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Cocktails were pricey-and strong as hell-and strangely, our glasses were smaller than everybody else’s. On a recent Saturday at this smallish club for LGBT people of color, it was girls’ night and many of the women were either canoodling in the corner or grooving hustle-style to R&B on the bustling dance floor. 5758 W 65th St (77).Ī frisking at the door and an inquiry about concealed weapons is either a gateway to adventure or reason to bolt (happily, here it’s the former). A bit suspicious of newcomers at first, the locals were ultimately quite friendly-so much so that we dragged them 17 miles north for a late night back in Boystown. welcoming the community, and the world, for 39 years with a unique video mix of pop, show tunes. Bump ’n’ grind on the tiny dance floor (although the light show looked as if it was being handled by a laser pointer), salivate over go-go boys on Fridays or become the house American Idol on Sunday karaoke night. We're open 3pm-2am Weekdays, 1pm-3am Saturday, and 1pm-2am Sunday. Rainbow paraphernalia heralds “alternative lifestyles” (i.e., a queer crowd) at this bar serving a mostly working-class mix of Latino and white (and mostly lesbian) patrons. Still, diva-driven tunes prove this is definitely a gay bar, and if you’re looking for a hangout that serves cheap hooch and has managed to stay off the Yelp crowd’s radar, this is your place. A digital jukebox looked promising until we realized it was broken, and the bathroom door was missing (although with only six patrons on a Friday, does it even matter?). Vaguely nautical in theme-think fish netting adorned with seashells, life preservers and a fake parrot-Escapades has seen better days. Packed most nights, its a belt-it-out, sing-a-long kind of place, with Musical Mondays drawing the largest weekday crowd. His involvement as a volunteer includes the Tavern Guild in the 1970s, Chicago Metropolitan Sports Association ( formerly Gay Athletic Alliance ), and Gay. Patrons of Sidetrack have been indulging in video bar show tunes since the 1980s, when the LGBT spot set down roots in Boystown. Johnston is co-owner of Sidetrack bar in Chicago, and a long-time activist on GLBT and AIDS issues. This divey joint resembles Margaritaville-if a giant hurricane blew through it. Categories: Politics Civic/Community Business Arts/Entertainment. One devotee informed us the club is popular with the south suburban crowd, has a core following of white dudes, and is especially popular on Friday and Sunday nights. The drinks are cheap and stiff, the genders are evenly mixed, and the live acts are off the charts. Ruff ’n’ Stuff, this club wins the blue ribbon among South Side queer bars. Thanks in part to an ebullient drag show hosted every Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday by the legendary Mz.