Hard Rock Hotel Lollapalooza Afterparties #21+

ChiIL Live Shows has been ChiILin' out in Chi, IL at Hard Rock Hotel every summer when Lollapalooza rolls around. It's always a party! In past years I've gotten a complimentary tattoo there (the permanent kind), sweet fest friendly hair styles, and opportunities to see celebs and rock stars perform in a much more intimate setting than the fest stages.

Hard Rock Hotels & Casinos teams up with Culture Collide to present the "Chicago After Parties" – a series of music-infused post-event celebrations – at Hard Rock Hotel Chicago in conjunction with the city's famed festival weekend. Sure to be the weekend's hottest entertainment and lifestyle venue, the Culture Collide Chicago After Parties Series will roll out the red carpet on the nights of July 31, 2015 and August 1, 2015 at Hard Rock Hotel Chicago – the city's most coveted music-inspired destination adjacently located to the festival grounds.

"The after parties at Hard Rock Hotel Chicago have always been the place to see and be seen during the festival weekend, and this year is certainly no exception," says Matt Watts, director of music and marketing at Hard Rock Hotels & Casinos. "With our 10th and most exciting year yet, we're looking forward to continue to build upon this annual party and provide music fans with a truly unique and intimate setting to see performances from an icon like Slick Rick; as well as one of the most exciting new bands this year, Bleachers."

For the tenth year in a row, Hard Rock Hotel Chicago will play home to the most sought-after post-festival event over the weekend long celebration. Keeping music at the forefront, the two-day extravaganza will feature both throwback legends and indie powerhouses. The first night welcomes one of hip-hop's earliest pioneers, the Grammy-nominated Slick Rick, recognized for brilliant lyricism, and hip-hop story telling, as seen in his 1989 smash hit single, "Children's Story." The weekend will close out with an ode to indie culture, with Saturday night featuring emotional melodies by Bleachers, the emerging indie favorite founded by Jack Antonoff of Grammy award-winning band fun.

"Much like Hard Rock, Culture Collide was founded on the belief that music connects us all and we look forward to curating an experience during Lollapalooza weekend that further showcases both our brand's biggest passion – music," says Alan Miller, founder of Culture Collide."

Guests in attendance will enjoy delectable food and wine pairings, as well as creative creations by a fully sponsored open bar. Sponsors of the Culture Collide Chicago After Parties Series include media partners The A.V. Club, as well as Bandsintown, Fender, Shellback Caribbean Rum, E&J and Busy Beaver Button Co., which will be gifting partygoers with custom festival buttons.

Leading up the much anticipated night parties, Hard Rock Hotel Chicago will serve as a retreat where guests enjoy a Vinyl DJ Bar at the main lobby from 5-10 p.m. Presented by Blue Microphones, the Vinyl DJ Bar will provide fans with the ultimate listening experience as a DJ spinning vinyl takes requests and fills the hotel with music. Guests will also have the opportunity to sift through classic vinyl records and experience firsthand what their favorite tracks sound like through premium Blue Mo-Fi headphones, all the while diving into music's treasured vinyl culture.

• Attendees are encouraged to RSVP at culturecollide.com/Chicago (Tell 'em ChiIL Live Shows sent you)
• Interact via Twitter @hardrock and @hrhchicago using #thisishardrock

Culture Collide Chicago After Parties Series:
Dates:	Friday, July 31 and Saturday, August 1
Hours:	10 p.m. – 2 a.m.
Address:	230 N. Michigan Ave
Friday, July 31 Lineup:
10 p.m. – 2 a.m.	Slick Rick Performance Plus Special Guests
Saturday, August 1 Lineup:
10 p.m. – 2 a.m.	Bleachers Performance Plus Special Guests

For more information on Hard Rock Hotels & Casinos, please visit hardrockhotels.com, and for more information on Hard Rock Hotel Chicago, please visit hardrockhotelchicago.com.

About Hard Rock International
With a total of 200 venues in 64 countries, including 154 cafes, 21 hotels and 10 casinos, Hard Rock International (HRI) is one of the most globally recognized companies. Beginning with an Eric Clapton guitar, Hard Rock owns the world's greatest collection of music memorabilia, which is displayed at its locations around the globe. Hard Rock is also known for its collectible fashion and music-related merchandise, Hard Rock Live performance venues and an award-winning website. HRI owns the global trademark for all Hard Rock brands. The company owns, operates and franchises Cafes in iconic cities including London, New York, San Francisco, Sydney andDubai. HRI also owns, licenses and/or manages hotel/casino properties worldwide. Destinations include the company's two most successful Hotel and Casino properties in Tampa and Hollywood, Fl., both owned and operated by HRI parent company The Seminole Tribe of Florida, as well as other exciting locations including Bali, Chicago, Cancun, Ibiza, Las Vegas, Macau and San Diego. Upcoming new Hard Rock Cafe locations include San Juan, Lagos and Busan, South Korea. New Hard Rock Hotel projects include Daytona Beach, Dubai, Los Cabos, Tenerife, Abu Dhabi, and Shenzhen and Haikou in China. For more information on Hard Rock International, visit www.hardrock.com

About Hard Rock Hotel Chicago
Stretching 40 stories tall on Chicago's famous Michigan Avenue, Hard Rock Hotel Chicago gives guests a hotel experience unlike any other with a combination of rich architectural legacy and contemporary amenities. Owned and operated by Becker Ventures, Hard Rock Hotel Chicago resides in the Carbide and Carbon Building, a historic Burnham masterpiece fashioned from green terra cotta and black polished granite. As Art Deco meets the art of hospitality, the luxury lifestyle hotel holds 381 modernized guest rooms, including 20 suites, designed to immerse the senses with soothing tones, modern furnishings and atmospheric lighting. Guests enjoy access to some of Chicago's largest meeting space, in addition to the hotel's two onsite restaurants: Mr. Brown's Lounge and Chuck's: A Kerry Simon Kitchen. For more information on Hard Rock Hotel Chicago, visit www.hardrockhotelchicago.com or call 312-345-1000.

Come Celebrate at Neo Nightclub One Last Weekend In Their Iconic Space

Neo Nightclub Loses their Lease  after 37 Years in Lincoln Park Yes, I admit it. I was a weekly regular at Neo in the early 90's. It's sad to see them lose their iconic, alternative space to a preschool! Neo, one of Chicago’s oldest alternative nightclubs, has lost their lease at their current Lincoln Park location and are searching for a new space to move the 37-year old nightclub. The only upside is, maybe they'll move where parking is more plentiful. May we highly suggest Avondale?! photos by Ashok Selvam The current lease was lost due to the landlord not re-signing with the owners of the club, after months of negotiating a new lease. The preschool located in the store front of the building on the 2300 block of North Clark will take over the space where Neo currently resides. You can join Neo for one last hoorah! in their current space this weekend.  The nightclub will kick off their reunion this week on Thursday, July 23rd. Each night will be themed as the nightclub from decades ago. Thursday is ‘Neo in the 80’s,’ featuring DJs Gil Burns, Bud Sweet and Jeff Pazen. Friday, July 24th will be “Neo in the 90’s” and will feature DJ’s RazerX, DJ Abe!, Ryan Bedlem and Carrie Monster. Saturday, July 25th Neo will feature original Neo DJs Glenn Russell, Suzanne Shelton and Bill Saveley. Neo will move their Thursday programming to Debonair Social Club in Wicker Park while they search for a new building for the nightclub. They will also be taking over the basement of Debonair Social Club on Friday’s. Please stay tuned for more information regarding the Debonair Social Club events. Neo has a wide range of fame associated with it, as the name of the main character in the MATRIX trilogy is rumored to be named after the dance club. The establishment has also been favorited by the likes of musician, David Bowie and actor, John Cusack. The definition of a Chicago music club, Neo has been a staple of the alternative scene for over 30 years. Come in and experience a place where the drinks are strong, the music is a way of life, the dancing is unlike anywhere else, and only sin is not being yourself. Serving Chicago’s underground since 1979.