April 2 - 16, 2009

HUGE Weekend of FUN!
OMG, there's almost too much stuff going on this weekend. Let's start with the "90s Chicagoan Nightlife Reunion Party," hosted by Jason Versace and Linda Little in association with Gus Karas. Spread over 4 nights, the festivities get started with dinner on Friday, April 3, at Prosecco (RSVP: jasonversace@msn.com) followed by a Main Event party @ Crobar on Saturday, where the one and only Roger Sanchez will be throwing down with his world renown house sound. Minibar is the gathering spot on Sunday, April 5, while the Closing Party heads over to Green Dolphin Street on Monday, April 6. For those of you in Indiana, it's the "Miss Gay Indiana USofA 2009" contest at Encompass. Prelims are Friday with Finals taking place on Saturday, April 4. The Classic show will be held on Sunday.

Single event fun this weekend can be had at the monthly The Flesh Hungry Dog Show @ Jackhammer on Friday, April 3, with its 4-Year Anniversary Show: "Bitch and the Dead Celebrities." This raucous celebration of alternative creativity, featuring queer and queer-friendly rock bands, burlesque, and underground performance is hosted Gary Airedale and features the outrageous "Bag of Fun" prize giveaways and the eclectic sound stylings of DJ Sky. The show starts at 9pm with Bitch and The Exciting Conclusion , The Joans, acclaimed female Elvis impersonator Patty Elvis, the scandalous Ms. Bea Haven of Girlie-Q Burlesque and the mod-stomping go-go gals, The Revelettes. Tickets are $8 (@ door or online at www.fleshhungrydog.com).

Club events of note this weekend include "Lube Wrestling" w/ DJ Jeanette @ Hydrate on Friday, April 3, while Tocadisco turns out Sound-Bar and Smart Bar hosts DJ sets by Ladytron and The Faint. The following night on Saturday, April 4, Roland Belmares takes over the Hydrate DJ booth while Girl Bar invades Circuit Night Club.

Forward Thinking
Start the Easter weekend off in proper fashion with a night of dancing @ Hydrate w/ guest DJ Sin Morero on Friday, April 10. The "Fabulous Miss Foozie Variety Show" takes place at Circuit on Saturday, April 11. That same night @ Circuit, Clubhouse Productions' monthly hip-hop "UBU" after-hours party starts @ 1am. Also on Saturday night, Markuz Schulz will delight the proggers at Vision while Hydrate presents its infamous monthly "Inferno" party w/ DJ Ron G.

House Homies Unite
Chicago is the home of house music and the premier weekly house event in the city is "Boom Boom Room" @ Green Dolphin Street w/ resident DJs Michael Serafini, Diz, JustJoey & Uncle Milty along with a slew of hosts that includes JoJo, Sal-E, Chi Town Ronnie, and Byrd Bardot. Other special house nights in the city over the next fortnight include James Curd of Greenskeepers @ Smart Bar on Wednesday, April 8 and the legendary Miguel Migs @ Zentra on Thursday, April 9.

THE place to hear house music in Boystown throughout the week is Cocktail, featuring its "Super Saver Sundays" with $1 well-drinks, Pate tending bar early (1pm-8pm) and DJ Pete Augusta spinning late (9pm-2am). In addition to the sexy go-go boys 5 nights a week, the DJ line-up includes Michael Serafini (Tuesdays); Greg Haus (Wednesdays); Timmy Loop (Thursdays); Freddie Bain (Fridays); Diva DJs Dhanna, Carla Starla, & Tracy Tobey (Saturdays); and the DJ troika of Dealer, Chris Eterno & Augusta (Sundays).

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" w/ resident DJ JustJoey; and on the South Side on Fridays @ Jeffrey's Pub w/ DJ Dana Powell.

See A Little, See A Lot
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 bathhouse Man'sCountry has nude strippers leaving nothing to the imagination every Friday and Saturday night @ Midnight. The Boystown bathhouse option, Steamworks, features a "Lights Out" party every Thursday night, an after-hours setting w/ DJ Dick on Friday, Saturday and Sunday 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" every Thursday with porn stars Ricky Sinz and Shane Erickson set for April 16.

Dance Dane Dance
When it comes to dancing early in the night, groovy beats are always being produced @ Spin: w/ DJ Chris Eterno on Wednesdays for "WTF $1 Drink Night" and Luis M added to the line-up on Fridays and Sundays. In Uptown the Wild Pug has DJ Oskar spinning for "Dorian Gray Night" on Saturdays while VJ Steve Whitney programs video for the Sunday afternoon "Tea Dance" (3pm-9pm).

For after-hours dancing, Hydrate has DJ Laura B on Mondays for $1 drink night and the "girls" of "Hy-Drag" on Wednesdays. The popular nightclub then has Cyon Flare, lots of strippers and DJ Greg Drescher on Thursdays. The "still hip after all these years" Berlin has "Cosmix Fridays" w/ DJ Greg Haus, "Twisted" w/ DJs Chester & Larissa on Saturdays, and "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 while up on the North Side DJ Oskar rocks Jackhammer on Thursdays.

Homo Centralia
The ever-growing video bar Sidetrack features signature potent frozen slushie drinks and a weekly line-up that includes "Showtunes" on Monday nights (w/ cast members from Rent appearing live on April 6), "Comedy" clips on Thursdays, "Retro: 60s ­ 80s" on Sunday nights, and "Energy Videos" on Fridays and Saturdays. Across the street, Roscoe's featured weekly events include "You're The Star Karaoke" w/ Honey West @ 10pm on Mondays; "Drag Race 2009" w/ Frida Lay @ 11pm on Tuesdays; and "Male Call" w/ Miss Foozie @ 5pm on Sundays. On Thursday, April 2, "RuPaul's Drag Race Winners Tour: The Absolut Fruit Tour" will be live on the Roscoe's stage @ 9pm, w/ both the 1st Season Winner, Chicago's own Jade, & DJ Mark Picchiotti.

@ Minibar, the cute and trendy crowd groove to a weekly line-up of events that features "Power Hour Wednesdays," "Mystique Thursdays," and "Theme Party Sundays" with a line-up of DJs that include DJ Jon Roberts, DJ Phil DaBeatz, DJ Shawn Edwards, and DJ Jesse Seely. Just to the north a block or two sits two popular spots: Bucks Saloon and the "late night closing, early morning opening Little Jim's. Cornelia's features cabaret performances.

The Estrogen Set
Circuit hosts "Lipstick & Lace: The Levis Party" on Friday, April 10 with music provided DJ Lil John and Gavin T (Miami) (spinning a mix of house, hip-hop, steppers classics, and reggae). Be sure to wear jeans or anything denim. On a nightly and weekly basis the fairer sex congregates at Closet in Boystown and at several places in Andersonville, including T's and Joi De Vine. Star Gaze has "Salsa Night" and "Urban 80s & 90s" on alternating Fridays and DJ XL on Saturdays. Thursday nights @ Mary's Attic has the "Lipstick Club" w/ DJs Dragonfire & KT.

Other Boystown Faves
On the northern end of Boystown, the sports bar North End hosts a weekly darts tournament on Tuesdays, karaoke on Wednesdays, and TPAN's poz-friendly "Pulse" bar night every Thursday. Next door neighbor Bobby Loves is a friendly neighborhood drinkers' paradise with karaoke on Fridays and DJ Tim A on Saturdays. The popular Kit Kat Lounge has nightly performances by the Kit Kat Divas, half-price martinis on Sundays and Tuesdays, and a "Desperate Housewives" viewing party every Sunday night. On the opposite end of Boystown 3160 features darts on Mondays, "Open Mic Night" on Tuesdays, and "Pop Goes The Gio" on Fridays.

Que Pasa/What's Happening?
The weekly Latin pursuits at Circuit include "La Noche Loca" on Thursdays, featuring Miss Ketty's Latina Review and DJs Rock-O-Mix and Fast Freddy , and "Noche Latina" with hostess Veronica Zaid and DJs Ink & Alex Perez on Sundays. Other Latin hangouts include Sundays @ Jackhammer and on the weekend @ Club Chesterfield.

For an urban music vibe that includes hip-hop as well as house music, the Rails Marketing Group gets busy every Friday night @ Krush/The Prop House and presents "The Tribute" on Friday, April 10 with NYC DJs Fred Pierce and Ken Terry. Clubhouse Productions and Loftwerks present the weekly "Reunion" @ Shadow Bar each Saturday night with DJs Box, Shannon, and Kenae spinning hip-hop, reggaeton, and house. Club Escape also packs them in for an urban vibe on Saturdays on the Southside. Every Sunday night, the Northside grooves and moves at DJ Stoney's "Ear-Rotic" @ Mix Niteclub.

Beyond Halsted
Up in Andersonville south of Foster Avenue, you'll find the Chicago Eagle leather bar as well as neighborhood outpost SoFo. North of Foster 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 "Hardcore Leather Cruisin' Night" on Tuesdays and "Bear Night" on Saturday, April 4. Further north in Rogers Park is the always fun The Glenwood.

The Uptown/Edgewater neighborhood is home to Granville Anvil (which counts Loyola students as patrons); Big Chicks (and its popular free buffet on Sundays) and the sports bar Crew ("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, Second Story Bar is the only outpost left that serves office workers and shoppers alike while Davenport's piano bar entertains over in Wicker Park.

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.