How do I get tickets?

Create an account and set your home city to stay informed about shows in your area. Once you’ve found a show you want to attend, you can instantly purchase tickets for you and your friends.

Who will I see perform?

You’ll see 2 or 3 short sets from incredible performers from all musical genres, and sometimes even spoken word, comedy or dance. Each show’s lineup is curated by our artist booking team to be diverse and varied. Grab your ticket and get ready to discover your new favorite artist!

Vibe Check

Want a feel for what you might hear? We’ve compiled a Spotify playlist featuring all the artists that have played at withlove collective. Check it out, get your tickets, and come have some fun!

How do I get tickets?

Create an account and set your home city to stay informed about shows in your area. Once you’ve found a show you want to attend, you can instantly purchase tickets for you and your friends.

Who will I see perform?

You’ll see 2 or 3 short sets from incredible performers from all musical genres, and sometimes even spoken word, comedy or dance. Each show’s lineup is curated by our artist booking team to be diverse and varied. Grab your ticket and get ready to discover your new favorite artist!

Vibe Check

Want a feel for what you might hear? We’ve compiled a Spotify playlist featuring all the artists that have played at withlove collective. Check it out, get your tickets, and come have some fun!

SECRET COMEDIANS.

All comedians remain unknown until they take the stage. Every lineup is carefully curated to include the very best local and nationally touring talent. You may discover your next favorite comedian or see a familiar face. You’ll never know who might show up!

UNIQUE LIVE EXPERIENCE.

Our shows are run by a local team of comedy lovers, and comedians who are passionate about creating a fun and relaxed environment for experiencing live comedy. There’s no two drink minimums and each show is completely unique. We thrive on good vibes and welcome you to be a part of the DTC community.

How do I get tickets?

Create an account and set your home city to stay informed about shows in your area. Once you’ve found a show you want to attend, you can instantly purchase tickets for you and your friends.

Who will I see perform?

You’ll see 2 or 3 short sets from incredible performers from all musical genres, and sometimes even spoken word, comedy or dance. Each show’s lineup is curated by our artist booking team to be diverse and varied. Grab your ticket and get ready to discover your new favorite artist!

Vibe Check

Want a feel for what you might hear? We’ve compiled a Spotify playlist featuring all the artists that have played at withlove collective. Check it out, get your tickets, and come have some fun!

Very Human Social is an evidenced-based, body-centered social wellness club on a quest to transform how we connect with ourselves, each other, and our planet. We offer intentionally designed experiences, workshops, and retreats that bring humans together in new ways to inspire self-exploration, self-acceptance, authentic human connection, and embodied transformation.

Friend Request is an intimate social experience designed for those who strongly desire authentic, heart-centered, and meaningful connections. This event encourages mindfulness, curiosity, vulnerability, and thought-provoking conversation to inspire intentionally cultivated relationships.

With 1 in 5 Millennials having no friends at all and 79% of Gen Z folk reporting feelings of loneliness, seeking and nurturing friendships is crucial to enrich the quality of our lives.

Friend Request affirms a welcoming and inclusive environment to share in the fullness and joy of who we are. All humans are welcome.

Grab your ticket today! 👇🏽

How do I get tickets?

Create an account and set your home city to stay informed about shows in your area. Once you’ve found a show you want to attend, you can instantly purchase tickets for you and your friends.

Who will I see perform?

You’ll see 2 or 3 short sets from incredible performers from all musical genres, and sometimes even spoken word, comedy or dance. Each show’s lineup is curated by our artist booking team to be diverse and varied. Grab your ticket and get ready to discover your new favorite artist!

Vibe Check

Want a feel for what you might hear? We’ve compiled a Spotify playlist featuring all the artists that have played at withlove collective. Check it out, get your tickets, and come have some fun!

The Portal is a roaming variety show that pops up in spaces all over Chicago, bringing comedy and music to every corner of the city. From bookstores to bowling alleys, galleries to distilleries, arcades to cafes - The Portal appears anywhere and everywhere. @theportalopens

How do I get tickets?

Create an account and set your home city to stay informed about shows in your area. Once you’ve found a show you want to attend, you can instantly purchase tickets for you and your friends.

Who will I see perform?

You’ll see 2 or 3 short sets from incredible performers from all musical genres, and sometimes even spoken word, comedy or dance. Each show’s lineup is curated by our artist booking team to be diverse and varied. Grab your ticket and get ready to discover your new favorite artist!

How do I get tickets?

Create an account and set your home city to stay informed about shows in your area. Once you’ve found a show you want to attend, you can instantly purchase tickets for you and your friends.

Who will I see perform?

You’ll see 2 or 3 short sets from incredible performers from all musical genres, and sometimes even spoken word, comedy or dance. Each show’s lineup is curated by our artist booking team to be diverse and varied. Grab your ticket and get ready to discover your new favorite artist!

Vibe Check

Want a feel for what you might hear? We’ve compiled a Spotify playlist featuring all the artists that have played at withlove collective. Check it out, get your tickets, and come have some fun!

Very Human Social is an evidenced-based, body-centered social wellness club on a quest to transform how we connect with ourselves, each other, and our planet. We offer intentionally designed experiences, workshops, and retreats that bring humans together in new ways to inspire self-exploration, self-acceptance, authentic human connection, and embodied transformation.

Friend Request is an intimate social experience designed for those who strongly desire authentic, heart-centered, and meaningful connections. This event encourages mindfulness, curiosity, vulnerability, and thought-provoking conversation to inspire intentionally cultivated relationships.

With 1 in 5 Millennials having no friends at all and 79% of Gen Z folk reporting feelings of loneliness, seeking and nurturing friendships is crucial to enrich the quality of our lives.

Friend Request affirms a welcoming and inclusive environment to share in the fullness and joy of who we are. All humans are welcome.

Grab your ticket today! 👇🏽

How do I get tickets?

Create an account and set your home city to stay informed about shows in your area. Once you’ve found a show you want to attend, you can instantly purchase tickets for you and your friends.

Who will I see perform?

You’ll see 2 or 3 short sets from incredible performers from all musical genres, and sometimes even spoken word, comedy or dance. Each show’s lineup is curated by our artist booking team to be diverse and varied. Grab your ticket and get ready to discover your new favorite artist!

Vibe Check

Want a feel for what you might hear? We’ve compiled a Spotify playlist featuring all the artists that have played at withlove collective. Check it out, get your tickets, and come have some fun!

Join Derek Mercer as he turns withlove into a cocktail classroom. You’ll establish a solid foundation for you and your friends and understand the fundamentals of cocktailing.

Once you get a solid theoretical foundation, you can get behind the bar and start cooking. Make soup with booze and cook with ice, baby! He’ll show you tips, tricks, riffs, and variations to make you a better, faster, and stronger bartender. Whether it’s for the home bar or the professional setting, you’ll learn skills that will impress your guests and make you money.

A lot of time and effort goes into a new cocktail, a revamped cocktail menu, or a cocktail class. We’ll take care of all the research, development, and planning so we can bring a finished lesson plan straight to you and get your team learning quickly. No wasted time. Full speed ahead, damn the torpedoes. There are no blowoff classes at Cocktail University!

About Derek

COVID-19 is rocked the world and everyone’s life turned upside down. Thousands of restaurants closed their doors forever in 2020, including Blackbird where he managed the bar and spent his time taking care of the good people of Chicago. Anyone in hospitality knows what came next for him—plenty of time on my hands and limited job prospects.

His wife joked that he was her personal kitchen and bar manager while she continued to work very hard from home during quarantine. His smoker was seemingly running all the time, was baking bread, and was always prepping. He was back to simple food and cocktails that let their spirit shine. His thirst to provide hospitality and care for others simply would not die.

He started Present Tense as an outlet to be able to continue to share his talents, passion, and love for bars and restaurants. 

“You can hang on to past events but to me it makes much more sense to live in the Present Tense.” - DM

Sarita is a soulful mixture of intellect and passion. She boasts a rich, melodic narrative deeply rooted in love, feminism and empowerment. A Chicago based musician-her profound and ambitious sound bares bold influences in acoustic soul, alternative R&B, and pop. Born into a biracial household, Sarita embodies musical influences from her Hispanic and African American cultures. Her musical tapestry pays homage to her Puerto Rican culture with lyrics in English and Spanish. “Growing up, there was always music playing in our household. If it wasn’t Salsa or Merengue, it was Hip Hop and R&B on the radio. It was music I loved to listen to, dance and move to and most importantly sing to.” says Sarita.

Adding to her unique magic is her mellifluous and soulful voice. Her resonate and warm vocal tones, paired with lyrics grounded in human emotion and deeply personal experiences are sure to captivate a room. Her message of empowerment and acceptance is a theme often heard in her songs, such as Confused and Try. True to life, Sarita captures her experiences as a young mixed woman in America. Sarita is sure to satisfy your desire for a fresh sound and a new perspective.

SECRET COMEDIANS.

All comedians remain unknown until they take the stage. Every lineup is carefully curated to include the very best local and nationally touring talent. You may discover your next favorite comedian or see a familiar face. You’ll never know who might show up!

UNIQUE LIVE EXPERIENCE.

Our shows are run by a local team of comedy lovers, and comedians who are passionate about creating a fun and relaxed environment for experiencing live comedy. There’s no two drink minimums and each show is completely unique. We thrive on good vibes and welcome you to be a part of the DTC community.

Lakan is a singer, songwriter, and producer currently based in Northern California. Lakan tends to draw influence from many different styles and genres but for this Philippine born son of a singer who was raised in the cold streets of Chicago, soul is the true reflection of the people society most often sees as a problem. With a commanding lyrical ability and a voice that retells stories of love and loss, pain, hope and healing, Lakan personifies that soul.

How do I get tickets?

Create an account and set your home city to stay informed about shows in your area. Once you’ve found a show you want to attend, you can instantly purchase tickets for you and your friends.

Who will I see perform?

You’ll see 2 or 3 short sets from incredible performers from all musical genres, and sometimes even spoken word, comedy or dance. Each show’s lineup is curated by our artist booking team to be diverse and varied. Grab your ticket and get ready to discover your new favorite artist!

Vibe Check

Want a feel for what you might hear? We’ve compiled a Spotify playlist featuring all the artists that have played at withlove collective. Check it out, get your tickets, and come have some fun!

Rosalba Valdez is a Mexican singer/songwriter from Chicago. Regularly singing and playing guitar for Sunday church services, community events, rallies, and protests, from the age of five, Rosalba grew up in an activist environment advocating for immigrant rights.

 Rosalba recognized her passion for music early on and also learned about the importance of speaking out against the injustices in her community. Her debut EP, "Yo Soy Mexicana," displays a variety of Latin genres and was written as a statement against hateful rhetoric being spread at the time by the former president of the united states. Her new single, "LUCHA DE FAMILIAS," reflects different stories in the immigrant community and calls on the Latine diaspora to stand united for social change. 

Rosalba continues to showcase her existing projects in 2023 at festivals and other cultural events throughout the city of chicago. subscribe below and follow her social channels to keep up to date with her upcoming projects and collaborations.