The WC Social Club — Restaurant in West Chicago

11/3/2023 Update - Review score increased for venue taking concern serious and doing the right thing within a week. *

Concerning issue with one specific security guard that harassed women.

Visited this venue for a concert on 10/20/2023 (VCTMS / Paleface Swiss) show. The venue overall is alright and I have no issues with the venue (space, layout, amenities, parking etc.). The issue is with a security guard that seems to enjoy abusing and harassing women. I am not a woman but saw him harass and elbow my partner and countless other women. I should clarify that this security guard is a white male, probably 5'6", glasses, goatee and baseball hat. There was another security guard with darker skin, possibly African-American and was super polite and respectful - we had no issues with him at all and it seems that he was even trying to make up for the white guy's abhorrent behavior through the night.

Back onto the short white guy with napoleon syndrome. The bands even called out this guy on stage for letting people land head first over the guard rail and for providing terrible security and safety. First interaction we were standing on the side near the mixing booth, he elbows my partner in her kidney to make his way from back to front- this is a sold out show so we're all shoulder to shoulder, hip to hip. No excuse me or polite shoulder taps which everyone moves for the shoulder tap including us. Second time he comes back through he elbows her again and she asks him to be respectful and he points to his 'security' shirt that is so dark it's not legible in the venue; Then tells my partner to move her foot so he could get through - her foot a female size 8 shoe is somehow magically blocking a security guard that wants to elbow women in the back; think of the concerning mindset your 'security' has if a woman's foot somehow blocks his path and gets confrontational about it.

Next instance he brings out a mop to clean the floor and drags what seems to be vomit with trash and miscellaneous liquids towards her and across her shoes even though we backed away to give him room to clean up the floor. This seemed intentional as the mop came from a different side of the room and there was not mop bucket or trash by us for him to even need to bring it by us and leave the debris by us and takes the mop back to the other side of the venue.

Later in the show I see him harassing two younger girls and pushes them through the crowd of 700 people and not trying to find a clear path for them to walk through.

Every interaction this guy has, seems to only be targeting women and ignores men that should be addressed as a security and safety concern. This security guard seemed to want to start altercations with women to show his 'powers' on them and when they don't fall for his tricks, he continues to instigate through the night hoping a women confronts him so he can kick them out or get hands-on with them.

I hope the venue is aware of this concerning behavior; I've been going to hardcore and metal shows for 25+ years (I'm pushing 40), this is one of the few security guards that made me even question their presence within the venue as they were preying on women and abusing their power. I doubt this is the first complaint about this guy.

Picture is mainly for proof of being at the...

I’d been wanting to check out WC Social Club for a while. My side hustle is covering music and having more venues in the western burbs is something I long for. The venue itself has promise, but unfortunately, I left questioning if I’d ever bother with a show there again. The setup was great as was the sound. Bands and audience brought tons of energy, and it would be hard to ask for more. But a run in with a very specific staff member soiled every good vibe I experienced and made me question their ethicality.

The problem started when my fiancé went to put an order on our tab and the head bartender said they didn’t have one for us, despite the fact that I had already placed an order and they kept my card for the tab. The bar staff was busy, things happen. Never once did I get upset, again mistakes happen. We’d get it figured out. But without provocation, the head bartender decided to blame me for never giving them a card. Telling me to check my wallet, which I did in front of her, then snarkily telling me to “check it again.” She proceeded to tell me “we don’t have it” then started helping someone else ignoring me. When I asked again about my card, still never raising my voice, she raised hers and said, “stop talking to me.” She showed no care, no interest, no desire to help resolve an issue that her team caused. Luckily there was another bartender who actually looked for my card, digging through multiple card holders and eventually finding my card hidden underneath others. Why it wasn’t placed in the alphabetized dividers like it was supposed to be, I can’t answer. No apologies were given, nor any sign that she cared that she was so completely in the wrong. Instead, I all I received was a cold glare from her. I closed out my tab with the other bartender immediately, not trusting my card’s safety in their hands any longer. The only response I got from saying I didn’t feel secure with them having my card any longer was, “I don’t blame you.”

Never have I been treated so poorly at a venue or restaurant by someone that was so quick to blame shift, gaslight, and outright disrespect me when I did nothing wrong other then trusting them with my credit card. It’s so disappointing that a place with so much potential, would allow their head bartender to act in such a manner, alienating their customers. Her actions make me question the safety for anyone that chooses to attend a show and open a tab with the bar. If you plan to attend, I'd recommend cash to save yourself the hassle.

Big picture, I can’t in good conscience recommend a place that so brazenly pointed the blame at me, while they tried to steal my credit card, or at bare minimum, didn't care that...

I would like to start off first by saying thank you for the opportunity of being able to see Dax live. He was amazing. However, I am a critical reviewer so I won’t sugarcoat….. We drove almost 2 hours so….. I feel I have that right anyway. Doors open at 6? That was 45 minutes late. You NEED TO FIRE YOUR SOUND PERSON. Wholeheartedly the sound was terrible had so much trouble understanding a lot of what anyone was rapping. Parking…Thank god there was a parking lot next door with zero no parking signs. There was no where to park….. The line to get in was wrapped around the building….. front door staff… friendly. Love it. No one got searched???? That’s a no no. In todays times that cannot be a thing. I kid you not we were noting all the exits. The place was way too packed. You couldn’t breathe. I had a straight panic attack heart palpitations and all just trying to walk to the VIP section. I was almost in tears. VIP? Nice seats but I’m not sure what was so VIP about it. It wasn’t closed off from anybody plopping their butts down. Thank god no one did or a brawl could have broke out. Thank god the speaker wasn’t any bigger otherwise the show would’ve been ears only. Thank god we decided to eat the flat azz airy pizza slices next door…. We were so excited about food after not eating all day and driving so long but there was no way to get food back to the VIP table….. That was so depressing I can’t even explain. There should have been staff that was able to bring food to your table. I asked how we get food and the bartender told me you wait for it…. I’m lucky I even got 3 drinks back without spilling them let alone food. Also I never went back to the bar. The panic attack I had was horrendous and I wasn’t about to do it again. Speaking of the drink line I was in it for 45 minutes. Dax…. 10/10. Venue 2/10. On a positive the place was clean and the security was nice 🤷🏽‍♀️ Just tryin to find something to...