January 8 - 22, 2009

This Weekend's Highlights
Hydrate has an exciting weekend on tap as local Favorite DJ Greg Drescher gets a prime time slot on Friday, January 9. The next night on Saturday, January 10 the always energetic DJ Jerry Griffith from Kansas City mans the booth.

The "Fabulous Miss Foozie Variety Show" takes place at Circuit this Saturday, January 10. Featuring special guests Paula SinClaire, Vikki Spykke, Viviana Mendez, & Jade; DJ Lulu; and Announcer Bill Pritchard the show starts @ 10:30pm. Later that night, the "UBU" hip-hop party takes over the club with "Pornfest 2." The festivities start at 1am and feature a Flavamen Calendar & DVD giveaway; DJ Anton spinning urban, hip-hop, & reggaeton; and special guest dancer Freakzilla. Oh my!

Got Boogie Fever?
The early reports have been quite impressive and it looks like city's newest dance club, Wild Pug, is a very welcomed addition to the scene. Located just a couple of doors down from Crew, Wild Pug's resident DJs include DJ Oskar on Saturdays, and DJ Steve Henderson spinning on Friday Nights and the Sunday afternoon "Tea Dance." If you're needing more tail-feather shaking in an early evening environment, be sure to check out Spin on Thursdays w/ DJ Ron G and Fridays w/ DJ Chris Eterno.

On the late night after-hours front, Berlin is still quite popular with an eclectic line-up that includes "Cosmix Fridays" w/ DJ Greg Haus, "Twisted" w/ DJs Chester & Larissa on Saturdays, "Stardust" on Thursdays. Hi-energy beats can be had during after-hours with the likes of DJs LuLu and Mixmaster F @ Charlie's on the weekend as well as on weeknights. Over at @ Hydrate there's DJ Jeanette on Sundays, DJ Laura B on Mondays, and DJ Greg Drescher on Thursdays. Up on the North Side DJ Oskar rocks Jackhammer on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

On the mainstream front, the signature event over the next couple of weeks is the presentation of the legendary NYC Producer/Remixer/DJ Jonathan Peters @ Sound-Bar on Saturday, January 16. This really is a big deal event with appeal to connoisseurs of dance music, gay or straight. DJ Lego and Doc Martin will be at "Jack Fridays " @ Zentra on January 9 while Paul Johnson, Michael Ezebukwu, Gene Hunt join Lego on January 16. The house music line-up @ Smart Bar includes Iz & Diz along with Mark Almaria on Saturday, January 10 and Ralphi Rosario on Sunday, January 18.
Gotta Have House Music
There's really only one place for a steady diet of house music on Halsted Street and that would be Cocktail w/ DJs Michael Serafini (Tuesdays), Timmy Loop (Thursdays), Diva DJs (Saturdays) and Pete Augusta (Sundays). They also have Spank Go-Go boys on each of these nights and feature DJ Freddie Bain and $12 Cosmo Pitchers on Fridays. Outside of Boystown, house music finds a friendly home in Andersonville during "Attic-tion Saturdays" @ Mary's Attic w/ DJ Plez; downtown @ Lumen's "Industry Tuesdays" (Maurice Joshua - January 13; Bear Who - January 20); and on the South Side on Fridays @ Jeffrey's Pub w/ DJ Dana Powell. Of course, "Boom Boom Room" @ Green Dolphin Street w/ residents DJs Michael Serafini, Diz, JustJoey & Uncle Milty has a stranglehold on Mondays. Ralphi Rosario stops by to spin an old-school set on January 12 while Ron carroll makes an appearance on January 19.

Halsted Street: West
While Roscoe's Tavern awaits the re-opening of its dance floor some time in the new year, there's still "You're The Star Karaoke" w/ Honey West @ 9:30pm on Mondays, "Drag Race 2009" w/ Frida Lay @ 11pm on Tuesdays, and "Male Call" w/ Miss Foozie on @ 5pm on Sundays. Over @ Scarlet Bar, there's the raucously fun "First Ward Ball" party on Sundays w/ DJ Luis M and cuties drinking "Forties" @ "Frat House Thursdays." At the opposite end of the strip Cell Block welcomes the leather crowd and those with particular fetishes.

Halsted Street: East
The video bar Sidetrack continues to be one of the most popular bars in the city with its signature frozen slushie drinks and "Showtunes" on Mondays, "Comedy" clips on Thursdays, and "Energy Videos" on Fridays and Saturdays. Their neighbor Minibar is popular with the cute and trendy crowd who groove to a weekly line-up of events that include "Power Hour Wednesdays" (DJ Jon Roberts), "Mystique Thursdays" (DJ Phil Da Beatz) and the ultra-fun "Theme Party Sundays" (DJ Jesse Seely). Using the entire bar as their stage, strippers strut their stuff nightly @ Lucky Horseshoe.

Other Boystown Faves
On the northern end of Boystown, there's the sports bar North End, its next door neighbor Bobby Loves, a neighborhood drinkers' paradise with Karaoke on Fridays, and Kit Kat Lounge and its Kit Kat Diva performances. Further south men's bars Little Jim's and Bucks Saloon continue to be popular nightlife and social institutions in the community while Cornelia's features cabaret performances and L.B.C. fills up with a pansexual mix of hip and cool 20-somethings. 3160 features "Pop Goes The Gio" on Thursdays.

Que Pasa
Circuit hosts the monthly "Amigo" party on Saturday, January 17. DJ Fast Freddy is in charge and there will be $2 bottles of Bud Light Lime. The weekly Latin pursuits at Circuit include "La Noche Loca" on Thursdays, featuring Miss Ketty's Latina Review, and "Noche Latina" with Veronica Zaid on Sundays. Other Latin hangouts includes Sundays @ Jackhammer, Tuesdays @ Hydrate, and on the weekend @ Club Chesterfield.

The Fairer Sex
Circuit hosts two ladies events the next two weekends. First up, there's "Lipstick & Lace," with music provided by DJ Lil John (spinning a mix of house, hip-hop, steppers classics, and reggae) on Friday, January 9. Then on Friday, January 16 Chix Mix has its monthly dance party . On a nightly and weekly basis the fairer sex congregates at Closet in Boystown (before the boys join in for after-hours fun) and at several places in Andersonville, including T's, Star Gaze, and Joi De Vine. Thursday nights @ Mary's Attic has the "Lipstick Club" w/ DJs Dragonfire & KT.

Take It Off
In Andersonville, @mosphere hosts strippers on "Hot Mess Thursdays" w/ DJ Chris Eterno, and on Fridays and Saturdays with DJs Eric Hall and Timmy Loop, respectively. Also in Andersonville, the bath house Man's Country has nude strippers leaving nothing to the imagination every Friday and Saturday night. Speaking of bath houses, the Boystown venue, Steamworks, features a "Lights Out" party every Thursday, an after-hours setting w/ DJ Dick on Friday and Saturday nights, and DJ Jim B on Sunday afternoons.

Out in the suburbs, the Men of Sarabia appear regularly @ Club Krave in Blue Island on Fridays while Hideaway in Forest Park hosts the Chicago Beef dancers every Thursday and Saturday. Upping the suburban stripper ante, Hunters presents "Hunters Hunks" with Ricky Sinz, Boner, Blake & Blue Eyes on Thursday, January 15 and Korey Gates, Don Juan, Seth, and Kevin on Thursday, January 22.

Beyond Halsted
Up in Andersonville, you'll find the Chicago Eagle leather bar as well as neighborhood outpost SoFo south of Foster Avenue, while north of this divider street sits the martini bar Marty's and the always fun Mary's Attic w/ Rogue DJ for "Feel Good Fridays" and Karaoke on Sundays and Wednesdays. Further north, the fetish community finds a home at Touché with "Dungeon Master Night" featuring a CBT demo on Saturday, January 10; "Onyx Club Night" on Friday, January 16; "Hardcore Leather Cruisin' Night" on Tuesdays, and "Handballer Night" on Thursdays.

The Uptown/Edgewater neighborhood is home to three bars with devoted clientele: Granville Anvil (which counts Loyola students as patrons); Big Chicks (and its popular comped Buffet on Sundays) and the sport bar Crew with its "Karaoke Night" 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, there's only one outpost left that serves office workers and shoppers alike: Second Story Bar.

For an urban music vibe that includes hip-hop as well as house music, the Rails Marketing Group gets busy every Friday night @ The Prop House. Every Sunday night, the same musical blend gets served up during DJ Stoney's "Ear-Rotic" @ Mix Niteclub (2843 N. Halsted).

Over on the West Side of town, while the sedate hang at the Davenport's piano bar, the young, fun LGBTIQ crowd will be at the monthly "Chances Dances" party at Subterranean (2011 W. North Ave.) on Monday, January 18. Finally, outside the Windy City limits, Hunters Nightclub in Elk Grove Village features DJ Ron G on Wednesdays for the "MWM" party and DJ Laura B on Saturday night for "Just Dance." In Lake Station, Indiana, Encompass hosts "Karaoke" on Tuesdays and Fridays and the "Rush St. Revue Show" on Sundays.