Rock bars rated

MEET THE EXPERTS
The echo-drenched, postpunk sound of Disappears (Graeme Gibson, Jonathan van Herik, Brian Case and Damon Carruesco) has labels such as Touch & Go and Sub Pop nosing around the band’s gigs. When they’re not playing (check them out at Pitchfork, 1pm, Saturday, July 18), all four members pay the rent with bar and restaurant jobs—so they’re no strangers to what makes a good music-themed joint.

AMP Rock Lounge
(1909 N Lincoln Ave, 312-376-1860)
Spin AMP Rock Lounge’s website says it’s “Chicago’s newest lounge celebrating the world’s greatest rock.” It also says “a new website is coming soon.”
Straight talk With its faux Hiwatt amplifiers holding the liquor behind the bar and Plexiglas-reinforced floor toms serving as side tables, AMP Rock Lounge feels as if it’s a studio, not a venue. The tribute angle rubs the dudes the wrong way. “This place makes me feel like a lame-o saying I play in a rock band,” Gibson says. The tunes playing in the space eerily connect with the decor: Billy Idol’s “Rebel Yell” is playing when we notice the song’s lyrics painted in huge script behind us. Plus, the place is nearly empty at 11pm on a Thursday. Hard to have a real rock bar without some real rockers.

Faith & Whiskey
(1365 W Fullerton Ave, 773-248-9119)
Spin Formerly the handsome, modern pub Ta’Too, Faith & Whiskey is now what owner Hunter Cannon calls a “roadhouse kind of place…like a celebration of rock stars and whiskey.”
Straight talk F&W sports rock-inspired accoutrements both vague (vintage Triumph motorcycles, animal skulls) and obvious (expensive framed guitars). It also has plenty of flat-screens, which are, inexplicably, showing sports. The band thinks the place is trying too hard. “It’s like prefab,” Case says. “The band stickers on the tip jars look like they were put on at the same time,” Gibson adds. “Someone said, ‘Each tip jar gets five stickers.’” In the rear of the bar, an acoustic band performs an endless sound check that reminds Gibson of Third Eye Blind. But just before cutting out, we agree there’s a perfectly nice place lurking underneath the “I’m-a-badass-rocker” attitude. “Take the rock theme and the ’tude away, and it would be way better,” Case concludes.

Rockhouse
(2624 N Lincoln Ave, 773-871-0205)
Spin From rockhousechicago.com: “The Rockhouse is Chicago’s Ultimate Rock Bar. Live local bands rock out to the wee hours every Friday and Saturday. Come hang out and compare tatts with the coolest staff in the world. Meet Friends old and new. With one of a kind atmosphere, Rockhouse is the home away from home you’ve been waiting for. NO COVER!!!”
Straight talk “This place is a million times better [than Faith & Whiskey],” Case says. The quirky space has a stage for bands, and the sound system is blaring early XTC and the Pixies. “There’s some more character in this place,” Case says. “I love how all the specials are written in teenage heavy-metal writing,” Gibson notes. We stick around long enough to get the owner’s card for booking purposes—the Disappears agree Rockhouse would be a fun place to rock.

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