Groove Line

I’ve decided that for this installment of Groove Line we should focus in on this wonderful city we live in:

C-H-I-C-A G-O!

C ircuit Nightclub is back open to the public after an extensive remodeling and this is what I have to say to Mike, Patrick, and the rest of the folks involved at Circuit Nightclub: “You done good!” This new 2.0 version of Circuit is quite open and spacious: it really feels like a big city dance club. Thankfully with Circuit 2.0 the volume of sound has returned to acceptable levels with the club’s use of the speaker system that formerly belonged to Twilo, the famous NYC superclub that closed several years ago. And it’s not just the volume of the sound to be excited about: the quality of the sound is fantastic, far exceeding anything that Circuit 1.0 ever achieved. To go along with great sound, the dance floor lighting and visual effects are top notch and will help in providing a truly fun dance floor atmosphere. While Charlie’s, Hydrate, Smart Bar, and Berlin have been doing a good job at providing late night dance options on the northside of the city, the Chicago nightclubbing scene has surely been strengthened with Circuit’s return.

H ouse music coming to a dance floor near you from Chicagoans include the single “I Need U” by Cajmere and Dajae (Cajual Records). In addition to the Original Mix, which has a classic Cajmere and Dajae feel and sound to it, there are mixes by Mark Grant, Green Velvet, and Hugo Moya that collectively cover the range of Chicago house music styles: from smoothed-out deep house to the punchier track-y sound of tech house. Another worthy track is “Sunshine” by Georgie Porgie (Music Plant Records). It comes in a 5-pak of quality mixes ranging from funky house to Latin rhythms, including a tribal rub by DJ Mike Cruz (you can check him out at Hydrate on April 15).

I nternet surfing is an ideal means to gain some knowledge about house music history, from its Chicago origins in the early 1980s to its present-day global reach. One of the most interesting sites I’ve found is at http://www.jahsonic.com/House.html. This web site is incredibly informative on just about every topic related to house music. Check it out!

C arson Doran has been a transformative figure of the Windy City nightclub scene for more than 20 years. Previously associated with venues such as Shelter Nightclub (remember how much fun Quench Wednesdays used to be?) and the organizer of Pumpkinhead, Carson is now part of the group that is so ably guiding Sound-Bar. After many years of giving so much of himself for the betterment of Chicago’s nightlife, the time has come for us to give back to Carson who is without health insurance and in the midst of a health crisis. A fundraiser on his behalf is occurring on April 17th at Y-Bar (Event Details) and I hope as many of you as possible can free up some time to attend.

A pril Fools’ Day passed this year without any noticeable perpetration of a public prank. But like most Chicagoans who lived here in the city back during the early and mid-1990s, I will never forget the greatest April Fool’s Day joke ever perpetrated: Gab Chicago Magazine and the “missing” Gay Chicago delivery truck. Note to the readers: I don’t have enough column space to go into details, but those of you who don’t know what I’m talking about should find out from someone who does about this legendary Chicago story that will forever live in infamy.

G ramaphone is THE place where Chicago DJs shop for their dance music needs. The store has been a fixture in Chicago for more than 30 years – 36 to be exact – and has a world famous reputation. It’s not uncommon to run into the biggest DJ names in Chicago – Ralphi Rosario, Derrick Carter, Lego, Pyscho Bitch – as they dig through the crates looking for that special piece of vinyl to play for their next gig. Since Day 1 Gramaphone was located just south of the Clark/Broadway/Diversey interesection; however, as of this month they are sitting pretty in new digs just a couple of blocks away at 2843 North Clark Street (just across the street from Century Mall). The new location has tons more space providing for a much more enjoyable shopping experience. And don’t think that Gramaphone is solely a place for DJs. If you are looking for mixed compilation CDs from local DJs as well as from the big global names, chances are good that you’ll find it at Gramaphone. And if you need some help in making that selection that matches your dance music tastes, the incredibly knowledgeable staff can surely help guide you in the right direction.

O m Records may be headquartered in San Francisco, but they sure do rely on Chicago for a lot of their creative output. And when they initiate their Wednesday night House Of Om parties in Ibiza, Spain at El Divino Nightclub during the coming summer months, familiar Third Coast names - Mark Farina, DJ Sneak, Colette, Greenskeppers, and Kaskade – will be manning the decks and making it loud and clear to all those Euro-partiers that “ Chicago is in the HOUSE! ”