Underground Wonder Bar

River North, Chicago –

Founded in 1989 by multi-talented Chicago native Lonie Walker – who still helms the house Bad Ass Company Band – Underground Wonder Bar touts a packed calendar of nightly performances geared to soothe the soul, feed the funk, and make a whole lotta toes tap.

A small sidewalk patio provides guests with some fresh air before a show, though most of the music-loving regulars head straight past the brightly patterned façade to grab a favored spot inside.

A cool mix of deep-burgundy wood, shadowy corners, and paintings of hard-strumming guitarists and piano-plunking troubadours give the place a funky vibe, while the neon-lit bar serves basic booze with the customary buck or two tacked on like at most music venues.

Candlelit tables provide a cup of crayons so guests can doodle on the tablecloths while they wait for the show, but once the music starts, all eyes are on the raised stage – backdropped with Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” – where an eclectic mix of open mic, comedy, and reggae fill the void between the regular jazz and blues.

The unifying powers of music are evident in the always-packed crowds, which include everyone from wealthy River North yuppies to grungy starving art students, all clapping their hands, stomping their feet, and ensuring the Underground Wonder Bar’s “Live 365” motto remains true every night and for decades to come.