Just throw in a little building renovation, positive word of mouth and impressive headliners to stir up a local cult following, and the Fireside Bowl could become the hottest ticket in Chicago’s underground music scene once again. Maybe a punk night held once a week, run by mP and filled to the brim with local music, could breathe life back into a once sacred haunt. ![]() The Fireside was great when mP Productions booked shows there. Initially hosted at the Fireside Bowl in 1998, it has since moved to the iconic Reggies Rock Club, which took over the event at least a decade ago and is pulling out all the stops for this year’s event on December 23. On most nights the lanes at the Fireside Bowl are silent, but the shabby bowling alley at 2646 W. This legendary venue is an ancient bowling alley that hosted early shows from Jimmy Eat World, Alkaline Trio, and Fall Out Boy. 82-30 pinspotter at Fireside Bowl, Chicago. Rodney Pawlak, who runs The Chicago Metal Factory ( has been promoting the Holiday Of Horror since the beginning. And, with the recent resurgence of punk rockers in the local music scene (like “flower punk” wunderkinds The Orwells, still in high school!) the timing of a Fireside revival couldn’t be more perfect. Built originally as an ice factory, the Fireside Bowl was converted into bowling alleys in the 1940s, when bowling was a favorite Chicago leisure pursuit. Here’s a thought: Maybe people will stop complaining about the smell if they’re at a PUNK ROCK show! They’ll be too busy moshing and getting drunk to care about cleanliness or the staff tending to their needs post-haste. Some Yelp reviewers have been particularly unkind, complaining about everything from bad service to the building’s dilapidated condition to the musty “old” smell that fills the air. Now, according to many disgruntled Chicagoans, the magic has soured. Vintage 8 lane bowling alley & bar featuring manual scoring, retro vibes and frozen White Russians 21 and over unless accompanied by a parent or legal guardian who is 21 and over until 7:30pm. ![]() Possibly the most exciting thing to happen at Fireside in recent years was Vince Vaughn filming scenes for The Breakup in 2005.Īt one time, the Fireside Bowl was legendary. We capped off the outing with a round of night spotting during which we viewed an abundance more. But Fireside now trails far behind other venues in terms of attendance and acclaim. Damien Christian and Laura Zielinski of The Blind Staggers played July 20. On rare occasions, bands stop by to pay homage to the good old days, like White Mystery returning to Chicago for their summer tour.
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