New club Decibel opens in former Berlin space on Belmont: ‘Thankfully it still has the same energy’
Steps from the Red Line , sandwiched between a cheese-based bar and a mobile phone repair shop, the new nightclub Decibel is quickly filling up.
It is Saturday night of the club's opening weekend. Free entry ended at 10 p.m. and the line stretches down the block, passed what is affectionately called “piss alley,” for reasons you may assume, and continues to the Taco Bell.
They wait in hopes of rekindling the flame that went out Nov. 19, 2023 — the day the historic Berlin nightclub closed after more than 40 years serving the North Side LGBTQ community . Many wondered: Could new life settle in at 954 W. Belmont Ave.?
That new life is a dual-bar concept, The Belmont/Decibel, announced last year by HV Entertainment. The Belmont is a relaxed cocktail bar early in the evening, but after 10 p.m., a curtain is pulled back to reveal the revamped dance floor. The transformation into Decibel is complete.
Flyers for the weekend asked: “deja vu? experience the new…” A sign inside echoes the sentiment: “Welcome to the new era of DB, be sure to dance like you did at Berlin.”
HV Entertainment also owns the queer establishments Fantasy Nightclub, Bobby Loves, The Closet, and Chicago Eagle, most within walking distance of each other in the Boystown neighborhood.
Friday, on opening night, DJs Austin Neff, Club Chow and iambrandon performed. On Saturday, it was Nevin Sounds, Greg Haus and Boy Alberto played Saturday . All chosen artists had ties to the shuttered club, making their return to the booth a full circle moment.
Berlin opened in 1983, owned by friends Shirley Mooney and Tim Sullivan. After Sullivan’s death, Mooney transferred ownership to Jim Schuman and Jo Webster, who owned the club until its closing. Host to themed nights, drag shows and thousands of local performers, Berlin was the living, breathing heart of the queer and alternative community.
After a months-long unionization effort by employees was unsuccessful, the owners cited rising costs and Schuman’s cancer diagnosis when they announced its closure.
“It’s kinda surreal to be back here,” said Andrew Rogers, 34, of Rogers Park on Saturday. “I never thought I’d return to the space. Thankfully it still has the same energy.”
His friend, Riley Rogers, 37, also of Rogers Park, agrees. “Having the sense of community is very important to me. Berlin brought so many queer and alt people together.”
Outerwear starts to be peeled off around 9:30 p.m., the floor becoming harder to navigate as it fills with bodies. Miss Kitten Pawcolypse, 36, of Edgewater, a local burlesque performer, almost immediately heads to the front elevated stage, making it her home for the night. She even has an outfit change planned.
After initial plans for a male strip club in the space were announced in 2024 , community reaction was poor. More than 1,500 signed a petition opposing it, concerned about “toxic masculinity,” the hiring requirements and exclusion of female patrons. HV Entertainment declined to move forward with purveyor Matt Colunga and instead, formed its own plan to revitalize the bar.
Berlin's enclosed DJ booth, glass blocks and mirror wall are gone. In their place, a second bar flanks the dance floor. There's also an additional elevated dance stage, more seating options, redone bathrooms, a better sound system and new lights.
Marcus Devins, a manager at Decibel, started coming to Berlin in the ‘90s, sneaking in on his first visit at age 17. Programming manager Austin Neff, who also DJ‘d on Friday, is another longtime partier at Berlin and promises the “retro vibes” will continue.
Bartender Derek Stuch, 31, of Edgewater, didn’t come often before the new bar opened but knew Devins and Neff.
“It’s not about the name,” he says. “It’s about the vibes.”
Norma Ferrel, 24, of Logan Square, and Mo Pagano, 26, of Edgewater, found an isolated spot near the window to talk despite the loud dance floor around them. Dating for eight months now, the two agree they’re still adjusting to the location but the music has been better than expected.
Gabrielle Perry, 25, (center) of Chatham, and Eve Means, 26, of Lake View, embrace while dancing at Decibel’s opening weekend on Saturday. “I live in walking distance and for me, Berlin was always more queer than all the other bars on Halsted and I’m happy it’s back,” said Means.
Brittany Sowacke/For the Sun-Times
By 10:30 p.m. body heat fogs the windows and sweat passes from person to person, a dance floor ritual. Under the neon lights, Josh Purkeypile, 41, of Old Town, is handed a shot and jokes “this is where we come to feel young again.”
Outside, Moises Bernal, 25, of Berwyn, James Arnold, 28, and Art Thomas, 27, both of Logan Square, take a cigarette break and note the drinks were cheaper than they expected.
Local drag stars Denali Foxx, who competed on “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” and Pierce Le’Ville, currently featured on the show “Haus Queens,” made appearances, as well as Detox, another queen popularized by “RuPaul’s Drag Race.”
Deep bass music and a whiff of Amytal hang in the air. Ghosts are said to haunt many buildings in this white city but the ancient presence lingering at Decibel may just be joy.