The first Helltrap Nightmare I attended was in 2016, in the bar half of Cafe Mustache. Sarah Sherman took the stage wearing a metallic jumpsuit hand-painted with veiny boobs, holding up a Ziploc bag full of her own pubic hair—an intro that, though jarring, was completely on-brand.
In the years following Helltrap’s inception, the format has expanded to include the entire spectrum of performance-based comedy and DIY music, serving as a multigenre open mike for any and every one. Past performers include rapper/performance artist Mister Wallace, angular noise-rockers Sugarm, local comedian Marilee, and multi-instrumentalist Nnamdi Ogbonnaya, a recurring guest who will be performing at the final show. The mission is “definitely providing an energetic space so that people can just try out stuff they want to try out, and there’s no limitations,” Sherman says.
Helltrap Nightmare—The Final Haunt with Nnamdi Ogbonnaya is Thursday, September 19, at 9 PM, at the Hideout, 1354 W. Wabansia, 773-337-4433, hideoutchicago.com, $15, sold out.
