Just call Excalibur the amusement park of Chicago nightclubs; it's not easy to get bored here. This place is huge: 60,000 or so square feet. The space, divided among three floors, has room for, of course, drinking and dancing; there's also room for sitting and talking, there's a restaurant, pool tables, oxygen bar and video games. Whew.

The crowd is eclectic: of-age college students, 20- and 30-something singles, the odd Wicker Park type and hard-core dancers. There's some serious club beats, plus Wednesday night live band karaoke with the Durty Lounge Lizards (visit the Web site for the complete song list..."Sweet Child 'O Mine," anyone?).

Club X on the second floor is the main attraction. The additional $5 cover to get into Club X sucks, but the groovin' mix of house, hip-hop and Latin dance music sort of compensates for it. Sort of.

The small, first floor dance area, called The Cabaret, features a mix of music from the '70s, '80s, and '90s. The DJs cuts -- "Somebody scream!" -- are annoying, but the medley are nostalgic for those who remember when. Downstairs is a guy's dream: pool, video games, virtual driving. Expect to find the college group here. Those with the munchies can visit the downstairs restaurant; the menu features standard bar fare and sandwiches: You may want to insert tongue-in-cheek as you order the VIP Platter, chicken pot stickers, Caribbean steak on a stick, hot spinach and artichoke dip and cheese quesadillas.

Centerstage Reviewer: Venita Griffin