Editors Note: Given the sheer volume of events scheduled for this upcoming weekend, we present a special Valentine’s / President’s Day / Mardi Gras Planner on Page 22. You should check that page as well as this In The Know… On The Go in order to get a complete picture of all that is going on.

A Weekend of Dancing & Prancing

Lots of dance events this weekend with the highlights on Friday, February 12 being DJ Morgan Page spinning downtown at Sound-Bar for Release Fridays and Greg Drescher serving fierce beats in

Boystown @ Hydrate. Two big parties are on tap downtown on Saturday, February 13: The Red Party w/ Ferry Corsten @ Vision and the Mardi Gras Masquerade Ball w DJ Tony Arzadon @ Crobar.

Another Weekend of Dancing & Prancing

The legendary Sharam (formerly of Deep Dish) makes an appearance in Chicago @ Spy Bar on Friday, February 19, the same night that international hard house tribal master Robbie Rivera is at Sound-Bar for a consecutive scorching hot edition of Release Fridays. Also on Friday, DJ Phil DaBeatz begins his very busy weekend with a set @ Hydrate for the Hot Ass Contest. The next night, Saturday, February 20, finds Phil at Jackhammer for the Underwear Party while Smart Bar presents a night of groovy house beats with DJs Brett Johnson and Justin Long.

Earlier in the evening on Saturday, February 20, Rentboy.com presents Mr. Chicago 2010 Escort of the Year @ Circuit Night Club. Hosted by Miss Foozie and beginning at 9pm, this regional awards ceremony will name a Mr. Chicago Escort, who will then go to New York City in March to compete for the title of Mr. International Escort at the 4th International Escort Awards, more commonly known as The Hookies.

Where Boyz Will Be Boyz

The video bar Sidetrack packs them in nightly with a popular line-up that includes Showtunes on Mondays, U-Video Request night on Tuesdays, and Comedy on Thursdays… At Roscoe’s, Frida Lay hosts Drag Race 2010 on Tuesdays while Miss Foozie takes charge of Male Call on Sundays…... Over at Scarlet they present The First Ward Ball, a weekly themed party, every Friday night while Sunday features Liquid Brunch with $4 Bloody Marys and Screwdrivers… Other Boystown options include Halsted’s Bar & Grill (Team Trivia on Mondays), North End (Darts Tourney on Thursdays), 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 as well as RuPaul’s Drag Race Viewing Parties w/ Kit Kat Diva and Season 1 competitor Jade… Buck’s and Little Jim’s are always friendly hang-out spots while live entertainment shines nightly at 3160 and during Voltaire Cabaret Tuesdays @ Hydrate on at 9pm.

Dancer from the Dance

When it comes to dancing early in the night, Spin has WTF $1 Drink Night on Wednesdays and a fun monthly rotation of parties on Friday and Saturday nights… 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 DigiDave… 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 and Twisted Saturdays w/ DJs Larissa and Chester while Hydrate presents a weekly line-up that includes DJ Greg Drescher (Sundays), DJ Laura B (Mondays); DJR (Tuesdays); and DJ 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 Scott 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.

Oh My!

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. On Saturday, February 13, the Inferno After Party features DJ Phil DaBeatz, 11pm-5am… Up @ Man’s Country, they’re offering Weekday Specials (Monday, 8am – Friday, 4pm): $10 lockers, $15 singles; and $20 deluxe video rooms. As for the strippers who really do strip down to nothing every Friday and Saturday @ Midnight: on Saturday, February 13 it’s L.Angel, Lex and Marco; and on Friday, February 19 Ricky Sinz, Tristan and Jamie Heart take the stage.

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… Jackhammer and Spin have the Chicago Beef dancers on Fridays and Saturdays… Out in the suburbs: the Men of Sarabia

will be @ Club Krave on Friday, Fabruary 12; Chicago Beef visits Hideaway on Thursdays and Saturdays; and Hunters Hunks liven up Hunters on Thursdays w/ DJ Laura B on the decks.

H-O-U-S-E!

The home for house music in Boystown has long been Cocktail with a DJ line-up that includes Michael Serafini (Thursdays), Freddie Bain (Fridays), Diva DJs (Saturdays), a the troika of Chris Eterno, Dealer, and Pete Augusta (Sundays). and Timmy Loop (Tuesdays). On Wednesdays, Twisted Trivia w/ Teri Yaki and Dusty begins @ 10pm and be sure to stop by on Tuesday, February 23, for the Don Julio Tequila Tasting (9:30pm-11pm)… House music has another Boystown outlet at Scarlet, featuring Psycho Saturdays with the one and only DJ Psycho Bitch… Reddog (1958 W. North Ave.) hosts the legendary Louie Vega and Anane on Saturday, February 13… Every Monday the Boom Boom Room @ Green Dolphin Street continues its success w/ resident DJs Michael Serafini, Diz, JustJoey & Uncle Milty Miles Meada makes a guest appearance on February 22.

Niche Marketing

The weekly Latino nights @ Circuit include the Latin cowboy set at Noche Latina, w/ hostess Veronica Zaid and DJs Ink & Alex Perez on Sundays. La Noche Loca takes place on Thursdays and features Miss Ketty’s Latina Review… When it comes 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’ to the beats of DJs Kenae, Anton, and Corona 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 find them gathering nightly @ Closet when hanging in Boystown and at several places in Andersonville, including T’s, SoFo, and Joi De Vine. On Thursdays, the ladies on the South Side find a comfy home at Club Escape. The weekly Circuit Girl party is under new management on Fridays @ Circuit and features theme nights and special events.

Beyond Boystown

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, Bear Chested Night every Wednesday, and Handballer Night on Thursdays… Further

north in Rogers Park is the very friendly The Glenwood which is hosting the Heat It Up! fundraiser on Sunday, February 21 (Noon-3pm). Basically it’s a chili cook-off: $25 to enter a gallon of chili and $20 to be a taster of the various chilis, beers and wines.

The Uptown/Edgewater neighborhood is home to Granville Anvil; Big Chicks and its popular Free Sunday Buffet; and the sports bar Crew, which has Project Runway Viewing Parties on Thursdays and which will be showing lots of Winter Olympics programming starting Friday, February 12… Scot’s, a friendly watering hole in Ravenswood, hosts a Mardi Gras Party on Tuesday, February 16 featuring Ragin’ Cajun Karaoke (8pm-midnight) and then has Thom Scot’s Bartending Retirement Party on Friday, February 19 (3pm-9pm)… Farther off the beaten path Manhandler sits in the heart of Lincoln Park, the Second Story Bar remains the last gay bar outpost downtown, and Davenport’s piano bar provides live cabaret entertains over in Wicker Park. Also in Wicker Park is Subterranean, home to the monthly Chances Dances party (Monday, February 15) for the young, fun LGBTIQ.

Suburban Outposts

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 Pasta Cook-Off Party on Sunday, February 14 and a Mardi Gras Masquerade Party on Saturday, February 20, w/ DJ Touche… 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