Chicago afters have a very particular type of electricity. It is the kind that only happens when the city’s most creative night owls gather in a small, glowing room with nowhere else to be except fully present. On Saturday, The Jungle delivered one of those unforgettable late night experiences. It felt intimate, warm, and charged with the type of energy that comes from a crowd full of dancers, DJs, photographers, and people who are genuinely in love with the music.
Walking into The Jungle feels like stepping into a hidden pocket universe. The lights were soft and dreamy. The plants glowed like something out of a fairytale. The entire space carried a sense of calm that made it easy to let your shoulders drop and connect with the moment. There are only a few spots in Chicago that manage to feel like home the second you walk in, and The Jungle is one of them.
Goonba: Pure Fire and Full Versatility
One of the strongest highlights of the night was Goonba. His set came in with full intensity and instantly shifted the atmosphere. He delivered a hardstyle forward, heavy hitting selection that had the whole room jumping. The energy was wild and contagious, the kind of late night momentum that hits your chest and makes your entire body move.
What makes Goonba stand out is not only how hard he can go, but how adaptable he is as a DJ. He is known for moving across multiple genres depending on the crowd and the event. At other shows he leans into dubstep, riddim, hybrid trap, and different styles of house. He has also been heard mixing liquid bass, drum and bass, and high energy hip hop influenced sections. His sets never feel boxed in. They feel flexible and creative, shaped around the moment and designed to match the atmosphere in front of him.
Saturday’s afters were a perfect example of that dynamic approach. He read the room with precision and pushed the intensity at exactly the right times. His sound felt fluid and expressive. You could sense his excitement behind the decks, and the crowd responded with full commitment.
3L1XR: Deep, Driving Techno with Creative Drops
Another standout of the night was 3L1XR, who brought a completely different energy to the room. His set leaned into deep, driving techno that wrapped itself around the space in a very immersive way. The flow of his transitions felt smooth and intentional. Every drop landed with a creative twist that kept the crowd engaged.
He has a way of building tension without rushing it, then releasing it in surprising ways that cut through the room and refresh the atmosphere. The transitions were clean and the ideas behind them felt fresh. It was the type of set that pulls you into the rhythm and keeps you locked in without noticing how much time has passed.
3L1XR’s sound added depth and contrast to the heavier moments of the night. It played an important role in the overall flow of the afters and showed why he is becoming such a recognizable name in this part of the scene.
A Room Filled With Creatives
The crowd brought just as much magic as the music. The Jungle tends to attract a specific blend of nightlife creatives. Many people in the room were DJs, producers, photographers, or dancers who treat the space like a shared art environment rather than a typical party. There is a sense of collaboration in the air, a feeling that everyone is contributing to the night even if they are simply dancing or absorbing the atmosphere.
This is what makes The Jungle special. It feels like a meeting point for Chicago’s underground culture. It is the type of place where you can have a meaningful conversation at 4 a.m. with someone who instantly understands why you love this scene. You leave feeling inspired instead of drained.
Reflections on the Night
Saturday’s afters at The Jungle had everything an underground night should have. It was expressive, unpredictable, sweaty, uplifting, and full of heart. Between the intimate atmosphere, the glowing visual environment, the crowd of creatives, and the high energy, genre blending performances, the night felt alive in every direction.
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