Silvie's Lounge, Chicago, IL (10/12/07) & XO Underground, Morris, IL (10/13/07)

My friend Daniel's band, The day after..., paid a visit to the Chicagoland area a couple weeks ago. I got the chance to check them out at two venues I've never been to before, including Silvie's Lounge in Chicago and XO Underground in Morris, IL. You can find reviews of both below...



Silvie's Lounge
1902 W. Irving Park Rd.
Chicago, IL 60613
(773) 871-6239
http://www.silvieslounge.com/ (which they apparently don't update very frequently...)

Silvie's had a very nice atmosphere - it was clean, dark, and larger than many Chicago venues I've experienced. It was divided in half, with one side being the bar and the other side housing the stage. The cover was only $5, but I assume it varies depending on which bands are playing. I don't have too much to say about Silvie's, except that I liked it. There was nothing spectacular or awful about it, and the drink prices were of average pricing for a big city bar.

The stand-out part of my evening at Silvie's was the singer (and her amazing band) that went on after The day after..., named Kat Victoria. Their soulful, funky melodies and harmonies blew me away. Their stylings didn't match with the rest of the bands on the bill, but for once this was a blessing. I picked up a CD, and will definitely be listening to the singer's buttery voice often. They are local to Chicago, and will be playing another show in November. I urge you all to check it out - their tunes made me shake my thang, which I am not easily prone to do. You can find them here on the web.


XO Underground
425 E. Rt. 6 (located in Evergreen Plaza)
Morris, IL
(815) 416-1050
http://www.xounderground.com/

XO Underground is an all ages venue. Normally, this is a big turn-off for me (as a 25 year old), but they had so much going for them that it didn't matter. Just look at their website, and you'll see that they are truly jacks (or jills) of all trades there. They are a store (akin to Hot Topic), a hookah lounge, a music venue, and much more. They have a "cereal bar" (see photo below), which was pretty cool, and they also serve pizza. Between the high ceilings, the chain link fences, and the comfy couches, they've got the atmosphere nailed, too. Did I mention that they also had a great sound man and accoustics?

Best of all, it is truly a passionately run small business. The owner was there collecting money at the door (the cover charged ranged from $7-$10, depending on what time you arrived for the show) and helping to set up the bands. I got to talk to her for quite some time and her heart is truly with the XO Underground.

NOTE: Since this is an all ages venue, they do not serve alcohol. It is, however, B.Y.O.B.! My advice? If a band you like is playing there, don't skip their show just because it's an all ages place - you'll miss out.