Nightlife Review: Republic & Underground

Nightlife Correspondent Shadestein stays up late and downs copious amounts of Redbull to find out what's worth checking out, and what should really be in Arlington Heights.

I don't know how fair of a review this will be as I only stayed for 8 minutes and ½ of a vodka redbull, but that time and partial drink was all I need to determine I would never return to Republic – Chicago's newest "ultra lounge"

Thursday night was the preview/friends and family/invite only party at Republic. Having been to these sort of events in the past, I was looking forward to the night as the crowd is usually top notch at theses parties before the general public is allowed in. HOWEVER, the general public would have been better than Schaumburg-esque, suburban, 19 year old, straight off the Metra, 1999 club spiked hair crowd that was waiting on line to get in. Clearly I don't wait on lines, so after giving about 42 dirty looks to the little kids on line, we walked up to the front, handed our passes over and then faced the BBBB (big bad black bouncer) who took his job of IDing everyone more seriously than anyone else I have ever seen. He literally held our IDs up to our faces for at least a minute each. After 30 seconds, I said "dude, I'm double the age of all the morons in line, let's move this along" He did.

The place itself looks nice. I saw it empty the night before and there was potential. There's a smallish room when you first walk in and it opens up into a giant second room. If you are in the first room, you get to hear a nice mix of the music from both rooms blending into each other. There's nothing like having a conversation whilst hearing a DJ Sammy song from 2001 mixed in with Lil John. I mean if it was an intentional "mash up" it might get creativity points, but this is strictly due to a bad set-up. Anyway, we moved into the main room, with our drink – there are a few bottle service tables surrounding the dance floor. This is the type of place where I'd laugh at anyone getting a table, buying a bottle(s), or for that matter committing more than a half hour to the place. It's not a place to see and be seen, it's a place to see and get the fuck out.

Pros: Its cool looking when it's empty. The bathrooms have nice stalls
Cons: Crowd, drinks in plastic cups, music, BBBB.

Anyway, after the 8 minutes were up, we left and went to Underground which although is more like a Disney theme-bar disguised as a cool club, is pretty much the only place to go in Chicago right now. We did swing by RiNo for a few minutes, and that place is OvEr Bring on Martini Park. Or, bring me a flight back to Miami.

Miami, you've got style

A special report from our Nightlife Correspondent Shadestein:

10 Days in Miami

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Last Saturday arrived in Miami at 11:30. Checked into the hotel, had some cocktails, snorted a few Ritalin, went to Space at 3. Dropped 4 pills and rocked it on the terrace until 12:30. Went back to the hotel, showered changed, walked along the beach until about 8PM, went back to the hotel chilled, went to Nikki Beach. Passed out on one of the beds, woke up, drank a few vodka redbulls, blasted a rail of sand, went back to the hotel. Slept until Monday at 9PM, got up, ate pizza, rolled over to Tantra at about 12. Smashed. Met a girl from Berlin -- made a few holocaust jokes, took me back to her place at 4, cocaine, redbull, and Germans don't mix. It was a good night. Made it back to the hotel at some point Tuesday afternoon. Slept until around 9. Ate pizza. Went to Santo at about 12. Completely delirious, I spent about 2 hours talking to a shemale and asked her about her childhood. It was interesting. Decided my time could be spent better. Met a smoking hot latin chick who spoke four words of english. Don't remember any of what she said. Finally made it to the hotel at some point. My buddy was passed out on the floor -- woke him up, got our bags packed and bounced to our work conference in Downtown Miami.
Checked into the hotel there, wired the fuck up, ran into the director of my org. who just shook his head at me and "advised" me to be on time for the awards dinner. Made it on time. Slept through the entire thing. Didn't do shit Wednesday night. Meetings all day Thursday. Some married dudes wanted to go to Gold Rush, so I joined them. They dropped at least $2000, I spent $20, got four free lapdances from this Italian broad as well as a phone number the promise of banging on Saturday when she was out of work. Bounced back to the hotel. Meetings all day Friday. Friday night company cruise and open bar party at Nikki Beach. All fucked up, pissed off about 50 coworkers from around the world. Snuck out and went to Twilo for Tenaglia. Had to bounce on the early side, but it was rockin. Early meetings on Saturday; passed out until mid-afternoon. Had some lunch, watched the games, drank vodka redbulls. Rolled over to Mansion, decent bitches, rocked it until nearly closing time. Went over to Space for the terrace. Met the Italian broad at 6:45. Rocked it at Space until 10. Back to the hotel. Made it to the airport. Made it to Chicago. Made it to work today.

We are exhausted just reading that, and feel a strange urge to chew the inside of our cheeks. Thank you Shadestein!