This article is part of Chicago's Info 101 Before FitzGerald's came on to energize the local music scene, Berwyn was your typical shot and a beer sort of town made famous by Svengooli and his "BERRR-WYNN" inflections! But, that all changed in 1980 when a long, lanky music-loving house painter named Bill FitzGerald purchased an old musty tavern on Roosevelt Road in blue-collar Berwyn. Known as the Deer Lodge, it was the sort of joint where FitzGerald could join his buddies to shoot the breeze over a few cheap beers. FitzGerald also felt a "cool" vibe in the old decrepit, rather boxy building that had been constructed in 1911 and served as everything from a sporting club the thirties to a bastion of traditional and Dixieland jazz that kept West Siders hopping as the Hunt Club in the fifties. Unfortunately, the Hunt Club lost its liquor license and lapsed into the Deer Lodge where the original stage remained and beckoned FitzGerald's beer fueled ambitions to own a live music venue. When he caught wind that the place was going to be converted to a steak house, he purchased the place and began the extensive renovations. With a name like FitzGerald, it's not surprising that Bill enlisted several members of his large, Irish Catholic family to remodel the building and whip the wizened old road house into a mecca for music lovers. FitzGerald's has been hitting the high notes ever since with a "who's who" roster of performers that ranges from a sparsely attended Stevie Ray Vaughn show to appearances by the likes of Bo Diddley, the Neville Brothers, Richard Thompson, John Hiatt and other notables who have taken the stage at the place that Chicago Magazine has called "a musical gem!" FitzGerald's is best known as a roots rock club with a special affinity for Texas and Louisiana artists. This is fully evident at the club's Great American Music Festival which is held for four rollicking days over the Fourth of July . This year marked the 29th annual festival with acts like Texas-based Marcia Ball and Louisiana's Trombone Shorty being among the over 30 performers entertaining crowds simultaneously in the club and the stages. The Southern-style Wishbone Restaurant is also on the premises and adds to the rootsy "flavor" of the festival. With its old school charm, it's not surprising that FitzGerald's has caught the eye of Hollywood production honchos and the club has been featured in films including "A League of their Own," "Adventures in Babysitting", "The Color of Money" and "Blink." But, while it has served as a backdrop for many big time movies, the vibe is anything but hoi polloi as Pabst Blue Ribbon beer is still served at the site of the former Deer Lodge. It's also a common sight to see FitzGerald himself puttering around the place or tinkering with the lights. The crowd is generally laid back and filled with music lovers happy to see class acts in an intimate setting. |
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