May 21 - June 3, 2009

This Weekend's IML Activities
On Friday, May 22, the Hilton Chicago (the IML Host Hotel @ 720 S. Michigan Ave.) will host several major events: "Rubber Meet & Greet" (7pm); "Woof Camp" (8pm); "MAUL Uniform Party" (9pm), "Gear Blast Party"(9pm), and the annual "San Francisco Party" (10pm). The next night it's the "IML Pecs & Personality Contest" (8pm) and the much anticipated "ONYX Dance Party" (10pm) in the Grand Ballroom.

On Sunday, May 24 the "2009 IML Contest" (6pm) takes place in the hotel's International Ballroom, followed by two big parties @ 9pm: "Chicago Leather Club Party" in the Hilton's Astoria Room (until midnight) and the "IML Victory Party" @ House of Blues with DJ Matthew Harvat (until 4am). IML ends on Monday, @ Excalibur Nightclub with the "Black & Blue Ball" w/ DJ Ted Eiel (8pm-4am). The IML Leather Market, located on the lower level of the Hilton is open Friday: 12N-7pm; Saturday: 11am-7pm; Sunday: 11am-5pm; and Monday: 11am-4pm.

Leather, Bear & Porn Memorial Day Weekend Pursuits
Jackhammer hosts the Recon "Full Fetish" party on Friday, May 22 and then the "FORSAKEN" dance event on Saturday, May 23 w/ DJs Andre Shannon & Ricky Sinz and tons of adult film stars. Two doors down @ Touché they're throwing a "Gear Night" party on Saturday and a "Post-Contest Blowout" on Sunday. On Monday, both Touché and Jackhammer host cookouts.

Those in town for Bear Pride 15 will be hanging out @ Double Door for the "Mr. Bear Pride Contest" on Saturday night and @ Vision on Sunday for the "Nuts to Butts" party w/ DJ Jose "Spinnin" Cortes. On Sunday there's a "Bear Wet & Wild" party @ Steamworks (1pm-5pm) a "Bear T-Dance" at Mary's Attic w/ DJ John Murges (MKE) (4pm-7pm). Then there's the "Annual Bear-B-Que" on Monday, May 25 @ Sidetrack.

For general purpose merriment, theMemorial Day weekend starts on Thursday night, May 21, with Chi Chi LaRue DJing @ Hydrate. Roscoe's will be extremely busy with a a special edition "Wet Boxer Conest" @ Midnight on Thursday; live interviews with porn stars during "The Tim & Roma Show" @ 6pm on Friday; and a "BigMuscle.com Meet & Greet" @ 1pm on Saturday.

Circuit Night Club hosts the "Madonnarama" National Tour w/ DJ Ed Bailey (Wash, DC) on Friday, and then presents its "7th Annual Military Ball" on Saturday with DJs Teri Bristol and Psycho-Bitch. That same night the porn industry will get its Windy City due at the "2009 Grabby Awards" @ Park West Theater (322 W. Armitage); DJ Ralphi Rosario turns up the heat @ Hydrate; and the "Blowoff" dance party, imported from Washington, DC, takes place @ Metro w/ Richard Morel (Pink Noise remixes) and Bob Mould (Hüsker Dü) at the helm.

As for after-hours happenings, the bathhouse Steamworks presents "SKIN: The Ultimate Play Party" w/ DJ Lydia Prim on Saturday, May 23, starting @ 11:30pm. Man'sCountry presents totally nude strippers @ midnight: Blake, Cezar, and Sean Paul on Friday, May 22; and Stefan, Angel, and Jovanni the next night. The new after-hours @ The Ram (3am-7am) will start the weekend w/ DJ David C, hostess Miss Gina, and the "Amateur Strip Contest" on Thursday, May 21. The rest of the weekend has DJs Ron G., Freddie Bain, and Plez on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, respectively.

Final Weekend Fun
The last Saturday of May, the 30th, finds DJ/remixer/producer Junior Vasquez in town in support of his next dance CD, Generation Next. First he'll be at Borderline Music (3333 N. Broadway) @ 3pm for an in-store appearance to meet his fans and sign autographs. Then that night he'll be @ Circuit to DJ "NITRO: The Underwear Flashlight Party." Also in the city that night: DJ Manny Lehman will be @ Hydrate while Fischerspooner spins @ Smart Bar.

Gotta Have House Music
House-heads in Boystown get satiated nightly @ Cocktail thanks to the likes of DJs Michael Serafini (Thursdays); Freddie Bain (Fridays); Pete Augusta, Dealer & Chris Eterno (Sundays); and a rotating line-up of Diva DJs on Saturdays. Up in Andersonville, DJ Plez will kick it 4/4 @ Mary's Attic on May 30, while the long-running "Boom Boom Room" @ Green Dolphin Street on Monday features resident DJs Michael Serafini, Diz, JustJoey & Uncle Milty

Boystown Central
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. Minibar features a trendy crowd and an impressive line-up of DJs, including Phil Da Beatz, Nathan Wong, and Jesse Seely. At Roscoe's, Frida Lay hosts "Drag Race 2009" on Tuesdays while Miss Foozie takes charge of "Male Call" on Sundays.

Dance, Dance, Dance
Big Chicks has its Salon dance floor open on Fridays and Saturdays while the Wild Pug features DJ Oskar weekly on Saturdays and for the monthly "Gaysia" event on Thursday, May 28. Groovy beats are always being produced @ Spin: w/ DJ Chris Eterno on Wednesdays for "WTF $1 Drink Night" and Luis M on for "Foxy's Basement" on Sundays.

For after-hours dancing, the always popular Berlin has "Cosmix Fridays" w/ DJ Greg Haus and "Twisted Saturdays " w/ DJs Chester & Larissa while Hydrate presents has DJ Laura B on Mondays; DJR on Tuesdays; and DJ Greg Drescher on Thursdays. Charlie's has after-hours nightly, including "Resurrection Sundays" w/ DJ Lulu. Jackhammer's dance floor grooves late Thursdays - Sundays.

Show Me Yours
Lucky Horseshoe has strippers each night of the week while @mosphere hosts them on "Hot Mess Thursdays" w/ DJ Chris Eterno and on Fridays and Saturdays with DJs Eric Hall and Timmy Loop, 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 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
Chicago lesbians congregate 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.

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 and on the weekend @ Club Chesterfield.

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 downtown rocks each Saturday night w/ DJs Box, Shannon, and Kenae spinning hip-hop, reggaeton, and house while Club Escape takes care of southsiders. Of special note, is the the monthly "Urbano" party @ Circuit on Friday, May 29..

When IML is not in town, leathermen hang out at Cell Block in Boystown and on the far northside @ Touché for "Hardcore Cruisin'" every Tuesday and "Handballer Night" every Thursday. On a different note, cabaret entertainment is featured @ Davenport's in Wicker Park, 3160 in Lakeview, Cornelia's in Boystown, and downtown @ The Baton, with a female impersonator twist.

Where Else?
Wilde Bar & Restaurant (3130 N. Broadway) has recently begun its weekly "Wilde Night Out" on Mondays w/ DJ Greg Haus, $3 well drinks, and $4 bottle of Miller beers. Downtown denizens find favor w/ Second Story Bar while north side neighborhood watering holes include The Glenwood in Rogers Park, Big Chicks and Crew in Uptown, Granville Anvil in Edgewater, Scot's in Ravenswood and Manhandler in Lincoln Park. Boystown options include North End ( TPAN's poz-friendly "Pulse" on Thursdays), Bobby Loves (karaoke on Fridays), Charlie's (country line dancing) and Kit Kat Lounge (half-price martinis on Sundays and Tuesdays). Plus, you rarely go wrong visiting the long-standing Buck's and Little Jim's.

Up in Andersonville you'll find SoFo and the multi-faceted Mary's Attic w/ Rogue DJ for on Fridays, guest DJ Kelly (Milwaukee) on Saturday, May 23, and karaoke on Sundays and Wednesdays. In the suburbs Hunters features DJ Ron G for Wednesday's "MWM" and DJ Laura B for "Just Dance Saturdays" while Encompass hosts "Karaoke" on Tuesdays and Fridays and "Rush St. Revue Show" on Sundays.
ibe on Saturdays on the Southside. Every Sunday night, the Northside grooves and moves at DJ Stoney's "Ear-Rotic" @ Mix Niteclub. Of special note, Clubhouse presents the monthly "UBU" party @ Circuit on Saturday, May 16.

Other Options
Second Story Bar in Streeterville is a very popular hang-out for downtown residents and office workers while fans of cabaret entertainment hang out @ Davenport's in Wicker Park, 3160 in Lakeview and Cornelia's in the heart of Boystown.
Neighborhood watering holes include Big Chicks (free buffet on Sundays) and Crew ("Man The Mic Karaoke" on Tuesdays), both of which are in Uptown. Scot's packs them in over in the Ravenswood neighborhood while the crowds are friendly in Boystown @ The North End (darts tournament on Tuesdays and TPAN's poz-friendly "Pulse" bar night on Thursdays) and Bobby Loves (karaoke on Fridays and DJ Tim A on Saturdays). Manly men hang out @ Buck's and Little Jim's in Boystown, @ Granville Anvil on the far north side, @ Manhandler in Lincoln Park. The popular Kit Kat Lounge has nightly performances by the Kit Kat Divas and half-price martinis on Sundays and Tuesdays.

Up in Andersonville you'll find the Chicago Eagle leather bar in its new locations (only a few door down from the old location) as well as neighborhood outposts such as SoFo 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 Thursdays.

The young, fun LGBTIQ crowd will be at the monthly "Chances Dances" party at Subterranean on Monday, May 17 while out in the suburbs 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.