Nov 02 2017
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Dec 31 2017
Disco Demolition Exhibit

Disco Demolition Exhibit

Presented by Elmhurst History Museum at Elmhurst History Museum

he Elmhurst History Museum announces the extension of its exhibit, "Disco Demolition: The Night Disco Died" through the end of the year. The exhibit has been a consistently popular show drawing visitors from throughout the Chicago area during the summer months, so the museum is extending the exhibit's run to allow more patrons to take in this eclectic and engaging story.

The exhibit tells the story of a wacky baseball and radio station promotion gone awry at Comiskey Park on July 12, 1979. The event was conceived as a way to bring in young fans to fill empty stadium seats during a struggling White Sox season and to promote WLUP's latest deejay, Steve Dahl. Dahl was gaining listeners with his anti-disco antics after being fired from a Chicago radio station that switched to an all-disco format. Attracted by a cheap 98 cent ticket price for fans who brought disco records to blow up between games of the doubleheader, more than 50,000 attendees showed up and the event quickly went off the rails.
"Disco Demolition: The Night Disco Died" was inspired by a book with the same title by Steve Dahl with journalist Dave Hoekstra and photos by Paul Natkin, and the exhibit content is written by Hoekstra. Through video footage, rare artifacts, interviews, memorabilia, and Natkin's photographs, "Disco Demolition" explores the cultural and social context, the music, and the promotion that launched Dahl's career and sent disco to its demise. The exhibit's media sponsor is The Loop/WLUP 97.9FM which is celebrating the station's 40th anniversary this year.

Some of the special features and objects visitors will encounter in the "Disco Demolition" exhibit include:
• The game jersey worn by White Sox catcher Mike Colbern on Disco Demolition Night.
• Personal items from Dahl including memorabilia from his early career at the Loop and a custom guitar used in his Teenage Radiation band.
• A letter of apology from White Sox owner Bill Veeck to a disappointed baseball fan.
• A one-of-a-kind Hamer guitar on loan from Cheap Trick's lead guitarist and songwriter Rick Nielsen.
• A feature on the rise of the Chicago house music genre in the wake of the disco era.
• A rock vs. disco music trivia quiz.
• A timeline mural detailing the events of the day.
• Interactive video displays with footage from the "Disco Demolition" 25th anniversary documentary and news coverage of the night.
Disco Invasion Program Scheduled for Nov. 5
The Elmhurst History Museum is hosting a final lecture related to the "Disco Demolition" exhibit on Sunday, November 5 at 2 p.m. entitled "Disco Invasion in Films of the '70s." The lecture will be presented by filmmaker and educator Peter Hawley and will delve into the Disco Invasion's enormous impact on American culture, including the movies. Hawley's lecture will contextualize the Disco Invasion, and investigate the influence of the genre on Hollywood films of the 1970s including Saturday Night Fever, Thank God It's Friday, Boogie Nights and more. Hawley has been a filmmaker and college educator for more than 20 years and was the founding chair of the film program at Tribeca Flashpoint College, where he was named Dean in 2014. Registration required:www.elmhursthistory.org (Adult Programs Section) Location: Elmhurst History Museum Education Center, 120 E. Park Ave., Elmhurst
Cost: Members-FREE, Non-Members-$5

Take an interactive journey back to 1979 to explore one of the most infamous nights in Chicago sports history. "Disco Demolition: The Night Disco Died" will be on display through December 31, 2017 at the Elmhurst History Museum, located at 120 E. Park Ave. in downtown Elmhurst. Exhibition hours are: Sunday, Tuesday through Friday from 1 to 5 p.m. and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. General admission is free, and limited free parking is available. For the latest exhibit and program information, please visit www.elmhursthistory.org or call (630) 833-1457.

Admission Info

Phone: 630.833.1457

Dates & Times

2017/11/02 - 2017/12/31

Location Info

Elmhurst History Museum

120 E. Park Ave., Elmhurst, IL 60126

Parking Info

Free limited parking in museum lot