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Van Paugam

@vanpaugam

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I play records & wax poetic 🌙
Miami-born, Chicago-based 🌊
Digital Media Coordinator for the @japanese_culture_center 🎌 The Original City Pop DJ 👹

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Random moments from the Grammys. A very poignant start to the new lunar year. It felt like one big blur. I told myself I wouldn’t record anything, but hell, this was definitely a worthy memory for a disenchanted era.

A lot of talented crew and production staff that made this event what it was. The vibe was chaotic in the best ways. People were way nicer than I’d thought.

Super grateful to have experienced it. Given the circumstances, the mood was pretty light, and even somewhat optimistic.

The audiences definitely connect with the presenters and it becomes a kind of etheric mood. The performances were impactful, and I think a theme of unity & respect was felt.

Super talented artists, performers, and staff. Everything felt seamless and organized.

LA is beautiful, but has its problems like any city. Reality can be seem dystopian at times, but with some levity and good will we can better adapt to this constantly changing world.

And, yes, I sounded crazy saying hey to TT, but I wasn’t prepared for her incredible energy…it spooked me, like seeing a unicorn. She’s a goddess.

I have nothing but love for the west coast.

Big shout out to @alexinfiniti by @vanpaugam

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2 years ago

I’m on the CNN! Huge thank you to CNN International, Kristie Lu Stout, Jadyn Sham, Anri, and everyone who made this video possible. It’s big honor to help bridge the East and West through music and DJing.

The more we can find understanding through things like music, the more cross-cultural, and trans-generational exchange can be facilitated. The resurgence of this genre proves that music can travel time and space without needing to be any language or from any era, to effectively change the course of history forever.

Watch the full video by visiting @klustout

#citypop #anri #cnn taken in Chicago, Illinois by @vanpaugam

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4 years ago

Happy New Year!✨This year I’ve been officially living in Chicago for 10 years coming from Miami in 2011, and being selected as the final ‘Chicagoan of Note’ for 2021 by @chicago_reader is an incredible honor. Big thanks to Micco Caporale for the write up.

I hope to continue doing more to provide enrichment and culture to Chicago and beyond in 2022. Living here is amazing and sharing it with so many talented DJs, artists, and creatives that I’ve gotten to know is peak culture.

Thanks to everyone who supported me this year and believed in me. Thanks to the venues @whistlerchicago @sl33pingvillag3 @ninebarchicago @murasakichicago @thelogantheatre @thegridchicago and organizations @japaneseartsfoundation @japanese_culture_center @reedpop @itsanimemagic @animecentralofficial @suntorywhisky Especially thankful for everyone who comes out to my events to dance and discuss the music!

Also, really grateful for everyone on Instagram who sometimes I don’t interact with enough. Can’t overlook the support here too, and I appreciate it! Special shout out to @kado_bara for being so damn good at what they do, and everyone who has had a part in my life this year, large or small.

Wishing the best for you all in 2022. All jokes aside, manifesting a better year for you and me ✨🙏

#chicago #citypop #citypopmusic #newyear #chicagoan #chicagoreader taken in Chicago, Illinois by @vanpaugam

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5 years ago

We are beyond excited to unveil our newest creation, brewed in special collaboration with Tomoyuki Yoshida, brewer and owner of Wakayama Brewery! Meet Umami Dashi—a robust, deeply complex smoked porter brewed with authentic, earthy Shiitake mushrooms sourced directly from Wakayama, Japan. The result is a rich, savory and perfectly smoky dark beer that lives up to its name and balances dark malt sweetness with an incredible earthy depth.

Located in the heart of Japan’s agriculturally and culturally rich Kansai region, Wakayama Brewery is celebrated for its deep respect for local land and climate. They expertly blend traditional Japanese brewing philosophies with innovative craft techniques to create distinct, memorable flavor profiles. By championing regional ingredients—from local botanicals to savory mushrooms—they consistently bring the unique taste of Wakayama to the world craft beer stage.

We’ll be celebrating the tapping of this culinary craft delight in both taprooms. Umami Dashi will officially tap in both locations at 12:00pm on Friday. In Skokie, we’ll have Yellow Duck Truck starting at 4:00 and a set from DJ Van Paugam starting at 8:00pm.
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#umamidashi #mushroombeer #freshbeerfriday #chicagobrewey #chicagocraftbeer taken in Sketchbook Brewing Company by @vanpaugam

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8 days ago

Saturday October 31st Shibuya Meltdown returns to @whistlerchicago hosting a Tokyo-themed Halloween with DJs @vanpaugam @loudlush_chi @amnstr30 @pfacmusic @tonyfeta @danny_livewire Roach and @sabrinatheteenageitgirl 🌙

Lost at Shinjuku station again? Take two stops down to Shibuya where it’s about to be a meltdown 🌋 Expect a raucous hallows eve in tribute to Tokyo’s legendary Halloween street parties.

We have too many DJs and they all have the perfect soundtrack to your Saturday night with house, techno, 80s, 90s, hits, and surprises 🎃

J-horror plays on the projector all night 👻

Cosplay contest starts at 10PM with prizes, and costumes must be from Japanese fiction, horror games, anime, film, or mythology 👹

8PM · 21+ · No Cover.

#chicago #halloween #logansquare #free by @vanpaugam

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20 days ago

Friday, August 28 - Gallery Installation Closing Party w/ Van Paugam & Friends

For the past seven months, this gallery has served as a meeting point between modern Chicago and the visual language of Pre-Meiji Japan. Bridging cultures, eras, and serving as a reminder that nothing is ever truly forgotten.

This weekend is your final chance to experience the installation before it comes down and returns to the Japanese Culture Center.

This exhibition would not have been possible without the incredible work of @hekiunoda, @plarkingreen, Fujii Meiko, and @seirannet , whose calligraphy and artistic contributions form the foundation of the space.

For the closing party, we’re bringing the exhibition to life one final time with music, drinks, and an evening inside the installation before the gallery transforms once again.

市俄古 is a reflection on Chicago’s past & future ; a city defined by constant movement, reinvention, resilience, and the people who continue to build and create within it.

A special thank you to @chicagodcase for their Individual Artist Grant, which helped make it possible for the neon 市俄古 piece to light up the streets of Chicago during its time in the Whistler’s gallery February 21–Sept 1, 2026.

Come experience the exhibition one last time, meet the artists and people behind the project, and celebrate its closing with us.

Remarks by: @johnners678 - @japaneseartsfoundation President

MUSIC: House, Techno, & Indie Dance All Night

8–10 PM Roach @fresca_alex
10 PM–12 AM Van Paugam @vanpaugam
12 AM–Late Jimmy Vega aka @tonyfeta

Presented by
@japanese_culture_center

Photos by @bluecollarjazz

RIP Dolly Parton

#chicago #whistlerchicago #japaneseculture #shikago #logansquare taken in The Whistler by @vanpaugam

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2 months ago

Just Announced—Friday, August 28 @whistlerchicago Van Paugam & Friends …

Celebrating the book-end of his curation of the Whistler’s gallery installed in February, Paugam aims to come full circle with and update to old and new styles for the ever changing times.

Support lineup TBA

Friday, Aug 28
Free
8PM
Whistler 2421 N Milwaukee Ave

#chicago #housemusic #djs #vanpaugam #whistlerchicago taken in The Whistler by @vanpaugam

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2 months ago

Friday! @sl33pingvillag3 9PM TOKYO DISCO 7-Year Anniversary ft. @legitimategroove & @vanpaugam

All vinyl grooves, retro Japan vibes, disco, house & more 🪩

9PM-11PM [Van Paugam: City Pop]
11PM-Late [Y.U.K.IKO: World Groove]

21+
Free

#citypop #worldgroove #vinyl #lollapalooza #chicago by @vanpaugam

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3 months ago

Last night’s conversation with @hottakesvapor on Twitch! Full video in my bio for anyone who wants to check it out. We covered a lot—some things I’ve never really opened up about in any interview or article before.

A huge thank you to @skeleton_lipstick, @yungshiro, and @luxury.elite ✨please check out their work; they’re all incredibly talented. And big thanks to everyone who tuned into @hottakesvapor for the talk. taken in Chicago, Illinois by @vanpaugam

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2 years ago

July 31st—7 Years of Tokyo Disco @sl33pingvillag3 ft. @legitimategroove & @vanpaugam 🔥 All-vinyl… Unofficial Lollapalooza afters, because why pay to go anywhere when you can come to SV for free?

It’s hard to believe we’ve been doing Japanese City Pop in Chicago since 2019! Truly one of the most shot in the dark nights to pop-up. Never thought it would ever really take off, but what else can you expect from Chicago? Literally could not fit every promo that was made throughout the years into the video.

Yukiko cooked up a special gift for a select few that ask for it! Come and enjoy City Pop from 9-11, then world groove from 11-late!

July 31
9PM
Free

#citypop #chicagohistory #tokyodisco #japanesemusic #vinyl by @vanpaugam

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3 months ago

Paris interview during my Mayonaka no tour by @chez_nelson1 discussing my remixes of @kaoruakimotodressdown ! It was great playing her music in France!

*edit - I meant to say the Cologne LP*

Listen to the remixes - link in bio

#citypop #kaoruakimoto #paris #dressdown #futurefunk taken in Paris, France by @vanpaugam

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3 months ago

Marvel vs City Pop: The Ultimate Battle of Copyright Infringement 😮‍💨

#citypop #chicago #vinyl #citypopmemes #japan #citypopmusic #marvel #marvelmemes #copyrightinfrigementnotintended by @vanpaugam

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a year ago