Louis Rouffaud
From steel mill to electronic music paradise, presenting Radius Chicago. This industrial venue has everything to offer and is a no-brainer addition to the Venue Spotlight Series, where Underground Sound highlights the world’s best music venues.
Chicago’s influence & transformation of Radius Chicago
Musical heritage of Chicago
Chicago has always been outshined by the giants on the coasts. However, the third largest city in the US has had an outsized influence on global music trends over a century.
During the Great Migration of the early 1900’s, there was an exodus of millions of Black Americans fleeing the south looking for safety and opportunity in the northern cities of New York, Philadelphia, and of course, Chicago. This cultural influence aided the creation of numerous musical genres like Chicago Blues in the 1920’s and a unique type of gospel in the 1930’s. Later in the 70’s, Chicago created none other than our beloved house music.
Follow here for a full deatiling of the history of house music in Chicago by Choose Chicago.
These days, the influence of Chicago on the music world is no different. Artists including Kanye West, Kaskade, and Whethan all hail from the Windy City. Numerous internationally recognized music festivals also call the city their home. These include the Chicago Blues Festival, the largest in the world for the genre, North Coast Music Festival, a newcomer on the electronic festival scene, and other giants like Pitchfork and Lollapalooza.
Transformation of Radius Chicago into electronic music paradise
Originally an old steel mill, construction began in 2016 to repurpose the space. Since the renovation was completed 4 years later, Radius Chicago has offered a whopping 55,000 square foot multi-room venue with a state of the art D&B KSL sound system. Highlighting its industrial past, the venue has a perfect minimalist warehouse feel to get that stank face on.
Another bonus is the venue’s central location in Chinatown, making it easily accessible to both the Orange and Red Lines. In late February of 2020, the opening shows were Dillon Francis followed by one of our personal favorites, the legendary Carl Cox. Check out my first Carl Cox set at Kappa Futur a couple years back.
If you’re looking for a taste of the Radius Chicago experience, watch this set by the deep house, techno artist Azzecca. She’s another Chicago native who is more commonly found in the underground clubs of the city.
Radius Chicago reviews
Summarizing what those who have attended Radius Chicago shows have experienced, the sound system seems immaculate with plenty of space to dance. The industrial setting makes this massive venue feel like a full-on rave with other benefits of quality ventilation throughout along with plenty of bathrooms reducing lines.
All things we love to hear.
One point which should be mentioned is that seeing live music in this venue hasn’t had the same overwhelming positive feedback as electronic sets. Granted, this is typical of industrial venue settings. If you’re looking for shows to see, lean towards DJ sets or simply pick from our list below. We’ve done the search for you.
Best Radius Chicago upcoming events
Looking at the calendar, there are some proper shows to attend at Radius Chicago if you’re in the area. Here are our favorites coming up and note that we’ll keep this section updated so we’ll have only the most relevant recommendations for you.
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Date: Sat, Jan 25, 2025
Guests: Elli Acula, Rian Wood, Brenda
The Warehouse Initiative: Marco Carola
Date: Fri, Feb 14, 2025
Guests: Max Dean
APASHE – Antagonist 2.0 Tour
Date: Sat, Feb 15, 2025
Guests: Josh Teed, Wasiu
Daily Bread
Date: Fri, Mar 7, 2025
Guests: Lumasi, Yoko
Indira Paganotto
Date: Fri, Mar 21, 2025
Guests: N/A
General information & Radius Chicago capacity
Capacity: 5000
Address: Radius Chicago, 640 West Cermak Road Chicago, Illinois 60616
Phone: 312-767-1355
About Choose Chicago
This edition of the Venue Spotlight Series is done in collaboration with Choose Chicago. If you’re planning on visiting the Windy City, their website is a no-brainer to check out. They’ve got a pretty stellar Chicago house music guide for your plans too.
About Choose Chicago: “Choose Chicago is the official sales and marketing organization responsible for promoting Chicago as a global visitor and meetings destination, leveraging the city’s unmatched assets to ensure the economic vitality of the city, its residents and our partner business community. Follow @choosechicago on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, and X/Twitter. For more information, visit choosechicago.com.”
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