Home | Business News | Browse by Publication | D | Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, IL)

Metro turns 25 Musicians salute the famed Chicago rock venue.

Article Excerpt
Byline: Lisa Balde

lisa@@beepcentral.com

Of all the memories a rock venue like Chicago's Metro must have produced during its 25 years, owner Joe Shanahan remembers one of the best almost as an afterthought.

"I had U2 sitting in the balcony watching a new emerging American rock band," Shanahan says, still amazed by it all. "And they chose Pearl Jam to be on their European tour based on the show they had seen here. So I'm sitting there with Bono and Edge, Larry, Adam ... and there's Eddie Vedder scaling the walls at Metro."

He laughs. "All pre the insurance days."

Metro's walls are steeped in history. Prince chose Metro for a three-hour set after his show at the Rosemont Horizon. The Smoking Popes reunited there. Metro was home to the Smashing Pumpkins' first era. Iggy Pop made his '80s re-entrance, in part, on this stage.

Shanahan jokes that at the beginning he didn't think the place would last 25 days, let alone 25 years. But there's no denying Metro's significance.

"The Chicago musical well is deep," Shanahan says, "and we have been a great staging area and/or laboratory for so many of these young, emerging artists. And that's our mission statement: always to be on the edge of that young emerging art."

As the Metro hits its quarter-century mark this month, we asked musicians who've played the Chicago venue - and maybe even got their start there - to share a few memories. The idea turned into something bigger: a thank-you from the local scene.

So thanks, Metro. Here's to 25 more years.

Josh...

View this article FREE - Now for a Limited Time, try Goliath Business News
Free for 3 Days!