Chicago Nightlife Guide » Spy Bar

Fooooooam Paaaaaarty!

Mitch — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 10:51:08 +0000

And maybe you will be left foaming at the mouth when you feast your eyes on the dance action hitting Chicago at the close of this week. From Ladies Night to Car Wash to Star-studded DJs there’s gonna be a rave somewhere near you to get you out and about, and quench that party thirst.

Thursday, August 12th

It’s Crème de la Femme at The Shrine, with a new weekly “ladies free all night” Thursday special. Starts at 10pm, with DJ Fathom mixing up the beats with neo soul, hip-hop, and sassy grooves. $5 will get the gents in to the south Wasbah Avenue venue.
http://www.theshrinechicago.com

Thursday night fever continues at Berlin with Stardust, courtesy of Scott Cramer and his clubland buddies of the now, and not so now. The Stardust team are joined at the decks by Acid Kidz (an electro/techno trio from Germany), and Broken Disco 1980 providing the opening salvo of sound. This is another new weekly venture, and for $5 to enter, sounds like another good reason to go out on Thursdays! Starts 10pm, west Belmont Avenue. http://www.berlinchicago.com/

Friday, August 13th

Two giants of clubland are on the same bill at Spy Bar tonight – Damian Lazarus, and Martin Landsky. Lazarus, from the UK, is known for his innovative techno, while Landsky keeps the pulse steady between house and tech. The two together equates to nothing except the best dance you can buy. $20 gets you into north Franklin Street, or $10 in advance from clubtix.net. 10pm start. http://www.spybarchicago.com

Over at Darkroom from 9pm they’re celebrating three years of existence with the Rude One who hosts The Goodness, a rap ‘n’ decks combo featuring the best of the new wave of high-end hip-hop with J-Zone, RTC of Rubyhornet.com, Pumpin’ Pete and Rude himself. $5 entry in west Chicago Avenue. http://www.darkroombar.com

If you like it “hard”, you need to be over at the HARD Summer Music Festival as festie fever continues at Congress Theater with a long-nighter featuring electro punk duo Crystal Castles. HARD celebrates all things electro, techno, heavy house, and dubstep with masses of bass, and a lively mix of bands and DJs. Also on the bill is Rusko, Sinden, the Twelves, Alex Zelenka, and festival promoter Gary Richards as Destructo. Congress Theater is in north Milwaukee Avenue. Tickets are $30, and you can be 17 and still get in. http://www.congresschicago.com/HomeComing.asp

A new Friday club event is kicking off tonight at Smart Bar courtesy of Kid Color. Palette is its name (in honor of the said Kid), and will be showcasing the latest trends in leftfield dance sounds. In Flagranti headline with their duo-based disco, dub, cosmic, and prog rock. Matt Roan is also doing his disco stuff, with Sparkletone and Kid Color providing their own swathes of audio colour. $12, or $10 before midnight, north Clark Street. From 10pm. http://www.smartbarchicago.com/

Saturday, August 14th

The lovely Dani Deahl, Chicago’s very own electro babe, follows up her Lollapalooza appearance with this night of exotic Asian sultriness at Lumen. Decked appropriately with paper lanterns, Lumen’s waitresses will be playing Geisha-girls, while a Chinese dragon adds a touch of eastern glam in what sounds like an intimate, and sensual evening. But it won’t be the sounds of Asia filling the air with Deahl and Matt Roan behind the decks keeping the pulses racing with their electro-house. E-Six of the Crossfader Kings joins in the medley. 10pm start. The Lumen is at west Fulton Market. $20 on the door, or free all night with RSVP from dani@danideahl.com. http://www.lumen-chicago.com/

From Asia to Jamaica in Asia. Eh?

At the always heaving Rodan it’s Wayne Montana, and he’ll be laying down some reggae-dub at this Asian-themed venue (inspired by the Japanese cult movie sci-fi monster!) It’s a little bit different from your other choices in clubland – but no less fun and rewarding. It’s free too, and an earlier start from 8pm, north Milwaukee Avenue. http://www.rodan.ws

And then, to round off the weekend, it’s that foam paaaarty! we mentioned earlier.

Sunday, August 15th

Things start getting soapy at the Green Dolphin Street club from 3pm when a combination of 10 DJs and walls of foam six feet high will make this fun-filled event a welcome return of the foam bash to Chicago’s clubland itinerary. At this particular Car Wash are DJ Funk, Na Palm, Psycho Bitch, Dino G, Uncle Milty, Just Joey, and John Curley among others, spinning B-More, juke, house, techno and electro. So, if you’re heading to north Ashland Avenue you know what not to wear! You have been advised.
http://jazzitup.com/

It’s Drums, Guitar & Bass vs DJs, Decks, & Dance!

Mitch — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 17:04:31 +0000

For those who love a bit of traditional drums, guitar and bass, and all things in between, will be in for a treat at Lollapalooza this weekend. Running from Friday to Sunday the lineup features such megastars as Green Day, Lady Gaga, and The Strokes, with up and coming faves such as The XX, Mumford & Sons, and Hot Chip, not to mention legends like Jimmy Cliff, and headbangers Wolfmother, and a touch of ballsy blues with The Black Keys, and rejuvenated New Wavers Devo….and so many, many more.

But there is also an exciting collection of the best of clubland, with many great acts spinning their stuff at the Perry arena. Check this lot out… 2ManyDJs, Empire of the Sun (full live band), Digitalism (DJ set), Kaskade, PerryEtty vs Chris Cox, Tiga, Felix Da Housecat, Rusko, Erol Alkan, Wolfgang Gartner, Dirty South, Flosstradamus, Joachim Garraud, J. Cole, Mexic, An Institute of Sound, Caspa, Peanut Butter Wolf, Kidz In The Hall, Chiddy Bang, NERVO, Beats Antique, Steve Porter, Didi Gutman of Brazilian Girls, Ancient Astronauts, Ana Sia, Felix Cartal, Team Bayside High, Dani Deahl, FreeSol, DJ Mel, BBU, Vonnegutt, Only Children, DJ Franco V, and Lance Herbstrong.

Lollapalooza is at Grant Park, and runs from 11am-10pm. Tickets are $90 per day, or $215 for a three day pass. Check out http://www.lollapalooza.com for details.

After parties are a must-have feature of festivals, and there are a couple to choose from on Friday night. So, if you had your dance buds tickled during the day by some certain acts in particular, you may be able to get another dose in the evening/early morning.

Friday, August 6th

At Spy Bar there’s a possee of top spinners hitting the decks for you to hit the floor, with a mix of indie dance, hip-hop, and electro, techno and house. The lineup includes A-Trak, Holy Ghost, Treasure Fingers, Peanut Butter Wolf, and Mayer Hawthorne. $20 gets you in to north Franklin Street, or go to clubtix.net and grab yourself a $12 entry bargain. 10pm start. http://www.spybarchicago.com

Meanwhile, at Sound Bar, west Ontario Street, fellow spinners Chromeo, will be mixing it with Perry Farrell, Caspa, and the Ancient Astronauts. Producer Steve Porter will also be in attendance, with Franco V, and local jocks Dark Wave Disco, and Brad Owen. Entry is $20 on the night, or $15 at www.sound-bar.com

It’s party time at Chicago Urban Arts Society tonight, with Mod being the operative word. For an evening of top notch soul, funk, and Mod, with guests Dirty Diamonds performing live, Maddjazz, Black Automatic, British Knights, and Rebel!Rebel! keeping the grooves keen, and the floor mean. This Black and White Soul Party kicks off at 9pm in south Halsted Street. Tickets are $10, but if you stroll up in your 60s best mod fashion, or formal wear, $5 is all you will part with. http://www.chicagourbanartsociety.org

For those who are still in rock ‘n’ roll mode, it might be worth wending your way to The Continental on west Chicago Avenue at 10pm for a bit of monster mash-up of rare, and early, rock ‘n’ roll, psychedelic, and pre-punk offerings. Kevin and Ethan from the Mannequin Men are doing the honors behind the console. Free to enter.

Saturday, August 7th

The Lollapalooza after-party vibe continues at Vision in north Dearborn Street, with JFK (of indie-electro rock outfit MSTRKRFT), Wolfgang Gartner (tech-house), Felix Cartel (house), and local faves Dark Wave Disco, and Midnight Conspiracy. From 10pm. Tickets are $20, or $15 in advance from wanttickets.com/vision. http://www.visionnightclub.com/

And then, all the way from Britain, mellow electro-guitar combo The xx will be releasing frontman Jamie xx following their earlier stint at Grant Park to mix his own brand of club grooves, with partners in sound N.A.S.A, and Jaun MacLean. The xx DJ set begins at 10pm at Beauty Bar, west Chicago Avenue, and $5 gets you in. http://www.beautybar.com

Sunday, August 8th

And it’s amazing whichever way you look.

Over at Lincoln Hall rocking electro duo Digitalism (from Germany) are showcasing their special brand of punky-dance, with guests Skyler Mendoza, Willy Joy (of Fly By Night), Chicago’s very own Midnight Conspiracy, and disco-based just.one.duran. $20 in advance, $25 on the door in north Lincoln Avenue. From 9pm. http://www.lincolnhallchicago.com

The after-party of all after-parties is to be found at Debonair Social Club (north Milwaukee Avenue) tonight, when Chicago’s favorite son Felix Da Housecat heads the electro lineup, and is joined by Virgin Tears (California), and for the third-night in a row in our column – Dark Wave Disco, and Team Bayside High. Check out http://www.debonairsocialclub.com for more details. From 9pm.

A different groove can be sought at Green Dolphin Street with a sensational night of dubstep which is increasingly becoming a clubland sound many want to chill out to. On the bill tonight is Skream (from Croydon, London), who is joined by 12th Planet, and Pablo Hassan. Opening the night of dub from 10pm is Juan Basshead (Miami), and Richie August (of Furthersound). Tickets are $15, or $12 before midnight.
http://jazzitup.com/

Mark Knight @ Spy Bar

Tom Groove — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 19:18:50 +0000