Venue Information
- Address: 1721 W Division Street, Chicago, IL 60622 (2nd Floor above Mama Delia in Wicker Park. The door has a woman’s face on it).
- Dressing Room: Behind the curtain in the back (south end). It is a small room; come hair/makeup-ready and keep your bags/suitcases as small as possible. You may also have to store your bag/suitcase in the coat check area right outside the door if there isn’t room.
- Hospitality: 50% food/drink discount. Please be sure to tip out the bar/staff at the end of the night.
- Payment: I will pay you directly via the platform you’ve included, no later than the Wednesday after your performance.
- Audience (more details in the nightly section):
- Early show (8pm) – Date Night, Celebrations, Events, 30-55
- Late show (10pm) – Industry, Young Professionals, Events, Celebrations, 25-40
- Plus Ones: We do not offer plus ones for performers. However, tables MAY be available for performers to reserve for guests.
- If interested, please book on Open Table – https://www.opentable.com/r/bordel-chicago and select EXPERIENCES. (first option) or contact Nicole in advance at nicole@bonhommegroup.com (second option).
- DO NOT wait until the last minute to book a plus one for your show
- If cost is an issue, please let me know.
Performer Information
Pre-Show
- At the beginning of the week, you should receive an email with the cast for the evening of your show and a link to social media assets (FB and IG). If you need to make changes or cancel, please let me know IMMEDIATELY.
- Promoting the show on your social media channels does help spread the word about the show.
- Bring a bank to the show for tips and for the moneyguns (I tend to bring $500 in tips and $200 for moneyguns). If this is a concern, please let me know in advance, and a bank can be arranged for you. All music should be submitted as an mp3. Please check your files using YouTube to MP3 Converter or Serato DJ Lite (see the Music Submission Guide for more information).
Day of the Show
- Please arrive at the venue by 7:15 pm. Parking can sometimes be a challenge, so give yourself extra time. You can also use Spothero as a way to reserve a spot.
- When you arrive at the venue, immediately check in with the manager on duty and the DJ (MOD only on Thursdays).
- Ask the manager what time they have seating for the first set; this will determine if you need to hold the performers and make sure we stay on track with seating.
- Ensure the DJ has music (bring a backup USB drive, just in case. If you need one, please let me know, and I will provide one).
- Please wear proper curtain call and walk around attire: Proper curtain call attire includes pasties/g string, your costume or other stage attire (anything you would typically wear during a burlesque show). This is also proper walk around attire before, in between and after sets.
- Please do not put any food/drink on top of the sound system in the dressing room.
- Clean the dressing room before and after the show (including pastie tape and food).
- It is also nice for the cast to have a bottle of water and glasses; you can get them from the bar.
- Be sure to return bottles/glasses to the bar at night’s end.
- Begin the Money Honey process approximately 15 minutes before the show starts. The performers should help you and this will speed up the process and make sure the show starts on time.
- There should be a yellow bucket at the venue for clothes pick-up. Performers should kitten for each other.
- You may have to remind patrons they can not stand in the aisle during the show. This is for the safety of the performers and the patrons.
- Please be discreet about using your flashlight while looking for bills that may have fallen behind and in between spaces.
- The staff should NOT have access to the dressing room during the time of the show without your permission. If this is an issue, let me/Nicole know IMMEDIATELY.
Hosting Notes
- As the host, your role is to keep the show running smoothly and shepherd the audience’s experience. You are the center point of the show and the bridge to the audience.
- Please review everything the audience should know to be a great guest, but keep the opening tight.
- Do not be abrasive or argumentative with the audience. HOWEVER, feel free to protect the cast from an unruly audience member. Use the Bordel staff to help you.
- Enforce consent with the performers and the audience. Audience members CAN NOT touch performers without the prior permission of the performer. If an audience member doesn’t want to be touched, they can put their hands over their hearts.
- Use a “call in” versus “call out” method when discussing tips. Don’t pressure, but highlight how much more fun participating is. Keep the “practice” short.
- Make sure to mention the other nights we have shows at Bordel and that we have a variety of performances from drag to sideshow to acro to fire to burlesque. There is something for everyone!
- Feel free to hype up any titles, awards, or unique things about the performers. We want the audience to know they are watching the BEST of the BEST.
- Feel free to ask if anyone is celebrating anything. The audience likes to be part of the evening. Try not to go off on tangents.
- For more dangerous acts (fire/sideshow), please remind patrons to STAY IN THEIR SEATS during the act. I am permanently surprised how many people walk around during fire acts.
- Do not invite people sitting at the bar to enter the seated area. Those seats are ticketed. However, it is possible to make a reservation on-site or ask the manager if there is an open table (not guaranteed)
- Don’t offer free drinks/shots to the audience (unless you are paying).
- Communicate any changes with the DJ before the start of the set.
- Make sure the cast gets all their items back at night’s end. Neither the venue nor I will be responsible for lost items.
- The cast should help you count down singles after the first set and after the show’s end.
- Make sure the cast tips out the bar staff (and DJ if desired) and pays for any outstanding bills at the night’s end.
- Please let me know if you have sold a money gun so I can replace it.
Evening Breakdowns
Thursday: New, Now, Next
New, Now, Next is a continuation of Bordel, providing a platform for the next generation of performers and of my personal desire to give back to a space that helped shape my performance style. Each show (8 pm and 10 pm) will have 1 NNN performer, 2 anchor performers, and a host. Performers will be selected to perform in EITHER the 8 pm or the 10 pm show and acts will need to be pre-approved.
Thursday audiences tend to be slightly more reserved but are ready and willing to have a memorable night out once warmed up! Bring upbeat, entertaining acts – excessive floor/chair work will not play well here. If you are not sure, don’t do it. All acts should be between 4 and 7 minutes long and should be crowd-pleasing (think well-known songs from the 70s on).
Timing of the evening
- 7:20 PM – Host Call Time
- 7:30 PM – Performer Call Time
- 7:45 – Money Honey Begins
- 8:00 – Show Begins
- BREAK
- 9:45 – Money Honey Begins
- 10:00 – Show Begins
Friday: Feral Friday
Feral Friday is the night when we all let our hair down and get a little wild. You never know what will happen at a Feral Friday, and we want this to be a very sexy, fun evening for everyone. This is the night that most people think about when they think about Bordel. We’re talking lap dances, using the pole, fire, drag, and who knows what! This is the night when everyone pulls out their phones to have a WILD time. Bring upbeat, entertaining acts – excessive floor/chair work will not play well here. If you are not sure, don’t do it. All acts should be between 4 and 7 minutes long and should be crowd-pleasing (think well-known songs from the 70s on).
Timing of the evening
- 7:20 PM – Host Call Time
- 7:30 PM – Performer Call Time
- 7:45 – Money Honey Begins
- 8:00 – Show Begins
- BREAK
- 9:45 – Money Honey Begins
- 10:00 – Show Begins
Saturday: Celebration Saturday
Celebration Saturday is when you and all your friends come out to party. Think long nights, big parties, lots of photos, and a fun, fun night for everyone. We tend to have larger parties on this night, so consider ways to engage the entire room at once. Bring upbeat, entertaining acts – excessive floor/chair work will not play well here. If you are not sure, don’t do it. All acts should be between 4 and 7 minutes long and should be crowd-pleasing (think well-known songs from the 70s on).
Timing of the evening
- 7:20 PM – Host Call Time
- 7:30 PM – Performer Call Time
- 7:45 – Money Honey Begins
- 8:00 – Show Begins
- BREAK
- 9:45 – Money Honey Begins
- 10:00 – Show Begins
Payment and Tipping
- Please ensure you have sent me your W9 and preferred digital payment platform when you accept your booking. You will be paid on Wednesday after your performance at the latest. At the end of the year if you have made more than $600 (pre tips), you will receive a 1099.
- Tips are NOT REQUIRED, but the audience tends to WANT to tip (it adds to the experience). Do not hard-press or beg the audience for tips at any time. Ask, and if they say no or look uncomfortable, move on. If the audience wants to hand you money at the show’s end or put it in a g-string/garter/etc, that’s fine.
- “It felt like they (sp) performers did nothing but beg for tips the entire time. I’ve felt less pressure to “tip the performers” at actual strip clubs.” Guess which one I got a call about…
- Let the audience know that you can exchange large bills for smaller ones or take digital currency for cash. At the end of the evening, if you see people with large stacks of singles, offer to buy back their ones (you can tell them you need them for the next show). If you need more singles, see if you can buy more from the bar staff or manager.
- ALL performers are expected to help with the Dollar Daddy process and to help count singles between sets and after the show.
- Tips are pooled/split between the performers and the host, with everyone tipped out at night’s end.
- Thank the audience for attending. If you are uncomfortable, that’s ok. It takes practice. Start with something simple like “Thank you for coming out! We hope you had a good night. See you again soon!” If they want to tip at that point, they can.
Moneyguns
- Moneyguns are not mandatory, but are a fun addition to the show.
- Bring cash for the moneyguns (you can also use some of the bank if you would like).
- Make it a CELEBRATION when someone gets a moneygun. Think of it the same way you see someone get bottle service. I will also have some LED sparklers to use as you see fit.
- t is $100 to rent and $150 to buy a gun. If you sell a gun, please let me know and send me $20 so the gun can be replaced.
- Have fun with it!
Troubleshooting
If you have any issues with the lights or sound, please see the Manager on Duty on Thursday, Jaime on Friday, and Chess on Saturday. If there is a fill-in DJ, please see the Manager on Duty.
For any issues with the venue/security, please see Nicole or the Manager on Duty. For any other issues, please see me. DO NOT HESITATE TO LET ME KNOW IF THERE IS A PROBLEM.
Contact Information
Shimmy LaRoux: larouxbooking@gmail.com – (773) 263-6004
Nicole (Bordel GM) nicole@bonhommegroup.com – (219) 308-6196
THANK YOU!!
Thank you for performing at Bordel! It’s an honor to be able to share the space and stage with you. PLEASE let me know if there are any issues, concerns, or ways I can make this a wonderful experience for you. I am ALWAYS open to feedback.
See you on stage!