I did the film program at Columbia [College Chicago] and I wasn’t that into it—I spent, like, maybe a semester there and I dropped out. I’m happy that I didn’t go back. I wasn’t making any friends there. The whole reason of going to school is networking, but I realized I could do that with partying.
Zain Curtis, 25, is at the forefront of Chicago club culture. His monthly dance party, CULT, attracts all walks of seapunks, goth kids, and Internet celebrities keen to hear his mix of underground and mainstream sounds. He’s also a video maker and the editor of a zine, a curious mashup of a 1996 issue of Tiger Beat and an anime enthusiast’s Tumblr page. —Drew Hunt
Best of Chicago voting is live now. Vote for your favorites »
What I actually wanted to do was start DJing. I started to ask around and kind of pushed myself in that direction. I wanted to meet people who go out for a reason, not just go out and drink. It’s like an art form, to go out.
Scott Cramer, he manages Berlin, he came to the second CULT party and he really liked the music we were playing and the overall vibe—the visuals. He wanted to be a part of it. Berlin is just so diverse. That part of Lakeview is very strange—there’s an eclectic group of people. We definitely take from the neighborhood, but we give to it, too. We really embrace whatever kind of person you are and however you’re dressed. Whether you’re really dressed up, like really elaborate with a bunch of makeup, or you come in dressed in sandals and sweatpants, everyone’s accepted as long as you’re dancing and having fun.
Dee Alexander, the jazz singer →
