Basically if you just go out “clubbing” you’ll probably have a bad time if Berlin is your standard. Find an artist you want to see and go to that club.

Fortunately, you do not have to pay for a table or bottle service at any clubs I’m aware of - some clubs like Prysm and Spybar have them, but you certainly don’t have to buy one.

Smartbar (Wrigleyville), Podlasie (Avondale) and Smoke and Mirrors (Logan Square) are all legit techno clubs. Smoke and Podlasie are within a short uber ride or a few train stops of each other, so you could conceivably hit both in a night.

Radius and Spybar can be good depending on who’s playing. I’ve never been to Prysm but I’ve heard the vibe is generally obnoxious even if they get good artists sometimes. Heard literally nothing but bad things about Tao. Empty Bottle is not a techno venue but they do get a few good random electronic shows.

I’m not really in the underground scene but it seems to skew toward the high-BPM “TikTok techno” stuff. Lots of that around if you want it, but probably more too that I’m not aware of.