January 14 – 27, 2010

On The Agenda This Weekend

On Friday, January 15 there’s a Bear Shower Contest @ Spin, a live performance by Gretchen Bonaduce @ Circuit Night Club; DJ Chris Spinazzola @ Hydrate… The next night, January 16, features local favorite, DJ Phil DaBeatz, @ Jackhammer’s Underwear Party. Also in town this night: Ralphi Rosario @ Hydrate; Santiago and Switch (Dubsided) @ Smart Bar; and Blake Jarrell spinning a 7-hour set @ Vision.

Forward Thinking

Next Tuesday, January 19, a new Kit Kat will be Revealed. The fun starts at 6pm with a 2-hour Effen Hosted Bar… Sidetrack will present a special Comedy Night on Thursday, January 21, complete with a DVD Release Party & Giveaway celebrating the Emmy-nominated comedy special Kathy Griffin: She’ll Cut A Bitch… It’s tuxedo time (though the event is actually black-tie optional) with Equality Illinois’ Justice For All gala on Saturday, January 23, starting at 6pm, @ Hilton Chicago (720 S. Michigan Ave.). For more information and to purchase tickets ($250 / $350 Premier) call 773.477.7173 or visit www.EQIL.org… The legendary DJ Roger Sanchez will be @ Crobar on Saturday, January 23… Crimson Lounge presents its Same Sax T-Dance: Madonna vs. Janet on Sunday, January 24. Local legend DJ Jesse de la Pena will his original remixes and there will be live performances by Circuit MOM and Tiara Russell. Doors open at 5pm, there’s no cover, and a $35 all-inclusive drink package is available.

Boys In The Hood

The video bar Sidetrack packs them in nightly with a popular line-up that includes Showtunes on Sunday early evening and Monday nights, U-Video Request on Tuesdays, Comedy on Thursdays and High Energy on Fridays and Saturdays… At Roscoe’s, Frida Lay hosts Drag Race 2009 on Tuesdays while Miss Foozie takes charge of Male Call on Sundays… Other Boystown options include Halsted’s Bar & Grill (Team Trivia on Mondays), North End (karaoke on Wednesdays), Bobby Loves (karaoke on Fridays), Charlie’s (country line dancing lessons on Fridays), and Cell Block (leather/fetish/bears/jeans)… The Kit Kat Lounge & Supper Club has Half-Price Martinis on Tuesdays and 80s Night with the Kit Kat Divas on Thursdays… Buck’s and Little Jim’s are always friendly hang-out spots while live entertainment shines nightly at both 3160 and Cornelia’s and during Voltaire Cabaret Tuesdays @ Hydrate on Tuesdays at 9pm.

Keep On Dancin’

When it comes to dancing early in the night, Spin has WTF $1 Drink Night on Wednesdays and a fun line-up of parties on Friday and Saturday nights, including the Posi+ive Spin dance party with hostess Saya and DJ Luis M on Friday, January 22… Down @ Minibar, Friday nights feature DJ Shawn Edwards lording over the bi-level party space while Roscoe’s boom bass dance floor gets worked by DJs Kevy, Ron G, and Eddy… In Uptown the Wild Pug features DJ Pervy every Saturday.

For after-hours dancing, the always popular Berlin has Cosmix Fridays w/ DJ Greg Haus (January 15: Wax Trax Showcase), a special Viva La Vinyl w/ DJ Michael Serafini on Wednesday, January 20, and Disco’s Revenge w/ DJ Nate Manic a week later on January 27… Hydrate presents a weekly line-up that includes a DJs Greg Drescher (Sundays), DJ Laura B (Mondays); DJR (Tuesdays); and Phil DaBeatz (Thursdays)… Charlie’s rocks a hi-energy after-hours every night of the week w/ DJ LuLu and others… Jackhammer is the far north side’s late night dance option and features DJ Man on Fridays… The Ultimate After Hours @ The Ram (3am-7am) has DJs Ron G (Saturdays), Plez (Fridays), David C. (Thursdays)… There’s not a lot of dancing @ Closet, but it’s a fun, under-rated late night hangout for the drinking set.

Naughty & Oh So Nice

Steamworks, the full-service all-male club, has a Lights Out party every Thursday and After-hours on Fridays and Saturdays with DJ Greg Ellsworth. The weekly Sunday Spin Cycle takes place 3pm-2am with DJs Chris Eterno and Peter Canellis handling the early shift until 8pm and DJ Jim B serving beats until 2am. The monthly The Bears, The Baths and Beyond play party takes place on Saturday, January 23 starting at 1pm… Up @ Man’s Country, nothing is left to the imagination every Friday and Saturday @ Midnight with a dancer line-up that features Giorgio, Diesel and Jovanni on Saturday, January 16 and Tristan, Alex and Nick on Friday, January 22.

Lucky Horseshoe in Boystown has strippers nightly while they strut all weekend long at @mosphere: Hot Mess Thursdays/Club Manhunt w/ DJ Chris Eterno followed by DJs Eric Hall and Timmy Loop on Fridays and Saturdays, respectively… Both Spin and Jackhammer host Chicago Beef dancers on Fridays and Saturdays… Out in the suburbs: the Sarabia Go Go Boyz will be @ Club Krave on Friday, January 15; Chicago Beef dancers visit InnExile on Fridays; and Hunters Hunks liven up Hunters on Thursdays w/ DJ Laura B on the decks.

House Music All Night Long

The home for house music in Boystown is Cocktail with a DJ line-up that includes Michael Serafini (Thursdays), Freddie Bain (Fridays), Diva DJs (Saturdays: Heather Doible on January 16) and the troika of Chris Eterno, Uncly Milty, and Pete Augusta (Sundays). On Wednesdays, Twisted Trivia w/ Teri Yaki and Dusty begins @ 10pm… House music also finds favor at Scarlet on certain nights while outside of Boystown DJ Dana Powell delivers on Fridays @ Jeffrey’s Pub… Every Monday the Boom Boom Room @ Green Dolphin Street continues its success w/ guest DJ Heather on January 18 along with resident DJs Michael Serafini, Diz, JustJoey & Uncle Milty

Where My People At?

The weekly Latino nights @ Circuit include Noche Latina, w/ hostess Veronica Zaid on Sundays and La Noche Loca on Thursdays featuring Miss Ketty’s Latina Review… When it come to an urban blend of hip-hop, R&B, house, and reggaeton, Fridays is all about The Rails @ Krush just west of downtown, while Saturdays sees folks groovin’ at the Urbano party in Boystown @ Circuit… Club Escape takes care of south siders on a nightly basis while Mz. Ruffy’s Cheap Drink Night gets everyone’s week off to a good start with $2 well drinks @ Republic (1520 N. Fremont) on Mondays… As for Chicago lesbians, You’ll also find them gathering @ Closet when hanging in Boystown and at several places in Andersonville, including T’s, Star Gaze, and Joi De Vine.

Fave Watering Holes

The Uptown/Edgewater neighborhood is home to Granville Anvil; Big Chicks (with its popular Free Sunday Buffet) and the sports bar Crew (Hot Jockstrap Contest on Friday, January 22)… Scot’s is a friendly watering hole in Ravenswood while Manhandler sits in the heart of Lincoln Park… Downtown, Second Story Bar is the only gay bar left in the area while Davenport’s piano bar entertains over in Wicker Park. Also in Wicker Park, the young, fun LGBTIQ crowd will be at the monthly Chances Dances party @ Subterranean on Monday, January 18.

Up in Andersonville you’ll find the popular neighborhood outpost SoFo, the martini bar Marty’s and The Call… Mary’s Attic features Rogue DJ for Feel Good Fridays and karaoke on Sundays and Wednesdays… The fetish community finds a home @ Touché with Hardcore Cruisin’ Night on Tuesdays, a Bear Chested Night every Wednesday, and a Gear Fetish Party set for Saturday, January 16… Further north in Rogers Park is the very friendly The Glenwood.

Suburban Sprawl

Outside the Windy City limits, Hunters Nightclub features DJ Ron G on Friday nights and DJ Lawrence K on Saturdays while Club Krave presents its Retro Diva Dance Party on Saturday, January 23… Velvet Rope in Oak Park has karaoke on Fridays and DJs and a Brunch Buffet with Champagne every Sunday… In Lake Station, Indiana, Encompass hosts karaoke on Tuesdays and Fridays and the Rush St. Revue Show on Sundays