Hideout Block Party.

Here's my mini-review of Chicago's own 12th Annual Hideout Block Party, which went down this past weekend. Originally posted on TimeOut Chicago's Live Blog. Sorry to say my main man Rhymefest did not bring the noise, although the large population of children running around could have had something to do with that. He primarily rocked his "Man in the Mirror" mixtape, barely rhyming over MJ classics.

TOC Music intern Isabelle Davis reports on Sunday:

Jim DeRogatis hyped the Hideout’s 12th Annual Block Party as “the perfect ending to what has become Chicago’s long hot summer of over-hyped but underwhelming outdoor concerts and festivals” but the truth is, Sunday’s acts did little to fulfill DeRogatis’ prophecy. The crowd was a mellow mix of young families, yuppie-cum-hipsters and hipsters-cum-yuppies, enjoying an undeniably laid-back vibe, which was a definite plus, especially if one has little to no tolerance for drunk 16 year-olds. But those who got there early hoping for back-to-back face melting were severely um, underwhelmed. It wasn’t until 8:45pm, when Ratatat took control of the side stage that shit really became worth the $25. And that being said, going for the New York band alone was worth the time and money, because they packed their hour-long set and encore with exuberant and perfectly executed sonic punches to the face. The only act to have quality sound (and with the music they play, that is just non-negotiable), Ratatat drew the maximum crowd for Sunday and had everyone captivated. Electro and metal riffs over Tortoise-esque grooves, blended with Battles-like craftsmanship (minus the math) and epic synthesizers are a hard act to follow, and by the time Hercules and Love Affair’s Andy Butler took the stage for a closing DJ set, the party had already been busted.