Another Club Bites The Dust

We'd barely had enough time to process the demise of Sonotheque when we heard the news via Chicago Now that nearby venue Lava Lounge will end it's tenure as a club destination on December 18 in favor of a facelift and transformation into a cocktail lounge with mixologist Peter Vestinos (consultant for Naha, C-View, Roof and In Fine Spirits) acting as visionary. Co-owners Phil McFarland and Ty Fujimura will retain ownership of the venue, but with a new name and a new focus on drinks and conversation taking the place of an eclectic roster of multi-genre DJ nights, we're left with another headstone added to the city's nightlife graveyard and a winter full of long bus rides to Smart Bar.