In Chicago, “deep dish” usually only means one thing: pizza. And until they confirmed their reunion earlier this month, even the most savvy of dance fans probably would have thought it was not Deep Dish, the influential dance music duo, was the surprise artist at Chicago club The Mid this past Saturday night (Feb. 22).
This is the kind of buzz Deep Dish’s Sharam Tayebi was hoping for when he compared his group’s reunion to that of Led Zeppelin. Flyers for the secret show displayed only the simple “greater than” symbol Deep Dish had used as the centerpiece of their website in the run-up to their reunion announcement.
Fans who knew better started making jokes about Lou Malnati’s–a much-vaunted Chicago pizza institution–on the club’s social media. Promoters eventually confirmed Deep Dish’s appearance on Saturday evening, hours before doors opened. Tickets for the show were free with RSVP.
Perhaps this event was meant to allow the duo to reconvene somewhat under the radar, or to preserve the role of their Miami show as the official reunion. Either way, the 1300 fans who cracked the code and turned up to the club in Chicago’s West Loop neighborhood were treated to a set they won’t soon forget.
Aside from a scheduled performance at Miami’s Ice Place on March 29, no further Deep Dish dates have been announced. While a tour is expected, hoping for more secret shows like this one wouldn’t be unreasonable.