Beat Kitchen
2100 W. Belmont
Chicago, IL 60618-6414
(773) 281-4444
http://www.beatkitchen.com
$6.00 cover charge
Pat plays in the music room in back, which is separated from the bar by a (sort of) sound proof wall. The show starts at 9:00, food is served until 1am, closing time is 2am.
To get there from 90/94 from the south, exit on Belmont and head east; if you're coming from the north, you have to exit at Kimball Ave then turn left onto Belmont. There should be plenty of street parking. If you're taking public transportation, keep in mind it's about a mile west of the Belmont (Howard/Dan Ryan) "L" station.
Click here for a printable map and directions.
Club Paragon
3578 S. 108th Street
Greenfield, WI 53228
(414) 541-9270
http://www.clubparagon.com
$5 cover charge
Walking into this bar, you'll feel like you've been whisked away to a hunting cabin in Northern Wisconsin; every square inch of the place is covered with wood and dead animals. It's a pretty good place to see Pat; it's a large open room with a good view from pretty much everywhere. It's filled with plenty of tables and chairs for everyone as well as ample seating at the bar. The only complaint is that all the wood makes the sound kind of echo-y, but it's a minor issue. The show starts early, about 8:00, and rarely runs past 11:00, good news for all you early-risers. The audience is a nice mix of regulars and enthusiatic newbies, mainly Club Paragon regulars who have come to love Pat as well. Quite a few are actually Yipes! fans from way back who manage to cajole Pat into playing at least one of those great old tunes.
Club Paragon serves a nice variety of delicious food and many folks come early to have dinner before the show. There are also plenty of other diversions such as several TV (some of which even get turned off during the show), darts, video games, foosball, pool tables (beware the wrath of the Pool League!), and that weird shuffleboard-esque game where you sprinkle talcum powder on the table. And if that's not enough, they also have tropical fish!
Exit 894 at Beloit Rd. and head west for about a mile. At S. 108th Street (HWY 100) turn right and head north for about a half mile. On the right, you will find Club Paragon.
Click here for a printable map and directions.
O'Gara's
164 N. Snelling Ave.
St. Paul, MN 55104
(651) 644-3333
http://www.ogaras.com
$8.00 cover charge
A decent-sized place (capacity around 600), O'Gara's offers plenty of room near the wide stage for Patheads to get "front row" access. The back of the venue is dominated by a bar, so those who just want to listen can hang out and have a few drinks.
Parking for O'Gara's is easy, with plenty of on- and off-street parking. Waitress service is available throughout the show, with normal bar beer prices. Plenty of room in the restroom (at least in the men's room)...always a plus.
Also, Pat is usually accompanied by one of his long-time drummers Bernie Doll. Pat AND a drummer -- great value!
Take I-94 to the Snelling Ave. exit and go south on Snelling. O'Gara's is located at Snelling & Selby, 3 blocks south of I-94.
Click here for a printable map and directions.
Regent Street Retreat
1206 Regent Street
Madison, WI
(608) 256-7750
http://www.regentstreetretreat.com
$5 cover charge
Doors open to the Annex (where the show is) between 7 and 7:15. Show starts at 9:30. If you want a table (not to mention a stool) get there early, they go quick.
There's tons to do at Regent St. Retreat, even without Pat being there. They have nightly drink specials and an excellent beer selection, as well as a full menu. If that's not enough, they have three pool table, six dart boards, 2 foosball tables and 22 TVs. Visit their Web Page for all the details and their menu.
Regent Street Retreat is just a short walk south of the UW-Madison campus. Out-of-towners may find it easier to look for the Wisconsin state capitol building (you can see it from practically everywhere) and head southwest on W Washington Ave. From there, head west on Regent St. for a mile or so. There's additional parking after 5:30 in University Lot 51 (off of Charter St.)
Click here for a printable map and directions.
Ricky's
236 S. Main St.
Racine, WI
(414) 634-3151
Ricky's is a cute little tavern in scenic downtown Racine. At first glance, it looks too small to have any kind of show, but Ricky manages to pack 'em in. Prepare to become quite familiar with the people standing around you. Come early for one of the three front tables.
To get there from I-94, exit at Highway 20 and head east for several miles, until you get to Main St. If you start getting wet, it means you've gone too far and are now in Lake Michigan; go back a few blocks. Once you've found Main St. (AKA Highway 32) head north for a couple of blocks, and you will find Ricky's on the west side of the street. Dry off before going in.
For those more daring folk wishing to take the scenic route, Highway 32 follows the coast of Lake Michigan (remember: stay dry) for quite some way, both north and south.
Click here for a printable map and directions.
Shank Hall
1434 N. Farwell Ave.
Milwaukee, WI 53202
(414) 276-7288
http://www.shankhall.com
$6 cover charge
Since Celebrity Club closed, Shank has become the new Milwaukee home of Pat. He and all the regulars have been busy making the place more comfortable and intimate, not an easy thing to do in this large room. The entire place is rectangular, which allows a good view from pretty much anywhere in the place. Plus, there's a huge stage for Pat to roam around; not to mention that it will accommodate even more Groovy Thing dancers. Heck, even the restrooms are a decent size in this place. Doors open one hour before show time and there are usually plenty of tables and chairs for everyone; if you have a large crowd, you may want to get there early, since people start showing up before the doors open.
From Eastbound I-794, take the Jackson St/Van Buren St exit (number 1E, on the left) and merge onto Van Buren. Head two blocks north and turn right onto Wisconsin Ave. After a few blocks Wisconsin Ave curves left and becomes Prospect Ave. Continue on Prospect until you reach Curtis Pl, then turn left. Go exactly one block, then turn left on to Farwell Ave.
Shank Hall no longer has a parking lot. Please do not park in any lots in the area. There is plenty of free street parking in the area.
