Planning A Trip To Explore Chicago's Electronic Scene And All It Has To Offer
House music is often accredited to being born and raised in Chicago. The local scene knows its roots, and continues to be a place of upcoming artists, and an amazing spot to catch a show or festival.
The city boasts some amazing artists throughout the entire year. Odds are if one of your favorite artists is on tour, that they'll make a stop in Chi-town.
Local Venues
Chicago is a huge city and with that comes a ton of great venues. It seems that every year they are getting a new hot-spot opening up.
The Mid is a multi-level nightclub that is usually the go to place for after-parties. It keeps the party going into the early morning hours of 4-5am. Before you head to The Mid, it's likely that you started the night at a larger venue such as the Aragon Ballroom.
The Aragon is further north in the city and is an actual ballroom that has been around since the early 20th century. The views are spectacular and it holds top names in EDM from Dillon Francis to Griz.
Spread throughout the city are a few other places of note. Double Door houses a lot of up an coming acts, as well as Concord Music Hall and Lincoln Music Hall.
If you're not looking for a specific act and just want to party, there are tons of places such as Sound bar or Spy Bar, which have both been on top clubs in America lists. But don't forget dress codes- unlike some cities, Chicago clubs are usually strict on dress codes and don't allow street wear like hats.
Premier Festivals
The Chicago scene wouldn't be complete without mentioning the famed Lollapalooza. The summer fest is now running in a four-day format and takes place downtown in Grant Park. Different electronic acts have branched off from one stage to the next.
Though before Lolla, is the Spring Awakening Music Festival. It's more of a summer awakening, but we'll let that slide.
Labor Day weekend some of the greatest promotions companies in the city come together to throw North Coast Festival in Union Park. Also throughout the year there's Freaky Deaky, Mamby On the Beach, and New Year's Eve Reaction.
Planning A Trip
Living in Chicago will keep you busy all year long. If you're just a visitor, then don't fret because you'll always be able to find something going on.
Chicago is an amazing spot. If you're going to visit try, we recommend staying downtown or a suburb where you can easily take the train to the city.
During a festival time, make sure to book earlier than most. Lolla for example should be planned with at least longer than six months in advance before the tickets are for sale because it usually sells out along with nearby hotels.
Thank you Chicago for giving us house music in the US, but we also appreciate the growing, diverse scene ranging from electronic-jam to bass.
The windy city has so much to offer and we recommend any EDM lover to visit for one of the many events in abundance.