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Green Mill

Jim Newberry

March 30, 2007

Aragon Ballroom
Built in 1926 and designed to suggest the courtyard of a Spanish palace, in its heyday the Aragon provided a key showcase for the popular dance orchestras of the 40s, bands led by Tommy Dorsey, Harry James, Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Duke Ellington, and Frank Sinatra among them. Changing tastes forced the space to accommodate new events, and after a stint hosting roller-skating and boxing, it eventually emerged as host to a mix of rock and hip-hop shows and Mexican regional concerts.
Coming up: Snow Patrol, OK Go, and Silversun Pickups (4/2), Enanitos Verdes (4/5), Manu Chao (6/17). | 1106 W. Lawrence | 773-561-9500 | aragon.com

Carol’s Pub
The closest thing to a genuine country honky-tonk in Chicago, this run-down corner bar—smelling of 30 years of spilled beer and stale smokes—offers an all-country jukebox, all-night sets on the weekends by a solid country cover band called Diamondback, and cheap beer flowing all the time. Country Claude & the Chicken Chokers play on Wednesday nights. | Mon-Tue 9 AM-2 AM, Wed-Fri 11 AM-4 AM, Sat 11 AM-5 AM | 4659 N. Clark | 773-334-2402

Green Mill
Opened in 1907 as Pop Morse’s Roadhouse—a place to down a few drinks on the way to (or from) nearby Saint Boniface Cemetery—it soon became Green Mill Gardens, a posh indoor-outdoor nightclub that hosted legends like Al Jolson, Eddie Cantor, and Sophie Tucker. The club’s proximity to Essanay Studios also brought in a fair share of actors, and after an associate of Al Capone acquired a 25-percent share of the club in the 20s it became a notorious mobster hangout. Over the decades it’s booked a mix of swing, jump blues, and jazz, but since Dave Jemilo took over in 1986 and restored it to its 20s splendor it’s become one of the city’s most important and reliable jazz venues, with music seven nights a week. The club is also the longtime host of the Sunday Uptown Poetry Slam (see Lit).
Upcoming shows: Paul McKee and the John Fedchock Quintet (3/30-3/31), Pierre Dorge & New Jungle Orchestra (4/6-4/7), Vandermark 5 (4/13-4/14), David Berkman Quartet (4/27-4/28). | Sun-Fri noon-4 AM, Sat noon-5 AM | 4802 N. Broadway | 773-878-5552 | greenmilljazz.com

Kinetic Playground
Named after an old rock ’n’ roll club that existed in the space later occupied by the Rainbo Roller Rink (since torn down to make way for condos), this relatively new club—itself occupying the space that once housed Chicago’s greatest shit-kicker country bar, Sharon’s Hillbilly Heaven—boasts a capacity of 500. Most of the bookings are funk, hard rock, and blues-rock acts that have yet to distinguish themselves. | 1113 W. Lawrence | 773-769-5483 | thekineticplayground.com

Riviera Theatre
Opened in 1918 as a movie palace, the Riv quickly got into music as an enhancement to its film programs and remained a popular spot for the next few decades. These days it’s one of the north side’s busiest midsize venues. The capacity is around 2,300, and the open floor near the stage can be chaotic and claustrophobic during crowded shows, but there’s also abundant seating.
Coming soon: the Decemberists with My Brightest Diamond (4/18-4/19), Andrew Bird with Apostle of Hustle (4/20), Bright Eyes with Oakley Hall and McCarthy Trenching (4/23-4/24), Air with Kate Havnenik (5/4), Mastodon with Against Me! and Cursive (5/12), Regina Spektor (5/13). | 4746 N. Racine | 773-275-6800 | jamusa.com/riviera

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