Josh Rios – Pass the Aux: A Collective Sharing and Listening Session

“What are we listening to these days, and why?” Prompted by this and other questions, Josh Rios invites you to this all-ages gathering to share and reflect on music in an open, collective setting. Think of it as a live mix-tape, where everyone gets the aux cord. Together, we’ll explore how music offers resistance, pleasure, and curiosity—then each person will play a song of their choice through a shared PA system. We’ll take time to talk about the songs: “Why this song and why now? Who wrote and performed it? What stands out about it, historically or personally? How does it operate politically? What is the story of our encounter with a given song?” The event will wrap with a group conversation about what it means to share music in public and how shared listening can help us connect. Participants are encouraged to be mindful of language in their selections; this is a space guided by community respect, not censorship.

We will meet at Unity Park, 2636 N Kimball Ave, at the pergola. Please note the rain date for this event is Sunday, August 17, 2025 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM. 

RSVP here: https://forms.gle/AzSECxouu9ANCfGt7

Josh Rios is a faculty member at the School of the Art Insti­tute of Chicago where he teaches courses in social theory and research-based practice. As a media artist, writer, and educator, he examines the histories, presents, and futurities of Latinx subjects, highlighting intercultural contact and co-belonging. His work with Sonic Insurgency Research Collective has been featured at the Counterpublic Triennial (St. Louis, MO), the Institute of Contemporary Art at MECA (Portland, ME), the Pulitzer Arts Foundation (St. Louis, MO), the Vincent Price Art Museum (Los Angeles, CA), and Locust Projects (Miami, FL). Recent work includes the production of a glossary of terms for Creative Times HQ as part of their year-long inquiry, Sonic Commons (New York, NY).