Double Door

Located in the heart of the Wicker Park night life, right across the street from the Damen Blue Line, The Double Door is one of my favorite venues in Chicago. There's always live music, local artwork on display, and a happening crowd. First timers may be a bit confused by the two separate entrances (hence the name Double Door)- one is for musicians and the other for the crowds.The venue itself is spacious, holding a main level, basement, and balcony, while keeping a vintage, laid-back vibe. You can expect new bands to well-known acts, and the shows feel intimate within the created atmosphere. Drink prices are acceptable and the staff is superior, not to mention there are plenty of restaurants to go to before and after shows. If live music, art, and late-nights are your scene, definitely give Double Door a go!

How to get there... If you don't have a car, you can take the Blue Line to Damen and walk right across the street to Double Door. It's right in the heart of Wicker Park and is surrounded by very unique restaurants, bars and shops. I have been there on several occasions... definitely worth repeat visitations. Being that I am from the suburbs, that says a lot. Double Door has a nice classical, aesthetic appearance, wood floors and brick walls with high ceilings. It has two bars with reasonably priced drinks, one on the main level and one in the basement. There is a pool table in the basement for the pool hall junkies out there, personally I can't get enough. There is a photo booth on the main level (AWESOME!!! you just don't see many of those anymore.) There is a balcony where you can look down your nose at people :) There are bathrooms up and downstairs, so you shouldn't have to wait too long in line. I wouldn't change much if anything about the place, but I'm a Cubs fan who loves Wrigley as is, so who knows what you might think. If you love to drink, this place is for you, if you shoot pool, this place is for you, if you would like an eagle's eye view of the crowd below THIS PLACE IS FOR YOU. I have exhibited my art there, I have seen big name musicians there (DMX) and I would be glad to go back for whatever excuse I could find. Every month RAW Chicago puts on a show at Double Door exhibiting up and coming artists in Music, Fashion and Fine Arts. I highly recommend going to a show at Double Door.

I'm a fan of this music space. I've listened to a packed show on a Monday night, as well as a Friday night. Great local and visiting sound, cool crowds, and overall great atmosphere. It's conveniently located by the El and there are plenty of other bars and restaurants located nearby, if you are looking for pre-or-post concert drinking/dining options.

This is a great place to see a show, especially if its a band just starting out. I went here for a small music festival put on by some friends and there was a great range of music and the sound quality was really good. There's room to dance and get right up by the stage, but there's also room to spread out in case you're not feeling the band. The bar isn't anything crazy but drinks aren't too expensive and they have a good amount of beer on tap. It's also right by the El so it's super easy to get to if you don't live in the neighborhood. Overall it's a really cool place to see friends play and the intimate setting would make seeing a bigger band there really cool. On an unrelated note, the Walgreens across the street is the coolest drugstore I've ever been in. It's an old bank and they kept the old vault in the basement, but now it just has vitamins in it.

The Double Door books acts ranging from unknowns to pretty big names, especially in certain circles, resulting in packed shows with a great vibe. It really is just a dive bar with a stage, and nothing about it is particularly impressive. Everything is pretty old and dingy, but it is such a great place for a show. I saw Josh Ritter here a few years back and the sound was great just due to the size and the vocals were really clear. The best part was at the end of the show eh unplugged everything and just sang a song with his voice and acoustic guitar and the crowd became completely hushed. Every word was still audible and it was one of those amazing shared concert experiences. The artists range from rap to rock to indie and beyond but if you see a name you like on the schedule, check it out. And if you have nothing to do some night, check it out. Tickets and drinks are reasonably priced and the setting is great.