Over my illustrious career (of course saying that with a bit of sarcasm), I have had a tremendous run through many of the legendary watering holes in Chicago. I have had my fair share of partying with celebrities, to grand openings, to legendary closes like the final night at Shelter, Harry’s Velvet Room, Kaboom and Elixer to name a few. I enjoyed all these places, but since my first journey to the big bad city from the safe haven of the burbs, the nightlife has changed.

It hasn’t necessarily changed from a scene and a be seen environment, or I am not referring to the changes in the hospitality industry gearing more towards bottle service and VIP areas, I mean changes to me. I remember one of my fondest memories when I was under 21 going to Bassa Nova with a live band playing Gypsy Kings covers and a crowd of scantily dressed women with sharp looking men tore up the dance floor.  It was amazing, it was vibrant, it was spirited and I was hooked!

The vibe, the glow, the $9 Corona’s… WHAT?!?!? That is common place, but I was 18! I came armed with $40 bucks in my pocket, definitely not the high roller I tried to be, so I went to the bartender and tried to be extra nice to them and ask them how their day was and strangely enough… after my 3 Corona’s the bill was $18 dollars. She forgot to charge me for one! Score!

Being so naive and innocent (remember… at that time), I asked the nice waitress and told her the bill was wrong and that I had three. She chuckled and with her amazing powers of deduction knew that I was new to this type of gig… so she smiled and told me… “It’s courteous to tip more when someone gives you something for free.”  She followed with “You don’t have to do anything, show proper courtesy, respect, don’t act like a jackass waiving money or tapping your bottle or pushing people around… good bartenders will find you. They see everything!” We ended up chatting in her free moments for majority of the night. She was hilarious! I never saw her again, but I never forgot the lesson she taught me. They were words to live by I tell you! I always treated people with courtesy and respect, but now I saw that they noticed it too!

Wait a minute… does this mean bartenders, waiters and other people in the entertainment industry are people too?!?!? I think I am on to something! At the wise age of 19, I instantaneously became a self proclaimed expert on the industry.  Lol! It was fun; I would guide my misguided friends into becoming the proper patron and how to act.  It wasn’t that you go in expecting to get free drinks; it’s to get to know these people that makes nights like this fun! Of course I have run across my share of bad and rude ones, and ones that thought they were too cool to talk, but I am a positive person and I focus on the good ones.  So I either went really early before the crowds or late when the place was dying down, just so I can chill, talk to a few people, have a great conversation with friends and call it a low stress night!

Over time, we started going out to more places, expanding our search in the various parts of the city to find some of the cooler dive bars, taverns, and some of the lesser known clubs. We knew about the popular places, guest lists and the lines irritation, so if we wanted to go see some of those places we would go earlier in the night and then go visit our friends. Through many of the adventures in our younger years, we have seen a ton of places come and go, but we still had the same group of friends.  We always knew we would have a great time at the places we liked calling home!

We traveled in a small group of friends that loved to go out, and during that time, I realized that I could do so much more with all the fun I was having. I wanted to share with people the great times and places I went to. I also wanted to learn how to make websites! So when I got home, I frantically searched online for a domain name. I have never registered a domain, set up hosting, or anything before but I wanted to do this pretty badly!

Everything was so fascinating and unknown. I found Chicago Afterhours! What a name! I can’t believe it was still available. I registered Chicago Afterhours, and launched a site that featured a hotspot of the month, a drink/bartenders favorite recipe, and a DJ. Location, drinks, music! I went to some amazing places, afforded some great courtesy and have met some of greatest people whom without even knowing it have influenced my life. During our time, we thought we should market this thing by taking pictures with an old camera, put them online and handing out our business cards to everyone.  I have some pictures dating back to 96 when I first started tossing this idea around. It was a great way to meet people. It was a great way to see new places, interview different people related to the industry and how they fit in. I was able to capture my nights, and in some cases help put the missing pieces back together. This was my early introduction and fascination into photography!

My respect for this band of hard workers grew immensely. The bar backs, bartenders, waitresses, front of the house moved so well together. It seemed like it was choreographed.  What originally started as a way to meet people, quickly ended up becoming something that meant so much more. I made friends, and I genuinely cared about these people.  This was a special type of friend, a friend that wouldn’t judge if I had other places to go, a friend that appreciated showing up and saying hello. I would visit these people regularly, most of time with the boys or by myself. I just loved their company, swapping stories. Needless to say, my website got a bit neglected when I was out all the time.

I stopped Chicago Afterhours after 5 years, but some amazing memories still live on.  I became a better person for getting to know a great group of people, I learned how to write code; make websites, graphics, develop an understanding of the web and developed an interest in writing. Out of all those benefits, I am most proud to say that I still consider most of them as good friends, and still try my best to stay in touch with them. When we get together, it’s like we never missed a beat. I miss my crew and wish I could be closer, but my life has moved me onto a better place with my family and a new chapter in life.

Night Life to me is now about more about my friends, and the conceptual and marketing aspects of what a place does compared to others. What type of music, lighting… the beauty of the aesthetics of a place and how it resonates with me.  I am being a little bit selfish, but nightlife is about feeling my moment. It’s that feeling of euphoria, being content… it’s that little vacuum in time where you can leave your worries behind, soak in the moment and walk out refreshed and with a smile on your face.  It’s that moment where everything is going right… the right people, the right drink, the right music… the right moment.  

Even after meeting some larger than life people, I enjoy my nights out at this age even more than I did before. I respect it more; I cherish it more, and gasp… I don’t even mind paying cover anymore and I know there are memories that I will share with my children… well some of them!  A word of advice, if you are coming out to hang out with me, chances are you will find me doing a shot with my friends on both sides of the bar!

Cheers to all the friends I have made over the years in the hospitality industry, and cheers to all of you that I haven’t met. I know all the hard effort you all put in, respect and wish all of you the best!