Treetops explore the scientific inquiry “How do you make enormous rainbows form?” (photo: Daniel Montuoro)
Sometimes, when you go to a party, you want to leave your brain behind (the practical parts, at least) and just dance. Others like a bit more cerebral engagement. But just because a party makes you think, doesn’t mean it’ll also be stuffy or boring. Enter Treetops, whose parties have a proclivity toward wacky, interactive themes and quality music to keep you movin’. This Friday, the group is bringing its First Annual Mad Science Fair to House of Yes.
Let’s face it, science is pretty cool already. But science at a high-flying nightclub accompanied by acid house beats spun by the very man who founded the genre? The DJs will include DJ Pierre, a member of Chicago-based electronic music group Phuture, which is said to have put out one of the very first acid house records in 1987. As is typical at the venue, there will also be dazzling and high-tech projection mapping, which smartly utilizes the unique shapes on the stage. Your brain will surely be buzzing. And no, I’m not talking about ketamine, even if there was a musical about the drug on this very same stage.
So how does this all work? Well, interested folk have submitted a series of “science projects,” which gain them free entry to the party all night and the right to say they did science at a club in a way that is not just a euphemism for drugs. Some of the ideas already submitted include “wearable hydroponic systems,” “a bio-hazardous bowl of pretzels,” potato lights (of course), and an interactive quiz where two women perform a “sexy dance” and the judges are supposed to guess which of them is ovulating. Throughout the night, judges will be roaming around to test the products and at 2 a.m. (classic science time) they will announce a winner. They should probably stay away from the pretzels, though.
Not all of these will be super scientifically accurate, of course, but we’re assuming extra points are awarded for creativity.
Treetops Mad Science Fair is happening Friday, October 14 at House of Yes, 10 pm to 5 am. Free entry before 11 pm with RSVP or with science project submission or “outrageous costume,” $25 otherwise. Interested brainiacs can submit 4 or more sentences describing a science project to Treetopsexperience@gmail.com by October 14.