Green Dolphin Street reopens as Dolphin | Photos and interview

Nightclubs, even the popular ones, need periodic revamps to stay au courant and on the clubber's go-to list. This Friday the venue once known as Green Dolphin Street unveils a new look, which may seem like a risky investment in a city fairly well-stocked with dance rooms. But it also feels like a now-or-never proposition considering the current boom of interest in EDM. Curious about the plan for the club, I pressed music director "Just Joey" Swanson for more details. 

How did the Dolphin makeover come about?
The remodel was something we had been kicking around for several years and about a year ago we had several building code issues we had to address, so we decided to go all the way with the revamp.

In terms of design, how does Dolphin look different? Who handled the interior design and what is the overall vibe?
The design was a collaborative effort of Todd Showalter, Mode Visuals and myself. There are two distinct looks: The main room and lobby, which are darker and engineered to give you the true big room experience; and the White Lounge (formerly the dining room), which is designed to be an ultra lounge environment. We also hope to break ground on our patio in March with a plan to unveil it in June.

What does the club offer in the way of new amenities?
Dolphin will feature one of the most elaborate light and video shows anywhere in the Midwest. We have a fully custom 7,600 pixel LED show, multiple full color lasers and a permanent video mapping installation.

Has the sound system been upgraded significantly?
The sound has been greatly upgraded, in fact it has been more than doubled. We now have more than 100,000 watts of EV Xsub sound, making it the most powerful sound system in the city

What kind of DJs will you book?
Fridays will be a lot of big room type shows, Saturdays will be hosted and programmed by Dance Factory with a live broadcast to be aired each week and Sundays (the new night for Boom Boom Room) will be proper Chicago House, Detroit Techno, etc. Upcoming shows include:

Jan 27
Oscar G

Jan 29
Ron Carroll at Boom Boom Room

Feb 1
Harry "Choo Choo" Romero

Feb 3
Colette & DJ Heather

Feb 8
Porn and Chicken (Mardi Gras): Orville Kline and more TBA

Mar 10
Mark Farina (Boom Boom Room 22 year anniversary)

May 5 (Cinco de Mayo)
Boom Boom Room & Porn and Chicken present Dirty Sanchez Vol. 2 with Carl Craig

The scene tends to change and turn over as clubbers get older and settle down. Who is the ideal clientele for the Dolphin? How will you bring in the twentysomethings?
We are of course looking for a younger clientele, so we have stacked each night with a solid group of younger, current promoters and support DJs. They include Villain Ent., Pink Bird, Promose7en, Gus Karas and many others.

Can we expect Dolphin to host events on weeknights?
We will only be open Friday, Saturday and Sunday for the next few months. 

Dolphin hosts the Crystal Method Friday 18 at its grand opening.