20 people to watch in 2007 (6-10)

6. Billy Dalessandro, 30 mix master

Chicago doesn’t have a reputation for techno—the city still trades on its role in the birth of house—but Chicago producer-DJ Billy Dalessandro could be changing that. Last year his second album, Starcity, turned heads in Europe, and his tracks were picked up by mega DJs John Digweed and Steve Lawler for high-profile mix discs. But Dalessandro has no plans for his own DJ mix disc: “The best DJ sets I hear are at a great party locked in a moment,” he says. “Besides, I find it funny how you have some DJs that don’t know the first thing about production, yet they’ll flaunt some DJ mix they did like it’s the best thing that just hit the scene.” Instead Dalessandro, who has a background in classical piano, has built a catalog of original, druggy—sinister, some might say—sounds, exemplified by tunes like “The Interview” from Starcity. On tap for ’07: new releases on local label Siteholder and European imprints Sonicculture and Harthouse, and a weekly residency at Wicker Park’s Ohm.—John Dugan

7. James Cappleman, 54 community contender

“I’ve always been a grassroots activist,” says Uptown resident James Cappleman. No kidding: The social worker’s résumé is about a mile long and includes cofounding a homeless shelter, receiving the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Award, working with HIV service organizations and presiding over the Uptown Chicago Commission. But his latest endeavor—running for alderman of the highly polarized 46th Ward—could lead to big changes in Uptown. That’s because Cappleman is taking on Helen Shiller, the ward’s alderman for the past 20 years. Her supporters say she’s a strong advocate for the poor, but critics say the neighborhood’s high crime rate and large homeless population mean it’s time for a change (check out www.whatthehelen.com for some of their complaints). “This is a community that wants to have some say in how decisions are made,” Cappleman says. “They feel left out. There’s a lot of anger.” Although Shiller has trounced challengers in the past, Cappleman feels confident. “We’re using the two areas where Shiller has always based a lot of her support: the poor and the gay community,” he says. “And here I am an advocate for the poor, and I’m an openly gay man.” On February 27, Shiller and Cappleman will face the fight of their political lives—and Uptown may never be the same.—Annie Tomlin

8. Joseph Rosa, 46 bridge builder

The art world buzzed when Joseph Rosa was hired by the Art Institute of Chicago as the John H. Bryan Curator of Architecture. Why? Because it meant the museum was finally focusing on its design collection. Those goods will be housed in “The Modern Wing,” the expansion to be completed in 2009. That may seem far away, but Rosa is off to a great start with “Young Chicago” (through April 29). The show is less about youth and more about the design scene, but it’s refreshing to see work by these 16 talents. Rosa also showcases Louis H. Sullivan with two upcoming exhibitions, and in June, he’ll bring Chicago a show he curated while at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, “Xefirotarch: Design Series 4, Hernán Díaz Alonso.” West Coast architect Alonso’s work was influenced by conceptual artist Matthew Barney and Francis Bacon. “It’s horrifically gorgeous,” Rosa says.—Ruth Lopez

9. Brian Huston, 35 Food un-processor

Brian Huston is trying not to get a big head. And considering he was handpicked by chef Paul Kahan (Blackbird, Avec) to run his new oyster-, pork- and beer-centric restaurant/bar with partners Donnie Madia (Blackbird, Sonotheque) and Terry Alexander (del Toro, Sonotheque), Huston is doing a good job. “It’s superflattering,” he says of his role in what’s sure to be the most talked about opening of the coming year. “I just can’t believe that they’re giving me this opportunity.” Huston first met Kahan in 1998, when Huston spent two years cooking at Blackbird. “He was the first chef I worked for that I felt I could have a conversation with outside of food,” Huston remembers. Obviously, Huston made quite an impression—by the time Kahan called and offered him the job, Huston had been out of Chicago for six years. Details about what Huston will be cooking at the unnamed restaurant—which will be in Fulton Market—are hard to come by, but he did tell us that he wants everything to be “superaccessible.” “I don’t want anybody to say, ‘What is that?’ [when they get their food],” he says. “When they taste it, they’ll know what it is. And they’ll know it’s the best they ever had.”—David Tamarkin

10. The Ponys noise makers

Jack White isn’t the only musician with Satan behind him; post-punkers the Ponys have a pretty sweet deal with the devil, too. After releasing two well-received full-lengths on L.A. punk label In the Red—2004’s Laced with Romance and 2005’s Steve Albini–engineered Celebration Castle—the Ponys signed a multi-album deal with Matador Records on the devil’s day: June 6, 2006. For Turn the Lights Out (due out in March), the Ponys recorded at Albini’s Electrical Audio with another veteran producer, John Agnello, whose recent work includes the Hold Steady’s Boys and Girls in America and Sonic Youth’s Rather Ripped. “We had two weeks to work on this one,” says singer-guitarist Jered Gummere, “whereas on the first record we had, like, three days, and six days on the second. The guitars are loud as usual, but we’ve definitely stepped it up.” If everything on Turn the Lights Out is as strong as the advance MP3 “Double Vision”—a garage-rock stomp saturated with delayed guitars and punctuated by Gummere’s Thurston Moore–meets–Richard Hell vocals—2007 could be the Year of the Pony. The Ponys play Friday 12 at Schubas (3159 N Southport Ave, 773-525-2508).—Jake Malooley