Nightlife - Featured Articles

Chicago | Nightlife

Venture out on any given night during the week and you'll be hard-pressed to not find something to engage you. Whether you're into jazz, blues, rock, dive bars or even theater, your nightlife options are endless.

Chicago is known for its music scene -- and clubs can be found in nearly every neighborhood. The city is home to the blues and there's certainly no shortage of places to sing yours away. Halsted Street in Lincoln Park is home to Kingston Mines and B.L.U.E.S -- two of the most popular spots where greats like Buddy Guy, Willie Dixon and Koko Taylor have all graced the stage. And Buddy Guy has his own spot in the South Loop and Blue Chicago is right in River North, too.

The city's rock scene is one of the best in the country, from major touring acts to local upstarts playing at venues like the Metro in Wrigleyville, Schubas in Lakeview, Double Door in Wicker Park and the House of Blues in River North. Like other music hubs like New York, Chicago offers great variety in its music scene.

If you're ready to kick it old school, head to Uptown's Green Mill, the city's legendary jazz club where Al Capone used to frequent in the 1920s. The Art Deco atmosphere has been restored and you can enjoy the "smoky" jazz club vibe without the actual cigarette smoke that used to permeate the space. Random factoid: Poetry slams, which are popular in urban areas around America, were birthed at the Green Mill in 1986 and still takes place nearly every Sunday night.

Like jazz and blues, Chicago also gave rise to house music. In the '80s, kids in the city would gather for raves in warehouse spaces and empty lofts. Today, however, places like Lava Lounge, Green Dolphin Street, Sonotheque and Smart Bar all offer great late-night clubbing options throughout the week. For a more European feel, hit Sound Bar, Y-Bar and Spy Bar. Big name DJs like Sasha, Digweed and Paul Oakenfold head to these spots and you can bounce between all three as they're located on the same corner in River North.

So whether you're looking to listen to music, go dancing or sing your heart out at one of the city's piano bars, including Redhead Piano Bar or Jilly's, you have options. And if you're ever bored, that's your own fault. Not Chicago's.

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