A LOOK INTO...
Chicago Music Venues during
the COVID-19 Pandemic
"Till we groove again," a mural painted on the wall outside of The Empty Bottle.
This is an ongoing project of photographing Chicago's temporarily closed venues amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Since March of 2020, these venues have stood pretty much empty and dormant. The floors have missed the stomping feet of concertgoers. The walls have missed the echoes of blaring music and people screaming the lyrics of their favorite songs. And of course, Chicagoans have been missing their beloved venues and the euphoria of hearing live music. Getting access to closed music venues was certainly no easy feat. Although difficult, an important task to complete. With no need for live music, many people in the industry have gone without work. It is crucial to bring attention to this issue, in hopes that we can keep our favorite venues and the folks that work there, afloat. I hope these photos make you feel as nostalgic as I do for live music, but also convey the adversity these closed venues face.
If these venues have been home to you on one occasion or another, maybe you feel inclined to help. If you would like to, please consider purchasing merchandise from these eclectic venues to help support the staff. There are also GoFundMe's for each location that would definitely benefit from your donation. You can click the underlined venue name to access their GoFundMe's.
This is the exterior of the venue. It is an iconic sight to see when driving through the Ukrainian Village neighborhood. There is typically a line around the building filled with excited concert goers. Until things start looking promising, the sidewalks remain as empty as the bottle.
This is the well-known Empty Bottle stage. It has been beneath the feet of many noteworthy acts including, Neutral Milk Hotel, Wilco, Vampire Weekend, The Flaming Lips, and many, many more.
The bar is the first thing patrons see when they set foot in The Empty Bottle.
This is vending manager Tim Gurnig in the green room. He says he got his start here an intern back in 2013. He explains that doing over 300 shows a year can burn you out, but it’s a luxury to have live music. He says this is a new frontier and he doesn’t know what to expect for the future, but he’s glad The Bottle is getting so much love, support, and donations.
The vending manager explains that while The Empty Bottle has been closed since the pandemic began, they have recently been collaborating with the pizza parlor next door, Pizza Friendly Pizza. These are some of the un-folded pizza boxes on the covered pool table.
This is the green room downstairs of The Empty Bottle where the performers will hang out before and after the shows.
Art pieces, both featuring dolls. These obscure pieces are quite fitting for this offbeat music venue.
The letter “P” on this wooden sign stands for none other than The Promontory.
Here stands the Promontory stage, appearing bleak and desolate.
Promontory’s Jake Austen explains that as the mandates got less strict over the summer, they were allowed to have a small amount of people in the building, tables and chairs spaced throughout this room. He said that only a few events took place until mandates became stricter, but the events they did have weren’t very successful anyway.
These are shots of the green room of The Promontory. The first photo's wall features iconic albums from The Mamas and The Papas, Big Country, Simon and Garfunkel, The Pretenders, Boston, and many others.
The wall of records across from the stage pays tribute to artists such as Earth, Wind, & Fire, Snoop Dog, Jennifer Hudson, and many others.
This is Jake Austen, venue manager and talent buyer at The Promontory. He was one of two who opened the venue back in 2014.
This is Promontory's bar, lacking in patrons and drinks. It has become home to cardboard boxes and empty glasses.
This is the exterior of The Promontory: the upper deck and below is the restaurant.
Here is Promontory's entrance, Jake flipped on the lights for the purpose of this shot, but they stay off since closing in March.
Bobby Ramirez, Director of Music Operations, has been working at Thalia Hall since they opened in 2014. He got his start with Evanston Space, one of Thalia Hall’s sister venues. He explains that there is such a sense of community here that many people have been helping furloughed employees through purchasing merch or donating to their GoFundMe. “We’re lucky that a lot of folks that come here feel a certain affinity to the room… A lot of people not only want to feel like a part of the community, but bought merch with the intent of benefiting us,” said Ramirez.
Here is a description of how Thalia Hall played a big part in bringing this Pilsen community together.
In 1892 John Dusek opened a multi-purpose property that would offer commercial storefronts, residential housing, and a hall for the community. Thalia Hall closed to the public in the 1960s and remained untouched until 2013 when new life was breathed into it and it was restored to its natural beauty.
The most iconic aspect of any venue is the stage. Of course, this venue’s stage may be arguably more captivating than others. Its historical charm makes for an astounding live musical experience. Unfortunately, it has been lacking that inspiring music for most of 2020.
The balconies here at Thalia scream historic. Being able to watch your favorite band from the comfort of one of Thalia Halls balconies makes one feel quite distinguished, but many prefer the rush of being as close as possible to the stage and bumping into tons of dedicated fans. That is a feeling that people have not had in a long time, it is a truly a privilege that many took for granted.
Here is a shot of the very large green room beneath Thalia Hall. Artists can have a drink or snack at the mini bar or relax on one of the many leather couches. Even in the new green room, they still kept a certain historic charm throughout to stay true to the vibe of Thalia Hall.
“Masks must be worn at all times. Please respect social distancing and be [kind] to others,” written on the chalkboard above the bar.