WEBSITE: Bill’s Blues Bar.
DATE OF REVIEW: 2/15/2007
CONTACT: 847.424.9800
COAT CHECK: None.
CAMERA FRIENDLY: Yes.
BATHROOMS: All the way to the back, past the barstools. When I went, there was a hole in the wall, pieces of the urinal on the ground, and a blue bucket, along with a helpful sign that said: “New urinal on order. Please do not pee in wastebasket.”
SECURITY: Light security, usually pretty friendly and amiable. If it’s an event sponsored by Northwestern students, then it might be somebody you know manning the door.
HOW TO GET THERE FROM THE ARCH: Cross the street. Walk down University, take a left on Sherman. Walk down Sherman until you get to Davis (3 blocks). Take a right. Walk two blocks. Bill’s Blues is on your right.
BOOZE/FOOD: No food, copious amounts of alcohol.
DESCRIPTION: Bill’s Blues is one of just a handful of places around Evanston for students to see blues, rock and hip hop. The venue is a favorite for local bands (like Speed Queen) and student group fund-raising events alike. Owned by the eponymous Bill Gilmore, who could easily be mistaken for a Northwestern professor with his wire-frame glasses and sport coat, Bill’s Blues is basically a bar with a small stage. Fitting a triple-digit crowd into Bill’s is probably possible, but it would be quite a feat since it’s a pretty intimate venue. It’s certainly a colorful one too, with plenty of regulars (dudes who love Chicago sports, dudes who love blues, dudes who love alcohol) who occasionally stay for shows, get drunk, and heckle between songs. The walls are decorated with lots of interesting art, too. Also, there’s a troll. Shows usually cost between five and ten dollars, which isn’t bad for a night’s entertainment. Unfortunately, if you aren’t 18 years old, you have to leave at midnight. That totally sucks, especially since that’s frequently well before the band you paid to get in to see is finished playing. But that’s Evanston’s fault, not Bill’s. Don’t let it stop you from checking it out. Bill’s Blues is pretty close to South Campus, easily accessible on foot, and there’s always something going on.