If you can't make it to Artis's Lounge for the crowd-pleasing blues bands that play Sunday and Monday, this corner pub on the South Side is still worth the trip for its DJs, jukebox and friendly neighborhood character. Old-time pictures hang on the wall, like the '70s-era shot of a sharp-looking Artis in a dress and white platforms (she still comes around, just wearing different shoes). The dance floor is small, but that doesn't stop anyone from getting down, even when the band takes up most of it. R & B karaoke happens on Wednesday night, though it's not unusual on any other night for someone to commandeer the DJ's microphone for a song — while the rest of the place sings along. If you find yourself sitting at the centered round bar grooving to some soul or funk number you don't recognize, just ask someone. That's how we found out about "Mississippi Slide" by the Southern Mixers. Now it's time to master the moves.

• 1. Artis's Lounge
  1249 East 87th Street, Chicago, IL 60619; 773-734-0491 41.736784-87.593242 More Info