew Bird, an honorary Rock For Kids Board Member, invited Paloma, the winner of the first Rock For Kids Andrew Bird Scholarship, to join him on stage to perform.

You couldn’t have asked for anything more from the Hideout Block Party. Great music, cool local businesses, tasty food trucks, friendly attendees, a kid friendly atmosphere, and a grey sky turned blue.  Can’t wait for next year’s Block Party.  In the meantime, I will be attending some shows at the hidden gem, The Hideout.  Check out their calendar!