Of course the highlight of the upcoming fortnight is Market Days on August 1 & 2, so let’s concentrate on the happenings that particular weekend. We’ll get to normal weekly goings-on afterwards.
Market Report
There will be a whole lot of partying going on Halsted during Market Days, especially @ Hydrate, which kicks of the weekend w/ DJ Ralphi Rosario on Friday, July 31. That same night, the hip-hoppers will be tearing up Circuit Night Club’s dance floor @ Urbano w/ DJs Kenae, DJ Corona and VJ Ink while on the opposite end of the Strip, Spin has DJ Phil DaBeatz turning out his signature high-energy groove for their I ⁄ Porn Party.
As the street fair kicks into high gear on Saturday, August 1, Cocktail will be supplying the definitive Boystown house music beats with DJs Chris Eterno (6pm) & Dhanna (10pm). Hydrate has DJ Chris Chris for the late night after-hours party while their daytime outdoor party space features DJs Laura B, Phil DaBeatz & Ralphi Rosario (12:30pm – 10pm) as well as a special Hydrag Revue @ 3:30pm. The busy Saturday night finds DJ Greg Haus and the Wet & Wilde Party @ Spin; Richard Morel and Bob Mould back in town for another Blowoff party at Metro; and the one and only Junior Vasquez taking over the Circuit DJ booth for the annual Meat Market party.
Even more merriment abounds on Sunday, August 2 as Cocktail has DJs Dealer and Pete Augusta back-to-back from 2pm-2am and Hydrate has 4 DJs outside 12:30-10pm: Rodney Becker, Brett Locascio, DJ R, and Chris Cox. Inside they’ll have resident DJ Greg Drescher beginning @ 10pm while Spin’s Foxy Basement presents Sinful Sunday with Ricky Sinz and DJ Heather Doble. Continuing an annual tradition, Crobar will host the biggest party of Market Days weekend with Boxboy Rich’s Superstar Sunday: Space Disco event on August 2. Featuring legendary DJ David Knapp, it promises to put an exclamation point on the weekend.
When it comes to mixing naughty fun with sexy, pleasurable beats during Market Days Steamworks will lead the way with its Twisted Weekend. DJs Dexter and Jim B will be spinning outside from 11am-8pm on Saturday, August 1 with Guest DJ Willy Vela (Ft. Lauderdale) Resident DJ Greg Ellsworth taking over inside from 9pm-8am. The following day has Dexter and Vela sharing outdoor duty 11am-6pm and Jim B & Vela back inside 3pm-2am. Down the street, grooves and swerves are being taken care of at The Ram’s Ultimate After-hours, featuring DJ Plez late Saturday night, August 1, (early Sunday morning 3am-7am).
Before The Storm
To tide you over until Market Days, Hydrate has the fabulously entertaining Snow White & The Seven Drag Queens show @ 9pm on Friday, July 24 & Saturday, July 25 followed by DJa Laura B and Brett Henrichsen, respectively. That Saturday night also finds DJ Escape back in town for Circuit’s Nitro: Beach Muscle Party hosted by Miss Foozie and Sal-E. To round out the weekend, The Closet hosts its first ever T-Dance on Sunday, July 26 (5pm-9pm) w/ DJ Psycho Bitch while Berlin has its monthly Prince Night w/ Samnation.
On The Strip
The video bar Sidetrack packs them in nightly with a popular line-up of themed video nights, including Showtunes on Mondays and Comedy on Thursdays. At Roscoe’s, Frida Lay hosts Drag Race 2009 on Tuesdays while Miss Foozie takes charge of Male Call on Sundays. Other Boystown options include Halsted’s Bar & Grill (Team Trivia on Mondays), North End (TPAN’s poz-friendly Pulse on Thursdays), Bobby Loves (Karaoke on Fridays), Charlie’s (country line dancing), Cell Block (leather/fetish/bears/jeans) and Kit Kat Lounge (half-price martinis on Sundays and Tuesdays). You rarely go wrong visiting the long-standing Buck’s and Little Jim’s, and for live entertainment both 3160 and Cornelia’s are popular and fun.
Homes For House
THE place for house music in Boystown is Cocktail, featuring Monday Madness (1/2 price drinks), go-go boys five nights a week, and an impressive line-up of DJs that includes Andrew C (Mondays), Timmy Loop (Tuesdays), Greg Haus (Wednesdays), Michael Serafini (Thursdays), Freddie Bain (Fridays), and Diva DJs on Saturdays. .
Outside of Boystown, house music gets a friendly reception in Andersonville during Attic-tion Saturdays @ Mary’s Attic w/ DJ Plez ; downtown @ Lumen’s Industry Tuesdays w/ resident DJ JustJoey; and on the South Side on Fridays @ Jeffrey’s Pub w/ DJ Dana Powell. Boom Boom Room @ Green Dolphin Street w/ resident DJs Michael Serafini, Diz, JustJoey & Uncle Milty continues to be the crown jewel of weekly house nights in the city on Mondays.
Shake Your Tail Feathers
When it comes to dancing early in the night, Spin has DJ Chris Eterno on Wednesdays for WTF $1 Drink Night, an interesting mix of guest DJs and events on Fridays and Saturdays, and finally Foxy’s Basement on Sundays. Down the street @ Minibar, it’s new dance floor is kept energized by the likes of DJs Phil DaBeatz, Shawn Edwards, and Jesse Seely. Roscoe’s new booming bass dance floor get serviced sonically by DJs Duane, Kevy, Ron G, and DigiDave. In Uptown the Wild Pug features DJ Oskar for both the Dorian Gray Night party on Saturdays and them monthly Gaysia on Thursday, July 30.
For after-hours dancing, the always popular Berlin has Cosmix Fridays w/ DJ Greg Haus, Twisted Saturdays w/ DJs Larissa and Chester, and Stardust on Thursdays. Hydrate has its Sunday Dance Party followed by DJ Laura B on Mondays; DJR spinning on Tuesdays; and Cyon Flare and DJ Greg Drescher on Thursdays. Hi-energy beats can be had during after-hours @ Charlie’s every night of the week with the likes of DJ LuLu and Mixmaster F, while the brand new Ultimate After Hours @ The Ram (3am-7am, Fridays - Sundays) features DJs David C, Ron G, Chris Eterno, and Plez Thursdays – Saturdays. On the far north side, late night grooving is consolidated at Jackhammer with its energetic dance music and the oh so naughty Hole, which is open on weekends to those who play their part and follow the Dress Code.
T (squared): Towels and Thongs
Lucky Horseshoe has strippers each night of the week in Boystown while in Andersonville @mosphere has them strutting their stuff all weekend long: Hot Mess Thursdays w/ DJ Chris Eterno and Sabbath Sundays Strippers sandwich DJs Eric Hall and Timmy Loop, who spin on Fridays and Saturdays, respectively. Out in the suburbs, the Men of Sarabia appear regularly @ Club Krave on Fridays; Hideaway hosts the Chicago Beef dancers every Thursday and Saturday; and Hunters presents Hunters Hunks every Thursday.
Steamworks, the full-service all-male club features its monthly Bears, The Baths & Beyond party on July 25 @ 1pm-6pm w/ DJ Dexter as well as a Lights Out party every Thursday; after-hours every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday; and DJ Jim B on Sunday afternoons. Up @ Man’s Country, strippers leave nothing to the imagination every Friday and Saturday night @ Midnight.
Niche Marketing
The weekly Latin pursuits at Circuit include La Noche Loca on Thursdays, featuring Miss Ketty’s Latina Review, and Noche Latina with hostess Veronica Zaid and DJs Ink & Alex Perez on Sundays. Other Latin hangouts include Sundays @ Jackhammer as well as Tuesdays and weekends @ the new Moda VIP in the western suburb of Franklin Park.
For an urban music vibe that includes hip-hop as well as house music, Krush/The Prop House gets busy every Friday night; Reunion @ Shadow Bar rocks downtown each Saturday night w/ DJs Box, Shannon, and Kenae; and Club Escape takes care of southsiders on a nightly basis. Chicago lesbians congregate at Closet in Boystown and at several places in Andersonville, including T’s, Star Gaze, and Joi De Vine.
Beyond Halsted
Up in Andersonville you’ll find the neighborhood outpost SoFo, the brand new country & western-ish Cattle Call, and the martini bar Marty’s. Mary’s Attic features Rogue DJ for Feel Good Fridays and Karaoke on Sundays and Wednesdays. The fetish community finds a home at Touché with Hardcore Leather Cruisin’ Night on Tuesdays and Handballer Night every Thursday. Further north in Rogers Park is the very friendly The Glenwood, a bar steadily growing in popularity.
The Uptown/Edgewater neighborhood is home to Granville Anvil and its strong drinks, Big Chicks and its popular free buffet on Sundays. and the sports bar Crew and its Karaoke on Tuesdays. Scot’s is a friendly gathering spot in the Ravenswood neighborhood while Manhandler sits as a gay oasis in the heart of Lincoln Park. Downtown, Second Story Bar is the only gay bar left that serves office workers and shoppers alike while Davenport’s piano bar entertains over in Wicker Park. This west side neighborhood is also home to the new Sunday night gathering called The Boys Room @ Plan B Bar & Restaurant (1635 N Milwaukee Ave) featuring DJs Greg Haus, CT, and Trey Awesome.
Outside the Windy City limits, Hunters Nightclub features DJ Ron G on Wednesdays & Fridays while Club Krave has DJ Saul on Thursdays. In Lake Station, Indiana, Encompass hosts Karaoke on Tuesdays and Fridays and the Rush St. Revue Show on Sundays.