AV-aerie

i like the aesthetics and the looks and whatnot, but it’s not the place for punk shows. saw fucked up and chronic seizure here last night, and the sound was just not good at all.
maybe it’s just because this place isn’t really my scene, but the general vibe i got is that the place is for people who want to play counterculture on the weekends; the place satisfies the requirements of being out of the way in a changing, «gritty» neighborhood, with offbeat diy art and exposed brick, but you can still buy tickets in advance for fairly big shows and there’s a bar in the venue.
incorporating as a 501c3 is genius though. i wish more venues would do that.

Saw Akron/​Family and Mt. Eerie here so far and loved both shows. A little out of the way, but what an awesome space. Great sound and attractive DIY décor. One of the few venues in Chicago without mandatory seating it seems. Shows are always really well-​priced and casual, with a dependable high life or pbr at a reasonably marked-​up price of $ 2.

Very nice big airy space, very good sound. Great venue all in all. They have those little machines that sell you the little buttons. Only loses a star because of some accessibility issues, limited bar (although I’m thankful they sell), and general lack of shows that I would go to (they start filling this place with acts I like and its five stars). Parking is easy around here though.

Love it!
Nothing but love for this gigantic loft/​art space.
It’s supported by Empty Bottle, running on non-​profit grants, and serving PBR at donation.
The sound is good, the booking is fair and varied, the crowd is comfortably art shriek… and it’s NOT in wicker park. How about THAT!

It’s a great space. The sound was good, the people were cool, the beer was cheap. I’m not sure if it’s easy to get to using public transport but parking was easy. Can’t wait to see another show here!

I saw a show here last night, and really liked the space. The «bar» is by donation and has very limited options but is cheap (suggested $ 2 High Life, $ 3 cocktails). The high ceilings weren’t a problem for acoustics, as a large cloth blanket had been hung over the room. It’s on the third floor, so you get a decent view of the skyline at night, which is pretty unique. It’s in an industrial area, which made for a creepy, quiet walk to and from the Ashland green line station.

Great space, great people; run by a non-​profit currently obtaining 801(3)c status. They put on really cool shows that most other places in the city would never even think of hosting, and rent to other organizations and art collectives very cheaply.

I saw a show here (Man Man) and it was a nice, small, intimate place. The tickets were cheap, parking was easy (it’s close enough to the Damen bus but I don’t think I’d want to walk around an industrial corridor after dark, kind of creepy), drinks were by donation (a concept I’d not thought possible) and there was such a sense of camaraderie that everyone piled their coats by the door without worrying about anything being stolen. My only complaint is that the stage is pretty low to the ground, so people who are not at least 6 foot do not have a very good view of the band, but I think that’s a problem with every venue I’ve ever been to, so I’m not going to take away stars for that.

An interesting space in an industrial part of town, AV-​Aerie is the literal eagle’s nest of performance and art spaces. I came at the invitation of Leigh K, who was showing her super-​cute note cards at the Depart-​ment show, which was itself a cornucopia of wares made by local artists, from gaudy re-​invented costume jewelery, to hand-​made clothes, to crocheted necklaces and adorably ugly dogs. The space itself was en fuego — almost literally, as there is no A/​C in the space and in summer months (and heat waves) it is stifilingly, suffocatingly hot. The ceilings are impossibly high, which I would imagine makes for acoustics both church-​like and mushy.
I’d love to see an installation here or visit Depart-​ment during cooler months. I’ll make a point to avoid rock shows, though, unless someone can prove to me up front that the sound doesn’t sound like mud here.

Formerly the Open End Gallery, AV-​aerie keeps all of the cool and adds more with sculptures hanging from the ceiling and everything just looking a bit more crisp. As far as I know at least a couple of the same people are involved. Depart-​ment, one of my favorite Chicago craft fairs takes place here. I actually set up my Rhymes with Twee stuff there last night because Depart-​ment is this weekend. The Empty Bottle books some of its shows here. I’m also volunteering with Ladyfest Chicago (October 18 – 21) and we are holding a couple events here. I am so glad that spaces like this exist. Someone told me that it acquired non-​profit status, but I didn’t see that on the site. Anyways, it’s great and of course they have a myspace: