You don’t have money or a fancy car
And you’re tired of wishin’ on a falling star
You gotta put your faith in a loud guitar
FLASHBACK 2/2006: So it was Feb 8th and Grammy night and I had been invited by Angie and Al to represent MINISTRY for the Chicago chapter of the RIAA and the official Chicago Grammy Night Party. So at work I changed out of the business Alex and into the Alex we’ve all come to know over the last 10 plus years. I went to the reception area and Kelly was there waiting and we cabbed through the sleet and snow over to Rockit Bar www.rockitbarandgrill.com/ and inside we found Grego sitting at the bar.
I must admit I was surprised that 4 of the other people who had accepted the invite didn’t show up to support our favorite Chicago son, but that’s the way it is, I guess. But in any case it was to be a grand time nonetheless. We were escorted upstairs and given our laminates and official Grammy programs and we had 2 tables and 6 sofas with the official Grammy/MINISTRY place markers. And then it really kicked in, we would be seated next to Herbie Hancock’s family, talk about an honor!
The comp drinks and hor De’Ouvers began making it’s rounds. Our waitress who was extremely attentive to us, and whose name I wish I would have made note of, made sure she brought another round each time she saw we here halfway done with our cocktails. The photographer Paul Elledge www.paulelledge.com was escorted in and he and his gal Leasha introduced themselves and we began doing photos and we were all interviewed by 3 different local TV stations.
Anand Bhatt who skipped the Grammy Ceremonies told the people at the check in that he was meeting us and he actually joined us for a short while. I was a little disappointed that he had nominated Opeth, who didn’t make the final nominees, but was even more disgusted when none of the TV affiliates in which we were interviewed by even knew who MINISTRY was. That’s the corporate machine for ya’.
We partied way into the night, and I sat with Herbies mother and watched him perform live with Christina Aguilera, which was a real bonus and we shot lots of photos with his family and I even got a hug from the legends mother when they departed. Greg got a real laugh out of that for whatever reason.
HOW DID I JUST LEARN OF THIS SERIES??? SO GOOD!
The Center Seat: 55 Years Of Star Trek: Chronicles rare and fascinating details of how “Star Trek” began, where it’s been, and how it’s going where no television series has gone before.
My week started with a very long winded and very predictable DJT speech and predictable childlike and embarrassing behavior by the far left that decided to show up. I am so over this divide and social media experts aren’t helping much at all.
But there was also this image from downtown that was somewhat comforting to me for whatever reason.
The Cocks continue to crack me up and their new album drops in a month and I cannot wait!
On Friday it was nice enough to bike my errands and since Melita missed her flight home from taking the bar exam in Buffalo NY I had some free time to enjoy what would prove to be a short-lived break in the cold weather. Fat Cat is next to the Uptown post office and i thought I’d venture down to Buena Parks Hutchinson Street District. to scope out some mansions. I got to the first and my phone rang and it was MyEyeDr letting me know that my new glasses were ready to pick up. Ironically the last day it was nice enough to bike outside was the day I biked to their Lincoln Park location for my eye exam.
If you live in or near Chicago’s Buena Park, then you’re probably familiar with the Hutchinson Street District. Located between Marine Drive and Hazel Street, this two-block area takes you back to a time when single-family residences dominated this part of Uptown instead of the present day high-rises. When developers Francis T. Simmons and Charles U. Gordon opened the subdivision in the 1890s, they sold their newly built homes as “noticeable for handsome construction and diversified style.” That still holds true today with an amazingly intact collection of domestic architecture that runs the gamut from Queen Anne and Shingle Style to the European-influenced modernism of Prairie School architect George W. Maher, who designed five homes on the street. Three of his designs are currently on the market, as well as another non-Maher design located just around the corner. While you need deep pockets to even consider buying one of these multi-million dollar properties, it’s worth taking a look at these architectural gems that are considered to be true living works of art.
826 W Hutchinson St, Chicago, IL 60613 Two years after its construction in 1904, the National Builder declared that Maher’s “attention-worthy” William H. Lake House was “a little severe in its plainness, but is effective and in many ways attractive. It is a good model in simplicity.” On the market for the first time in nearly 25 years, the seven-bedroom, five-bathroom house has numerous intact features including Maher’s signature floral poppy motif. There is even an original hand-painted frieze in the library. The current owners purchased the lot to the east creating a half acre lot with fenced yard, potting shed, pergola, and gardens. This outdoor area, a picturesque park-like oasis in the middle of the city, was professionally landscaped by Hoerr Schaudt.
Melita finally caught up on sleep for now and being she finally didn’t need to study we enjoyed a bottle of wine, our cats and the movie “True Romance” which she had never seen. Next up is “Wild at Heart.”
Holiday Club, which will not be missed by yours truly, has not been fun or cool since Tim lost it and the 3 stooges took over ownership thus ousting any punk rock or rock n roll type on staff or as patrons. I do know that El Palmar is moving across the street which I’m happy about. However the corner block is going to be a mess for 2 years and will certainly affect any CTA commutes in the immediate area.
UPTOWN — Holiday Club is closing this spring as its longtime home is slated to be turned into an apartment building.
Bar owner Sonny Domingo confirmed the popular bar’s lease ends after April, but it’s unclear when its last day of service will be.
The Holiday Club’s fate has been uncertain since plans to turn its building, 4006 N. Sheridan Road, into an apartment complex were announced in 2023.
Catapult Real Estate Solutions is overhauling the northwest corner of Sheridan and Irving Park roads to build a seven-story building with 91 apartments, 38 parking spaces and about 2,000 square feet of retail.
The complex will replace the Holiday Club, an adjacent apartment complex and the storefronts containing El Palmar restaurant and Roots Smoke & Vapor Shop.
Domingo didn’t say whether he plans to reopen the Holiday Club in a new location or move into the new building once finished.
When the project was announced in 2023, Domingo signaled a desire to open in the new building. At a community meeting the next year, Paul Dincin, Catapult Real Estate Solutions founder, said the developers would “love” if Holiday Club stuck around in the new building, but Domingo wasn’t sure it was feasible given the smaller retail space planned for the building and the likelihood that demolition and construction could take up to two years.
Holiday Club opened in Wicker Park in 1993 before later moving to Uptown and becoming one of the area’s most popular late-night hangs. It’s known for its Rat Pack theme and dance floor that plays ’90s and other retro music.
Catapult Real Estate Solutions didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on when the building will be demolished. Dincin previously said construction could start in 2026.
A demolition permit for the site hasn’t been issued, according to city records.
The development is by-right, meaning the site doesn’t need a rezoning to build the seven-story apartment building.
Still, the city’s Zoning Board of Appeals in February 2025 granted the project approval to reduce the normally required number of parking spaces from 91 to 38 because of proximity to public transportation, to reduce the required truck loading zones from one to zero and to include residential uses — the apartment building lobby and parking spaces — on the building’s first floor, according to city records.