Friday marks the start of the 18th Hideout Block Party, and its parents are understandably nostalgic.
"It's like, where do you see your teenage kid going? And you're like, 'Well, I hope they don't get in trouble when they're going to college,'" said Tim Tuten, who has co-owned the Hideout with wife Katie and business partners Mike and Jim Hinchsliff since the '90s. "And that's kind of like the Hideout."
Three years ago, the bar/venue teamed up with The Onion to create the two-day event now known as The Hideout Block Party/Onion and A.V. Fest (yes, it's a mouthful).
"[We realized that] it'd be way better if we combined our forces," Katie Tuten said. "And it's just been a really great relationship because they're so easygoing."
But on the Hideout team, the Hinchsliff twins are in charge of ordering the beer, Tim is more involved in the music side of things and Katie-well, Katie runs things around here.
"Katie knows about everything, because Katie's the boss," her husband quipped.
"Spoken like a true husband, right?" she replied. "It's true though."
The organizers choose their acts the same way you would if you had your own festival-they choose the music they like. This year, that includes Death Cab For Cutie, playing their final U.S. show with guitarist Chris Walla; indie rock group The War on Drugs; elecro-pop group Sylvan Esso; and Chicago rockers Empires.
"All the bands that play, we're fans of, and the thing that's kind of cool is that they're fans of the Hideout too," Tim Tuten said.
It's pretty clear that the Tutens are thrilled about this year's lineup. "The Dismemberment Plan! Tim and I happened to be at their first show in Washington, D.C., after being dormant for 10 years!" Katie Tuten interjects at one point. "We've been trying to get them for years!"
But it's not all about the music. The Tutens stress the community element of the block party, the idea of different groups and generations coming together to share an experience at the fest's single stage. Doug Sohn of Hot Doug's donates sausages, and volunteers bring their own salads for the green room. About those volunteers-Katie Tuten said there are 18 team leaders, each of whom works a six-hour shift in exchange for food and beer.
"There are people I'll see at the block party once a year, they'll come back to Chicago for it. I know there are other groups of people that I might not know personally, but it's like 'Oh, I'll see you at the block party,'" she said.
The Hideout Block Party/Onion and A.V. Fest
5 p.m. Friday and 1 p.m. Saturday at the Hideout (1354 W. Wabansia St. 773-227-4433)
$65 for limited two-day pass; $39 for daily pass. Tickets: hideoutchicago.com
Festing by boat
New this year is the option to take the Chicago Water Taxi from Ogilvie Transportation Center to the festival-it's just three blocks from the North Avenue stop. Riders who hop the $4 boat before 5:30 p.m. Friday will receive a complimentary Lagunitas to drink during the ride.