BONA2018 | Best Venue Midwest: Sound-Bar

As the birthplace of house music, Chicago remains home to one of the brightest and most promising dance music scenes in North America. Chi-town’s own Sound-Bar is largely behind the city’s longstanding status as a premier hot spot for club and electronic music culture.

Located in the dynamic and stylish River North neighborhood in downtown Chicago, Sound-Bar is the Windy City’s premier megaclub, offering a sleek and modern clubbing experience for those with upscale taste in a city known for its gritty urban appeal. This multilevel venue adopts European-style influences from superclubs of its ilk: deluxe accommodations, stylish design and minimalist decor.

Sound-Bar redefines the American megaclub, mixing nightlife luxury and state-of-the-art technology including flat-screen monitors, laser lights, new sound components and floor-to-ceiling video projection walls. Its sprawling 20,000 square feet include a 4,000-square-foot dancefloor, multiple DJ booths, nine bars, four boutique lounges on two levels and an exclusive VIP room.

Powered by its roaring sound system, Sound-Bar was mapped out to stimulate both the mind and body via its immersive design and production elements — the venue is known to bust out costumed dancers to elevate all the senses.

Since opening its doors in 2004, Sound-Bar has become the go-to destination for the world’s top touring DJs and producers. Today, the venue is known to create various atmospheres of music and engaging ambiances via its diverse programming across multiple floors. Recent bookings include progressive house and techno legends as wide-ranging as Wolfgang Gartner, The Crystal Method, Hernan Cattaneo, Way Out West, Bryan Kearney and a Simon Patterson residency.

It takes a lot to stand out in a crowded market like Chicago. But when it sounds this good, there’s no competition.