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Hydrate switches things up regularly with different DJs making appearances. Music is hit or miss and depends greatly on the DJ, I’ve gone there on nights when the music is great and the DJ can really read the crowd, and I’ve been there on nights when the music is awful as evidenced by a lack of dancing. It’s a bit cheaper and you know you’re getting your money’s worth. My avid drinker friends have also complained about a lack of alcohol in their cocktails. Drinks take a pricey turn on weekends and, adding insult to injury, the drinks I’ve ordered have been barely enough to give me a slight buzz and I’m a lightweight. Hydrate doesn’t open until 8pm daily and, with a coveted late-night license, closes at 4am (Saturdays at 5am).įrom 10:30pm-1:30am every Thursday the bar features strippers, $4 Absolut cocktails and $3 Bud and Bud light bottles and Monday nights feature $1 drinks. Middle aged men can be seen hanging out at the bar on weekdays and anything goes on weekends, drawing younger crowds of shirtless young guys, the women who love them (and who love to avoid grab-assing douchebags elsewhere on the North Side), and the occasional older gay couple thrown in for good measure. Overall, Hydrate is decorated to look more like a club then a bar but acts as both, attracting more of a sit-at-the-bar-and-chat-type of crowd during early hours on weekdays.
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The decor at Hydrate is always changing, which keeps the bar interesting-you never know what to expect when you pass through the door. On the third Friday of every month there is a hot ass contest with cash prizes given out to the people who have the guts to show off their best asset for a $150 first place showing. The popular event includes cash prizes and all you need is some skimpy clothing and a wrestling buddy. If you’re feeling frisky, don’t miss lube wrestling held on the first Friday of every month.
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Additionally, Hydrate frequently helps out local talents by opening the stage for their performances-comedians, singers and dancers have all been featured at the club. Wednesday nights at Hydrate are just as packed as the weekends and the crowd gets totally into the drag queens, often becoming part of the entertainment. We’ll get to the weekend show in a minute, but it’s worth highlighting the Wednesday night drag shows at Hydrate, which offer Chicago’s most talented drag queens, including the infamous Miss Foozie, “Hello Pineapples!” (her signature line). If you can work your way through the sweaty, sticky mess that encompasses Hydrate on the weekends, then you will be witness to weekly strippers and the best drag show in town, monthly lube dancing and, as far as I know, the only bar that has a “hot ass” contest.