New Year's Eve Clubbing 2009

Atomic New Wave New Year's Neo. 10pm, $10. Neo helps you dance into the new year with a night chock-full of industrial, new wave and electro. Atomic residents QBot and DJ Kamar run the show with a photobooth from the folks at Glitterguts.

Bootlegger’s Ball
Red Canary. 7pm, $100–$225. Get your speakeasy on, as Red Canary takes care of you for the night. Arrive early and treat yourself to dinner and then hang around for a premium open bar, overflowing champagne and the sounds of electro wunderkind Justin Dahl.

Chicago Scene New Year’s Eve
The Drake Hotel. 9pm, $155–$275. At over nine years in the running, events e-zine Chicago-Scene throws this Drake Hotel NYE bash with entertainment in four different ballrooms. Spanning everything from rock to retro, expect performances from Your Villain My Hero and DJs Jem, Jernell Geronimo and muc more.

crobar NYE 2010 crobar. 8pm, $50. Who needs all the bells and whistles when you can focus on a serious night of drinking and dancing. Crobar's got you covered with an all-inclusive drink tab till midnight and an over-the-top theatrical ball drop and champagne toast to usher in 2010.

Crystal Castles + Alex Zelenka + Midnight Conspiracy + Pretty Good Dance Moves Logan Square Auditorium. 8:30pm, $50. $17 and up. Anything goes with Crystal Castles. The duo has a punk aesthetic with an electro twist and is guaranteed to be loud, distorted and peppered with their signature eight-bit sounds. For this New Year's Eve show CC performs live with an added DJ set and back performances from indie dance DJ Alex Zelenka, Members Only AV's Midnight Conspiracy and dance rockers Pretty Good Dance Moves.

* Crystal Method NYE
Green Dolphin Street. 9pm; $40, VIP packages available. Few electronic acts manage to remain relevant long enough to rack up lengthy career highlights, and while the Method's highest heights went out in the last century, the duo is still releasing and steadily gigging. Tonight's NYE performance see TCM joined by Mario Florek, Johnny Chaos, John Curley and more in the main room. Other rooms see sets from Jason Patrick, Just Joey, Wahi, Dino G, Luis Segura, Pablo Punkout and many more.

Debonair Social Club NYE 2010 Debonair Social Club. 9pm, $65-$95. Our favorite indie, electro and rock bar storms into 2010 with multiple drink packages—yes, there're options for you high rollers too—and DJ sets from its always reliable residents Andrew Voorn in the main room and Ryan Paradise in the basement.

Evil Olive Eve Evil Olive. 9pm, $60. In addition to the usual New Year's ammentities: drink package till 1 am, gourmet buffet at the back bar, champagne toast at midnight, noise makers etc, Wicker Park party rocker DJ Zebo supplies 2010-worthy jams all the way to 4 am.

* Exotic Destinations NYE
Crimson Lounge. 9pm, $135. A multi-level internationally-themed gala, Crimson Lounge's NYE stretches out into the SAX Hotel with three seperate rooms, each representing its own worldly fare. Paris, Rio and Tokyo are the first room with sets courtesy of DJs Torio, Kalendar, Mwelwa and James Lauer spinning house all night. Dubai is the second room, looked after all night by DJ Dalton FInney dropping Bhangra-flavored beats. And Finally, Chicago is represented by Greg Bauer, Jazzy Eyewear and Funky Couture mixing up hip-hop, mash-ups and pop hits.

Extreme New Year's Eve Vision. 7pm, $40. VIP packages available. One of the only places in the city that can boast five different rooms varied betwen hip-hop, house, techno, pop, retro and yes, even comedy that you can dance. The comedy comes courtesy of the Bad Boys of LIVE Late Night and the beats come courtesy of Vision's numerous resident DJs.

* Fall into the Rabbit Hole
enclave. 9pm; $100, VIP packages available. Alice won't be the only one partying in Wonderland this New Years. For the occasion, enclave morphs into a world filled with mazes, mad hatters and an abundace of playing card-themed royalty. Dress to impress and don't be late for this very important date or the white rabbit might leave without you.

Funky Buddha New Year’s Eve Funky Buddha Lounge. 9pm, $20. Buddha has been given the full holiday treatment to add to the general merriment of its New Year’s festivities. Friday-night residents JPaz and Hammurabi rock the main room while the Soul Phonetics DJs, Christian Vera and Cazwell bring their world-music vibes to the VIP lounge.

Future Rock + Dark Party + DJ Thibault Kinetic Playground. 9pm; $25, $20 in advance. Jam band extended solos and live electronics meet whenever Future Rock take to the stage which has garnered them quite a following locally. It also makes a perfect fit for Kinetic Playground's New Year's Eve party. Armed with synths and samplers, the live P.A. duo Eliot Lipp and Leo123 a.k.a. Dark Party is also on board for the night with DJ Thibault opening.

Girl Talk + Grand Buffet + Hearts of Darknesses & Urbindex (DJ set) Congress Theater. 9:30pm, $35. Sampledelic sensation Girl Talk is a big hit with kids. His songs are comprised of snippets from what can end up being over a dozen different songs, all mashed into certifiable—and often irresistable—party jams. While laptop-fueled stage performances can often seem lackluster Girl Talk musters more than enough stage presence to make up for the sparse, one-man band.

DJ Jam Master C Betty's Blue Star Lounge. 10pm; $65, $50 in advance. Representing quality club music in Chicago for over 25 years, Mix Masters has a roster of DJs that reads like a laundry list of the city's most consistent club jocks. DJ Jam Master C counts himself amongst the “masters” and holds it down at Betty's with a fresh mix of hip-hop, house and top 40 club jams for your New Year's Eve enjoyment.

Light It Up, Wit Style
theWit Hotel. 9pm; $175–$225, room accommodations available. Start 2010 in style by lounging at TheWit's breathtaking ROOF or dancing it up in its ballroom overlooking the city. NYE packages include ample premium liquor and bit-size munchies plus a soundtrack provided by some of the city's local DJ selectors.

* New Year’s Eve @ Empire
Empire Liquors. 9:30pm, $75. Resident selectors for Empire's weekly parties the Truth and Ill Behavior, Skyler and Hiroki man the decks for this open bar, hipster dance party.

* New Year’s Eve Bash
Smart Bar. 10pm; $30, in advance $25, VIP packages available. We noticed a trend this New Year's Eve in clubs pushing drink packages, VIP tables and bottles of champagne but no DJs. No so with Smart Bar. Bringing together its top residents and choice local acts, it welcomes DJ Santiago of Potty Mouth Records, mash-up tricksters the Hood Internet, globe-trotting technoist Sassmouth, Only Children's Bald E. and music director Nate Manic. No frills, just a healthy dose of house beats and a hell of a lot of dancing.

New Year's Eve Simplified Cuatro. 9pm, $20. Smooth house beats are the name of the game for Cuatro's New Year's Eve. Inviting the staples from it's DJ roster to stretch out for the night, Jamie 3:26, Chris Underwood, David Sabat preside.

NYE 2010 @ The Shrine The Shrine. 8pm; $50, VIP packages available. The Shrine throws open the doors to both it's main room and the more intimate Coup D'Etat lounge giving NYE revelers multiple options, be it dancing on it's spacious dance-floor or kicking back with a bottle of champagne. DJ Mark Fullaflava leads the musical charge with a mix of hip-hop and dance with DJ 33 1/3 doing a special music video mixing set.

* NYE with Dani Deahl
Crescendo. 9pm, $75. Chicago's foremost electro darling, Dani Deahl, takes center stage at this upscale late-night haunt. Between her globe-trotting, her blogging and her label, Calamity Jane, Deahl is poised to become a next generation DJ superstar and she's doing it all from our fair windy city. So get ready to sweat it out to her driving set while hors d'oeuvres and champagne are passed throughout the night.

* NYE10
Sub 51. 7pm; $135, limited VIP packages available. Outfit Events and Crossfader King join forces to give you two floors of drinking and dancing. If you're lucky enought to make into the intimate Sub 51, Matt Roan and DJ Konsept keep things upbeat and dance worthy while DJs E6 and Galvan pump out the jams on the main floor.

* Paul Johnson’s NYE B-Day Bash
Cafe Lura. 9pm; $20, before 11pm $10. Cafe Lura's not only the site of a star studded Chicago house New Year's extravaganza, it's also the home of Paul Johnson's birthday bash. A mainstay and house legend in the city strtching back to the early '80s, Johnson helped keep us on the map all these years. He's joined by the equally prolific Gene Hunt, Lady D, Craig Alexander, DJ Bai-ee, Frankie Vega plus 5 Magazine host Czarina and the 5 Star Boogie Dancers. If you're after a true school house vibe to kick off 2010, look no further.

* Playboy New Year’s Eve
Chicago Hilton and Towers. 9pm; $155–$205, VIP packages available. Pulling out all the stops, Outfit Events, Playboy and the Chicago Hilton put together one of the most high-profile New Year's events in the city. Headlined by ubiquitous MC Pitbull, electro outfit Jump Smokers also perform. That's all before Playboy gets involved. For a price, you get VIP access to the bunny lounge hosted by more than 10 playmates who keep you company while gambling and drinking the night away in style.

* Red Dog NYE 2010 Ohm. 10pm, $15. Anyone who's been a head in Chicago for long enough knows the legend of Red Dog all too well. Once a mecca for all things house in the city, it's been given a new lease on life thanks to Just Joey and the Boom Boom Room crew. Normally a Saturday affair, it brings the vibes to New Year's Eve with always-on-point jocks Lego, ANdre Harris and David Sabat.

* Reggae Gold New Year's Subterranean. 9pm; $50, $30 in advance. Archangel Soundsystem's DJ Papa G is the selector here weekly in the lounge, spinning the latest and greatest in dancehall, one drop and roots, as well as reggaeton and bhangra. Though he'll be sticking to business as usual for this New Year's edition, admission includes open bar and free champagne toast at midnight.

* Reggae Gold Subterranean. 10pm; $5, free before 11:30pm, women free. Archangel Soundsystem's DJ Papa G is the selector at this weekly in the lounge, spinning the latest and greatest in dancehall, one drop and roots, as well as reggaeton and bhangra. Cool running for five years, so we know we know this night's a keeper.

* Rehab vs Dark Wave Disco
darkroom. 9pm, $15. Now that Rehab has taken home Paper Magazine's award for best party in the country (outside of New York, that is) there's going to be a whole new level of hype surrounding this party. Be the first to get in on the action as it sets up shop in the Ukie Village for a New Year's Eve DJ battle against the city's other top hipster party DJs, Dark Wave Disco. There's also a guest set from DJ Skyler and a live performance from local hip-hoppers BBU.

Reveillon Sushisamba Rio. Time 8pm; $130, table reservations extra. In appropriate fashion, SushiSamba channels Brazil's New Year's tradition of Reveillon, in honor of Yemenja, the Brazilian Goddess of the sea. With staff clad in all white, live bands and DJs play a mix of Bossa, Samba and Batucada all night while revelers indulge in specialty cocktails and tasty treats.

* Roaring ’20s New Year’s Gala
Lumen. 8pm, $55. Usually ringing in the new year gives cause to look forward to the things that lay ahead for 2010. While this is still the case, Lumen has decided to also reflect on the past, specifically the roaring '20s. Decked out with a speakeasy vibe, a New Orleans brass band greats you at the door, ushering in a night of gambling, hors d'oeuvres courtesy of Duchamp and a party hearty soundtrack from DJ Lil Mikey.

Sound-Bar NYE 2010 Sound-Bar. 8pm, $65. The DJ team that keeps the hands in the air weekly on Saturday nights takes over Sound-Bar for it's annual New Year's Eve bash. Dance Factory's To Kool Chris, DJ Markski, Bobby D and company usher in 2010 with a high energy mix of hip-hop, house and dance fare.

* Stardust New Year’s Eve
Berlin. 10pm; $25, in advance $20. Scott Cramer's freaky party goes late and features superstars from the past and present of nightlife. Cheap drinks abound and the regulars come to dance, so if either sounds appealing to you, then you know what to do. Stardust ushers in the new decade with leather-clad nudisco pranksters Ssion and DJs Lady Miss Navy Pier of Chances Dances, Gay Terrorist and Berlin resident Greg Haus.

Switch Events NYE Victor Hotel. 9pm, $100. Overflowing with house beats from 9pm till they shut it down, the Victor Hotel welcomes DJs Flash, AO and Enrique Tobias, giving you a mix of house and electro plus a touch of latin beats, Salsa and Merengue.

* FREE DJ Tobias Motel Bar. 9pm. While the rest of the city fumbles over drink packages and over-the-top New Year's hoopla, Motel Bar keeps it low key for the locals with free admission and beats courtesy of the Beta Theta's DJ Tobias.

WNYE W City Center. 8pm, $40. Boasting three rooms and nine DJs, the W gives the rest of the city a run for its money with this classy NYE bash. Its Miami room sees sets from Florida house jock Louis Dee plus Nathan Scott and B96's Julian and Danny V. Switching to a hip-hop vibe, the Las Vegas room boasts sets from Mikey Swift, Rock Tee and Bam Bam Buddha on the drums. Last, but not least, the Chicago room features a mix of hip-hop and house from the Mood Swingers, PDA, and Ray Revel.

Schedules can change without notice, so call ahead or check online for more info.

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