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It was rumored on Twitter last week, wondered aloud by Jim DeRogatis earlier today, and just now it's been confirmed by Time Out Chicago: Sonotheque has been sold and is closing at the end of this week.
We expect some super trendy house of crap to move into the Sonotheque space. We lament it's passing, but once it stopped being a lounge for audiophiles and tried to become a run-of-the-mill dance club it never quite got its footing again.
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"We lament it's passing, but once it stopped being a lounge for audiophiles and tried to become a run-of-the-mill dance club it never quite got its footing again."
Stupidest statement of the year award?
How so? Sonotheque's purpose -- what it was built for -- was as a listening club. It was never meant to be a "dance club." Heck, Time Out Chicago even pointed out this week that the floor isn't even level or dancer friendly!
I remember when it first opened and there was a lot of chatter from the owners about the attention paid to the sound quality, etc., so yeah, you're right.
It isn't even what you said so much as how you said it. I felt like I was reading a pitchfork article. "It was better back when was about the MUSIC MAN" ;D
I didn't mean it that way. It's just when they split between being two kinds of venues (listening versus the more clubkid oriented nights) they didn't really succeed 100% at being either any more.
I don't know about that. *shrug*. I thought it was a good mix of both. But the "it was better when it was a place for music purists" angle is just misguided.
I have to also take issue with that statement. True, I completely agree in the last year that it moved away from being a curated space and opened it's doors to shows that it wasn't really built for.
But, you focusing on the couple of monthlies held in the space and forgetting the film nights, brazilian music showcases, reggae weekly, and more that built its weekday mainstays and while under-attended, upheld the audiophile mantra of the club to its grave.
RIP Sonotheque you were a truly unique venue and quite honestly I doubt I'd be writing about music without the the memories and sounds you bestowed upon me.
I would say Jim's statement is right on. If a place has been that way for the past year, I'd consider that a transformation. . .and I immediatly think club meets everyone is famous crowd when I hear that name.
And electronica music nightlife... is that the new name for disco or dance club?
Don't act like its something more than it is, its about time for the over-hype of the dj as a musician to stop and let the ppl they are stealing, I mean sampling their stuff from reclaim the glory.
There are definitely a lot of DJs who are riding the wave of popularity that whole scene has gained over the past couple years, but there are also a lot of DJs that are playing their own stuff that definitely deserve the "hype". That's just the best format to tour and play shows for some musicians.
There's certainly some truth that it hasn't been the same lately. But they still booked unique things that work best in that space, you just had to avoid the everyoneisfamous crowd. That Hyperdub showcase with Kode9 this year was one of the best events I'd ever been to at 1444 W Chicago Ave.
Bummer. Only went there a couple times, but it was one of the few club/lounge experiences I've had in the last 6-7 years that I actually enjoyed.
This place was the best when ladies in 3 inch heels cut up the "dance floor" to amazing DJs. It didn't matter how close they were to tumbling over the steps. The "audiophiles" didn't pack the place. Sorry to see 1444 go, it was great while it lasted.
I agree. "Audiophiles" nod their head for two hours sipping a single beer, talk to maybe one person and then leave. BORING.
You can be an audiophile and still get the fuck down, mang.
Anywya, it would be a shame if this turned into another beauty bar. That's the last thing chicago or in fact the US in general needs.
SAY IT AINT SO!!!!
really sad. sonotheque has easily been one of the hippest clubs in the city. regardless of the clientele or any of that. that was one of the great things about it, that they had so many different kinds of nights, it could be a totally different vibe on any given night. different packs of people and scenes all the time.
i bet its not even about money, i bet the 2 dudes that run it are sick of operating it, and workin the door every night. when the scaffolding was up last winter, i walked by and dipped my head in and asked if they were remodeling (thinking that since the decor and the shit the tile shit they used to have in the front was so ill, they have to have something really cool planned if they were gonna change it up. dude totally gave me a "sometimes in life, you just need a change for the sake of change, it doesn;t have to be an improvement, just a change." or somethin like that hahah.
RIP MAN, another pillar of chicago ave falls. if they put another bar or club there, we can hope that it won't be super lincolnparkificationtastic, but i bet it will.
I am going to say this at every available opportunity for the rest of my life.
At the Bar:
"This place was better when it was about the music"
At the Cafe:
"this place was better when it was about the music"
at the night club that only plays music:
"this place was better when it was about the music"
Dude, the horse is dead, stop beating it.
shut up
i am very emotional right now
A 16 year old kid from rural Georgia who follows me on twitter asked me what a Beauty Bar was. I linked him to the nightclub chain's site (http://www.beautybar.com/) to which he replied,"Looks flashy and sold out" which pretty accurately summarizes the future of Chicago electronic music nightlife for me.
Thats really too bad, it was a unique place. I went there a year or so ago for a showing of a bunch of old silent "city symphony" films, with DJs and ambient artists providing the backing tracks in real time. It was those kinds of unique events that set the place.
I always thought of it as "a club for people who dont like clubs"..or again, at least it was.
While we're on the topic of electronic music (or the thereof), does anyone know the status of the Chicago Electronic Music & Arts Coalition? I know there were talks of them organizing an annual electronic-music centric fest. It would be great to see something like that come to fruition.
Gosh it's been months since they've issued a peep, I had honestly forgotten about the groundwork for this fest.
Ironically the last post on their site refers to having a great time at a show at Sonotheque back in May. They threw a couple benefits at Danny's Tavern in early August but that's the last time I've seen any movement from them. Even their twitter account has been inactive since July.
It was a great idea and it would be sad to see it fall by the wayside.
(sidenote: I'm actually going to drop them an email, if it warrants any post-worthy updates, I will be sure to write one)
That would be awesome. I picked up one of their cards at the GAS performance back in spring, and at the time they made a big hoopla about trying to get something started. But like you said, it seems as if things have ground to a halt.
too much chatter, whens the going away party?
Friday, Saturday, or Sunday?
all of the above?
The last time I was there was for afro pop nite pretty awesome but if they're booking that they should know people aren't coming to listen and level the f&^*ng floor already. Maybe OM recordings has slowed down releases.
And thus we bid adieu to the dickiest doorman in Chicago. Farewell, jerk!