Nightlife

HOUSE MUSIC ALL NIGHT LONG

BY JEREMY DILLAHUNT

Don’t overlook the Windy City’s signature style of house music.

Monday Night at the Boom Boom Room is something of a legend in Chicago. The party has been going strong for 16 years. (It relocated to Green Dolphin Street restaurant in 2004 after its original spot closed.) Expect the best of the best DJs—internationally and locally. It’s a night so good, Europeans reportedly come over to attend. Even though it happens weekly, don’t treat this event commonly: Dress sharp, talk fabulously and dance, dance, dance all night long.

Not so long ago, a shift happened in the music world—an ear-quake, if you will. Starting in the late ’90s, turntables began to outsell guitars in the US. In tracing this phenomenon, one can’t overlook Chicago and its homegrown house music. It may not get as much airplay as hip-hop or pop, but those styles could not claim their thrones without house’s ubiquitous influence. In fact, many of the world’s top performers are inspired by, and borrow from, Chicago’s underground. One of the scene’s best features is its relative unpopularity among outsiders, a boon for visitors who want to club crawl without waiting in lines or paying a lot for small, crowded spaces.

The Note • 1565 N Milwaukee Ave • 773-365-9000 • www.thenotechicago.com

Known on the rock and hard-core circuits as a club committed to blowing eardrums and minds, The Note is leading a double life. Once a week, the punk persona is shuttered, and the kids break out the beats with I Love House Music Wednesdays. Midweek may not be the usual time to party, but in the words of local DJ Lady D, “You can’t get a better party than The Note on a Wednesday night. Those kids are for real.”

Zentra Nightclub • 923 W Weed St • 312-787-0400 • www.zentranightclub.com

If you’re looking for table service, Zentra has it, along with Prada heels and Gucci handbags. Matching its style are DJs like Derrick Carter, Nic Fanciulli and DMC World Champion Craze. Although this high-end club caters to Chi-Town’s elite, it manages to check the attitude at the door. Saturdays are mostly reserved for local celeb spinners, of which the Windy City has plenty.