The space is swimming in neon lights, illuminating the bar along the east wall, underneath the green velvet-wrapped booth, and in the honeycomb glass pendants hanging along the center of the narrow bar. The bar’s personality is imbued in its decor. For a high-quality cocktail bar, it doesn’t take itself too seriously. Good times are the name of the game here. You’re here for a nightcap and some unexpectedly good eats. – Party packages are available for groups of 20 people or more.Īfter a competitive bowling excursion, walk two blocks west on Fullerton, where you’ll land at Spilled Milk on the corner of California Avenue. Once you pay (it’s $4 to rent shoes), all you do is grab a ball and get throwing. Bring your crew through its dive bar entrance, racks of bowling balls and then into the 16-lane alley. Life as a music venue stopped in 2004 when it was rumored to have almost shut down for Chicago Park District uses until owners agreed to shift the space’s central focus back to bowling. Bands, including the Alkaline Trio, Shellac, The Blind Staggers, and Fall Out Boy performed there. The New York Times said, “high school bands with only three songs could share a bill with bands that had three albums.” At that time, the business put on about eight shows a week. From 1994 to 2004, it was considered one of the best punk-rock clubs in Chicago.
And in the 90s, when bowling fell out of fashion in the neighborhood, it embarked on its live music era. Before it was a bowling alley, it served as an ice factory. While the look hasn’t changed much, its space has teetered between different personalities.
What you see today is pretty much what it looked like decades ago. With a history dating back to 1941, this place doesn’t play by the standard rules of time. anything you’re willing to spare (whether it is your time, your stories, some of you old artifacts, or just cold hard cash) is greatly appreciated.If you want to get a sense of what Chicago might have been like over the past half-century, bowl a few games at Fireside Bowl. e-mail is definitely going to get you a faster response, or if we're friends on facebook you can hit me up there, too. If you’d like to donate, or help in any way, feel free to get in touch with me here or at. it is a huge undertaking, but should be a pretty incredible resource for everybody once it’s up and running. there will also be a section where fans and musicians can write their own memories of each specific show, and of the fireside in general. each date will be a click-able link to a new window where users can upload photos, videos, set lists, posters, fliers, etc. The goal of the website is to list every show ever played at fireside. by buying one of these 10 pins, not only will you get a piece of history, you’ll be helping to preserve it. up until this point, every penny put toward production has come from my own pocket. as a thank you to everybody who has given me their time and sat down to do an interview on camera with me, i have given them an original bowling pin from fireside.įor the first time ever, i’m making a very, very small number of these available to the public to offset the costs of not only the documentary, but a brand new website as well. Many of you know i’ve been working on a documentary on the fireside bowl for the past year and a half.