The Hideout Bar / Live Music Venue

Wicker Park / Bucktown, Chicago –

Literally hidden down an industrial alley and sandwiched between a sea of factories and abandoned brick buildings, The Hideout has been doling out liquor and live beats since the early twentieth century, and has the musical resume to prove it.

Unmarked save for a generic beer ad, the only evidence of the venue’s existence is the crush of music insiders and creative types that crowd around the door before every show.

Consisting of a single large room containing the bar, dance, and performance areas, the space looks more like a modest living room than a bar, with a décor limited to simple wood paneling, dozens of band posters pinned to the walls, and a mishmash of local art and trophy fish.

Groupies and rockabillies flood the dark dance floor near the intimate stage, which has seen the likes of the The White Stripes, Flaming Lips, Neko Case, and violin-rocker Andrew Bird.

When the place isn’t rocking out to live music, DJs show up to spin tunes, often accompanied by artistic films or performance art projected on the wall behind them.

No matter who is playing, The Hideout has a loyal following that shows no sign of fading away.