Right Here, Right Now: This Weekend

Dating for Gay Nerds is back on Thursday, August 20, 7pm-10pm, @ Fat Cat (4840 N. Broadway). Admission ($20 advance/$25 door) includes a complimentary cocktail. Registration & info: www.nerdsatheart.com; 312.265.6085.   Later that night @ Berlin, Scott Cramer and Outdanced present Stardust featuring guest DJ Heather Doble.

The big gay event in town this weekend is the Windy City Rodeo. Being held @ Six Guns Ranch and Arena in the suburb of Crete this annual event runs Friday, August 21 – Sunday, August 23. Info: www.ilgra.com.

Within Chicago city limits, Spin presents the Bear Shower Contest on Friday, August 21 (Sign-up: 11:30pm; Contest @ Midnight).   In Search Of The Next Miss Foozie IDOL is the same night @ Circuit Night Club w/ $50 and a spot in Miss Foozie’s Variety Show as top prize. (Sign-up: 9pm-1030pm; Show @ 11:30pm.)  Late night dancing options this evening include Cosmix w/ DJ Greg Haus @ Berlin, DJ Brett Locascio @ Hydrate, and DJ LuLu @ Charlie’s.   Saturday, August 22, finds Steamworks hosting two events: Bears, The Baths & Beyond w/ DJ Dexter (1pm-6pm) and the Gay Rodeo Party w/ DJ Greg Ellsworth (11pm-5am).   Spin’s Tropical Theme Party has DJ Teri Bristol until 3am while DJ Lydia is @ Hydrate for its late night party.

Mark Your Calendars

The Chicago Outdoor Film Festival concludes on August 25 @ 8:05pm in Grant Park with the screening of Tootsie.   Zentra’s 10-Year Anniversary Party takes place on Thursday, August 27, and features Lil’ Louis and Derrick Carter  A very different type of event that night: Roscoe’s Wet Boxer Contest @ midnight.

On Friday, August 28, a screening of Short Bus will take place at Chicago Filmmakers (5243 N. Clark; 773.293.1447). Admission is $10 (Social hour: 7pm; Screening: 8pm).  Spin’s monthly I Love Porn Party will have hotties Forrest Winters and Austin Wilde along with DJ Phil DaBeatz while the late-night Urbano party presents hip-hop, house, and R&B @ Circuit.

On Saturday, August 29, it’s Nitro’s I Wanna Be A Hippie party @ Circuit w/ German stud DJ Mickey Friedmann.   Also on Saturday night Hydrate will have DJ Paulo and his simmering tribal beats.   The weekend concludes with Berlin’s Prince Night and $3 Heinekens on Sunday, August 30.

The Epicenter

At Roscoe’s, Frida Lay hosts Drag Race 2009 on Tuesdays while Miss Foozie takes charge of Male Call on Sundays.  The video bar Sidetrack packs them in nightly with a popular line-up that includes Showtunes on Mondays and Comedy on Thursdays. Other Boystown options include Halsted’s Bar & Grill (Team Trivia on Mondays), North End (TPAN’s poz-friendly Pulse on Thursdays), Bobby Loves (karaoke on Fridays), Charlie’s (country line dancing lessons w/ Steana on Fridays), Cell Block (leather/fetish/bears/jeans) and Kit Kat Lounge (half-price martinis on Sundays).   Buck’s and Little Jim’s are always friendly while live entertainment shines at both 3160 and Cornelia’s.

Shake Your Tail Feathers

When it comes to dancing early in the night, Spin has DJ Chris Eterno on Wednesdays for WTF $1 Drink Night and DJ Mike Bolante on Sundays Foxy’s Basement.   Down @ Minibar, DJs such as Phil DaBeatz and Shawn Edwards lord over the beautiful new dance floor while Roscoe’s new dance space gets worked by DJs Duane, Kevy, Ron G, and DigiDave.   In Uptown the Wild Pug features DJ Oskar for the Dorian Gray party on Saturdays.

Lots of Naughty Bits

Steamworks, the full-service all-male club, has a Lights Out party every Thursday w/ DJ Scotty Dick, who also spins the After-hours (11pm-5am) on Sundays. After-hours on Fridays and Saturdays feature DJ Greg Ellsworth while the weekly Sunday Spin Cycle (3pm-8pm).has DJ Jim B.   Up @ Man’s Country, nothing is left to the imagination every Friday and Saturday @ Midnight with a dancer line-up that includes AJ, Lex & Luke on Saturday, August 22 and Camron, Cezar & Sean Taylor on Friday, August 28.

Lucky Horseshoe in Boystown has strippers nightly while @mosphere has them strutting all weekend long: Manhunt Thursdays w/ DJ Chris Eterno followed by DJs Eric Hall and Timmy Loop on Fridays and Saturdays, respectively.  Jackhammer has the Chicago Beef dancers on Fridays and Saturdays.   Out in the suburbs: the Men of Sarabia appear @ Club Krave on Fridays; Chicago Beef visits Hideaway on Thursdays and Saturdays; and Hunters Hunks liven up Hunters on Thursdays w/ DJ Laura B on the decks.

The Black, Red, Brown, Purple & Yellow

ALMA (Association of Latino Men for Action) will hold its Annual Picnic on Sunday, August 23, at Hollywood Beach, 12noon-6pm. Info: www.almachicago.org.   The weekly Latino nights @ Circuit include Noche Latina, w/ hostess Veronica Zaid and DJs Ink & Alex Perez on Sundays, and La Noche Loca on Thursdays, featuring Miss Ketty’s Latina Review.   Other weekly Latino hangouts include Sundays @ Jackhammer as well as Mondays @ Lucky Horseshoe.

Presenting an urban music vibe, Krush gets busy every Friday night while Reunion @ Shadow Bar rocks each Saturday night w/ DJs Stoney, Anton, and Kenae.   Club Escape takes care of south siders on a nightly basis while Ms. Ruffy gets everyone’s week off to a good start with $1 drinks @ Republic (1520 N. Fremont) with a weekly Monday night party. 

As for Chicago lesbians, they congregate at Closet when hanging in Boystown and at several places in Andersonville, including T’s, Star Gaze, Joi De Vine and Mary’s Attic.   The city’s gay Asian communities are becoming more visible and gather @ Wild Pug’s monthly Gaysia event with DJ Oskar (this month on Thursday, August 27).

Gotta Have House Music!

Smart Bar has three big nights on tap: Saturday, August 22 w/ DJs Heather and Karl Almaria; Saturday, August 29 w/ Colette (singing and DJing.) and Lady D; and Wednesday, September 2 w/ the monthly Only 4DJs event w/ Frique, Lego, Diz, Gene Farris, and Julius Tha Mad Thinker.

Outside of Lakeview, DJ Plez serves up house music during Attic-tion Saturdays @ Mary’s Attic while DJ Dana Powell delivers on Fridays @ Jeffrey’s Pub.   Every Monday the Boom Boom Room @ Green Dolphin Street continues its success w/ resident DJs Michael Serafini, Diz, JustJoey & Uncle Milty.

Beyond Boystown

Up in Andersonville you’ll find the popular neighborhood outpost SoFo, the newish country bar Cattle Call, 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 @ Touché with Hardcore Leather Cruisin’ Night on Tuesdays and Handballer Night every Thursday.   Further north in Rogers Park is the very friendly The Glenwood.

The Uptown/Edgewater neighborhood is home to Granville Anvil (with new and returning Loyola students added to the mix) ; Big Chicks (with its popular free BBQ buffet on Sundays and super fun $1 Burger Mondays) and the sports bar Crew (karaoke on Tuesdays).   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, Plan B hosts the weekly Boys Room on Sundays. 

You’ll Need A Car

Outside the Windy City limits, Hunters Nightclub features DJ Ron G on Friday nights while Club Krave has DJ Saul on Thursdays.   Velvet Rope in Oak Park (728 Lake St | 708.358.8840) has karaoke on Fridays and DJs and dancing on Saturdays.   In Lake Station, Indiana, Encompass hosts Karaoke on Tuesdays and Fridays and the Rush St. Revue Show on Sundays. A little further east in Sawyer, Michigan, Fitzgerald’s (5875 Sawyer Rd; (Exit 12, I-94) | 269.426.3489) hosts the weekly Swank dance party on Saturdays.