You’ve done it all before: The ties, the fancy laser-guided razors, the Book-of-the-Month Club selection. You’ve picked out packages for weekends in Lake Geneva and Havana too; gift certificates to “faboo” retail stores, restaurants, movies and your favorite off-Loop theater.
Forget all that. How about, this year, giving an experience, an adventure, just a plain good time? How about a night on the town at an uncommon place, whether it’s been making headlines or just the stuff of chat on the Internet?
You’ve got two routes to go for late-night happenings in Chicago: theater (mostly performance art and spoken word) or clubs. And most of these joints don’t issue gift certificates per se, so you’ll have to grab the crayons and be creative for the presentation. But each of these is guaranteed to provide a good story at least until the same dilemma comes up next year.
– If you’re into late-night entertainment that can be light and serious and always unpredictable, try the Neo-Futurists. The creators of “Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind” produce shows every weekend. The cost of the tickets depends on the toss of a single die plus $5, which makes it fairly arbitrary, but the Neo-Futurists say they’ll draw up a gift certificate for anyone who asks for any price. They’re at Neo-Futurarium, 5153 N. Ashland Ave.; call 773-275-5255 for more information.
– Don’t even think you’re going to get a gift certificate out of anybody performing at Voltaire. They’re way too busy, and each show is individually produced here, so there are about 20 presenters on any given month. This is the city’s birthing room for all kinds of crazy performances. Each program’s a real adventure–could be great, could be about as thrilling as watching grass grow. An average night can run between $30 and $50 for two, so it’s a steal. Call Voltaire, 3231 N. Clark St., at 773-528-3136.
– For the holiday season, Lunar Cabaret, 2827 N. Lincoln Ave., is planning to host Jamie O’Reilly and Michael Smith late nights (like midnight) for their annual Christmas show. “Songs for a Winter’s Night” will be at 8 p.m. Dec. 13; admission is $10. O’Reilly and Smith, known for their themed folk-music programs, are smart, family entertainment. They’ll do gift certificates, so call ’em at 312-327-6666 or 312-458-0822. Lunar is wheelchair-accessible.
– House of Blues, 330 N. State St., offers gift certificates in its retail shop. They’re good for shopping right in the in-house store, the restaurant or club. Given the HOB’s eclectic programming, a night here could be anything from local blues heard over ribs in the restaurant or salsa sensation Albita in the club. Or maybe just a couple of bottles of hot sauce from the store. A regular night can run close to $100 or more for two. Call 312-527-2583 for more information. HOB’s wheelchair-accessible.
– Cheap eats but lots of ambiance is what Celluloid, a film bar in Wicker Park, has to offer. What’s a film bar? A place that serves both liquor and Andy Garcia. Patrons can watch relatively recent fare while relaxing, drinking or smoking cigars. Foods served are traditional movie snacks such as popcorn, candy and soda. The atmosphere is relaxed, the clientele film-savvy and relatively young. Admission’s $5 so you can pull it off for $10 for two–assuming you drink tap water. A better estimate might be closer to $40. Celluloid is at 1805 W. Division St. Call 312-707-8888.
– Something more, say, international? Try the Equator Club, 4715 N. Broadway, where top headliners from Zaire, Cameroon, Zimbabwe and Nigeria come regularly. Afro-pop’s light on the rhythm, sometimes darkly ironic on the lyrics, but always fun to dance to. They won’t do a gift certificate but that’s OK–covers usually are under $10, and the African food available is priced equally low. You won’t need a wad of cash to make a night here a great experience. Call 773-728-2411.
– Perhaps a little more, oh, stimulating? Try a Sunday night at the Green Mill, 4802 N. Broadway. That’s when the world-famous Chicago Poetry Slam takes place and the irrepressible Marc Smith hosts. The poets are funny, sad and often outrageous. Plenty of audience-participation as each poet gets judged, rated, applauded or tossed. You can actually wrap up Smith’s poetry book, “Crowdpleaser,” for only $12.95 and shove your little handmade gift certificate inside. Covers $10 per, plus drinks. You can do it for under $50 for two. Call 773-878-5552. The Green Mill’s wheelchair-accessible.
