Nightlife Under COVID Pt. 1 - The Nightclub Perspective with Chicago-based Le Nocturne

Everyone is well-aware of how hard the restaurant industry has been hit from government-mandated COVID-19 restrictions. Bars have even more restrictions, and the nightclub segment has been impacted the most. Even if they have great food, clubs aren't thought of a dining meccas, so offering carryout and delivery isn't the financial crutch that it can be to restaurants. And limitations on capacity and social distancing requirements make it extremely difficult for these establishments to do what they do best - create experiences where people can get lost in the music and dance the night away in a sea of like-minded revelers. This is the first episode in our "Nightlife Under COVID" series where we'll sit down with club owners, DJs, and promoters to better understand what they've been experiencing. Our guests today are Francoise Crokaert and Miguel Castro from one of Chicago's newest nightclub - Le Nocturne. Their nightclub focuses on house music and all of its derivatives, paying homage to the city where house music began - Chicago. They opened up one year ago and consistently pull in house legends and hot new DJs. Their residency list includes Ron Carroll, Randall Dean, Paul Johnson, and Victor R. Six months into their run, they, along with the rest of the industry and world, were punched by the COVID-19 pandemic and were forced to shut their doors for an extended period of time.

Le Nocturne has done everything they could think of to use the downtime the best they can, from making physical improvements to the club to launching a successful streaming channel, Nocturne Chicago Live ("NCL"). NCL features at least four live streams per week, all of which are available to watch and listen to afterward. "House Talk" is streamed Monday through Wednesday from 5:00 to 6:00 PM with host Ron Carrol where we get to hear and get to know the DJs. "Heat," also hosted by Ron Carroll, is every Thursday night from 7:00 to 11:00 PM and features a rotating mix of up-and-coming and household name DJs. Paul Johnson anchors the Saturday night stream.

Stay tuned for other episodes in this series where we'll interview DJs and promoters to hear how the coronavirus pandemic has affected them personally and professionally.

This episode featured:

Francoise Crokaert, Owner, and Miguel Castro, General Manager, Le Nocturne

• 4810 N Broadway, Chicago, IL 60640
• YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter
• Nocturne Chicago Live can be streamed on YouTube, Facebook Instagram, Mixcloud, and Periscope

Joseph Sheahan, Cofounder & CEO, TappedIn and Host, What's On Tap

• Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Apple Podcast, Spotify, LinkedIn

A special thanks to Jayden Sheahan for his help with this episode!