A testament to the city’s house music history, the basement nightclub beneath the Metro is the best place to hear electronic music in Chicago, as unpretentious as it is renowned. Godfather of House Frankie Knuckles was a resident DJ from its ’82 opening until his death in 2014; Sonic Youth’s live album Smart Bar • Chicago 1985 was recorded—well, you can guess. There’s no VIP section, the Funktion-One sound system is world-class, and the Sunday night Queen! party is not to be missed.

The late-night Lakeview club is the epitome of “anything goes” as far as Chicago nightlife is concerned (except closed-mindedness, that is). Since the ’80s, Berlin’s been the go-to for affordable, diverse, LGBTQ+-centric dance parties—think: top-notch drag shows, old-school house sets, New Wave throwback nights, and whatever the art-school kids are up to. In the local alt-weekly’s year-end superlatives, it routinely wins “Best Gay Bar.” Expect to get sweaty and stay out late.

By day, you might mistake the Milwaukee Avenue storefront for an art gallery, with its windows obscured by installations from a rotating cast of local artists. But you won’t miss the crowds lined up down the block on weekends for the forever-hip bar’s eclectic lineup of DJs who spin everything from classic soul to Japanese city pop. It’s sexy but never buttoned-up, has a mix of adventurous cocktails and simple PBRs, and the dance floor is always full.

The Avondale dance club was a hot spot for Chicago’s sizable Polish community in the ’80s and ’90s, then stagnated into a sleepy dive when gentrification hit the neighborhood. After a 2022 gut remodel, it’s currently the hottest spot on the Northwest Side for forward-thinking DIY raves, sparked by its monthly Podlasie Pleasure Club party. Expect lines down Central Park Avenue on weekends to catch emerging talent spinning house, techno, and global club sounds beneath a disco ball.

A newcomer to the Uptown scene, Le Nocturne isn’t your typical nightclub of velvet ropes and watered-down drinks. Launched in 2019 by a French DJ whose love for house music drew him to the city (and compelled him to book Paul Johnson for its grand opening), this comfortable North Side spot focuses on what’s really important: a killer sound system, artsy mood lighting, and a breezy outdoor patio. The calendar fills up with house music showcases, Afrobeats nights, and queer dance parties.

The sleek underground club opened in 2012 as a headier alternative to the steakhouses and punch-bowl drinks of the surrounding Gold Coast scene. With a teeth-rattling sound system, a wall of LEDs that illuminates the DJ booth, and a mix of local and touring DJs who spin variations of deep house and techno (with cameos from the occasional Chicago house legend), this is a favorite spot for electronic music diehards.

If you forgot to do your nails before your weekend kicked off, this casual West Town club’s got your back—it offers “martini and manicure” specials Thursday through Saturday, a hat tip to its sparkly interior that’s designed like a 1960s beauty salon. Besides that, the ongoing theme parties are some of the best in the city; come bump and grind to old-school R&B or rock out to hours of Emo vs. Pop Punk.

A staple of the Halsted gay bar scene for over three decades, Roscoe’s is the center of Chicago’s drag universe, hosting mimosa-soaked daytime drag shows, RuPaul’s Drag Race watch parties, and themed dance parties with an emphasis on pop music where you can catch the city’s best drag queens turning up on their nights off. A sample itinerary: Let loose at an all-Britney Spears rager by night, then return the next morning for French toast (and to pick up your forgotten debit card).

This Logan Square dance bar is the most reliable spot to get rowdy on the northwest stretch of Milwaukee Avenue. There’s something for everyone: DJs spin an unpretentious mix of hip-hop, rock, and Y2K throwbacks; partygoers play Skee-Ball and pile into the photo booth when they aren’t tearing up the dance floor; and bartenders sling classic cocktails and canned beers. If you linger, there’s a good chance Chicago’s legendary Tamale Guy, Claudio Velez, shows up with his famous salsa verde.