The Rainbo Club

The intersection of Division and Damen in Chicago, Illinois will always be the center of the universe for eleventh dream day. The Rainbo Club that has stood for nearly a century on the southwest corner is home sweet home. Dee Taira who became owner 30 years ago is incredibly underappreciated as one of the most important people in the Chicago music scene. All of my best friends are there today or have been through there.

On Sunday evening August 16^th we will be playing a show there to celebrate our 30 years together.

Did you know?

In 1983/1984 when the band was still a 3 piece we rehearsed in an old Illinois Bell building on Western Avenue not too far south of North Avenue where our bass player, Shu lived with her boyfriend. After rehearsals we often went over to the Rainbo for a beer. Throughout  most of the decade the bar was occupied mostly by artists and Columbia/Art Institute students in the later hours and the older drinkers, neighborhood throwbacks to the Nelson Algren era during the post work happy hours.  I wrote a song, It’s Not My World on one of those afternoons as the light from Damen poured into the dark bar overhearing a conversation among the old-timers. Phil was a favorite. He flirted with the young ladies and cracked a bunch of corny jokes. He wasn’t there when the bar was a speakeasy during Prohibition, but he had been coming in for a long time.

Doug was the first of us to get a job there, at the door, where he could sit and smoke. He was very good at his job.

Dee hired many musicians, artists, playwrights and gave them the freedom to come and go. I got hired in 1989 just before Beet came out and went out on a tour shortly thereafter, but was able to bartend at the Rainbo when I got back, a trend that would continue for years. The Rainbo has been an anchor for musicians in Naked Raygun (John), Tortoise (Johhny), Precious Wax Drippings (Jimmy), Eleventh Dream Day (Janet mopped floors!), Joan of Arc (Tim) , The Dishes (Sara), and Disappears  (Jonathan) among others. Ken, Michael, Matt, Braden, Bettina, Andy, Andy, Gary, Stephan, Tom—I worked with a lot of great people on Fridays and Tuesdays.

Eleventh Dream Day set up on the floor near the pinball machine and played an electric Sunday afternoon show sometime around the Prairie School Freakout release. We played a few acoustic shows on the stage over the years too. The stage has seen some great performances.  Yo La Tengo, Palace, Freakwater, Brokeback, Dos... Can’t believe I missed the High Llamas!

The Rainbo hosted a record release party for Beet after the Lounge Ax/WXRT recorded show.

There were many great art exhibits, but the most memorable was Liz Phair’s. Artists drank for free at their openings and Liz had to get cut off after  taking full advantage.

I first met my wife at the Rainbo! I’m sure there are dozens more of you out there that first met at the Rainbo too. The shape of the bar was very conducive to a flirting glance.

The Rainbo hasn’t changed much since I stopped working there in 2003 after 14 years of Friday nights. It’s one comforting thing in life. See you there next Sunday!