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Schuba's Harmony Grill
Schuba's Harmony Grill
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30 Great Chicago Restaurants & Bars To Hear Live Music, Mapped

A variety of musical and culinary genres

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Schuba's Harmony Grill
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The street closures began over the weekend, as Lollapolooza arrives on Thursday at Grant Park. As guests descend on Chicago before the 25th installment of the musical festival starts, perhaps they'll need some suggestions where to find restaurants and bars with live music. Most everyone knows about major music venues, but here's a list of the other spots to find live music that out-of-towners may not know, ones that may even serve food. Listed in alphabetical order.

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This Lincoln Park bar has a backroom venue where folks can find local band performing.

Andy's Jazz Club

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Andy's hosts two bands each day, and diners can reserve a table (reservations are only for those who order food) and hear some of the city's best jazz music.

Bottom Lounge

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The second incarnation of the Bottom Lounge is bigger and badder than the Wrigleyville location. Mike Miller and his Delilah's crew have created a venue for punk and indie rockers.

Bub City

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Lettuce Entertain You has two Bub City locations —River North and Rosemont— where they have tapped into country music's resurgence.

Barry Brecheisen

Buddy Guy's Legends

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Since 1989, Buddy Guy's Legends has delivered the blues to crowds. And visitors can also order Louisiana-style Cajun seafood. This club is also the only place you can drink Buddy's Brew, a beer inspired by the legend himself.

California Clipper

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Burlesque dancers aren't the only performers who grace the stage at this revamped Humboldt Park dive. Find soul, jazz and more onstage.

Carol's Pub

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The bar's house band has entertained bar patrons for years, as they crowd the dance floor and hear covers like "Ring of Fire" and "Jolene."

Chicago Brauhaus

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Did someone say tuba? For more than four decades, this Lincoln Square Bavarian gem has invited guests to sing along to German tunes —with or without their lederhosen.

Cobra Lounge

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Missing this gem would be committing treason, as 1980s punk rockers from Chicago will love the Naked Raygun references at Cobra Lounge and neighboring All Rise Brewing Co.

Cole's Bar

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This dive bar cares about its patrons and hipsters cram into the back room to hear a variety of bands playing their hearts out on the weekend.

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Green Mill Cocktail Lounge

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A landmark that's been witness to Al Capone and more. No trip to Chicago would be complete without a martini at this jazz mecca.

Harmony Grill

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The restaurant at venerable Schuba's hosts weekend music performances during brunch making it kid-friendly so dad and moms can pretend they're cool.

Honky Tonk BBQ

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Honky Tonk's Saloon Stage hosts a variety of musical genres, celebrating American Roots. It just makes the barbecue taste that much better.

Hungry Brain

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Counter culture thrives at this Roscoe Village dive which closed, only to reopen again in December 2015. The small stage is home to some of the city's most-inspired jazz performers.

Jerry's

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In Wicker Park, Andersonville and Lincoln Square, folks know about the crazy customizable sandwiches at Jerry's. Late night, the Wicker Park spot turns into a venue for local musicians to perform. If you like jam bands, this is the spot for you.

Joe's Bar

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Joe's can be a polarizing place. In the fall, bros gather to watch tons of college football. But bros can't live on sports alone. Bands like cover band Rod Tuffcurls and the Bench Press serenade the bros, trying to soothe the sweet beasts.

Kingston Mines

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The bar is a bit of an outlier in the middle of DePaul, and many credit it with bringing blues to the North Side. The two stages offer guests non-stop music, and there's barbecue that's more than enough the satisfy the most picky eater.

Liar's Club

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The truth's out: Punk rock's not dead inside this Lincoln Park-ish dive.

Expand your horizons at this Middle Eastern restaurant from the man behind Sultan's Market. Masada hosts a variety of performances from Middle Eastern percussion, violins, belly dancing, and more contemporary music.

Mr. Brown's Lounge

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This Jamaican restaurant and bar in West Town has been hosting DJs and live Irie music for years. There's also a newer location in the Hard Rock Hotel on the Mag Mile.

Mrs Murphy and Sons Irish Bistro

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One of the most beloved Irish restaurants and pubs in Chicago, Mrs Murphy and Sons hosts traditional Celtic singers, instrumentalists and full bands on a regular basis.

Phyllis' Musical Inn

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One of the last divey mainstays on a quickly-gentrifying strip of Wicker Park, Phyllis' continues to host an array of local bands at the stage in the back while serving up cheap beer and a lack of pretension.

Piece Brewery and Pizzeria

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The popular and acclaimed New Haven-style pizza restaurant and brewery is known for its food and drink, but partly due to its rock band partnership, it also has a solid stream of live music as well as live band karaoke on Saturday nights. You might even run into a rock star.

River Roast

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The massive restaurant on the river hosts a fantastic blues brunch on the weekends with live bands, as well as live music on other occasions to complement the roast chicken and river views.

Smoke Daddy

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Another Wicker Park mainstay, this barbecue restaurant has coupled its food and drink with live blues music for many years on Division Street.

Tack Room

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Thalia Hall isn't only host to standout music venue upstairs as well as an acclaimed restaurant and punch-themed cocktail bar — it also houses a honky tonk piano bar that'll have you singing along until the wee hours.

Photo by Clayton Hauck

The Promontory

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The team behind two of Chicago's best live music venues — Thalia Hall and Empty Bottle — also own this airy restaurant and bar in Hyde Park that's doubles as a live music spot on the South Side.

Photo by Nick Fochtman

The Whistler

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The Whistler, home of one of the city's most-innovative cocktail programs, is about more than drinks. The owners have a commitment to the arts and host a variety of musical acts.

Uncommon Ground

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Uncommon Ground, with locations in Rogers Park and Wrigleyville, believes in reducing their carbon footprint with a "green" menu. The music here skews toward chill, as the space's coffeeshop roots show.

Untitled Supper Club

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This massive speakeasy-style restaurant, bar and lounge hosts an array of events and live music, from burlesque to contemporary rock and soul to jazz and blues.

aliveOne

This Lincoln Park bar has a backroom venue where folks can find local band performing.

Andy's Jazz Club

Andy's hosts two bands each day, and diners can reserve a table (reservations are only for those who order food) and hear some of the city's best jazz music.

Bottom Lounge

The second incarnation of the Bottom Lounge is bigger and badder than the Wrigleyville location. Mike Miller and his Delilah's crew have created a venue for punk and indie rockers.