Classic Album Sundays, the most popular and respected classic album listening event in the world, is setting up shop in Chicago to expose your ears to an aural darkness you've never heard before. Saturday Audio Exchange, Transistor Chicago, CHIRP Radio, Dark Matter Coffee, and event organizer Sam Willett will be celebrating the legacy of Massive Attack's Mezzanine by listening to it in its entirety on vinyl.

The predator that lurks on the cover of the album perfectly represents the moods locked in the album; it’s in-your-face, confusing, demonic, and eerie. It startling at times and soothing at others. Fear is a difficult emotion to surface from the grooves of a vinyl record because it lacks a visual— the discomfort you experience while listening can only be crafted with the help of your imagination. Massive Attack makes you think about what you would see onscreen during a Tobe Hopper or Alfred Hitchcock film. And, when Massive Attack did give their songs a visual representation, the music videos that complemented the nature of the songs with unexpected images, such as the fetus singing from inside the womb in the video for “Teardrop”.

Saturday Audio Exchange, a well-renowned Chicago independent music dealer, will be providing a custom-curated hi-fi audio system to make this experience come to life on vinyl. In attending the event, you will listen to the album as if you are watching a movie- no phones, no distractions, and complete focus on the beauty engrained in Mezzanine. Take a look at the sound equipment Classic Album Sundays typically uses at their events here.



When the event starts, a vinyl-exclusive playlist, including artists that influenced and have been influenced by Massive Attack, will be played. Attendees should take this warm up time to take a look around Saturday, visit with our event partners, socialize with new and old friends, and drink beverages. When we have a full house, we will give attendees a ten minute warning to use to the bathroom and make any phone calls before the album starts. Then, Sam will introduce the album drop the needle. From there, your mind should be completely involved with the album and prepared for a musical adventure.