Both places are awesome and to this day I still send them both business. I worked at Midwest Stereo for several years as well. I started shopping at Gramaphone in 1980. What years did you used to work at Gramaphone? That place is truly legendary as the spot that bred so many future stars. This was my AHA moment! That was the moment I realized what I wanted to do with all my records and the passion I had for music.įunny thing is, I never thought of it as, “I want to be a DJ.” I have always thought of it as, “I want to be able to touch people the way I saw them being touched by Frankie.” I stood in the booth watching that man get pure pleasure from his heart and soul as the dancefloor had the exact same reaction. Wow! That beautiful man with the warmest smile I have ever seen in my life! Frankie gives us the biggest most welcoming hug and tells us how nice it is to meet us. Billy walks us into the booth introduces us to Frankie. So here’s Teri and I – the only white people and the only women walking into this place at 6am on a bright, extremely hot summer Sunday morning. Then it happened: one night when Teri worked at The Annex 2 next to the Baton, a friend of ours Billy told us he wanted to take us to meet Frankie (Knuckles) at his after-hours club. I still really had no idea I wanted to DJ – I was too wrapped up in collecting every single record I heard that I liked. I never thought of it as, “I want to be a DJ.” I have always thought of it as, “I want to be able to touch people the way I saw them being touched by Frankie.” I recognized instantly that Teri had a gift but she was so shy. A lot of it was heard on the WBMX mixes as well as different clubs in the city: Medusa’s, Neo and SmartBar to name a few. Teri was playing the records the club had so I would bring her really good dance stuff. I had been collecting records since I was a child and at this point I already had several hundred 12″ singles in addition to albums, cassettes and 8 tracks.
She was the waitress, but ended up playing records because the DJ there got fired. To this day I tease Teri because Human League’s “Don’t You Want Me Baby” was huge back then and the first line in the song is “I was working as a waitress in a COCKTAIL BAR when I met you.” That is exactly how I met Teri. This place was tacky beyond imagination! However I met some great people there who I am still friends with today – one of them being my bestest best friend of ever, Teri Bristol. When Hunters opened nearby all the boys went to Hunters and all the women stayed at Celebrity Club. It started out as a mixed bar – gay men and women. There was a gay bar right by O’Hare called Celebrity Club. Teri and I met waaaay back in the early ’80s. How did the two of you meet and what was that meeting like? (I understand she taught you the ropes and you used to bring her records to try out for her sets?) Many people associate you with the other powerhouse Teri Bristol. Psycho-Bitch (known to her friends as Val) has been down in the trenches for over 25+ years, and to hear her play even today you see that she still has that It factor that made her one of the supreme House DJs of Chicago. These weren’t just DJs – they were party purveyors, responsible for creating an entire experience that went beyond the sounds you danced to. 39.When you hear stories of Chicago’s golden days of House Music whether it be in the late ’80s through the late ’90s, you learn to appreciate the multifaceted talent behind the big names. It's two for one here, with South American vibes and refreshing drinks at Boleo or the more subdued but definitely decadent cocktails-and-caviar offer at Vol. Service in both bars is lively and attentive, as welcoming to visitors as regulars.
39 has decadent takes on hotel classics, like caviar service, foie gras crême brulée, and lump crab meat deviled eggs. 39, old-fashioneds are a focus: The bar's signature version is made with 30-year-old Armagnac and barrel-aged demerara sugar.īoleo does contemporary takes on Peruvian street food, including ceviches, empanadas, and skewered anticuchos (mini kebabs).
At Boleo, the vibe is Peruvian, with group-friendly punches or seasonal draft chilcanos, a mix of ginger ale, lime juice, and one of the 20 piscos she stocks behind the bar. Head bartender Jess Lambert handles cocktails at both venues. 39 offers a cozy escape from the Loop that's great for a nightcap. Loop dwellers, commuters, and out-of-towners mix at nearly all hours of the day. 39 is one of the two worthwhile bars at the Kimpton Gray Hotel, along with Boleo on the roof. Inspired by 1940s-era lounges, complete with book-lined walls and luxe, tufted-leather sofas, Vol.