Chicago Nightlife & Entertainment

From its earliest frontier days, Chicago has had some of the best nightlife in the US. "Sweet Home Chicago", birthplace of Muddy Waters' urban blues, as well as R&B's Chess Records, is still going strong, inspiring the energetic dance beat of 1980s house music as well as the groundbreaking jazz of the Art Ensemble of Chicago. Nightclubs aplenty are all over town, especially along Halsted Street, Lincoln Avenue and Clark Street on the North Side. Uptown, at the intersection of North Broadway and Lawrence, is a bit down-at-the-heel, but has half a dozen good venues. The best gay clubs congregate in the Lincoln Park area. Highbrow pursuits are also well provided for: Chicago's classical music, dance and theater are world-class.

For what's-on information, Chicagoans pick up the excellent free newspaper The Reader (copies comes out Thursday afternoon and are usually all gone by Saturday). The weekly New City and the gay and lesbian Windy City Times are good sources as well. Full listings also appear in the Friday issues of the Chicago Sun-Times and the Chicago Tribune, and Chicago magazine has useful arts and restaurant listings. The Gramaphone Ltd record store at 2663 N Clark St (tel 773/472-3683) is the best place for details of one-shot dance nights.

Club Mystic After-Hours Moonlight Cruise aboard Mystic Blue
Feel the pulse of Club Mystic After Dark! Follow the blue lights at Navy Pier to Chicago’s most unique and hottest club on the water. Hot Hip Hop/R&B dance mixes spun by Citysearch's Winners of Best DJ's of 2007. Skyline views as hypnotic as the rhythms. Cool cocktails. Complimentary late-night hors d’oeuvres. Learn More.

Featured

Pianist Performance
Chicagoland Pianist Kathie Nicolet has appeared in the Drake Hotel Chicago's Palm Court, is Lead Pianist at Von Maur St Charles. Kathie Nicolet - Chicago Pianist

Fridays, open run
Supernatural Chicago
Excalibur nightclub, 632 N. Dearborn 312.266.1944 neil@supernaturalchicago.com
Explore Chicago's paranormal past in an hour of interactive theatre -- at a truly haunting nightspot! Hear true stories of the unexplained, then feel them come to life through audience-involving demonstrations of telepathy, clairvoyance, mediumship, and magic. All within the reputedly haunted Excalibur nightclub. Fridays, 8pm. Open run.

Jet Vodka Lounge
1551 N. Sheffield Avenue
Chicago, IL 60622
Phone: 312-730-4395
Open Wednesday through Saturday, 8pm ? Late and Monday, 8pm ? Late
Step into our simulated Boeing 777 as you lift-off into one of Chicago?s most unique venues to date. Over 130 of the finest vodkas are served from around the world in personal ice tables to keep your drink cold. Sit back in your leather seating arrangements boasting spacious legroom while enjoying state of the art lighting and sound system.

Hogs n Honeys
1551 N. Sheffield (the corner of Kingsbury and Weed Street)
Chicago, IL 60622
Phone: 312-377-1733
Open Wednesday through Friday, 9am ? 2am and Saturday, 9am ? 3am
"Where the music rocks loud, the bull throws hard, the bar gets danced on, and everyone gets wet!" Be the center of attraction by taking a ride on the mechanical bull or grab a friend and do a pole dance on the bar. Get comfortable and get ready to bring out your wild side!

Neo Nightclub
2350 N Clark
773-528-2622, email: neo-chicago@comcast.net
Serving Chicago's underground since 1979.

Clubs By Type

Blues
B.L.U.E.S. 2519 N Halsted St tel 773/528-1012. Opened in the 1970s, it's still going strong, though a little over-touristed. The tiny stage has been graced by all the greats.
Blue Chicago 536 N Clark St tel 312/661-0100. The...
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Jazz
Andy's 11 E Hubbard St tel 312/642-6805. Very popular with the after-work crowd; informal with moderate prices.
The Cotton Club 1710 S Michigan Ave tel 312/341-9787. A sophisticated, live-music venue and disco, it attracts a...
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Rock clubs
Cubby Bear 1059 W Addison St tel 773/327-1662. A sports bar during the day - right next to Wrigley Field - this place transforms itself after dark into one of the city's most boisterous and eclectic live venues, popular with aging dinosaurs more...
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Folk, country and world music clubs
Fitzgerald's 6615 W Roosevelt, Berwyn tel 708/788-2118....
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Dance
Circus 901 W Weed St tel 312/266-1200. This celebrity hangout features cartoonish, technicolor decor and a live trapeze act.
Crobar 1543 N Kingsbury St tel 312/413-7000. The exclusive, hyper-trendy warehouse club near the river...
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Theater and comedy
While it was once every Chicago actor's and playwright's ambition to end up in New York, many are now quite content to remain here. The city now supports numerous theater companies, many of them - notably Steppenwolf, John Malkovich's former...
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Classical music, opera and dance
Under Daniel Barenboim, who is committed to including more contemporary music in its repertoire, the profile of the world-renowned Chicago Symphony Orchestra - based at the Orchestra Hall, 220 S Michigan Ave (tel 312/435-8122 or 312/435-8172,...
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Sports
Staunchly blue-collar Chicago must be among the best US cities for watching sports, as Chicagoans are, for better or worse, loyally supportive of their teams. The city's most successful outfit in recent memory was the Michael Jordan-led ...
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Drinking
If not quite as wild as in the bootlegging days of speakeasies and Prohibition, Chicago remains a consummate boozer's town and is one of the best US cities for bars, catering to just about every group and interest and many open to 3 or 4am,...
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ENJOY THE NIGHT ABOARD ODYSSEY MOONLIGHT LOUNGE

Savor the night. Cool three-piece combo. Romantic Guitarist on the outdoor Observation Deck. Distinctive menu and signature chocolate fountain. Spectacular skyline views and candlelit decks. Top off a romantic night on the town with Odyssey. Learn More.