The inside... the way inside where the acts perform is much different in appearance than the outside and bar area might lead you to believe. Â I've been here a few times, and I can't say that's ever bothered me. Â The back area is basically just a loft sort of warehouse area that's all black and the band performs on a sideways sort of facing stage. Â Hard to explain. Â
The only shows I've seen here are electronic based shows and two of them were all ages and unfortunately it really draws in the "kids that try and act like they're 20-something" crowd that brags about being high, drunk, wasted, whatever... but never really have... and experience it for the first time that night.
I love seeing concerts here! My wife and I always show up early to have dinner before the show. Huge beer selection and the food is pretty damn good too! The floor area is a decent size and the sound is usually good. I like that it has 2 separate rooms.
Plenty of FREE street parking. There is a very small lot next to the venue that fills up very quickly. Even if you get a spot, it's hard to get out at the end of the night.
--DISCLAIMER--
I have been here a dozen times or so for concerts/shows. I am rating Bottom Lounge as a venue, rather than restaurant. I have never eaten here or had any interaction with the wait-staff.
Reasons why I am a fan of Bottom Lounge:
1) FINALLY A VENUE WITH GOOD BEER! You had me at Three Floyd's, Dogfish Head, and Half Acre.
2) Upon arriving, you do have to show your ID (duh), but they do NOT frisk you, or check your pockets && purses, (or bra... *cough* Congress Theater *cough*).
3) Re-Entry for those 21+
4) Decent size/decent sound
5) The lines for the bar can be long, but I have never witnessed the bartenders "taking their time". If you are getting antsy waiting, take a chill pill. OR just go through the double doors... There is another bar to your left!
Things that need improvement:
1) The bathrooms. But who really likes a public restroom?
--WARNING!!--
I have gotten my car broken into TWICE while parked on Ada. If you're going to be driving, use their small lot, or park on Lake St!
awful, awful place. walk in and, despite the fact that you're a couple decades past drinking age, get bombarded by door guys like you're a criminal. main music venue is  a cavernous room with a boomy, echoey sound system. very sparse and boring. nothing to speak of there.
the bar staff is comprised of disinterested, idiot hipster girls who are more interested in talking to their friends than taking orders. i stood at the sparsely populated bar for nearly 10 minutes and waited, $20 in hand, as girl after girl walked by me, made eye contact, and proceeded to ignore. finally one asked, disinterestedly, 'do you need something?' what. the. fuck. i have zero tolerance for that kind of horseshit in a BAR that serves DRINKS. they also charged $2 more for a drink in the outside bar than they were charging inside the venue. the bullshit price difference the 'manager' chick attempted to explain to me was so infuriating that i wanted to punch her. not a violent person, but i left feeling that i could be. god-awful customer service. the staff in general was very thuggish and borderline retarded.
waste of money all around. will not attend again and will also urge my friend who plays there to leave it to the 17+ crowd.
This review is strictly about the concert venue for the NYE show, so it shouldn't reflect on the restaurant/bar area. Â In summary, the concert was great, but the NYE "party" was lame!
The NYE show was open bar, but it was such a horribly run open bar. Â It was such a pain to get served that I didn't bother going back for seconds. Â There was a single bar for 700+ people with 4 bartenders. Â You had one choice of beer and a limited choice of mixed drinks. Â Here's a suggestion for next year: Â First, open a satellite bar in the other corner to break up the huge line. Â Second, have waitresses going around with trays of beer, champagne, whatever. Â Maybe I'm asking too much, but for the price I paid I expected better.
I came here with my friends' band for a recent show, having never been here before. They were the second out of 5 acts performing that night. Having seen prior (albeit rather low-res) video from their previous performance, I didn't really know what to expect. When I walked in, I was surprised - the concert area was smaller than I anticipated from the video. It's kind of wide, but not terribly deep, and yes, there's not really anything on the walls as far as actual decor or even concert posters go. The sound was great, though. I've been to enough shows over the years and my friends' band had a really balanced mix. I did seem to notice that the sound quality - saying nothing of the performances of the other bands - got worse and worse, and the guitars became cracklier, peaking more as the night went on. Is The Bottom Lounge a pretty well-known rock venue? Yes. Should it be loud? Hell yes! But it simply isn't that big, especially in terms of physical front-to-back depth, so having super-loud PAs doesn't serve the music when the place isn't standing room only with a wild crowd.
So with all that said, I was really pleasantly surprised with the Bottom Lounge's overall setup. The sound is generally good if not a little too loud as the night wears on, but there are also two bars - the main bar in a room outside the concert area and a smaller bar on the opposite side of the wall stage left. The service at the main bar was good, and they actually had Southern Tier on tap, and prices were city-reasonable. There's a really good chance I'd come back for other concerts... and as a rock venue, that's what you want.
I use to go to the original Bottom Lounge and I was use to the dingy, moldy, intimate setting that once was. I won't lie the first time I came to the new one on Lake st. I was kinda weirded out by it but I have grown to it. The drink selection is pretty good. The food selection is alright. The wait service is a little scrambled. Â On slow nights its pretty good but busy nights you won't see your waiter for long periods of time. The shows are always a good time.
Review Source:We went to see the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, which was an awesome show. Â Sound was fantastic, great venue. Â BUT...eat before you go, don't waste your time going there to eat before a show. Â Service is TERRIBLE. Â We waited 10 min for a server to come by, and he was very rude & abrupt. Â Brought drinks back, then ran off. Â Waited 20 min for him to come back to take our food order. Â I asked what "Belgium fries" were...his answer was, "I don't know, they have, like, stuff on them." Â Really sold them, huh? Â The food took at least 45 min to arrive - we ordered a grilled cheese & a burger. Â This does not take 45 min to prepare, even if the place was packed (which it wasn't). Another server brought our food, plopped it down, and took off. Â Outside of arriving cold, I had to pick off ingredients from mine with my hands because a.) my food arrived wrong and b.) we didn't have silverware. Â And no napkins, either, which is unfortunate when you have to pull fried onions off with your hands. Â But since the server didn't come back, we couldn't tell him any of this and the food was just getting colder. Â We finally caught the eye of another server and asked for silverware & napkins, but all she did was go tell the first guy so we waited another 10 min for them to arrive. Â By then the show had started in the other room, but we were stuck waiting for our check for probably 15-20 min. Â The server couldn't have cared less about anything that happened, and there's no way he couldn't have known how long everything took. Â Not even an "I'm sorry". Â Outside of the mistakes, it was good quality food and they seem to have a lot of creative choices on the menu. Â But after last night's experience, I just can't imagine wasting time and money going back there to eat ever again.
Review Source:Identity crisis like whoa.
Is this is music venue, a bar or a restaurant?
You walk in and it's this warehouse looking joint with very high ceilings, concrete floors and open plumbing pipes. Â Tables. Â Bar. Â Peeps eating food. Â So... restaurant/bar?
Then, you head back. Â There's an entire music venue (holds, in my estimation, about 500). Â The music room is very bare-bones. Â Cement floor. Â Cement walls, small bar to the side. Â The floor is also super flat and the stage isn't super high, so unless you get there early or are a tall dude, you may miss some stage happenings. Â Just a tip from me to you. Â It's also pretty hot, you know, temperature-wise. Â You will sweat.
I came to Bottom Lounge to see Gossip and they blew it out of the water. Â Sound quality was great. Â I legit have no shame and crashed my way to the middle of the crowd so I could be asses-to-elbows with a bunch of fools and dance my bootie off. Â Very doable.
Drink prices are surprisingly not as offensive as I thought they'd be. Â They carry tall boys in stuff other than just PBR, like Lite and High Life (champagne of beers!), which is totally my jam at concerts. Â The fewer trips to the bar the better, eh? Â I believe 4 tall boys and 4 shots of Jameson set me back about $50 including tip. Â Not cheap, but certainly better than the $22 I spent on 2 Bud Lights at House of Blues a few months ago.
So my cousins' band was performing here so I decided to check them out. Â I walked into the restaurant and it was way cooler than I anticipated. Â I really liked the layout and open feel. Â The service was not good though. Â The three of us all managed to order a drink that was on the menu but that they were out of and she didn't know this ahead of time. Â She was also quite slow despite the fact that it was not busy in there. Â However the food itself was actually really good. Â Two of us got the sausage plates (awesome) and one got the schnitzelwich, which was unique and pretty solidi as well. Â The tots and mashed potatoes were good. Â I actually would go back there just to eat.
The venue itself is really cool. Â Decent acoustics for such a small place. Â It's an intimate spot so don't expect radio regulars here. Â I think someone hit it on the head when they said most people there are friends of the band performing and they mingle with them beforehand in the restaurant.
Got VIP tickets to a secret invite show here last night for the Neon Trees. Â They picked a local girl band called "Summer Girlfriends" to open for them. Â Besides the music, which was fantastically fun, the venue itself really lent itself to having fun.
I'd never been he before. Â Easy to get to on a Saturday night, easy street parking, safe neighborhood. Â The bottom lounge is HUGE. Â The general space bar up front is comfortable, fun and really spacious.
We went straight back to the concert venue which is dark, cool and has a great stage area and dance area. Â There is also a bar inside the performance area.
To kick-off this year's summer, my Rock Band went on an almost week long tour around the City & a suburb.
So, we started here. Upon my arrival I received  a wristband that gave me access to all things exclusive about this place (backstage!) such as complementary bottled water, beer and food.
After all access, I started setting up for the band in the second floor's stage. Although our performance was in the second floor, we still had a lot of space for our followers.
The stage was fairly big, and their audio staff was attentive and very helpful. In addition, the second floor has a bar and patio area. All in one, this lounge has an awesome venue to host gigs.
Friday nights for salsa are the best.
The upstairs has an amazing dance floor, great crowd, and access to the outdoor patio with an amazing view of the city. Some great signature drinks and pretty affordable (a huge "bachatarita" was $12, but my rum and diet coke's were only $6).
The only thing I've noted is varying bar service. The guy bartender that's been upstairs every time I've been there on a Friday is super friendly and really quick. The girl that's usually there, however, is so cold it's mean. If you can even get her attention, she seems to be pissed off all the time. I think someone should rotate her off salsa duty.....
If you get there early (like a little before 10), it's great to catch a drink, hang out, and dance, since there's room. But after 11:45, it's PACKED. You can barely dance. But at least you can go catch some fresh air and enjoy the view.
Upstairs, most girls are in cute tops or dresses with heels (including salsa shoes), and guys wear nice tops and pants or nice jeans. Nothing too fancy though (not as dressy as a club).
I've seen many a venue attempt to "own" salsa on Friday nights, and it's switched hands more times than I can count. But this one might stick! Been back weekly for months now, and I'm still loving it. One of the best dance floors for salsa (and cha cha, meringue, bachata, cumbia, etc.) in the city.
Only complaint-parking around there is a nightmare. If you can commute or cab it, I would recommend doing so.
If you're a seasoned salsero, just looking for a place to start (they have free lessons at nine-ish!), or just want a delivious guava margarita, a nice view, and a great place to people watch, I'd say check it out!
Been here a couple times with my boyfriend and friends, for both small venues on the stage upstairs and the large stage behind the bar. Eaten in the restaurant once, and the food was fine, staff was friendly.
Our most recent excursion was for a Sunday night concert to see Protest the Hero (who puts on a fucking amazing show, by the way). After the show, we grabbed a beer and waited by the bar, hoping to see the band come out. One of the security guys noticed us waiting with CD and Sharpie in hand, and went out of his way to go in back and check to see if the band was going to come our way. After a couple minutes, he emerged only to take us to one of the back rooms where the lead singer was sweet enough to take a couple minutes to chat with us and sign our shit. After that, the security guy walked us out to the tour buses where a couple more members were waiting, so we could see them, too. This guy was sooo great to us, we couldn't thank him enough for making the extra effort for some fans. So thanks again, MATTHEW!!! It made our night.
Awesome venue for drinking, socializing, listening to/watching bands, playing pinball or checking out the Chicago skyline from the roof. Â
My favorite part was the Rock Bus which runs on Blackhawk game nights and takes you to and from the arena for free. Â DO be sure to tip your driver though! Â They also have drink specials on game nights too.
Owners/operators of The Rave (Milwaukee) take note: THIS is how you run a small to medium-sized venue. A few blocks west of downtown Chicago madness sits the Bottom Lounge, home to an eclectic mix of performers on a weekly basis.
PROS:
-great views of the stage (except in the back hallway)
-fantastic sound; probably the best I've heard in a small venue
-good usage of space: wide entrance and aisles into the back room, big bar and booth space
-they advertise "clean restrooms" and they are not kidding -- some of the nicest & well kept for this type of venue
-within short walking distance from an El stop (more for the locals)
CONS:
-back hallway in venue can get crowded as this is where merchandise is set up to sell; with the bathrooms located here it can get quite crowded
-I was able to find free street parking with ease, but for a more crowded evening show I imagine parking would be more difficult
While I didn't partake in the food/drink, this section looked well run. Not sure I'd eat food at a music venue, especially given what some other reviewers have noted. For music, this is a solid place -- I'd attend another show here, especially if a particular tour was not stopping in Milwaukee.
Very strange place here....
Stopped in before my massage @ Chicago Touch the other day to let time pass by.
Pretty wide open space with booths in the middle of the floor.
Our waitress seemed pretty clueless and really knew nothing about the menu. She failed to let me know that my $5 Heineken would come in a tall can and not a bottle (no biggie I guess). We ordered onion rings as we weren't that hungry which were good and nice sized. It came with a honey bbq sauce that we didn't ask for, but they wanted to charge us for ranch dressing...interesting
The music selection was pretty uninteresting as it went from a hardcore Beanie Sigel hip hop jam to some down home country western...strange. The country western music continued the duration of my visit here unfortunately. There was a bus parked outside that looks like the bus the Gramercy Riffs rode in The Warriors movie. I assumed all of the sudden Blackhawk fans that showed up rode in it.
Parking is tricky. We had to drive around for a bit and missed a bit of the beginning of the show. The venue itself is pretty nice but crowded and lacks adequate pathways to the loo. The bar offers a pretty good beer selection and the sound was decent. The overall feel was like Shuba's but not as cool due to the fact it's newish.
My hub recently saw VNV Nation there and said it was good. He also ate at the bar and said the food was good. So, there ya go. Is it my favorite place to see a band, no but it's pretty decent.
I've been to at least four shows at Bottom Lounge and I can confidently say that this is a venue for real fans of the main act.
It seems like everyone that goes to a show here actually knows the bands playing and are there to have a good time.
The drink prices are not too bad considering it is a concert venue, bartenders are pretty attentive and I usually don't have to wait to0 long to grab their attention.
The sound system is pretty damn great, I've seen electronic acts as well as rock bands and the sound has been pretty consistent for every show.
Big plus for this place are the "Clean Restrooms". Â They must take pride in this because there's a huge neon sign that tells you where they're located.
Groupons tend to be offered by restaurants and businesses that are in trouble. If you've got a lot of customers paying full price, there's no reason to add a lot of customers who aren't. If only we had remembered this sooner...
Several months ago, one of us picked up a $25 dining Groupon to Bottom Lounge, the West Loop music venue with a full kitchen and bar. The place has been open in the current location for a few years and both of us had great experiences there in its early days. At one time we would have put it among our favorite concert spots, both for their choice of musicians and their excellent pre-show pub grub, but over the last year or so, the gig calender had shrunk and decreased in quality; Bottom Lounge had more or less fallen off both our radars.
So, when the two of us were pondering a quick, cheap dinner near the Loop, we printed out the Groupon and ran over, confident that our meal would be like the chow of yore.
Spoiler Alert: One of us wanted to throw up on the train ride home.
When we arrived and looked over the menu, our old favorites were gone... The Lady seemed to remember a hearty mac and cheese and the Fellow recalled a delicious plowman burger with ham, red onions and other tasty toppings. No matter. Even without the favorites, a few of the dishes being offered still sounded good, so naively we proceeded.
We picked onion rings and a soft pretzel to start, thinking we'd get something homemade. The rings, fried with a nice cornmeal-like breading, lacked proper seasoning, but were tasty enough to keep us happy. This high point of the meal was fleeting though, since the pretzel turned out to be just that ubiquitous microwave kind, topped with a heart-stopping amount of salt. We couldn't believe it.
For entrees -- It has to get better, right? -- we shared plates. A bacon/apple/goat cheese flat bread was dry and tasteless. Some balsamic (or any liquid for that matter) would have gone a long way to help this "cracker," but instead the only moisture came from the rubbery, soggy bacon. This was followed up by the three cheese grilled cheese sandwich -- greasy even by grilled cheese standards and probably the source of the night's later nausea -- and the tomato basil soup -- pedestrian at best, though quite possibly even canned.
Oh Bottom Lounge, how far you have fallen! What happened to your nice high top tables and homemade bar bites? In their place, a worn decor and prepackaged meal.
We can easily imagine you as an episode of Kitchen Nightmares where Gordon Ramsay comes in and explains to you -- tears in your eyes and jaw on the floor while America laughs at your delusions -- that of course no one wants canned soup and microwave pizza. "But fresh tomatoes are so expensive," you'll cry. "Do you know how much time it would take to make our own pretzels?"
Maybe we'll quit kicking you while you're down, Bottom Lounge. No one actually threw up after all, but it was definitely the worst meal either of us had had in the past year. If we ever stop by again for a show -- a possibility becoming less and less likely with your thinning event calendar -- we'll just plan on grabbing a bite elsewhere first. At this point, you're making it hard to even trust the beer.
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Why do they even serve food? Is it to be cruel? It was a nice evening so we got here at 6:20 thinking we could enjoy the sun on the patio for a bit and have something quick to eat. Wrong. Being the only people eating on the patio and one of two tables I kept thinking as time passed... how long can it possibly take to make a black bean burger and a pulled pork sandwich? As the sun disappeared behind clouds and it got a bit chilly we went inside without knowing. It was now over an hour since we'd ordered.
So the food finally comes and as I bite into my bean burger I cut the top of my mouth. WTF, right? Was it even worth it to wonder why my burger was so burned in some parts that it was rock like? Then I had a bit of the pulled pork. I chewed and chewed and chewed. I don't think pulled pork should be crunchy. This was just totally nasty. And the potato salad was what you get if you slice an almost cooked potato into ten slices and goop on mayo. I had four bites of it and I feel totally disgusting. I hate the Bottom Lounge. Gross.
I came here this past Saturday, not for a concert, but for the first ever Chicago Creator Camp, which was absolutely wonderful!
The topics that really spoke to me were: "Blackmail Yourself Into Success", "Balance A Day Job and Creative Pursuits" and "The Art (and Beauty) of Screwing Up." The speakers were absolutely amazing, experienced, and knowledgable, plus they were available to ask questions, share experiences, and give practical advice.
I hadn't been to Bottom Lounge since they were still at their old location on Belmont, where I got hit on by swingers much older than me on my way to see a riot grrrl band (who's name I can't remember now), but really enjoyed when I first moved to Chicago and are now defunct.
Anyways, this new location isn't bad. I like that it has an upstairs (which is where our confrerence was held), it was quiet (except for train interruptions), had great acoustics (for the speakers), I could still get a bloody mary, and there was plenty of room to network with other inspiring artists, musicians, writers, etc. Â
All in all, a good location for such an awesome camp. Â I hope they decide to do another one next year.
The company I work for chose to have our holiday party here. Â With an anticipated attendance of about 1,000, I think this venue was a great choice. Â We were able to have free range of two floors, plus an outdoor area. Â I didn't check the outdoor area out because 1) it was 8 degrees and 2) I don't smoke.
The staff I encountered were very nice. Â They were swamped trying to keep up with the very thirsty crowd, but remained friendly. Â If I had to tend bar at an event like this, I would hide in the back. Â So kudos to the bar staff.
Since it was an extremely cold night, the coat check filled up fast. Â And then some of my coworkers had to keep their coats since it was at capacity. Â Not a big deal, but with such a large crowd, I would assume they would have added space to accommodate the coats. Â
Just an fyi, it's very difficult to find a cab in this area. Â I was lucky to find one on Randolph.
Bought tickets for a show. Paid $50 ($25 more than a regular ticket) for each VIP ticket which included a special "Meet & Greet" with the band and a signed poster. The ticket and website listed the show starting at 8:30 pm. When we arrived at the specified time we were told that the "Meet & Greet" had been held before the show at 6:45pm (45 minutes before the doors actually opened). There was no mention of this on the website or ticket. No refund or compensation was offered.
We were left feeling pretty ripped off. We will not return to this venue.
I went here recently to meet up with some old grammar school friends as it was centrally located for the city people and suburbanites.
It's a decent little spot: good, extensive beer list, friendly service, dark, comfortable atmosphere (read: not loud). Everything one would need in a spot to reminisce. And we did just that.
I didn't love it, I didn't hate it. I probably would not even know about this place if not for our get-together. It's a bit off the beaten path for me.
May just earn a spot on our rotation.
Bottom Lounge. Â I've had mixed experiences here, but one was so negative that it will color my perception of the place forever. Â I was short on cash this particular night, and I asked the bartender what the minimum was for credit cards (seriously, I am sick and tired of vendors refusing to take cards under some 'minimum'). Â It turned out that I had exactly enough cash for the beer itself, but not for a tip. Â As a former waitress and barista, I wasn't *not* going to leave a tip. Â So I dug around my purse and found 10 times. Â Okay, so no one wants tips in change, but at the same time, a dollar's a dollar and if you have access to a cash register, you obviously have access to cash that you can exchange with, oh, say, dimes.
I put the dimes on the table after placing my order. Â As she swept by, she noticed the money and said, "We don't really take change here." Â Her voice was scornful, contemptuous. Â And then she slammed the beer down on the bar surface.
I collected my money and shrugged. Â You won't get anything next time, honey. Â I understand not wanting change. Â But I do not understand being willing to at least appreciate the fact that I was trying to give her exactly what I would have tipped her had I bills on me, that I wanted to ensure that she was making money. Â She did not need to be rude or behave in such a self-entitled manner. Â Bottom Lounge, you're obnoxious and you need to have a conversation with your staff. Â I'm not planning on returning, which is shame, because I used to come so often.
In the words of Axl Rose, "I used to love her." Emphasis: past tense.
I get it, bartender: someone ditched out on their tab. And yes, that sucks. But please don't come to my friends and me (more than once) and ask us about the tab... because we already told you, we took care of our business. I hate to say it, but as a former server, always ask for a credit card to start a tab especially in a venue of Bottom Lounge proportions. It's just smart business. Making us feel like we did something wrong? The exact opposite.
What I still like: great acoustics, rooftop deck, insane beer list, their rum tastings.
What I don't like: feeling like the accused... and I don't drink cranberry and vodka.
The security (and management) at this bar is atrocious.
Just imagine, you mistakenly walk into a bar past the bouncer without showing your ID and instead of the bouncer asking you to show your ID, GRABS your purse/wallet and gets it out for you. Â Rude? Â Unnecessary? Â Illegal?
The exact opposite happened to me -- I mistakenly walked out of Bottom Lounge with a drink in my hand. Â I was outside for about two minutes, when out of nowhere the bouncer attempts to GRAB the drink out of my hand. Â When I turn around to see who is snatching my drink, Â (its a sketchy neighborhood), I see its the bouncer and say "excuse me??" Â At which point I hear "YOU CAN'T TAKE A DRINK OUT OF THIS BAR!!!!!!!" while he still is attempting to snatch my drink. Â Good thing I wasn't drunk; I had a good hold on it and therefore it didn't spill.
I walk inside calmly to finish my drink and ask for the manager to discuss the bouncer's rude behavior. Â His name is Joel. Â Once the manager shows up he is also extremely rude to me stating that I violated the law and it doesn't matter how rude they are. Â My point about how they don't snatch wallets when people mistakenly walk past their security staff when checking for ID's, and therefore they should verbally address the person prior to grabbing a drink if they leave with it in hand was IGNORED. Â Maybe the management was too simpleminded to understand this logic, I'm not quite sure. Â In the end the management was completely unreceptive to my complaint about their security staff and instructed me to leave. Â I was leaving already remember?
Although the show was good, if you choose to frequent this bar I hope you do not have any run-ins with the management or security staff because they're complete assholes.
No. Â
Remember that post-Fireside period where everyone played the old Bottom Lounge and everyone loved it? Â It wasn't that long ago time wise, but metaphorical distance wise it's a million miles away from the new place. Â
First I will note that it's fucking expensive. Â $18 to see Propagandhi? Â Really? Â No beer under $4, not even on some sort of special for a Thursday night? Â Yeah yeah yeah I don't have to drink but jesus christ come on. Â
Next I will direct you to the bouncers, those big ugly lugs that decided to stand eight strong in a circle around "the pit" area, just waiting for someone to crash into them so they can maliciously (notice the difference) shove them back in. Â This happens at places like the Pearl Room or The Rave in Milwaukee where they do not understand how things work, not "underground rock clubs." Â It also makes watching shows a pain in the ass even for tall guys like me. Â
They're also the ones that I saw grab a kid's neck for daring to try to get up to the stage  to sing with a favorite band.  I don't care what you do, YOU DO NOT GRAB ANYONE BY THE NECK UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES.  At that point I was standing in my normal place, halfway back with my arms crossed trying to enjoy the show but my humanitarian instincts forced me to run straight into the fracas and defend my fellow punk rocker from this injustice.  Within two seconds I was indiscriminately slammed down to the ground and left flat on my ass.  It was going to be that type of night, the one where no matter how great the band was I just simply was not going to be having much fun. Â
They're also the ones who try to direct the traffic from a sold out show through one single door at the front, despite the fact that there are multiple exit doors. Â And don't you dare try to innocuously walk through one of the mysteriously "closed" doors or you'll get sassed and yelled at on your way out. Â Do you not remember what happened at E2? Â
The sound in the big room itself is pretty good and the sight lines are decent but there is absolutely no need to keep it as dark as it is. Â Seriously I could barely even seen my own hands when not standing directly under a stage light or near the bar. Â
The longer I was in the place the less I liked it. Â I'm willing to give the Bottom Lounge another chance in awhile (maybe if they start booking more shows I want to see/can actually afford to get in to) but as of right now I'm just disappointed.
The Bottom Lounge is dead, long live the mediocre replacement "Rock Club."
Took the free Party Bus here after a Windy City Rollers bout, which alone was worth a laugh and all the stars.
For my tastes, this place is just OK. Â It was a Saturday night, and while busy, it wasn't super packed. Â Five of us had no trouble getting a big booth at 10:30pm, which is great. Â Lots of beer selection, and the falafel sandwich was pretty darn good (if not HUGE and hard to navigate). Â Service was a little slow, but friendly, and they were busy. Â
My only complaints really were the location (a trek from where I live) and the VOLUME LEVEL. Â I DON'T LIKE BEING PLACES WHERE YOU HAVE TO SCREAM AT YOUR FRIENDS AND CAN'T HEAR HALF OF WHAT THEY SAY! Â I SAID.... I DON'T LIKE... BEING PLACES... NEVER MIND; WE CAN TALK LATER! Â YES I JUST USED A SEMICOLON WHILE SHOUTING AT YOU!
I hear The Weakerthans are coming here in late September. Â So I will absolutely be back.
Bottom Lounge is a giant warehouse bar in the middle of the meat packing district with overpriced beer and tacky decor. Â It did feel like walking into a bad movie from the 90's. Â I don't know how else to put it.
I really think it's personal preference. Some others in my group loved it here. Â I'm not basing my review on the service or food (which I didn't try), just the bad vibe and poor ambiance of the place and overpriced beer and lack of public transportation around.
No thanks, not a fan...Nothing bad happened that turned me off, I just didn't like anything about this place
I received a message from Kent asking "did you not think I would see your message on yelp?" Â
My response: YES! Â Of course I wanted him to see it and he should have too. Â Anyone who is looking for business should take feedback and be able to utilize it to improve. Â
Unfortunately, he blamed his management for giving him such a "LOW BUDGET" for my poor experience. Â His statement was unfounded and unfortunate because no where in our conversations did we speak of a budget. Â My review was about his inability to communicate. Â In addition, I would like to add that reading comprehension is important and he needs to work on that. Â
Another person  affiliated with this business sent me a harassing message.  These people need to grow up and learn that when you run a business, you should remain professional and that the consumers opinion maters most.
Bigger space than I was expecting. Â Wide and cavernous, with black walls and no real character to it. Â I saw a great show here but the venue didn't really add or detract from the experience. Â Beers were expensive but cocktails were decently priced. Â Of course it's hard to hold a cocktail when you're getting your face rocked off by King Khan and Mark Sultan.
This venue gets some good gigs, so I'm sure I'll be back. Â I just wouldn't go out of my way to see anything other than a sure thing here.
Do you remember your first visit to Chuck E Cheese? You know, that initial reaction to the indoor playground, the abundant video games, flowing soda pop, PIZZA... all centered around robotic animals that *talk* to you like you exist? Do you remember thinking, "Yo, this place has it all! I'm never fucking leaving." Then hiding under the stage for hours until finally emerging to a crowd of frantic employees and firemen and cops and K-9s and your hysterical parents with a big grin on your face? I do.
The new Bottom Lounge is kind of like that. The old location was an ok space with its fair share of problems, but by teaming up with Delilah's and having booking primarily handled by MP Shows again, the revision is one formidable force; such synergy would make Voltron proud.
The front section includes a well-stocked bar with a solid selection and a diverse seating section with space for a DJ. There's decent bar food with a late kitchen and wait staff. The south doors open up to an enormous venue space to hold bigger (~500?) shows. The bar extends into the space, which is decked out with a state-of-the-art PA, enormous bathrooms, isolated merch area, and a raised "VIP-section" for posers who want to watch Sick of it All without getting blood on them. Bands: the backstage area includes a loading dock, separate rooms for each band, shower/sleeping facilities, and a stage elevator for your disabled members. If only Pig Champion were still alive, he could have been wheeled onstage!
Upstairs, there's the Volcano Room--capable of hosting smaller shows or large parties. It's got a couple decorative remnants from the defunct Trader Vic's, a bar, some video games, and access to an enormous rooftop patio overlooking Chicago's skyline.
Another key fact is that the venue will be open to 18+, 21+, and all-ages shows. So, old grumps like me can still enjoy an IPA while the kids sing-a-long to Dillinger Four for the first time.
It's very ambitious--almost *too* ambitious, as I can't imagine what the overhead would be like--but I hope it succeeds with flying colors.
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