When the doors shut at Windy City Inn, it wasn't the end of the road for its proprieters.
Although many northside Deadheads lamented the abrupt closing of the the jam-friendly room, you can't keep a good head down. The husband and wife duo responsible for the WCI and its vibe, are back in River North with Mom's Place, a new establishment that will seek to carry some of that feeling forward.
Mom's opened on February 24th at 650 N. Dearborn Street, and by the next night they were already hosting an "unofficial Wilco afterparty". I suspect this will be a lively gathering spot after many Chicago Theatre, Soldier Field, or Northerly Island shows to come.
Set up to host bands and karaoke in a lower level room (dubbed Smokey Hollow) while focussing more like a traditional neighborhood bar and grill upstairs, they are already at work booking bands in the mold that made them an institution in North Center. The decor favors rock posters and memorabiliia over glitz and clubbiness -- It's an approach should also set them apart in River North.
Regular features include a Sunday acoustic brunch and Tuesday karaoke and trivia.
Jack Straw will appear on April Fool's Day, Terrapin Flyer does an all Beatles set (following by a Grateful Dead Beatles set) on April 15th and Whiskey Jezebel will perform on April 22nd. A complete list of events is available on their website.
