Light: On the South Side

In the mid-’70s, Chicago’s South Side nightclubs were on fire with style, and photographer Michael Abramson was there to capture it all—well, not everything, actually. Rather than live musicians, he shot mostly self-styled characters who were hanging out at hot spots including Perv’s House, Pepper’s Hideout, the High Chaparral, the Patio Lounge and the Showcase Lounge.

Today, Chicago’s Numero Group announced that it is taking pre-orders for Light: On the South Side, a 132-page hardback book featuring over 100 photos by Michael Abramson, period club ephemera and an essay by Nick Hornby.

We’ve had a sneak peek, and now so can you in Time Out’s Light: On the South Side gallery—courtesy of the Numero Group.

This being the Numero Group, the set comes with Pepper’s Jukebox, a 17-track compilation of funky Chicago blues from the likes of Little Mack and Bobby Rush that would have been playing back in the day. There’s also a fat double-LP edition. Numero calls it the label’s classiest release to date. First 250 copies ordered from Numero’s online shop come with a signed and hand-numbered print from Abramson, plus a soon-to-be impossible to find bonus 45.

The whole package drops in November—and Numero is planning a release event around that time. So stay tuned. Light: On the South Side ($60) is available from Numero Group.

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