Park West (music venue)
Park West (originally the Lane Court Theatre) is a concert venue located in Chicago, Illinois. The theater opened in 1916 as a vaudeville and movie theater by the Ascher Brothers. Currently, it can house up to 1,000 guests, in a general admission setting.
Former names | Lane Court Theatre (1916-35) Town Theatre (1935-67) Town Underground Theatre (1967-77) |
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Address | 322 W Armitage Ave Chicago , IL 60614-4711 |
Location | Lincoln Park |
Owner | Jam Productions, Ltd. |
Capacity | 1,000 (general admission) 750 (seated) |
Construction | |
Opened | November 25, 1916 |
Architect | Fred Prather |
Website | |
Venue Website |
About
The theater opened in the 1910s, with a capacity of 1,000 people. In 1965, the theater became the "Town Theatre", eventually showing adult films and featuring live burlesque by 1967. In the 1970s, it was purchased by Dale Niedermaier and John May, refurbished and reopened as "Park West", the music venue and special events space May 11, 1977. The theater hosts a variety of bands, most of which perform classic rock or alternative rock. It is also home to many fundraising events, including the Starlight Foundation's "Dream Date Auction", and awards ceremonies, including the annual "Non-Equity Jeff Awards".
Noted performers
- Adele
- Aimee Mann
- Ani DiFranco
- Anthony Newley
- Aretha Franklin
- Beth Hart
- Charlie Puth
- Chicago
- Chickenfoot
- Cyndi Lauper
- The Dandy Warhols
- The Darkness
- The Derek Trucks Band
- Don McLean
- Dionne Warwick
- Duran Duran
- Eurythmics
- Elton John
- Fall Out Boy
- Gene Simmons
- Genesis
- Gil Scott-Heron
- Gloria Gaynor
- Grace Jones
- Hall & Oates
- Halsey
- Jamie Cullum
- Jerry Spiering
- Jon McLaughlin
- Kate Nash
- King Crimson
- Logic
- Lucinda Williams
- Neil Sedaka
- Paloma Faith
- Patti Smith
- Paula Cole
- Pete Yorn
- Prince
- Rakim
- Lou Reed
- Rory Gallagher
- Saint Etienne
- Shawn Colvin
- Sister Sledge
- Tegan and Sara
- Trixie Mattel
- Tina Turner
- Tom Odell
- U2
- Van Morrison
- Whitney Houston
- "Weird Al" Yankovic
Live media production venue
- 1980: Dionne Warwick:Live at Parkwest—broadcast of a 1980 concert by Dionne Warwick, as a part of the Soundstage series.
- 1982: The Name Of This Band Is Talking Heads—a live album by Talking Heads. Features a live recording of "The Big Country" from 1978.
- 1983: Tina Turner: Live in Chicago—broadcast of a 1983 concert by TIna Turner, as a part of the Soundstage series.
- 1985: Aretha Franklin: Live at Park West—broadcast of a 1985 concert by Aretha Franklin, as a part of the Soundstage series.
- 1985: I Have a Pony— comedy album by Steven Wright, recorded at Wolfgang's in San Francisco and Park West.[1]
- 1996: Costello & Nieve—a live album by Elvis Costello and Steve Nieve. Features five songs recorded at the theater in 1996
- 1997: Home—single released by Sheryl Crow. Contains four tracks recorded at the theater in March 1997.
- 1998: Live from the Choirgirl Hotel—radio and web broadcast of a concert by Tori Amos.
- 2001: Live—a live album by J. J. Cale.
- 2005: Arriving Somewhere..., a live DVD by Porcupine Tree released in 2006 and 2008.
- 2006: Songlines Live—a live album by The Derek Trucks Band.
- 2010: Live in Chicago—a live album by Renaissance from their 1983 tour.
- 2015: September '78—a live album by John Prine recorded at the theater in 1978.
References
- "Steven Wright : I Have a Pony (CD + DVD) (2009) - Warner Bros / WEA". OLDIES.com. Retrieved 27 October 2018.