HotHouse is a wild non-profit music lounge in downtown Chicago. They feature everything from indie to jazz to world to contemporary to blues music. Occasionally they will feature film, avant-garde art, or spoken word performances. The basic mission of the organization is to highlight art that 'exist on the margins of the commercial market. Music critics give the HotHouse rave reviews for their space and the quality of the acts they bring in. Hop inside and I'll tell you more.
The Center for International Performance and Exhibition opened in 1987 as a forprofit music organization. The goal was to provide a link between realms of artistic expression and social action. That alone sounds like a non-profit mission statement and in 1995, the organization did get non-profit status as 'HotHouse'. The John D. and Catherine T. Mac Arthur Foundation gave them a special grant to establish a permanent location and they have been downtown providing great music acts ever since.
The programming is very diverse and they don't have their August calendar out yet so I have no idea what will be playing when YearlyKos is in town. I can guarantee that there will be music acts every night that YearlyKos is in town. HotHouse is heavy on scheduling acts in, but that doesn't mean they are low on quality. There are a lot of good bands out there that fall under the radar.
This eclectic group of music attracts an eclectic audience. The typical audience for HotHouse consists of music aficionados, college music majors from nearby Columbia, young professionals from the booming South Loop, and semi-retired hippies who dig the great vibe of the place. Don't just take my word though, listen to the music critics.
"Few clubs anywhere offer a wider range of first-rate world music, from wildly vibrant Afro-pop to avant-garde jazz, than HotHouse." -The New York Times
"One of the best clubs on the planet!" -Tribune Magazine
"HotHouse is the most beautiful room in the city." -Chicago Magazine
"Even if one has simply stepped in for one of these libations, decor alone does not allow one to forget that HotHouse is first and foremost, a mecca, if you will, of artistic and musical diversity. The bar has been an oasis of sorts where racial, financial and political tensions are relaxed." -Barfly
One of the best things about Hot House is its location. From the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place, all you need to do is catch the #3 King bus going northbound. Get off at the Balbo stop and head two blocks west. There you are at 31 E. Balbo!