This Weekend
Tonight (Thursday, November 20) over @ Lakeshore Theater (3175 N. Broadway), Chicago's favorite cabaret act, Amy & Freddy, step up to the plate with comedy, music, and good times beginning at 8pm. One of the hottest dance music vocalists around, September, will appear @ Crobar on Friday, November 21. The following night, November 22, Crobar plays host to Fedde Le Grand as he joins Mixin Marc in the dj booth. That same night Ralphi Rosario will shake things up @ Hydrate while the beautiful Colette takes the dance floor on a trip @ Smart Bar. The weekend comes to a real nice close with Peace Division & DJ Lego grooving the "Boom Boom Room" @ Green Dolphin on Monday, November 24.

The Busiest Night
The Wednesday night before Thanksgiving, this year being November 26, is often referred to in the nightlife industry as he "Black Wednesday: The Busiest Night Of The Year!" Just about everyone seems to be out partying on this night and there are a few special events you should take note of. On the house music front, arguably the two biggest names in Chicago DJing history will be in town at two different venues. "The Big Playback" featuring the legendary Frankie Knuckles spinning his classic style will take place @ Green Dolphin. Meanwhile further north at Smart Bar, international superstar and jack master DJ Derrick Carter takes over the booth along with James Curd of Greenskeeper.

Interestingly, there's no big-name trance or progressive DJ in town this night, but big room antics are sure to be in play at Crobar w/ David Guetta set to rock the house. In Boystown, in addition to the general expected craziness, the usually dark on Wednesdays Circuit Night Club will be hosting their "Wild Wednesday" party w/ DJ Alex Perez. And of course it is sure to be wall-to-wall out in Elk Grove Village as the suburbanites bump and grind @ Hunters all night long w/ DJ Ron G in the booth.

Thanksgiving Weekend Continued
Folks will surely get a chance to work off all those extra carbs and calories on a weekend highlighted by Razor & Guido headlining the "Nitro Party" @ Circuit on Saturday, November 29. Miss Foozie hosts the proceedings and of course Sal-E will be about. Another legendary pair will be in Chicago that same night as The Crystal Method will be appearing @ Vision. And while no longer paired up with his Deep Dish partner, Dubfire will be @ Crobar on Friday, November 28.

As for unofficial themes this weekend, it's all about estrogen in the DJ booth @ Hydrate w/ Jeanette on tap for Friday and Laura B scheduled for Saturday. Over @ Spin it's all about the "twig & berries set" with the monthly "Shower Contest" on Friday and the newly launched "Menz Room Party" on Saturday, both of which w/ DJ Chris Eterno. and Hip-hop aficionados and lovers of the urban musical blend will want to either check out "Homecookin'" @ the Prop House featuring DJ Sedrick on Friday, November 28 or "Urbano" @ Circuit with DJs Anton, Kenae, and Corona. To finish off the holiday weekend, Berlin hosts "Prince Night" Sunday, November 30.

Thursday Night Special
As the unofficial start to the weekend, Thursdays have become quite a fun night to go out in the city. Starting up in Andersonville, the Clark & Balmoral intersection is quite festive with DJ Chris Eterno heating things up during "Hot Mess" @ @mophere. Kitty corner from there, the lesbians get their groove on for "Lipstick Club" @ Mary's Attic w/ DJs Dragonfire and KT.

Down in Boystown early-ish (10pm-2am) on Thursday nights, DJ Timmy Loop and the Spank Go-Go Boys keep it lively and playful @ Cocktail while everyone @ Sidetrack is laughing their butts off because it's "Comedy Video" night. The potent frozen slushies allow the laughs to come more frequently and harder. Once these early outposts close down, the night owls split up to either go hear DJ Greg Drescher deliver hard-edged club beats @ Hydrate or go to Berlin for "Stardust" and it's eclectic and fun blend of electro and house music. Finally, not content to let Thursday nights be ruled by city-dwellers, Hunters offers an extremely popular program with DJ Laura B and the Hunter Hunks strippers (November 20: Blake, Dakota & Diesel from LA; November 27- Thanksgiving night: Blue Eyes, Fabion, Ken Strong & Pornstar Ricky Sinz).

Everybody Dance
While well known for its Tuesday night "Drag Race 2008" hosted by Frida Lay and Sunday evening "Male Call" w/ Miss Foozie, Roscoe's also has dancing each night of the week w/ DJs Kevy, Eddy, Ron G & Duane spinning an energetic commercial mix. On the late night front, Berlin serves up an eclectic blend of electro, underground and Chicago house featuring DJ Greg Haus for "Cosmix Fridays" and DJs Chester and Larissa in rotation for "Twisted Saturdays." Charlie's schizophrenically fun schedule has country 2-step and line dancing early in the evening, followed by hi-energy club fare during nightly after-hours w/ DJs Lulu and Mixmaster F. Other late night dance options include Jackhammer in Andersonville w/ DJ Oscar on Wednesdays and Thursdays and the most diverse clientele in the city on the weekends.

Gotta Have House Music
Cocktail is the home for house music in Boystown, featuring the Spank Go-Go Boys five nights a week and DJs Michael Serafini (Tuesdays), Freddie Bain (Fridays), and Pete Augusta (Sundays). And now that DJs Heather Doble and Luis M are @ Scarlet on Wednesdays and Sundays, respectively, the music profile and reputation of Halsted Street has certainly improved. Outside of Boystown, house music gets proper treatment on Fridays on the south side @ Jeffrey's Pub w/ DJ Dana Powell and on Saturdays up north in Andersonville w/ DJ Plez spinning "Attic-tion Saturdays" @ Mary's Attic. Of course house music rules every Monday night at "Boom Boom Room" @ Green Dolphin Street w/ residents DJs Michael Serafini, Diz, JustJoey & Uncle Milty.

Where Everyone Knows Your Name
Starting on the northern end of Boystown there's the sports bar North End and its next door neighbor Bobby Loves, a neighborhood drinkers' paradise that packs them in for Karaoke on Fridays and DJ TimE on Saturdays. Across the street is Cell Block, the only leather/fetish bar in Boystown.

South of Addison on Halsted, Little Jim's and Bucks Saloon are institutions that have been around for years as anchors in Boystown. Another neighborhood anchor, the video bar Sidetrack, is arguably the most popular watering hole in the country and is well known for "Showtunes" videos on Mondays and "Energy Dance" clips on weekends.

Not yet an institution but very popular with the young and trendy is Minibar with its 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). Further down the street, Spin continues its Wednesday "What The F%*k!" $1 drink night.

Neighborhood watering holes of note include Scot's in Ravenswood, Manhandler in Lincoln Park, Second Story Bar downtown, the Granville Anvil in Edgewater, and Marty's in Andersonville (with that cutie bartender Lucas). 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 a nightly "Happy Hour" w/ _-price appetizers Monday - Friday (4pm-6pm) and "Man The Mic Karaoke" w/ Adam LeBlanc on Tuesdays.

Take It Off
Steamworks, Boystown's full-service bath house, features a "Lights Out" party every Thursday, an after-hours setting w/ DJ Dick on Friday and Saturday nights, and "Sunday Spin Cycle" w/ DJs Jim B. On Saturday, November 22 the "Bears, Bath & Beyond" play party starts @ 1pm with Guest DJ John Murges of Milwaukee. The stripper shows @ Man's Country, Andersonville's bath house outpost, features the all-nude dancers every Friday and Saturday night. The line-up includes Giorgio, Cezar and Fabion on Saturday, November 22; and Luciano, Geno and Sean Paul on Friday, November 28. Not quite nude, the Lucky Horseshoe dancers prance and gyrate on the bar seven nights a week down in Boystown.

Diverse Diversions?
Many of the leathermen in the city hang out in Andersonville at the Chicago Eagle and also @ Touché, which has "Hardcore Cruisin' " on Tuesdays and "Handballer Night" on Thursdays. On the opposite end of the spectrum, cabaret entertainment has several showcases: @ Davenport's in Wicker Park, Cornelia's and 3160 in Lakeview (w/ "Pop Goes The Gio" on Thursdays, and Gentry On State downtown.

When in Boystown, girls who like girls typically gather at the Closet early in the night before the boys and the testosterone levels kick up during after-hours. Up in Andersonville, you'll see the fairer sex everywhere, from T's in SoFo to Star Gaze further north to Joi De Vine further west near Ravenswood.

If you're interested in a Latino vibe, there are several options: on the south side @ Chesterfield Club on the weekends, Jackhammer on Sundays and Hydrate on Tuesdays. Circuit's two Latino gatherings feature hostess Veronica Zaid and DJs Fast Freddy & Alex Perez on Sundays and Miss Ketty's Latina Review on Thursdays.

Disturbia in Suburbia
Out in the suburbs, Hunters Nightclub features DJ Laura B on Saturdays for the weekly "Let's Dance" party. Hideaway in Forest Park has Chicago Beef dancers every Thursday and Saturday while farther afield in Lake Station, Indiana, Encompass hosts "Karaoke" on Tuesdays & Fridays and "Ray Daniels & Friends" strippers on Saturday, November 22 Club Krave in south suburban Blue Island hosts the "Men of Sarabia" dancers on Saturday, November 29.