Event Guide
Chicago After Dark: October 8 to 11
Overmono, Objekt, Hamdi, Dusky, Wata Igarashi and Queen! shape four nights of electronic music, with practical choices by sound and venue.
Choose a sound, then choose a night
The club calendar from Thursday through Sunday rewards a little discrimination. Overmono opens the stretch, Friday splits between smartbar and Radius, and Saturday offers three separate directions. Sunday leaves room for Queen! to carry the weekend into another late night.
Rather than treating this as a route through every room, build an evening around one bill. The same 10 p.m. listing can mean different things at different venues, and it does not tell you when a particular DJ will begin. Check the official page for admission and ticket conditions before you leave.
Thursday: start with Overmono
Overmono: Pure Devotion World Tour
Thursday, October 8 | Cermak Hall at Radius | 9 p.m. | 18+
Overmono is the starting point for listeners drawn to UK electronic music's rhythmic detail and vocal fragments. The Pure Devotion World Tour is listed in Cermak Hall, so keep that room name in mind when checking the ticket and entrance information. The organizer lists doors and the event at 9 p.m., with government-issued ID required. Make this the night's main plan rather than assuming a short set you can catch between other shows.
Friday: two different scales
Objekt, Kia and Madeline
Friday, October 9 | smartbar | 10 p.m. | 21+
For a night centered on DJ selection, take the full Objekt, Kia and Madeline bill seriously. This is the Friday choice for listeners who enjoy a club set's turns and tensions as much as an immediately recognizable track. Advance admission is listed at $20 to $25, with $25 at the door. A $20 student option requires student ID and arrival before midnight.
Afrojack Presents: CONTROL
Friday, October 9 | Radius | 10 p.m. | 18+
Afrojack's CONTROL date provides Friday's larger-room option. If his electronic dance music is the reason you are going out, Radius is the direct choice rather than a detour after another bill. Doors and the event are listed at 10 p.m. Admission is 18 and older with government-issued ID; do not read that time as a confirmed Afrojack stage time.
Saturday: bass, house or a techno focus
Hamdi FC vs. Chicago
Saturday, October 10 | Radius | 10 p.m. | 18+
Hamdi points Saturday toward UK bass music, with dubstep and bassline among the reference points in the organizer's artist description. Pick this for the physical pull of bass and rhythm. Radius lists doors and the event at 10 p.m., and requires government-issued ID for the 18+ event.
Dusky
Saturday, October 10 | PRYSM | 10 p.m. | 21+
Dusky is the house-oriented alternative on the same night. Put PRYSM first if that is the sound you want to spend the evening with. The venue lists doors and the event at 10 p.m.; admission is 21 and older. Check the official ticket options rather than assuming every admission product carries the same conditions.
Wata Igarashi, Brenda and Shanti
Saturday, October 10 | smartbar | 10 p.m. | 21+
The Wata Igarashi, Brenda and Shanti bill is Saturday's techno-focused choice. A three-artist lineup is a reason to arrive with time for more than one part of the night, without guessing the running order. The listing gives $20 to $25 advance admission and $25 at the door. The $20 student option is available before midnight with student ID.
Sunday: Queen! gets the last word
Queen! with Derrick Carter, Grace Sands and Michael Serafini
Sunday, October 11 | smartbar | 10 p.m. | 21+
Queen! brings Derrick Carter, Grace Sands and Michael Serafini onto Sunday's bill. If house music is how you want to close the week, this is the Sunday anchor. The listing has $15 early tickets, $20 advance and door admission, and a $15 student option before midnight with student ID. A 10 p.m. start makes this a late commitment; plan your trip home before the evening begins.
The details that matter at the door
All prices above are the amounts listed by the venue; checkout may add fees. Student prices have arrival conditions, so a discounted ticket is not a reason to ignore the clock. Bring the required ID and check the official listing again for availability. These dates refer to the evening on which the event starts, even when the night continues past midnight.