New Chicago Venues

[skyrefuge]

http://www.suntimes.com/entertainment/835067,newclubs031108.article

A good article from Jim DeRogatis, focusing on Reggie's and the new Bottom Lounge, but also covering the state of the whole club scene in Chicago.

Sounds like the new Bottom Lounge (capacity 500 to 700) would have a good shot at stealing tours from The Pearl Room, although that would require the euro-metal bands to work with MPShows, which they really haven't done much in the past.

I'll probably make my first pilgrimage to Reggie's next month for The Fall of Troy et al, and I guess the Bottom Lounge whenever it opens and someone I want to see shows up there.

Neil

 

[Diabolik]

My brother is really good freinds with the guy who books at The Bottom Lounge, I can tel you one thing, there wont be lots of metal at that club. He hates dealing with metal acts. Lots of ego's and to much high price guarantee's. When he was booking at the old Bottom Lounge he said that there was never any issues with bands until he has metal acts play. But on a better note....Reggies is starting to book more metal acts. Hopefully they can start yanking some of the bands away from the Pearl Room. Hopefully we can get the metal shows back to the city where they belong.

 

[Jasonic]

Is Brian Peterson still the man over at MP SHOWS?
He was always very good to my band back in the day.
Pretty much , all you would need to do is send him an email, and within a week, he had you slotted on a show.

Looking at the shows he books, looks like the same philosophy applies, given the ample amount of shows.

This could be a good opportunity for the local metal bands.

I saw that RAVENSTHORN are on the Belladonna gig.

As Bob said, those guys aren't too into metal. Therefore, probably wouldn't be a hard sell to get any metal band on any metal show they do.

 

[Diabolik]

yeah, Brian Peterson is the guy still behind MPShows. He also is the booker for my brothers band. I hear all sorts of stuff. I know he isnt into metal at al but will book metal shows every once in a while. I had my brother talk to him about the pagan fest when it was first announced. He didnt want that gamble.

But for local acts....he would definetly book anyone for metal shows. he will give bands a chance always.

 

[Jasonic]

I have heard mixed things about him through the years, though who hasn't heard mixed things about any promoter, right?

Where is the new Bottom Lounge located?

I miss the old one, that place was awesome!
Perfect set up for shows.

 

[Chris Lotesto]

nice article...thanks, neil!

 

[Soulforge]

The new location is 1375 W. Lake St., which is just east of the Ashland stop on the green line. It's under the El tracks and close to the Cobra Lounge.

 

[skyrefuge]

I can tel you one thing, there wont be lots of metal at that club. He hates dealing with metal acts.

Well, probably not "metal", just a certain segment of "metal". Because there are certainly two categories of "metal" bands: the glossy euro-style ones, and the down-n-dirty American ones. And they almost seem to be two completely independent circuits, as far as the clubs in the area are concerned. The Pearl Room and the House of Blues (and sometimes the Metro) get the glossy-metal bands, while the d-n-d-metal bands go everywhere else. So yeah, I suppose that won't really change.

But I've seen plenty of metal from MPshows (at the Fireside and old Bottom Lounge) of the d-n-d variety:

The Crown
Dillinger Escape Plan
Mastodon
Cephalic Carnage
Sleepytime Gorilla Museum
Hammers of Misfortune
Pelican
Yakuza
Kayo Dot
etc.

Neil

 

[Will Bozarth]

<3 <3 <3 Sleepytime.

 

[EricT]

The new location is 1375 W. Lake St., which is just east of the Ashland stop on the green line. It's under the El tracks and close to the Cobra Lounge.

Fuck lake street... I work for a company who's headquarters is a few blocks up from that, and holy fuck did I think I was in Detroit the entire time. Maybe the few blocks makes the difference there, but I actually wanted to go back to overbrook after being stared down every time I stepped anymore 3 feet off of company property by giant black men with nothing to lose...

Think I have to stop out there when out for CPF, not looking forward to it.

 

[skyrefuge]

stared down every time I stepped anymore 3 feet off of company property by giant black men with nothing to lose...

Racist! But don't worry, The Amazing Stat-Man is hear to cure your prejudice.

Number of crimes in the last two weeks, within a quarter-mile of...

The old Bottom Lounge (in safe white-man, Lakeview): 8
The new Bottom Lounge (in scary black-man Wes'syde): 6

Source: http://gis.chicagopolice.org/

Neil

 

[Soulforge]

I thought that was the same area. I take the green line to work and I remember seeing the sign for The Bottom Lounge there. I had wondered if they knew what neighborhood they had moved into. There was a news report showing a lot of violence around a club that used to be there called Chromium in that area. The club was further east than the new location of The Bottom Lounge, by about 10 blocks. The cops would camp out, waiting for it to happen and it became known as the Lake Street Lockdown. Here is a link to a resident's videotaping of it. Chromium is no longer there, and it's noted that there hasn't been a street brawl since it closed last December, but there are still other nightclubs there that draw the same crowd. There is still a heavy police presence late at night for this reason.

http://www.youtube.com/user/lakestreetlookout- video footage of street brawls

http://lakeandhalsted.com/home.html- this takes forever to load but is worth a look.