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Photo by Clayton Hauck
Last week came the surprise announcement that, starting tonight, Rehab was moving to it's new home, Debonair. We were skeptical of this change of venue, but after speaking to Rehab's promoter, Derek Berry, we're optimistic that the move might work. We're not huge fans of Debonair, but then again we weren't exactly in love with evilOlive. Simply put, the venue doesn't make the night, the crowd is what will ultimately determine if a residency is successful or not. Berry believes that Debonair will provide him with more options to explore as far as booking DJs upping the vening's ante, and we're inclined to believe him.
Of course the one major downside to Rehab's move is that Debonair is a 2 a.m. bar, while evilOlive was open until 4 a.m. Berry's solution to this quandary is to run an afterhours party from 2 a.m. until 4 a.m. at Green Dolphin. In our opinion this seems the most problematic component of the evening, though Berry is confident folks will take the short cab ride between venues to keep the party going.
And the move is not without its small share of inter-club drama. evliOlive didn't learn about the move until last Monday and are hoping to capitalize on Rehab attendees unaware of the move by booking their own dance party on Mondays that it's safe to guess will mirror Rehab's aesthetics.
Who will win in the end? While we really think that the move to a 2 a.m. venue will end up cutting Rehab's party a little shorter on Mondays we're putting the odds on Berry and his crew keeping the evening in their corner. And the upside to the move to a 2 a.m. club? On those night we do make it out to Rehab we're going to get to bed at a halfway decent time, right?
Rehab, every Monday at Debonair, 1575 N Milwaukee, 9 p.m., 21+
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What Debonair and Evil Olive have in common is that this event will keep them afloat in the current economy.
Unfortunately, it can only go to one and, while I probably shouldn't be publicly saying this, Rehab just saved Debonair from shuttering. It might not have happened right away, but if you take away the concert afterparty DJ sets and one or two monthlies that always pack a crowd a Debonair, you are left with 25 days a month of an awkwardly empty, club with a hefty operating cost.
Evil Olive's saving grace will always be that it is where people go come last call on weekends. This venue will never be empty at 3am. But, on the flipside, Derek Berry was the only person in this city able to convince people to see the venue as anything but a last stop of the night, best enjoyed while incoherently wasted. The halls of Evil Olive will again be filled with echoes come tonight.
As for Boom Boom Room, personally I'd love to see the Rehab set co-mingle in a venue with this much House history. I'm not sure if even Mr. Derek Berry can make that magic happen. Continental would have been a more apt choice. I also can't get the nagging image of quite a few more ghost bikes littered along Ashland Ave. out of my head.
That's one hairy chick.
be sure to bring your headbands and fake ids, teenagers. this is your new favorite place since zero gravity.