Novem Life, Yo!

Arrive at Lava early in the evening—before the DJs begin playing each night at 10—and it’s easy to relax. Bartender Kerry Spring chats with customers about music as he mixes drinks and passes out beers. The small club is bathed in soft red light, reflecting through appropriately lava-colored and abstract-shaped panels hanging from the ceiling. Couches line one wall, and above the bar, large white honeycomb lights glow.

But Lava is not about early evenings. It’s about the DJs.

Lava is a club “for DJs, by DJs,” says Manager Brian Sarpalius.

And the DJs go at it until 2 a.m. every night except Saturdays, when the party continues till 3.

“It’s centered around going out and partying and having a good time,” says DJ Demchuk , who performs at the club’s Novem-sponsored Hot Wax nights once a month.

Lava has a rotating calendar of events throughout each month, often featuring local talent from around Chicago, and more specifically, Ukrainian Village and Wicker Park. The different parties showcase a broad range of styles, offering something for essentially anyone.

On the third Saturday of each month, there’s “Crème de la Crème,” a hipster-centric night, and it features music from groups like the Cool Kids.

Dubstep reigns on the first Friday of each month at “Bass Goes Boom.” Sarpalius says Lava was the first place in Chicago to host a dubstep-only event.

And on Thursday, Oct. 15, Demchuk will host Hot Wax. In August, Hot Wax celebrated its two-year anniversary at Lava.

“It’s a dance party. We mix it up,” Demchuk says. “We’ve had a hip-hop DJ. We’ve had a dubstep DJ. And electro, Brazilian funk, etcetera.”

The event has attracted talent from the likes of Skyler,Avi Sic, Phaded, Gant Man, Marco Morales, Gene Hunt, amongst others. Starting in November, Hot Wax will move to the second Saturday of every month. Demchuk says the parties have been themed recently, and they’ve included tag-team DJ sets and a Juke Records night.

Demchuk describes his style as free form, and at Hot Wax he plays anything from hip-hop to country music. He co-hosts Hot Wax with British Knights, who tends to play more electro music. Demchuk’s goal with Hot Wax is to bring the same type of vibe as Novem. “It’s the embodiment of the label,” he says. “It’s great that we’re all on the same page.

The original Lava Lounge was located on the corner of Damen and Iowa. It had existed there for several decades, and Phil McFarland and Ty Fujimura, who also own Small Bar on Division Street, bought the place in 2005. They relocated to 1270 N. Milwaukee in 2007 after ongoing “trouble with the neighbors” forced the old location to shut down.

When they moved into the new space, McFarland and Fujimura completely redesigned the space, creating the current design from scratch.

Compared to the other venues he owns, McFarland says Lava holds a special place in his heart, because he and Fujimura started their careers by booking and promoting music events. “It feels good for us to have been the promoter and now the owner,” he says.

On top of the music, it’s important to note Lava’s impressive beer list. The club offers everything from PBR to Delirum Tremens to a plethora of IPAs.

“We got a lot of dubstep kids who like really strong IPAs,” says Spring. “They like really strong dope, so if we keep plenty of $5 IPAs, they’ll drink it.”

Lava is located at 1270 N. Milwaukee, just north of Division Street. It’s open seven days a week. DJs start at 10 and play till 2 a.m. every day except Saturday, when the party continues until 3. Sign up for Lava’s mailing list at www.lavachicago.com or check out the Lava Lounge Facebook page and Twitter feed at @Lava_Lounge.

-Post contributed by Chris Danzig.