I've been to the Aragon many times and stood in various areas from the front row barricade to all…read morethe way in the back and seen many different genres of music here. I've been near the front at crazy shows and got smushed from people pushing/moshing. The security is pretty good about handing out water to the crowd though. Also, if it's a crowded show, it does take awhile to get out of the venue because you have to go down a staircase. The stage is very high up and kind of far from the front row, but it's nice because even if you're in the back you can see the stage performers. If you're at barricade, the sound is EXTREMELY loud so bring earplugs! The speakers are huge and directly in front of you. I made the mistake of not having earplugs at barricade. It's an average venue. I wouldn't say it's my favorite or that it's one of the worst. This venue probably has one of my favorite women's bathrooms though lol--I just love how enormous it is and all the mirrors and vanity lights in it. I also love the historic interior design throughout the venue! It's beautiful. They sell alcohol, snacks, candy, pizza (overpriced of course). I've never had a problem getting through security. Just don't bring in items that are not allowed and have a small bag. Although this most recent time it was weird because the bouncer asked if I was drinking and I said no, but he still wanted to check my ID for some reason.

Probably one of my least favorite venues I've been to. It was extremely hot and crowded, and sight…read morelines weren't great. Entry was actually pretty smooth, they separated bags vs no bags. But exiting was ATROCIOUS. I'm not claustrophobic but it seriously sketched me out. The bottleneck at the stairs felt very not safe. Show felt oversold. That being said, Hayley Williams was great and the sound seemed decent!

This was our first time visiting. It was a very cool artsy space with a fantastic lobby upstairs,…read moreand different areas to be before attending the event. We went to see Groundwater with the Thompson Street Theater Company, we knew a performing member of the cast. I'm so glad she invited us because it was really wonderful. Thank you for the experience!

I honestly can't say enough about how much I love Bramble Art Loft. Every time I walk in, it feels…read morelike stepping into a creative sanctuary -- the kind of place that makes you slow down, look closer, and actually feel something. There's this calm energy in the space that instantly pulls you in -- the light, the textures, the way every corner seems to tell its own little story. It's rare to find somewhere that feels so alive yet so peaceful at the same time. What I love most is how Bramble Art Loft isn't just about art hanging on walls -- it's about community, conversation, and creativity in motion. You can tell that everything there has been chosen or created with real intention. It's one of those places that reminds you why art matters -- how it can shift your mood, your perspective, even your day. I always leave feeling inspired, grounded, and full of ideas. It's become one of my favorite places to be -- part gallery, part refuge, part spark for whatever comes next. I love that spaces like this exist, and I'm genuinely grateful that Bramble Art Loft does.

First time at replay and would return for sure! The portions were huge and super tasty. The star…read morewas the steak sandwich with garlic aioli , caramelized onions and arugula. The only downside, food took a while to come out , so patience is key. Outside patio is great if the weather is good.

Was a perfect day to have lunch here. One of my favorite restaurants here in the neighborhood. The…read moreplace wasn't crowded and I sat at the bar. Blake, the bartender, was very friendly and asked me for a glass of water, since it was a hot day here. 5 minutes later I ordered a hard cider which hit the spot. They have spots and music videos playing on the TV. Then I ordered chicken quesadillas was so yummy. Had a great lunch here and I will be back

My 16 year old son visited from NY for their summer jazz intensive, and it was the most incredible…read moreexperience for him! He was challenged with working with the best choreographers, and can't stop talking about it. He really felt like he was part of a family after the first day! He's already looking forward to next summer!!

My girls (now 8 and 4) absolutely LOVE dancing at Gus! They both started a little over a year ago…read moreand have learned so much and have so much fun in class. They like to have their own dance classes at home where they put on their shoes and practice what they learned in class with each other. My older daughter is now a company dancer and is there twice a week. The teachers are wonderful with the little kids and keeping their attention, which I just got to see first hand during parent observation week. I also like that Gus gives back to the community and puts on so many free performances for families and other members of the community throughout the year. They are family owned which you can truly feel in all aspects of their interactions and communication with the children and parents. Highly recommend!

If I lived in Chicago, at least in the North Side, you'd probably find me here a lot. That's…read morebecause it felt less like a bar and more like a gathering place. Or I guess I should say a "gay-thering" spot. Spreading over two floors, it manages to be spacious and cozy at the same time. There are bars on both floors which makes hanging around super-convenient. As expected, there are pool tables as well as skeeball and darts. Watch out for the latter as they fly right in front of the stairwell. Jamie W. and I settled down on the main floor and had their special $5 Margaritas (photo: https://yelp.to/dK4BE5czs3). What made them special? Hey, they're $5. Needless to say, we had a couple each and were feeling no pain with the friendly staff and customers to be found here. DRINKS - 4.5 stars...did I mention the $5 margaritas? AMBIANCE - 5 stars...fun and chill SERVICE - 5 stars...doubly chill TOTAL - 5 stars...gay-ther together RELATED - Exploring Chicago? Here's my collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/44c4CZO

Love playing bingo here on Wednesdays! Cheap drinks and good vibes. Nice neighborhood spotread more

The Edgewater Historical Society, in addition to displaying the history of Edgewater and its…read moreenvirons, hosts on occasion events to welcome people from the neighborhood and beyond. During summer they have their Summer Nights in Edgwater program, which is when they host a band in their (incredibly lovely!) garden. I went last night with my daughter to hear a jazz-ish band and it was nice. There were quite a few more people there than I expected; though some folks were seated within the garden itself, most of us were sitting along the sidewalk and walkways. Many people brought their own chairs, but the EHS also pulled out some chairs for folks. Others, like me, chose to stand. There was ample seating at this event. You might not be able to see the band over the garden, because they're growing a beautiful native garden at this building so the coneflowers and other plants are tall--but it's a concert and what's important is hearing the music! The museum was open during the concert, so folks could wander through. There's no fee for the museum, and at this particular event they took tips but it went toward the musicians, not the historical society. They also have quite a few events happening over the coming weeks and months, from walking tours of the neighborhood, a book club discussion at the Edgewater Branch of CPL, to a walking tour of Rosehill Cemetery. They offer a membership for $5 for the first year I think they said. They currently have an exhibit about the indigenous history of Edgewater, so when I head back here for another of their summer concerts I'll hopefully be able to wander in and take a look.

Celebrating the coolness and historical audacity that is Andersonville/Edgewater/Edgewater Beach…read more We like it here, by the lake. FREE admission!

Came here for their Saturday night show and had an absolute blast! The performances were full of…read moreawesome energy, with a great mix of comedy, artistry, and sexyness. All of the performers and crew were super nice and very approachable for photos after/kept a really great audience/performer vibe going the whole time. Perfect for a girls night out, bachelorette, or just a fun weekend thing to do! I registered the bachelorette party I was a part of beforehand and we were able to get VIP seating and a shoutout during the performance. They go the extra mile to make sure you are comfortable and have a great time. I really appreciated that the company was so inclusive of all gender identities, body types, and races. Burlesque is for all and Vaudezilla walks that talk!

After attending a student showcase one of our friends was in, my maid of honor organized a private…read moreclass for my bachelorette party here! It was a blast! We went to their studio Saturday afternoon around 12:30 and brought in mimosas before we began at 1pm. The class was about an hour and a half from what I can remember. We opted to learn a mini routine for fun. Our group had about 8 girls in total. Red hot Annie led the class, she was full of energy, positive, kept a great pace, and did an excellent job explaining the various dance moves. We would learn portions of the dance and then practice the whole thing to music. We really liked the song selected and the routine! It was prefect for a bachelorette party. Overall it was a fun unique activity to do to get everyone out of their comfort zones. A few girls were worried about feeling uncomfortable but everyone was able to quickly get really into it and feel open to fully embrace it! It was a great activity to start the day and get everyone talking! I would highly recommend for bachelorette parties!!! I'm definitely going to look into taking workshops since I'm tight on time right now but I'd also look into taking classes with Red Hot Annie again!

I was so glad to support a local theatre. It was a terrific experience…read more The best part of this theatre is indeed how tiny it is - it feels intimate and so welcoming as a result. Walking in, multiple people greet you at the bar (drinks are donation-based and not fancy, per se, but you can get Kirkland brand wine or a local beer, so that's fine!). My ticket's barcode refused to print, but they found my ticket quickly. The stage itself is completely overlapping with the seating. In other words, you sit onstage: it's all one level. The seats, at least when I went, are all one row deep. It is great for short people like me, because we don't have to look over people in front of us. It is also great for tall people, who don't have blocked legroom of any sort (unless you have to pull in some long limbs if the actors are close enough to you where they might trip!). There are two large, ADA-compliant bathrooms, including one within the stage/seating area! Despite being a tiny theatre without a ton of publicity, you can still see brand new plays and similar works, as well as well established plays that have been performed worldwide. There is a personal, inclusive touch here, which is great to see. It was nice that the artistic director welcomed us all before the show started and gave us information about other upcoming productions!

If you want to laugh, see great acting and an entertaining play go to Gary at the Red Twist. The…read moreprice is right (we got a senior discount) and we found the intimacy of the theater inviting. Appreciated the welcoming atmosphere and the devotion to craft (with an irreverent twist :)

If you're looking for serious table tennis game, Net & Paddle is where you should go. Located…read moreinside the church, the club has a wide range of players with different styles and games - they're all 2000 and above. Five Butterfly tables with barriers and serious players - this is where you get better. There is also a coach who gives lessons (multiball and advanced training). Time: 19:30-23:00 Mon-Fri. Ring the bell if the door is locked. The quality of table tennis is much better than most clubs in Chicago (Spin, Killerspin, Mr Pingpong) - highly recommended if you want a serious game.

Love the ambiance of LePiano it's beautifully designed with an intimate stage that's up-close to…read morethe audience. I'm a regular on Monday and Wednesday nights. This past Wednesday was a packed house to experience Liz Mandeville's Bourbon & Blues show. Liz' hosts the Wednesday shows with her one of a kind guitar driven sultry, sexy and sugar coated storytelling & cutting edge humor. That is the highlight until she brings up her special guests. Last week from LA Blues Angel Brigitte Purdy singing Blues, Soul and Gospel tinged songs we all love (the audience was on their feet), The duo of Darryl Wright and Susan Williams double bass slayed our hearts with Angel From Montgomery. From Germany our new favorite Blues son in Chicago Stefan Hillensheim stirred our souls (his new baby Layla was there) and keeping the beat Stephen Bass on drums. This was more than a jam it was a variety show filled with some of the best talent in Chicago led by one of the most dynamic entertainers here at LePiano. We are lucky to have Liz host every Wednesday night (when she isn't on tour) at my favorite intimate listening room in Chicago. Thank you, Lynn Orman

This has been the week of unbelievable finds mostly due to total chance and a bit of luck and…read moremystery. I found myself in Rogers Park for two days for my daughter's freshman orientation at Loyola. Of course, my number one concern after the first day of seminars was to find somewhere awesome to eat that evening. After extensive searching throughout the day, I believed I had settled on somewhere to go... that is until the front desk attendant of my hotel handed me a sheet of recommended places to check out in the area. Normally, I will just explore and research on my own to figure out somewhere to go. Despite the many exciting choices nearby, of which I almost settled on Ethiopian or Cambodian, I stumbled on Le Piano; and my oh my, I couldn't be happier that I did. Looking at the listed provided by the hotel, Le Piano was in a small section titled "music, food, bar" and specifically labeled as jazz. Taking a minute to hit up their website, I found that night that Gerry Hundt, a blues artist I didn't know was going to be playing. My interest already now piqued, I rushed over to the menu, which is awash in wonderful sounding continental and French classics made local and fit for a jazz bar. The cocktail menu also matches, but is also incredibly extensive and has a very interesting Victorian flair. It was at this point I was sold, and booked a seat immediately to head out that evening. Arriving, I found this to be one of the coolest spaces I have ever been to for music. Styled perfectly with a dark Victorian-yet-jazzy flair, and intimate, my assigned seat was allowed to be changed to an amazingly worn leather loveseat, like something out of a noir film, with a single taper lighting my table. The bartender and my server made a point of giving me their names, which I believe were Chris and Steven, but I can't remember because my memory is Swiss cheese, but they were both amazing, talking with me and being completely engaged with me as a Chicago newbie. This doesn't even include the perfect sazerac and jasmine that Chris made to round out the artichoke fritters I ordered. The fritters were outstanding. Barely breaded and flash fried to perfection and one of the best fried dishes I've had in years, as I don't prefer that type of thing. Steven's recommendation was seriously on point. If a spot like this existed near me, I would be there weekly. If I lived in Chicago, Le Piano wouldn't be able to get rid of me. Don't pass on this place and get there now! Enjoy some wonderful music, legendary drinks, and outstanding food!