If I could give Sound-Bar less than 1 star i would !!! It was my first time back there in a while, and I was fairly excited considering my last time there it was a pretty fun night. So a group of 10 friends and I did the RSVP online for FREE entry on the night after Halloween 2014. for the FREE entry we needed to be there before 11:30PM. We arrive around the corner of the club to valet park at 11:18 PM. for a while the valet staff was talking to people entering another club. after waiting, someone hollered at them from another car, they very slowly made their way toward us and explained that valet was $20. at this point 7 minutes had passed and it was 11:25. so we walked passed everyone that was in line because we had RSVP'D and made our way toward an employee with a clip board. we told him we were on the list and he said "RSVP or not, everyone waits in the same line"...WTF!! so we wait in the EXTREMELY slow moving line outside in the freezing cold. by the time we made it to the front it was 11:31 and the guy told us the RSVP list was now closed. we explained our situation and he said to try our luck with the cashier. so we walk up the stairs to enter and a small Asian woman is yelling "$20 to enter !" once we get up to her we explained that there was an issue with valet and the extremely long line and she puts on her angry face and says "I Dont Care, RSVP has closed"...and we are 4 minutes late. we argued a little but nothing was helping our situation. regardless, we all pay and head inside. My friends and I are 3 steps into the door and this very heavy B.O. smell over powers us. everyone notices. In the bathroom, I had to wait for a guy to notice me at the sink, he slowly walked over and awkwardly squirts soap into my hands. we try to enjoy ourselves but the smell throughout the club is so strong you cannot ignore it. a few of my friends smoke so we all step outside, them to smoke a cigarette, and me to get some fresh air, but the security outside forces everyone into a cramped space (chest to back) smokers and non smokers together. I HATE cigarette smoke and now when i reenter the club I'll smell like an ash tray... Literally the single WORST EXPERIENCE I HAVE EVER HAD AT A CLUB DOWN TOWN CHICAGO NEXT TO THE MID !!!!! DO NOT GO HERE !!! SAVE YOURSELVES !! read more

This place is awesome. I went here for my birthday and I was nervous before going that our whole group wouldn't get in just because there were like 17 of us but everyone working there was great and understanding of how many people we had. We were given three free drinks too! My suggestion is to go around 11 when there's free cover and the lines aren't huge yet read more

Went here recently on a friday and loved it! Hip hop and top 40 music on the lower level and edm on the main floor. Pro-tip: Use the password VANITY for free entry until 11:30pm (thats what the promoter told us and it worked!) Would definitely go there again! read more

This place is awesome. If you want to enjoy some kickass music and don't mind temporarily going deaf, this is the place to be.

I went after one of the Lollapalooza nights and this is a pretty cool dance club. I would hardly classify it as a "bar." It really reminded me of a few of the clubs in Miami... guess all big cities have those though, duh. Lots of lights and tons of bass! Don't be an idiot like me and choose to dance by the speakers. The night I went, the upstairs played more tech/house and downstairs played the popular hiphop. Two totally different environments in one place, always a plus. I see myself going back when I return to Chicago. I can't speak for locals...but if you're an out-of-towner like me looking for a random night of fun, I suggest hitting up Sound-Bar. :) read more

Can someone please tell guys there is more to an outfit besides button down dress shirt left untucked?

Based on aesthetics alone, this is a great bar. The drinks are a bit expensive ($8 for a mixed drink) and were a bit weak coming from the downstairs bar. We figured out that if you go to the bar by the coat check, the female bartender there pours stronger drinks for the same price. The music is mixed, downstairs for hip-hop and upstairs for the house music. I personally liked the upstairs music much better, so we stayed there for most of the night. I will definitely be back. read more

If you like clubs and don't mind paying $20 to get in, this is a fun spot. Multiple levels, different music on each floor, go go dancers, huge venue, nice staff... Wasn't overpriced either.. 2 shots of Patron for $11... read more

Came here with friends while visiting and I really loved it! The place is massive, with two floors, one hip-hop and one EDM. Usually I prefer EDM scenes but the hip-hop floor here (underground level) was way better. MUSIC WAS SO GOOD. Lots of dancing and the regular to creep ratio was surprisingly high! They really weren't lying when they said Chicago was a chill place that doesn't discriminate. Good and bad. But there was this insanely chill old dude who was KILLIN IT. He was at least 80 years old and he made my night, oh my god. EDM floor was that stereotypical scene where everyone was bobbing like robots--kinda creepy. Large place and something for everyone. I'd recommend it. But the line outside is really, really long. read more

Dreadful customer service. They listed free cover before 11:30, however when my party got to the door the cover was charged before 11:30. These people will cheat you out of your money. read more

Overall I had a pretty good time at Sound Bar. They played good music. Our bartender was awesome. It wasn't overly crowded but still enough that you know it is a pretty popular place. The inside was pretty cool. read more

I don't go to clubs like this often, but my boyfriend was invited to bring a group of people by one of the promoters. The entire staff, from the people at the door to the "host" were extremely rude and pretentious, with the exception of one of the security guys (Chris) that we spoke with. They all gave us completely different information. I will never go there again and I would advise people to bring their business somewhere else. read more

Went for a friend's birthday a couple of years ago, swore I would never go back...but their free cover and drink deal lured me in again. Bad, bad idea. I don't want to waste my time listing all the things wrong...but I will mention that they have some seriously awful bartenders. One guy was nice and dealt with the large crowd well, but another girl (long, black hair on the lower level) was just plain mean. In the end, she saved me money because I was so annoyed that I left a lot earlier than I was going to, so thank you! read more

Disappointed!!! This club used to be great a few years back with great music and diverse clubbers. Now it's ghetto and dirty with mainly blacks and Asians. It used to be mainly Europeans and tourists. The main floor is much more fun and cleaner than downstairs. All you can smell downstairs is sweat, body odor, and armpits. Disgusting!!! Drinks are good but over priced. Thankfully, I always go accompanied by a gentleman who pays for my drinks. Make sure to RSVP to gain free entrance or expect to pay $20+. read more

Dude. The staff here was great. Yes I was lit but seriously. The staff was really chill. They enforced the rules they needed but they also cracked jokes and weren't rude by any means. Keep up the good work here cause y'all are dope. I enjoyed coming here !! read more

Not my first recommendation to party. The staff can be very rude, for no reason and they always make you wait in line despite being on a list. The music is okay except when they have a big deejay coming, and I hate how they make you wait to get into all the different rooms. Check it out once, thats about it. read more

Sound-Bar. The club that made quite a splash when it opened...and re-opened on the Chicago scene years ago has weakened to making a ripple in the pond. Don't go unless there is a special event or a big name DJ, or you face a nearly empty club. Go on a regular night and you face a Chicago club that has gone the way of Excalibur--you won't find a single native Chicagoan there. I must say that the club is very well designed, and there aren't many places like it design-wise in the United States. The sound system is also phenomenal. Too bad it couldn't keep the momentum it had when it opened. read more

We had a great time here last night: cool space, great DJ's, fun people watching (some were hot, some were not). BUT...My only gripe is that they think its ok to charge so much for watered down alcohol. Not weak drinks, FYI, but weak alcohol. We started doing shots of tequila in search of a buzz that never appeared after several drinks, and ended up leaving earlier than we had intended, which is too bad since the music was good. read more

I actually liked Sound-bar. It may be a little overrated, but I have my share of fun memories here. It's always packed with a good mix of people, yet there's plenty of legroom so you don't get that claustrophobic feel you get at some other clubs. Also, there's ample seating to accommodate those that need a break from the dance floor, or just to hangout and people watch. Drinks here are pretty good I can't complain about the music. The staff here is super strict on dresscode, so guys don't wear gym shoes. read more

Bar wasn't very exciting, $20 cover was definitely not worth it.. We almost got a table, thank got we decided to check the place out before making the decision. read more

I can't tell you much because despite the fact that my group was in all nice attire, we weren't allowed in because my sister was wearing FLIP FLOPS. She was wearing a tight black skirt, nice shirt, and flip flops bc she was teaching all day and had blisters. I didn't see anything wrong with it. When we tried to go to "White bar" they said my formal FLATS were not acceptable. Women MUST be in heels. It was so sexist. I was wearing metallic shoes with a 2 inch wedge. It wasn't good enough for them and I was very polite, Just confused, and later offended. He shook his head when I told him my sister wasn't let in for flip flips and he probably just freaked out and lied of fear of getting in trouble....but it's really messed up. read more

I have been there couple of times and I generally love the place and music they play but I had a very good experience couple of weeks ago with the security guys who handled one negative situation extremely well and turned my night from bad to one of the best nights out in Chicago! It is not easy to deal with drunk people all night, every night, especially aggressive ones....but TJ, you are the best!!! read more

Soundbar has been here forever. If clubbing at an alternate club goes sour...we usually head back to soundbar. The drinks are always made strong (and delicious) The place always has good music playing upstairs. Id recommend getting there around 11 pm if you dont want to wait in line at this place (As they tend to slowly trickle people in no matter how packed it is). 20 dollar cover unless you can find a password read more

Didn't get in to see Sirius Hood because I had Nike Flyknit Chukkas FSB's on. Should have worn my Wranglers and H&M boots like everyone else coming in. Only bad part of my trip from LA so far #bitter read more

First of all, its 2 floors club: basement and first floor, not 3 as they said. Also I thought that the music and atmosphere gonna be better.

Great service for VIP and the sound is phenomenal! Definitely will be getting service in the future.

$20 cover each - not worth it, even tho the guy at the door gave us free drink tickets. No place to dance - most of the floor is reserved for blocked off bottle service places. Didn't explore the different floors - maybe they wouldve been alright but we didn't see stairs. Music was typical/decent. read more

I know there are a bunch of other clubs, but this has always been my favorite. So far, I've had the best experiences here. Cover is usually $20, but if you come before a certain time it's free. The main floor plays mostly techno/house. But my friends and I prefer downstairs - they usually play good music (hip-hop/pop). read more

Ok. I like Sound-Bar. It's a pretty chill place. I've read some of the other reviews, and there are some completely valid complaints, so I'll address those first: 1. It can be a complete sausage fest, this is true. Although, sometimes I feel like all the guys are upstairs dancing to the wub wubs and all the girls are downstairs dancing to hip-hop, and there's just no mixing of the two. And yes, some of the guys are creepy, but I feel like it comes with the house/techno genre of music. 2. Really loud. Yeah, it's hard to carry on a conversation here. I have been to a couple meetups here, and it's super hard to socialize, so it's not great for meeting new people. But hey, most of the time, I'm just there to dance to some great house. 3. The free drink tickets (I know, these can't possibly be bad, can they?). The free drinks are all wells, of course, and they are really terrible wells. Like, awful. And I just graduated from college. Instead of going for the 4 free drinks, it's worth it to spend the $15 on a Poggled deal and get top shelf (we're talking Goose and RedBull, folks)--4 drinks and cover. You can't beat that. ***NOTE***The free drink tickets have to be used before 11:30pm. Sooooo you need to get there early or come super thirsty and ready to chug wells. With the Poggled deal, you just need to get there before 11 and the top shelf drink tickets are good until 1:30am. So that's my plug for avoiding the free drinks. But hey, it's a free drink. 4. Sometimes, they just need to enforce the dress code a little bit more. I always dress up when I go out, so the guys in ratty t-shirts and crappy sneakers are kind of a letdown. Ok, the GOOD. 1. I have never had a problem using a drink ticket (whether it be a Poggled ticket or a free drink ticket). In fact, many of the bartenders prefer you to use the tickets--less work for them! Just make sure you tip well :) Spy Bar, just across the street, is not so good with the Poggled tickets. 2. The music. Upstairs (house) is usually good. Downstairs is hip-hop. It all depends on your musical taste, but the DJ's are spot on. 3. Bathrooms--nice and clean, and the bathroom attendants are actually useful. 4. The bartenders--I've never been ignored for more than a minute or two, except for perhaps New Year's Eve when the world was at the bar. Understandable. 5. You can always find someplace to sit when your feet hurt. 6. So many bars--if you can't get a drink at the one you're at, just go to the next one! 7. Love the bottle service area, and they treat you like gold. Definitely worth it if you have a group. So that's the good and the bad that I can come up with for now. Hope this helps! If you're going to dance, drink, and have a good time, this is the place! read more

Meh... The days of a good, supersized Chicago nightclub are long gone. This place is pretty cookie cutter (Plenty of descriptions found in the other reviews), and overrun on weekends with suburbanites. I've been here a couple of times and it hasn't changed. I'll pass read more

Wow! I thought Chicago was better than this! Total douchy place. Assholes made us wait in line outside in the cold for no goddamned reason. Inside was not packed, music was horrible. So horrible people were STANDING staring at the front wall instead of dancing because the music was so bad. People were just looking at eachother because it was so loud you couldn't talk. Downstairs was hot and musty and only the drunks were on the dance floor. Horrible music as well. They played the Thong Song and Baby Got Back. I didn't know this was a bad retro type club. I can listen to this crap on the radio anytime. We only stayed maybe an hour because we had already paid for valet and the stupid cover plus ATM fees because they don't take plastic. What place nowadays doesn't take credit? This place was the worst I"ve ever been to and I've been to the Castle which I have to say was better and clubs in Daytona Beach and India!!!! Don't go here. read more

First time was great!!!! RSVP'ed from their site for free cover. Staff was courteous and professional. Ppl dress well. The place serves a hefty serving of liquor for the $$$. LOVED IT! Will be back! read more

This place is all right. I will give it two stars because the music is pretty good at first but then after a while they repeat the same thing, at least that is on the second floor. On the first floor they play techno. The only reason I came here was because it was my roommates birthday. Let me say her experience was not that great. Out of no where people started throwing glass cups, yes you read right glass cups. Her sister had a huge cut on her leg and her friend had a bruise on her face. I don't think I will be going be back unless its a friends birthday. read more

The few times I've been here, I've had a good time. If you sign up for their email list, they'll email you almost weekly with deals and events. Sometimes they'll give you a free party for you and all of your friends with open bar and free cover if you're the first 20 people to reply back to the email. I've won 2 or 3 of these parties, who can say no to free cover and open bar? It used to be really crowded, but lately both floors have been pretty empty. read more

Ok! I would have never believed it until I experienced it myself! My friends purchased a package via Poggled two to three weeks ago and attempted to enter on a Saturday night and was told about 11:45pm that the package had to be redeemed prior to 10:00pm. Returned on July 23rd and was there at 9:45pm, which by the way, paid $12.00 to park nearby and some other guests in a similar fate had used the valet. We were told there was a private event and that we needed to come another day. Ok! We were black and the majority of our party were a size 10 and above and we noticed that not only was our group of 4 turned away, but two other groups, one of 5 and a big party bus of about 15 ladies ranging in sizes of 4 and above. The General Manager was black and the other representatives themselves, but throughout the hour we stood out front waiting to see if we could get in, only one black person amongst a party group of other races were allowed the green light to enter. In addition, with the rental party bus of 15 ladies for a Bday celebration attempting to get in, one of the black Sound Bar represents decided to take a closer look at the ladies from top to bottom and mingled himself within the group to what appears to be check out the goods so to speak and I guess that group did not meet some form of Sound Bar standards for the evening. Be careful! Make sure to pick and choose how your friends are dressed and what size they are before heading to the Sound Bar. By the way, when mentioning the purchase via Poggled, was advised by a Sound Bar rep. that I needed to take my complaint to Poggle because I purchased outside of Sound Bar, but the package was to be redeemed via Sound Bar. read more

For a $20 cover, the service was awful. Not only were the staff rude, but they were unaccommodating. The ambiance of the club was even worse. The music was terrible and the drinks were mediocre. Within 5 minutes of walking in, I was groped twice by complete strangers. The club itself was just plain tacky. Secret passwords at the door? Seriously?They were obviously catering to a crowd with low standards and high libidos. Fortunately, I was able to make it over to the Drawing Room that night which rekindled my faith in humanity. For no cover and the same price for drinks, it was a thousand times better and the service was outstanding. I didn't feel like I needed to take a shower to wash strangers' sweat off me after I left. read more

if it gave me the option of 0 starts I would rate it 0. This place is by far the WORSE club in chicago! Ive been to so many clubs and worked in the industry and to be treated with terrible service is so low, this place is ratchet! The staff is horrible especially the bouncers they seriously need to get their eyes checked out if they cant tell the difference if its me on my id. There is always such a huge line and so many people it takes you about a hour to get in and you have to pay cover fee as well. When my group did they told us the "get the fuck out" after we paid what thieves!! This place sucks and is not worth the time idk how people actually enjoy themselves here. Definitely a big FUCK NO TO THIS PLACE IT SUCKS!!! read more

I went to Sound-Bar for Halloween 2014 for the first time and I'll never come back. My friend wanted to go and I wasn't really excited because of the previous reviews, but I went anyway and figured I'd give it a try. I expected it to be busy since it was Halloween, but the line was ridiculous, around the corner down the block, in 40 degree weather, but apparently that didn't bother anybody. People were already fighting with each other outside over some lame shit, and eventually, I found a way to get closer to the front of the line without waiting long, but still by the time I got to the door around 12:00 it was obviously too late to get free cover. The cover was $20 which was ridiculous, but since I had already wasted all my time I figured I might as well pay and since we didn't have enough cash I had to run in and use the ATM that charges another $5. Once I got in, I didn't see why the line was so long. It wasn't really packed so apparently they like to make it seem like they are outside which is total bullshit. considering it was freezing. Mostly Asians and some black people. The top floor was more EDM type shit with a bar and another smaller room that has a separate DJ with another bar, mostly for bottle service. Downstairs was most packed playing hiphop, rap and things of that nature, but the DJ kind of sucked considering he kept changing the song every 2 seconds with music I haven't heard since I was in 7th grade. Coat check was $3 for every coat. I was already annoyed by then so I wanted a drink, and for both drinks for my bf and I it was $20 which is a fucking rip. On the other side of downstairs there's another separate area to sit on couches and have bottle service, along with another bar all in the same room. The only thing I'd say Sound-Bar has going for them is the sound system speakers. They we're great except there was no room to dance because everybody was just passing through to the other side bumping into everybody. Nobody was really dancing, but more staring, and if they were dancing it was really fucking weird. A lot of the guys are old perverts who tried talking to every single girl, and I was surprised and disturbed at how many girls were alone dancing like sluts. I mean, it's one thing to dance like a slut, but it's another to be by yourself with no other friends to help you out when a weirdo comes along. Some girls didn't even have panties under their costumes and we're walking around with their asses out, drunk as fuck, and of course security doesn't say shit. There ended up being a fight downstairs where one guy threw a glass at another, and although security handled it pretty quickly, I was still pissed because the drink ended up spilling all down my leg into my shoes. This place was a bust, and I could find better music elsewhere and get in for free. Everybody working here is pretty shady and I would NOT waste my time or money here. The atmosphere was lame and so were the people. Never again. read more

Let me just preface this with the fact that I made an account on Yelp! just to make a review for this horrible nightclub. My entire group was treated very rudely by one of the girls entering the club named "Vee". She went out of her way to single out our group, wouldn't let us move in the line while hoards of others were allowed in. The kicker was that we knew the "password" of the night and were told we couldn't use it. Way to go Vee. I'm from Los Angeles, so I'm used to waiting in long lines for clubs in Hollywood and Santa Monica. The wait was over an hour and overall pretty miserable. Everyone from the bouncers, to cashiers like Vee, to the bartenders were rude. My friend got her wallet stolen in the club. Additionally, we saw someone get punched outside the club. From a visitors experience, I would NEVER go there or recommend it for anyone. I felt very unsafe in the surrounding area and did not enjoy it at all. Overall a very horrible experience that tainted my weekend in Chicago. Thank God for Lollapalooza to make the weekend better. Do not go, save you money and be safe - seriously! read more

Horrible, The guest of Chicago for the New Year Eve turn event .....Tonight me and 4 others from the soul patrol split to tackle 4 pre New Year Eve party ...boy old boy I pulled the short stick .... (Sound Bar) Music -check DJ can blend however he would turn up and turn down without warning Mix crowed , mix aged group -huge plus Fail-bottle sevice 6 bottle sold whole night (we left at 1 after being disrespect by staff) Tab -235 tip 60 bucks - security asked that we slide over from the bar area after purchasing drinking steady every 30minutes ....4 at a time and tipping 20% ...guess upper management camers in the back was not working ....do the calculation....thats cash/=table service. .. *New management is need , a six sigma team needs to come in and do some process improvement projects with this business before it become a club of the past. Customer service is very important and clearly you are in competition with other clubs on one of the most revenue generating weekend ..... More to come on Sway in the morning!!!! read more