Miss going to shows? Trust us, we do too.
Take this time to hop into your time machine (aka your comfiest chair) and enjoy some of the best archival shows from the greatest venues in Chicago. The bonus of at-home concert viewing? No line for the bathroom!
Cabaret Metro - September 30, 1989
Before "Smells like Teen Spirit" and before drummer Dave Grohl, Nirvana took the stage at Cabaret Metro (which we all now refer to as Metro) to support the band’s debut album Bleach. Catch this performance from the band that went on to record the album that changed rock music forever.
Watch via YouTube here.
Metro - October 31, 2002
Another band that calls Chicago home is Alkaline Trio. Watch Alkaline Trio live at The Metro Halloween 2002 here via YouTube.
Checkerboard Lounge - November 22, 1981
Truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience, in 1981 The Rollings Stones paid a visit to the South Side of Chicago to meet with the "father of modern Chicago blues." The Stones and Muddy Waters put on an absolutely historic performance at the now-closed Checkerboard Lounge.
Watch the set via Youtube here.
Millennium Park - August 25, 2016
Experience music in the key of Chicago with this new video series sharing some of our favorite Millennium Park Music Series performances. See this incredible performance from Chicago bands Tortoise and Ohmme, here via YouTube.
Follow @Millennium_Park on Twitter to get the daily picks, and follow the Chicago DCASE Youtube channel for the full catalog.
JBTV - November 13, 2015
So many Chicagoans’ first televised live concert experiences can be attributed to JBTV. Check out this in-studio production and performance by Arctic Monkeys recorded in 2015.
Watch via YouTube here.
JBTV has a large catalog of many of their televised concerts now on YouTube. Check it out here.
Lollapalooza, Grant Park - August 3, 2007
Daft Punk's iconic pyramid tour visited Chicago in the summer of 2007—the last time the French electronic duo hit the road. If you missed this show IRL, this should be a must-watch.
Watch via YouTube here.
Spring Awakening Music Festival, Soldier Feild - June 13, 2015
Relive Chicago’s only EDM festival on a football field with no one better than Skrillex and Diplo aka Jack Ü. The concert doubles as a rave in your living room. Watch it via YouTube here.
Soldier Field - July 9, 1995
This would be Grateful Dead’s last live show before Jerry Garcia’s passing. Truly a remarkable moment in Chicago’s live music history. Watch it via YouTube here.
Bonus watch: Fare Thee Well, Soldier Field - July 3, 2015 - Set One
The Grateful Dead surviving members - Bob, Phil, Billy and Mickey - were joined by Phish's Trey Anastasio on guitar, Bruce Hornsby on piano and Jeff Chimenti on keys. Watch it via YouTube here.
Jaded in Chicago, Aragon Ballroom - December 21, 1994
The three-piece band toured in support of their breakout album, Dookie, released on Reprise Records in 1994. Thanks to MTV, we are lucky to have this show captured on film forever. Watch via YouTube here.
Lollapalooza, Grant Park - August 2014
Lollapalooza is a legendary festival people travel from all around to be at. In 2014 our hometown hero Chance The Rapper scored his first headlining set. Watch via Youtube here. Watch more sets from Lollapalooza's history here.
Metro - April 4, 1996
A year before Radiohead dropped OK Computer onto the world, the band stopped by Metro in Chicago for an intimate show no one in attendance would ever forget. Here's your chance to relive the magic. Watch via Youtube.
Fireside Bowl - November 22, 1999
Fireside Bowl still stands as one of the most influential institutions in Chicago's punk rock history. Many bands would roll through town and play the bowling alley's tiny stage before playing much larger ones years later. Check out a full set from Hot Water Music here.
Long live Fireside Bowl shows! For more Fireside Bowl archival shows including The Lawrence Arms, At the Drive-In and Rise Against check out #firesidebowl on YouTube here.
