The dance floor at Neo: If Bianca's not here on Thursday nights, she's by the bar. (Jason Ernst)

Most Thursday nights you’ll find me at Atomic at Neo, sipping vanilla Stoli sodas expertly mixed by bartender and general manager Scott Wilkins, chatting by the bar in a corset and heels (I have to compensate for the fact that I wear jeans and flip flops the rest of the week), or dancing to 80s New Wave and goth spun by DJs Kamar and QBot. It’s a highlight of my week for a number of reasons: I love that Eddie, the fire-spinning doorguy, never fails to check my ID before greeting me by name and giving me a hug, and that Paulie, the bouncer, will give me a hug even though he can’t remember my name. I love the regulars who dance at the club week after week, year after year, like Ricardo, whose literally attends Neo religiously—“dancing for Jesus” almost every night of the week. (He usually gives me a hug, too.) I love the diversity of the crowd—goth kids barely old enough to drink, regal dominatrixes, button-down Lincoln Park types looking to unwind after work. There even used to be a guy in hip-hop clothes who would breakdance to Bauhaus on Thursday nights; I have no idea what happened to him.

Neo’s been in business in 1979, so they’re clearly doing something right. From what Scott tells me, the more the times change, the more Neo stays the same. Old-school regulars order classic Neo cocktails like the Green Meanie—3 parts Absolut Kurant, 1 part Midori, sour mix and 7-Up—while others have their own signature drinks. “Dave’s Heavy Flow”—Effen Black Cherry, grenadine, sour mix and 7-up—is Scott’s way of poking fun at one regular’s predilection for “girly drinks.” In addition to sweet club cocktails, Neo offers specialty spirits such as absinthe, and a 60-plus beer selection—including craft and microbrews from Unibroue, Three Floyds and Delirium Tremens—sure to satisfy the most avid beer geeks.
 
If you’ve lived in Chicago for any length of time, you’ve probably been to Neo at least once. If you’ve never been, it’s high time you crawl out from under your rock and join me for a night out. Love it or hate it, Neo is here to stay. So…what are YOU doing next Thursday?

Neo, 2350 N. Clark St, 773- 528-2622, 10 p.m.-4 a.m. Sun.-Mon., Wed.-Fri., 10 p.m.-5 a.m. Sat.

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