It's the Weekend: Pandemic Playlist

Brain Candy

Feb 26

Meet us at Club Pandemic for the dance party of your quarantine dreams.

Around a year ago, when Chicago was issued THE stay-at-home order, I was at a point in my life where the thought of being deprived of human interaction — especially from my friends — was a hard pill to swallow. I needed an outlet for my stagnant party energy. Welcome to Club Pandemic, my friends.

Like a lot of people, I fancy myself an excellent aux DJ. I love making playlists with high vibrational energy (aka music that gets you off your ass and moving). Dancing around my apartment is a daily activity; it clears out the junk and puts you in a good mood. I wanted that goodness to flow into my friends’ lives as well.

I decided the best way to deliver this playlist was in the form of a Zoom call where I could share my audio, putting the DJ controls at my fingertips. So I started to send out a spontaneous, random invitation via text, asking my friends to be free that evening.

When they joined, they were greeted with a curated playlist designed to get us all dancing, complete with breaks and a cool down. Like any good DJ, I’d alter the audio, shifting from an all-out dance party to a conversational, friendly vibe. Friends would pop in and out, and sometimes newcomers would join through another attendee. The energy was great, the drinks generally flowed, and everyone left a little lighter.

So I invite everyone to take a trip to Club Pandemic a little more often. Make your own playlist, or listen to this one, the OG Club Pandemic mix. I can’t promise it will make life feel normal, but it will get you off your ass and moving — which is about all we can ask for these days.

(Note: This playlist definitely has some R-rated songs.)

— Mallory Ulaszek

And don’t forget…the perfect pairing

Because it’s always more fun to bust a move with a tasty beverage, we turned to the owners of Chicago-based Bummer Wines — David Rodriguez and Victor Sanchez — for their pandemic dance party pairings.

Vic’s Pick: Tim Wildman’s Astro Bunny Pet-Nat

"If there was ever a party juice, Astro Bunny by Tim Wildman is it. It’s an Australian pet-nat with notes of grapefruit and peach — slightly dry. It’s a great way to send off the Chicago winter. It can be a bit hard to find, but you can find it at All Together Now or Liquor Park here in Chicago.”

David’s Pick: Frank Cornelissen, Susucaru Rosato

Susucaru is about as natural as you can get for natural wine. It goes through the most minimal filtration in order to preserve the maximum funkiness. It pairs especially well with the last track on this playlist, Controller by Channel Tres.

Up front you'll get a mix of floral tones, blood orange, and strawberry — but the real treat of this wine is the bassline of smokiness that comes from the volcanic minerality inherent in the soil the grapes from Frank's land are grown in. For me, that smokiness — to quote Channel Tres — really throws some sub in that bitch.

It’s not consistently available, but when it is you can find it at natural wine-focused stores like All Together Now or Diversey Wine or really any wine shop that has a natural wine selection. Or even Eataly, where I got mine yesterday.

Or, whip up your own creation with these drink recipes, courtesy of Common Good Cocktail House in Glen Ellyn, IL.

Partners in Trying

Blackberry gin, sage, pink peppercorn, lemon

This fruit, pepper, and herb-driven winter treat is a cheers to all the small businesses who are struggling to survive —while helping others do the same.

Stoic Survivalist