Sonotheque has been sold, will close November 15

Sonotheque was the first club in Chicago to sport a Funktion-One sound system.

There's been a lot of talk in the music corner here at Time Out, on the CTA and around town at gigs about what's happening with Sonotheque. Despite the fact that I did some pre-construction work on the club way back when, worked and deejayed there early on in its history, and have friends and family on the ownership/management side at the club, I have had trouble getting all the details as to what is going on with Sonotheque. I knew that Joe Bryl, music programmer, had moved his Brazilian night to the Charleston, a bar/venue that will be going through its own changes. I knew that Sonotheque was up for sale within the past few weeks and interested parties from New York and Chicago were rumored to be buying the club and completely redoing it and renaming it. I finally just got confirmation from Pete Toalson of the Empty Bottle—big shout out to Pete for his help. Did I just get a scoop? Tell me I did.

"We can confirm that the current ownership group—one that includes Terry Alexander, Joe Bryl, Bruce Finkelman, Donnie Madia and Peter Toalson—have sold Sonotheque and it will close the week ending November 15th.  The new ownership group continues to include both Finkelman and Toalson, and now adds Paul Devitt," writes Toalson in an email.

Paul Devitt is owner of the Beauty Bar franchises—which have a vintage beauty parlor theme—there are outposts in Brooklyn, San Francisco, Vegas.

I'd expect a rehab and a big change in the look and feel. We'll have to wait and see about the music programming.