Gapers Block published from April 22, 2003 to Jan. 1, 2016. The site will remain up in archive form. Please visit Third Coast Review, a new site by several GB alumni.
✶ Thank you for your readership and contributions. ✶
Friday, October 4
Subterranean in Wicker Park, although its gotten more and more crowded, and Xavier's on 45th Street.
darkroom (life during wartime first friday of the month; panic! last friday of the month)
smart bar
hideout dance parties
pretty much wherever LDW is setting up shop.
oh, and my living room.
The Dark Lord Kayne permits no dancing in the realm. This is a small loss for myself, not being gifted with excessive dexterity, but I understand that it is missed at the festivals and harvest-balls.
Although it's been a couple months since I last shook-a-leg, I'm a big fan of first fridays at the Dark Room, Smart Bar, and Sonotheque.
I like to shake a tail feather at Sonetheque too! b/c they have much better sound than my living room, but I prefer my living room.
Street Side Cafe, Armitage and Kedzie, of course. On Fridays D.J Lacy (all the way from Scotland) can be found throwing down the coldest, sickest, rawest house beats. There is also an old school dude on Saturday that is equally nice.
Summerdance
Rumba
My husband's a big fan of "create-your-own-dance-floor" at several of our regular hangouts.
The living room is also popular as well.
I always enjoyed Soul Night at Danny's.
The cereal aisle at Dominick's at 2 a.m. Love that ironic Muzac stuff they spin....
My kitchen, drunk on red wine, while making dinner.
Ugh, not enough places. But spring puts the twitch into my step, so let's all go dancing soon, 'kay?
Dance? Dammit, who told you?
If you must know, barefoot at the top of a glacial kame under the stars on a dim but moonlit night, to the sounds that the crickets and cicadas sing.....
....a rare and different tune....
When is Soul Night at Danny's? Subterranean's been doing soul on Wednesdays. I need to check that out.
Sonotheque is the weirdest place because they can arrange it so there's hardly any room to dance, even though it's a dance club - really contributing to Chicagoans not dancing a lot.
Darkroom's always a lot of fun. Good floor there, even when drinks are spilled.
...your grave.
I had a great time at Berlin for a friend's party Saturday night. The DJ was a little questionable at times, though.
Danny's is pretty great, and I nth Sonotheque.
Chic-a-go-go!
Um, not doing it very often these days. Smart Bar is easy, Berlin is close.
Liar's Club!
I think Naked Guy is there on Friday nights.
Who is Naked Guy, you ask? Naked Guy is guy who gets naked when "It's gettin' hot in here" plays. Mmhmm, strips down to his socks and shakes his thing. It's funny and disturbing all rolled into one.
Dancing is never something I plan on. It's like eating at IHOP.
You should all go to the Abbey Pub this Saturday for Lotus - an electro-rock band that forces you to dance!
i like smartbar a lot, sonotheque, darkroom can be fun too. i used to go to soundbar when pure promotions was there...some of my favorite global djs would come on occasion, but that's all gone to hell now cause those dudes got arrested for some scam.
every once in a while zentra brings in some good people too(mark farina, derrick carter), but i don't like that place so much.
Neo - Thursday nights
Am I showing my age?
This is sort of a generic answer, but ska shows are my fave places to dance. EVERYONE dances and is respectful. It's a really positive scene ... diverse, united and just awesome. My fave ska band is the Slackers and they just happen to be playing at the Note April 28th.
I also like Sub T and Roscoes.
I dance around my apartment and infrequently at Danny's.
Wondering: Where was GB's picture of the day take?
I think I know one of the double-horned unicorns
I meant to say 'taken'?
This is sort of a generic answer, but ska shows are my fave places to dance.
Your words are music to my ears... literally
Course I haven' been out skankin' in ... well, let's just say quite a few years. I just stand at the back and listen and let the "kids" have the floor.
BTW: English Beat coming to Double Door in May (I believe)
Wondering: Where was GB's picture of the day take?
Field Museum? Lincoln Park Zoo?
Can't tell if those are real or stuffed, behind glass or what?
went to a wedding this weekend- and believe you me i got down to the business of getting down. i slowed it down and did the matrix. i bumped booties, switched it up and bumped them again on the other side. i spinspinsugared it with the bride. i wish i could still do the kid n play in it's entirety, but knee surgery prevents this. did the russian czar armsfolded jump up kickout your leg crouch back down thing travolta does in snf during his solo on the litup floor. also the rubbing your wrists together and adjusting your cufflinks move from the same rountine (although i don't own links, sadly, cuz i'm not turkish).
i like smartbar best, just like everyone else. same w/ sonoteque. or anywhere they play a sped up mix of "since you've been gone." or the jungle bros. "i'll house you." or anywhere vance kelly sings "candylicker."
big propers to anybody who mentions bone shaker's, jubilations, bongo johnnie's or route 66.
gaperblock ibiza trip '07?
Planet Earth at Neo Thursday nights. Prince Night at Berlin last Sunday of the month.
I really really miss Artful Dodger.
Wondering: Where was GB's picture of the day take?
Field Museum? Lincoln Park Zoo?
Can't tell if those are real or stuffed, behind glass or what?
Those have to be stuffed and at the Field Musuem. My conclusion comes from:
Painted backround- the Zoo fakes it with props, not paint
Gazelle/deer feeding on bush - animals at the Zoo have feeding times and the props are not edible.
There are 4-5 of em' - first they are all facing/moving in the same direction; you could see that at the serengeti maybe, but I doubt that coincidence would happen at a zoo in a confined area. Second, the zoo wouldn't have a herd that size inside in such a small space.
Lastly, there is a mammals of Africa exhibit at the Field.
@d- What happened to Pure Promotions? They seemed ready for world domination. Then they lost UR Chicago after like two issues.
The hothouse gets more than it's share of dance-able acts and a fun crowd.
Man, "skanking"? Did a bottle of 1994 blow up in here?
Love love love Thursdays at Neo.
I miss the Dome Room. I miss knocking around to loud industrial music.
Man, "skanking"? Did a bottle of 1994 blow up in here?
You think I'm referring to 1994??!!?? LOL. God, if I told you the REAL era I'm talking about you'd think I stepped out of a time capsule.
Put it this way, when the Smart Bar was Cool Runnings, we were "skanking" then...
Fizz
Big City Swing Tuesday nights
I have, on occasion, shook my bootay in the privacy and confines of my apartment. However, I'm definitely not the kind that will go out to dance somewhere.
No doubt I have been long forgotten know by the GB faithful but alas, I am still alive at least in body, in mind, questionable, in spirit, that funeral was a long time ago. No one showed. As I recall it was a sunny day so even if I had the good fortune to have friends they, no doubt, would have opted to be elsewhere. What was the question again? Where do I go to dance? Only in the privacy of my own home. Arms flailing, legs kicking out from under me spasms as if my top and bottom halves respectively had been commandeered by separate and feuding puppeteers. On the rare occasion that this occurs. A broken lamp, a shattered glass and overturned chairs are to be expected. The reason for being, I only dance—even in closed quarters— when I have had to much to drink. So... when the urge to indulge myself in such rhythmically inept bodily convulsions quite often there is a bottle of wine in my hand. As of late though, I have discovered a new personal pleasure. Masturbating while brushing my teeth. Don't ask me why but it is absolutely wonderful. Anyone know why? Has anyone else discovered this?
I'm officially over the legal dancing age at any of the places mentioned. I fear I never again shall dance, except maybe at a wedding, (and certainly never the Chicken Dance).
There was a time you may have seen me at Neo, Smart Bar, or the gone but not forgotten 720.
By the way, I'm not sure I can ever brush my teeth again.
There was a time you may have seen me at Neo, Smart Bar, or the gone but not forgotten 720.
Do you mean 950?
um ahh er hmm...
...welcome back Allan.
Do you mean 950?
Oh yea - too many years ago, my brain isn't what it used to be either. 720, another defunct place, was what Cairo turned into. It was a big tango place, and no, I never danced there.
It occurs to me that if I had the coordination to brush my teeth and masturbate at the same time, I could probably be a professional dancer.
The two best dance parties are Chances Dances at Subterranean, 3rd monday of each month and Formerly Known As at Big Chicks on the first Thursday of every month. Both have a different theme (and I love dressing in themes) and are the best spots to find hot queers shakin their booties.
Masturbating while bruising your teeth is purely utilitarian, while being a professional dancer requires grace and skill and I am sure talent of some sort. I think the mint in the toothpaste must release endorphins or something while the multitasking action of brushing while pleasuring myself must open some additional neural paths in the brain closer replicating the actions of someone who has a sexual partner. Just a guess.
Urban Ethos [26]
What is Chicago's "urban ethos"?
Cool Glass of... [16]
What're you drinking?
Supreme Decision [22]
What's your reaction to the Supreme Court's decision on the Affordable Care Act?
Taking it to the Streets [20]
Chicago Street Fairs: Revolting or Awesome?
I Can Be Cruel [9]
Be real: what is the meanest thing you've ever done?
Andrew / April 1, 2007 11:59 PM
We're talking clubs, bars, studios, etc. Where's the best place to shake a tail feather?