Mark Your Calendars Given this is our Wicker Park issue, it's appropriate that we kick off this edition of ITKOTG with a listing about "FooTraffic" @ Lava Lounge (1270 N. Milwaukee Ave.) on Friday, September 12. Hosted by The Silver Room, this monthly party features house music DJs Ron Trent and Elbert Phillips. On the backside of the weekend on Monday, September 15, another Wicker Park venue, Subterranean (2011 W. North Ave.), hosts the monthly "Chances Dances," a hugely successful party with the wide ranging LGBTIQ community. This weekend @ Hydrate, it's all about Rosabel. On Friday, September 12 hometown hero DJ Ralphi Rosario will energize the dance floor with his Miami production mate, DJ Abel, on tap for Saturday, September 13. This weekend at Crobar is also interesting with recording artist Cascada making an appearance on Friday, and DJ Irene taking over the DJ booth on Saturday. The folks at Miller Brewing Company are throwing an end of the summer party at Cocktail on Thursday, September 18, featuring limited edition magnum bottles of Elite Blue Miller Lite beer. DJ Timmy Loop provides the beats for the soiree that takes place from 10pm-2am. That same night "Club Papi" returns to Circuit Night Club w/ a live performance by Lucia Mendez and DJ Carlitos (San Francisco) in charge of the DJ booth. The monthly "Swank" party @ Fitzgerald's in Sawyer, Michigan is proving to be quite popular with not only the locals, but with the boiz from Chicago. The next edition takes place Saturday, September 20. To get to Fitzgerald's, take Exit 12 off of I-94 and proceed into town to 5875 Sawyer Road. Closer to home on that same night, DJ Susan Morabito will be at Hydrate while the monthly "Amigo" party takes place at Circuit. Shake Your Tail Feathers Dancing go-go boys are a plenty in Chicago, especially nightly @ Lucky Horseshoe. The pros also strut their stuff further north in Boystown @ Cocktail with DJs banging out the house music beats for the "Spank Go-Go Boys": Tuesdays (w/ DJ Michael Serafini); Thursdays (Timmy Loop); Fridays (Freddie Bain); Saturdays (Diva DJs); and Sundays (Pete Augusta & Heather Doble). Out in the suburbs, the Men of Sarabia will be @ Club Krave in Blue Island on Friday, September 19, while Hideaway in Forest Park hosts the Chicago Beef dancers every Thursday and Saturday. Not to be outdone, Hunters will have Ricky Sinz and Manwatch Dancers Christian and Lee on Thursday, September 18. In Andersonville, @mosphere hosts strippers Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays with DJs Chris Eterno, Eric Hall, and Timmy Loop, respectively, supplying the music. 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 and an after-hours setting w/ DJ Dick on Friday and Saturday nights. Ladies' Night So where do the lesbians go to have fun and to party? Well, every first Friday of the month they flock to Circuit for dancing and prancing @ "Girl Bar." On a nightly and weekly basis they congregate at Closet in Boystown early in the night before balance shifts toward the men during after-hours. Up in Andersonville, lesbians are everywhere: from T's in the South of Foster neighborhood (Clark and Winnemac intersection), to Star Gaze in the heart of A-ville and Joi De Vine on the western edge at Balmoral & Ravenswood. Every Thursday, Mary's Attic hosts "Lipstick Club" w/ DJ Shoshana. Each night of the week you'll find a mixed crowd of lesbians, gay men, and many of the hetero variety at the martini bar Marty's. All About House In addition to Cocktail, the only other spot where you'll hear the traditional 4/4 in Boystown is Scarlet Bar: DJ Sean Richard on Thursdays, Carla Starla and AJ Dubbz in rotation on Fridays, and Luis M and guests on Sundays for the raucous "First Ward Ball." Up in Andersonville, "Attic-tion Saturdays" @ Mary's Attic features DJ Plez and his global tour of house music. On the south side, house music gets proper treatment on Fridays @ Jeffrey's Pub w/ DJ Dana Powell. House music rules every Monday night at "Boom Boom Room" @ Green Dolphin Street w/ resident DJs Michael Serafini, Diz, JustJoey & Uncle Milty. On September 15 DJs Flipside and Haley Varga join the party while Seminal Groove is headlining on September 22. Also on Mondays over in Wicker Park, house is the music of choice at the "Monday Social: Beats + Bass + Rhythm" party @ Debonair Social Club (1575 N. Milwaukee Ave.). Niche Marketing If a cabaret environment is more your cup of tea, there are several options for you in Chicago. In addition to the well known Gentry On State downtown, popular venues include Davenport's in Wicker Park, and Cornelia's in Boystown. 3160 in Lakeview has an entertaining mix of performers, including Gio's pop music review, Tuesday through Sunday. If you like the simmering beats of hip-hop then check out Prop House every Friday night and Spin for the "Ear-Rotic" hip-hop & house party w/ DJs Stoney & SP1 on Saturday, September 20. Clubhouse Production is back @ Circuit for their monthly "UBU" party on Saturday, September 13. If more interested in a Latino vibe, there are several options: on the south side @ Chesterfield Club on the weekends, up on the far north side @ Jackhammer on Sundays; and Hydrate on Tuesdays. Circuit also hosts two popular weekly Latin nights: Thursday's "La Noche Loca" w/ DJ Fast Freddy and "Miss Ketty's Latina Review" and Sunday's "Noche Latina" hosted by Veronica Zaid w/ DJ Alex Perez. When it comes to leather community, Cell Block ably serves the community in Boystown while Chicago Eagle provides a friendly and welcoming outpost in Andersonville. The far north side is home to Touché and its weekly "Hardcore Crusin'" on Tuesdays and "Handballer Night" on Thursdays. They also feature "Dungeon Master Night" on Saturday, September 13 and "Onyx Club Night" on Friday, September 19. Where The Boiz Are: Boystown At Ground Zero, community institutions reign supreme, including Little Jim's and Bucks Saloon, straight-up drinking establishments and cruise joints. Further down the street are the long-standing Roscoe's Tavern and Sidetrack. The former features weekly gatherings such as "Drag Race 2008" hosted by Frida Lay on Tuesdays and "Male Call" w/ the effervescent Miss Foozie on Sundays. The latter is a popular video bar known for their potent frozen slushy drinks, "Showtunes" on Mondays and "Comedy" on Thursdays. Very popular with the young and trendy set is Minibar with a weekly line-up that includes "Power Hour Wednesdays" (DJ Jon Roberts), "Mystique Thursdays" (DJ Phil Da Beatz) and the ultra-fun "Theme Party Sundays" (DJ Chris Eterno). When this early bar closes, the crowd typically heads to Hydrate for late night dancing w/ DJs Jeanette on Sundays, Laura B on Mondays, and Greg Drescher on Thursday. Another popular Boystown spot is Spin, with its oh so popular "$1 Drink Night" on Wednesdays and the monthly "Bear-y Special Shower Contest" on Friday, September 19. Down the street, Berlin still draws them in for late night dancing with DJs Heather Doble for "Elevated Thursdays", Greg Haus for "Cosmix Fridays", and Chester & Larissa for "Twisted Saturdays." On the northern end of Boystown near the Broadway & Halsted intersection, there's the sports bar North End and its next door neighbor Bobby Loves, a neighborhood drinkers' paradise. And on the opposite side of the building, there's Charlie's, the only gay country bar in the city which becomes a hi-NRG dance club during after-hours with DJs Lulu and Mixmaster F. Beyond Boystown A full service bar in that you can drink, dance, and cruise, Jackhammer is the popular far north side spot with DJ Oskar on Thursdays and the monthly "Underwear Party" scheduled for Saturday, September 20. Neighborhood bars of note include Scot's in Ravenswood, Manhandler in Lincoln Park, and the Granville Anvil in Edgewater. The Uptown section of the city offers the ever lively Big Chicks, with it's free "BBQ Buffet Brunch" on Sundays, and the sports bar Crew, which has "Man The Mic Karaoke" on Tuesdays, and "Project Runway Viewing Parties" on Wednesdays. Downtown there's The Second Story Bar and it's always fun and crowded after- work party on Fridays. 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 "Ascent." In Lake Station, Indiana, Encompass hosts "Karaoke" on Tuesdays and Fridays and resident DJ Tiff on Saturdays.