David Schneider

The newest addition to Chicago's flourishing upscale nightlife scene--which has already witnessed the emergence of Y's razzle and Crobar's dazzle to Near North's beautiful people--is Ontourage, which opened this past Friday at 157 West Ontario. The entire 10,000-square-foot space is kitted out with a JBL Custom Shop Dance 3 sound system, the first of its kind to titillate clubbers' ears in the United States. And, while it does produce a warm, rich environment of omnidirectional sound, Ontourage distinguishes itself more by its unique décor. The main room, which yawns out as a dancefloor from the bar to plush sofa nooks in the corner, is a capacious space that looks promising for DJ Psycho Bitch's punishing sets during Thursday's ladies' nights. It has walls sheathed in burnished steel, and is strapped throughout by what Ontourage calls an "Inlaid Color Conetics" system--a network of translucent panels, stretching from the bar to the walls to the nook partitions, which continually and uniformly changes color, gradually altering the atmosphere of the entire space.

But if the main room can occasionally appear a bit too imposing and a bit too bling, it's time to head upstairs via stairs in a cylindrical foyer--an exhilarating architectural detail hued in blue neon--to a very assured second floor. This is Ontourage's true strength: an intimate space that manages to capture, simultaneously, the atmosphere of a late-night basement club, and the ambience of 21st-century postmodernism. As if by the alchemy of the space itself, people become more welcoming, better-looking and more fluid. Unusual three-dimensional light images skim across the floor, while the DJ booth is slotted straight onto the dancefloor for a sense of collegiality. As with any upscale club, there's a danger of elevating style over substance; but Ontourage's initial lineup of residents is encouraging, with sets by 3 Degrees (the Chicago house masters of Zentra's Wednesday); the subtle and supple deep house of Thomsvast; and the progressive thumps of Play Co.

(2003-12-10)

Also by David Schneider

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Man at Work
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Sensuous Chicago: Taste
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