A New Nightclub Brings House Music to Uptown
Already boasting an impressive list of accomplishments, a new nightclub called Le Nocturne is giving the north side of Chicago the excitement of house music. Since its grand opening back in August, the nightclub located in Uptown, 4810 N Broadway, has provided a space for anyone to feel accepted, according to an article published by Block Club Chicago on Aug. 27. “I want this place to be open to everybody,” French owner Francois Crokaert said to Block Club Chicago. “Everyone here is welcome.”
House music is an important asset to Chicago’s nightlife culture. According to an article posted on Electronic Beats, house music originally emerged in the 1980’s from queer black and latinx club cultures throughout cities like Chicago and New York. Over the decades, techno and tech-house music have become more mainstream, at times leaving behind the queer black communities it once represented. Shifts in attitudes towards club culture have seen more night clubs offering bottle service and dress codes, favoring big room DJs and restrictive door policies over the underground warehouse scenes in which the culture was incubated in.
As a continued commitment to keep the origins of house music culture at the forefront, Le Nocturne has hosted an impressive array of artists since its doors opened a month ago including a Friday night residency by A Queer Pride, a collective of professionals from Chicago’s LGBTQ nightlife.
Le Nocturne providing a safe space in a neighborhood such as Uptown is important because it represents a place for anyone to enjoy. Next door to a historical Uptown gem The Green Mill, Le Nocturne also helps drive people up north to one of the most diverse neighborhoods and to experience more of what Chicago has to offer.
Uptown is listed in Chicagoist as one of the most diverse neighborhoods in Chicago in terms of ethnic, income and age diversity, along with Rogers Park, New City, Albany Park and Hyde Park, not to mention its vibrant musical roots. With most of these neighborhoods clustered together on the north side, it makes this area of Chicago one of the most diverse. New nightclubs opening up in these neighborhoods allows for a wide range of people to experience and connect to house music, and for the nightclubs to be part of the communities they serve.
Make sure to come out and check out this new French club for yourself! With events happening every week, there isn’t a shortage of DJs to see. Come out for Collegiate Thursdays featuring DJ Victor R Oct. 3 as well as Flannel Fridays Oct. 4.
- Tessa Brubaker