Friday, October 31, 2008

Aragon In Depth


A reader sent us the following link/video showing a great historical view of the Aragon Ballroom near Lawrence and Winthrop from reporter Cory McPherrin of Fox Chicago. Enjoy.

4 comments:

  1. My first show at the Aragon was The Flaming Lips last Fall. I had no idea the venue was so unique and was surprised the inside was in such good shape.

    Of course, the fact that they handed out lazers to everyone and did some super crazy lazer fun time show was icing on the cake.

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  2. THE BRAWL ROOM. Was it "Star Security" back then? Any how those guys made the Hells Angels at Altamont look professional. I remember seeing things like a 120lbs. pimple faced kid get cracked over the head with a folding chair by a 300lbs biker security guard for lighting a joint. Good times!

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  3. We also called it the brawl room, however in the mid-70s the mens bathroom was an open air drug market and there always seemed to be a few ambulances out on Lawrence to pick up the few souls who were left passed out in their seat or on the floor after the show. That was enough to keep anybody away from whatever they were selling in the bathroom. The bar to the left of the stage is named the Casbah so of course when the Clash played the Aragon they did Rockin the Casbah, U2 played there when Bono was like 20, for a bunch of us kids the first time we heard Freebird was when Lynard Skynard opened for Deep Purple at the Aragon. Of course my grandfather used to go see the likes of Tommy Dorsey there.

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  4. El Rider, my mom used to go dancing there in the 1960s where it was hip and swingin' Cheetah Club. ;-)

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