Silver Room Block Party: Photo gallery

Photos: Marcus Riley/NBCChicago.com

Most people know the Silver Room's Wicker Park outpost as a reliable source for artisan jewelry, t-shirts, lids, bags, watches and innumerable other stylish accessories. But it's proprietor, Eric Williams, is also a connoisseur of soulful dance beats, and now that Sonotheque's out of the picture, he's become a tireless promoter of deep house, neo soul and conscious hip-hop grooves on the North side.

Annually, and now on it's eighth consecutive year, Williams and his team curate the Silver Room Block Party, an arts and music gathering that features live painting, food, live bands and endless sets from some of the city's top DJ talent. And this year was no exception. On the artist side of things, Williams commissioned painter and graphic designer Ray Nolan—you may know him from the viral Obama poster campaign that popped up around town during the campaign—and Hebru Brentley to do live mural painting while a diverse crowd of onlookers nibbled exotic eats and shimmied around the live drummers that kept the various musical acts company all day.

This year, Williams lined up more than 8 bands, ranging from punk to soul to blues to play out the daylight hours before the system was cranked up for DJ sets from Shon Dervis, a regular at Empire Liquors and the Shrine; Zebo, who's spinning records out nightly at various venues; Tone B. Nimble, one of Chicago's brightest hip-hop minds; and local house dignitaries Ron Trent and Mark Grant. Believe it or not, all this talent was meant to pave the way for one last spotlight DJ set; this year's headliner was influential New York City jock Danny Krivit. Krivit's talent as a DJ is recognized the world around, and his contribution to the Big Apple's nightlife will never be forgotten; alongside fellow luminaries Francois K and Joe Claussell, Krivit helped found the renowned Body and Soul parties back in the day.

And well, if you missed it, you'll have to get a load of our photo gallery and put it on your calendar for 2011.