IML Revisted ­ Save for the much publicized crystal meth bust, lots of fun seemed to be had by all, especially on dance floors, during IML weekend last month. I was out of town for most of the weekend, but my trusted peeps tell me that the IML Victory Party at the House of Blues with DJ Bill Bennett was the best one in years. The Onyx party with DJ Andre Hatchett was the most fun of the hotel gatherings while Chi Chi LaRue and DJ Oskar provided a surprisingly good and contrasting 1-2 punch at Circuit for the Military Ball. And to end the weekend in traditional proper fashion, the Black & Blue Ball with DJ Matthew Harvat was another solid effort. All in all, it was quite a good party showing for Chicago and bodes well for the Pride, the Gay Games (see below), and Market Days. Hopefully this is an indicator that gay Chicago is getting its dance party mojo back. Well Wishes Mucho get well wishes to Kevin Aviance, the dance music singer/performer who was brutally attacked in New York City an apparent gay-bashing incident. Aviance, who performed at the Fireball main event in 2004, suffered a broken jaw after being kicked repeatedly by young men who yelled anti-gay slurs. Four men have been arrested in connection with the attack. An Embarassment of Riches The question now is which big-name DJ won't be in town spinning at some point during the 10 day span around the Gay Games, July 14 - 23. The list so far includes Frankie Knuckles, David Morales, Danny Tenaglia, Derrick Carter, Manny Lehman, Ralphi Rosario, Abel, Junior Vasquez, Victor Calderone, Joe Gauthreaux, and Brett Henrichsen. Impressive indeed! Singles Life ­ A smoothed-out groovy lounger of a dance track you should definitely be on the look-out for is "Born To Fly" by Lisa Shaw on Naked Music Records. This is the next single from her Cherry LP and is a tasty aural treat suited best for cocktail hour listening. Rihanna is proving to be a formidable dance music force as she follows up the uber-popular "S.O.S." with the Tony Moran remix of "Unfaithful" (Def Jam Recordings). This track was one of the most heard songs down at Gay Days and seems to have all the ingredients to lead it to a chart-topping position this summer. Imogen Heap has had a pretty good 2006 with a critically acclaimed CD, Speak For Yourself, leading to a growth in her popularity and fan base. Her single "Hide & Seek" has been remixed by Morgan Page into a sophisticated groovy house track that retains the unique quirky sound, vocal stylings, and instrumentation of the album version. This is how a dance single should be remixed and constructed! English Lessons There are plenty of Kim English fans about and they will be ecstatic with her new long-play CD that will be released next month. My Destiny (Nervous Records) has 12 tracks, including the bonus dance tracks of "It Makes A Difference" and "Treat Me Right." As nice as these inclusions are, the true gems on this album are the tracks that show just what a wonderful voice English has: "Love That Jazz" and the Kyle Smith Soulful Vox Mix of "It Makes A Difference." Make sure you pay attention and sit in the front row of this master class of Kim English. DJ Plez is the Music Editor of ChicagoPride.com and BOI. He's a resident DJ at Cocktail and Cesar's as well as at PUMP! in Milwaukee, WI.

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