Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
a midsize venue that features up-and-coming acts (get there early to snag one of
the lower balcony rows).
More sedate audiences love the
Park West,
322 W. Armitage Ave. (
&
773/
929-5959;
Subway/El: Brown Line to Armitage, or bus no. 22 [Clark St.]), both
for its excellent sound system and its cabaret-style seating (no mosh pit here).
I've caught excellent shows there with Sarah McLaughlin and Tori Amos, artists
typical of the kinds of acts that thrive at the Park West. For tickets to most shows
at all these venues, you're stuck going through the service-fee-grabbing
Ticket-
master
(
&
312/559-1212
).
Here are some bars and clubs that book live music most nights of the week:
Abbey Pub
Irish brogues abound at this barnlike gathering place for indie-
rock, folk-pop, and other hard-to-classify acts. It's tucked away in a residential
neighborhood—far from the usual tourist haunts—so you're pretty much guar-
anteed to be surrounded by locals. Besides Guinness and other Emerald Isle
beers on tap, there's a full menu. Traditional Irish music sessions are held Sun-
days.
3420 W. Grace St. (at Elston Ave.).
&
773/478-4408.
www.abbeypub.com. Cover $5-$20.
Subway/El: Brown Line to Irving Park, then a 10-min. cab ride.
Cubby Bear
Across from Wrigley Field, Cubby Bear is a showcase for new
rock bands and an occasional offbeat act, and it draws a scrub-faced postcolle-
giate crowd. Concerts are staged on weekends and many Wednesday nights.
Otherwise, there are always billiards, darts, and other distractions.
1059 W. Addi-
son St. (at Clark St.).
&
773/327-1662.
www.cubbybear.com. Cover $5-$10 on band nights,
more for special shows. Subway/El: Red Line to Addison.
Double Door
This club has capitalized on the Wicker Park/Bucktown
neighborhood's ascendance as a breeding ground for rock and alternative music.
Owned by the proprietors of Metro (see below), the club has some of the better
acoustics and sight lines in the city and attracts buzz bands and unknowns to its
stage. When you need to escape the noise, there's a lounge-type area with pool
tables in the basement. Concerts are staged Tuesday through Sunday.
1572 N. Mil-
waukee Ave. (at North Ave.).
&
773/489-3160.
www.doubledoor.com. Tickets $5-$15. Subway/
El: Blue Line to Damen.
Elbo Room
Step downstairs into this basement-level Lincoln Park music
room for a lineup of nightly musical entertainment that's delightfully schizo-
phrenic: rockabilly, hip-hop, soul, funk, and more. There's even an open-mic
jazz jam session every Wednesday night.
2871 N. Lincoln Ave. (at George St.).
&
773/
549-5549.
www.elboroomchicago.com. Cover $5-$10. Subway/El: Brown Line to Diversey.
The Empty Bottle
This alternative rock club in the Ukrainian Village neigh-
borhood is a haven for young arty scenesters drawn here for camaraderie,
obscure bands, and cheap beer. Offerings are eclectic, with experimental jazz on
Wednesday and other nights given over to a DJ's underground improvisations.
A real treat is the annual
Festival of Jazz and Improvised Music,
held in the
spring, which showcases an international assemblage of top avant-garde musi-
cians.
1035 N. Western Ave. (between Division St. and Augusta Blvd.).
&
773/276-3600.
www.
emptybottle.com. Cover $5-$10. Subway/El: Blue Line to Western, then bus no. 49.
House of Blues
The largest in a national chain of music venues, the House
of Blues could more appropriately be called the House of Pop. Although it is
decorated with Mississippi Delta folk art, the bands that play here tend to be
rock groups, '80s novelty acts, and the occasional hip-hop or reggae performer.
This is a great place to see a show—concerts are held in a theater that re-creates
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