ChadBeantown
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Chicago & Grand Rapids this weekend
I will be in Chicago and Grand Rapids this weekend for a few shows. I have all day Sunday in Chicago with nothing to do (my flight home isn't until
8:50pm). Does anyone have any suggestions on things to do there? I have a car to get around. I am not sure if anyone on here is from that area.
CHAD
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BDx13
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SEEING shows or PLAYING shows?
If the latter, get me the info asap!
If I fail math, there goes my chance at a good job and a happy life full of hard work.
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ChadBeantown
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Me and Josh (Boozehounds) are going out to play a few acoustic shows. It is a little side project we have been doing lately.
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ChadBeantown
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Jason the Magnificent
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It entirely depends on what you're looking to get into. I'm in/through GR pretty frequently.
You can't go wrong stopping @ Founders Brewpub for some of the best beer in the Midwest and some pretty killer sandwiches.
http://www.foundersbrewing.com/
Also another cool bar/grub spot is Hop Cat
http://hopcat.com/
Kind of right across the street/alley from Hop cat is a little bar I went into once called Stellas, good burgers and some cool old school video games
http://stellasgr.com/
as far as Chicago...it kind of depends on where you're at for the shows and how much driving you want to do...rush hour is from 6 Am to 8 PM so be
prepared to be sitting in a total clusterfuck if you're traveling far.
Kumas is worth a stop but be prepared to wait up to a couple hours depending on what time you get there.
http://www.kumascorner.com/
Someplace similar w/ almost no wait (less hipster hype) is Bad Apple
http://www.badapplebar.com/
Cool local record store chain ( think the Madison one probably has more punk type stuff than the others at this point...but I havent been to a brick
and mortar record store in like 5 years)
http://www.reckless.com/
Cool "punk" bars
http://www.exitchicago.com/
https://www.facebook.com/liarsclubchicago
http://www.delilahschicago.com/
If you want a Chicago style hot dog, almost anyplace that doesn't look like a total dive works (and plenty that do look like dives), but some more
popular touristy type places (beware waits depending on time of day)
http://hotdougs.com/
http://www.wienercircle.net/
Chicago Style Pizza
http://www.loumalnatis.com/
http://www.leonas.com/
are two of my faves, but other great ones
http://www.pequodspizza.com/
http://www.ginoseast.com/flash.html
Chicago Beef try
http://www.alsbeef.com/
http://www.portillos.com/
If you're looking for breweries
http://www.piecechicago.com/flash/index.html (great new haven brick oven style pizza too)
http://revbrew.com/
If you have anything more specific in mind let me know or else I'll ramble on forever.
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Jason the Magnificent
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Also...driving through NW Indiana, Three Floyds Brewery is really really worth a stop amazing beer and great food...but ONLY early afternoon....before
3, or after like 8pm. You still will face a crowd outside those times, but that window it's completely unbearable and in need of a fire bombing.
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ChadBeantown
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This is a great list. I will definitely hit up as many of these places as I can!! Everything on there is righ up my alley (specially the good beer
places). THANKS A LOT!!
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Jason the Magnificent
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Where are you guys playing at in Chicago? I can probably give you a couple more area specific places depending on where it's at.
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ChadBeantown
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http://www.themutinychicago.com/
What about Kalamazoo? Is there anything good there? One of the guys wants to stop there.
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ChadBeantown
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I am thinking Founders Brewery for lunch on Friday and then Hop Cat for early supper.
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Jason the Magnificent
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Bells Brewery is in Kzoo, really established older midwest brewery...great beer and cool attached store...but I'm not crazy about the brewpub, it's
kind of anti-climactic. Other than that I'm not sure what goes on there. It's kind of a run down industrialized smaller city...outside from driving
through there (and a Meatmen/GWAR show...YEARS back) I've only ever been to Bells.
Founders is a Safe bet for lunch it wont be too crowded and it's a really enjoyable laid back place...it's hard to leave. If Hop Cat is mayhem when
you get there I would recommend that Stellas place or the next Block over there's a place called "Pyramid Scheme" it's a venue with a bar in front
that last time I was there had a LOT of Shorts beer on draft which is a great brewery in northern MI with really wacky hard to find beers.
...and the Mutiny, that place is a cool dive. They have this GIANT urinal in the mens bathroom...like you really cant imagine it till you see
it...it's like a porcelain coffin. About 90% of the stuff on the Chicago list is within close proximity and minimal drive from there. You'll have to
deal with some congested parts of the north side...but it's generally better than expressway travel.
There's also a punk rock/alt shopping area about 10 minutes NE of there on Clark and Belmont called The Alley...that used to be the place back in the
day...the Dunkin Donut used to be called Punkin Donuts....that corner was the spot.
http://thealley.com/
generally speaking in Chicago, outside of downtown, the north side of the city is the more gentrified venue/club/stuff to do side and the south and
west sides are the more industrial decay/residential/corner bar side.
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ChadBeantown
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I really appreciate all the feedback!!! I have played the Mutiny 3 times before and I like the dive bar atmosphere!! And the fact that you get free
draft beers that are in small personal pitchers!! I will let you know what places we make it to!!I really like all the brew pubs but I have to keep in
mind that we still have to play at night.
THANKS!!
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ChadBeantown
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Jason, are you going to be around there this weekend? If you are we should
Meet up for a few beers!!
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Jason the Magnificent
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Love to, but I'm pretty much tied up till Sunday. Good luck though...looks like Founders has breakfast Stout and Backwoods Bastard on right now
too...I'd love to make the whole trip lol.
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BDx13
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thanks for posting all the info, jason.
hittin founders and bells on a trip like this would be amazing.
have fun, chad!
If I fail math, there goes my chance at a good job and a happy life full of hard work.
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Jason the Magnificent
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Interested to hear the "report" when you guys get back.
..and D...the ultimate Michigan tour would be Bells, Founders, Dark Horse, Shorts, New Holland....did Bells, Founders & NH once in a weekend...still
haven't been to the other two though. So many great places in MI for beer. I hit Founders most just because GR is on the direct path up to my parents
place, plus GR is probably about the coolest small "city" I've been too, nice laid back place that borders between a "real" city and a Mainstreet USA
type town.
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ChadBeantown
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Made it home alive!! We hit up Founders for a few pints of Dirty Bastard Stout. This stuff really hit the spot. We tried Hop Cat but we couldn't get
in because they have a dress code. But it really could have been because we already had a few cold ones at Founders before hand. We went to Lou
Malnati's Pizzeria in Chicago. The deep dish pizze there is incredible. I wanted to buy some to bring home with me. We also went to a few record
stores (Rolling Stone) and another smaller place next to it but I forget the name. The smaller place had really good CD's (a lot of GG Allin and
english Oi! stuff). Our stay in Michigan City, Indiana was pretty weird but we met a ton of really cool locals. We ended up playing a set that night
at a bar somewhere around 4am. The place wasn't suppose to be open but the guy opened for us and invited all the local drunks from every other bar in
the area. It was a pretty cool experience and now we have a few good connections between Chicago and Grand Rapids.
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BDx13
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oh my god. is there video footage of any of this? especially michigan city??
If I fail math, there goes my chance at a good job and a happy life full of hard work.
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Jason the Magnificent
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Whoa...a dress code? I think the dressiest I've ever been in that place was cammies and a tshirt...wondering if it changed or if you guys were visibly
hammered lol.
Michigan City is an odd odd place, lots of cool people there though...they actually have a surpising punk/hc/metal scene there in no small part to the
efforts of Blood In/Blood Out and that whole crowd.
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ChadBeantown
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There is definitely footage out there. I just have to track it down!!
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