Pete at the Opening of AK Chicago
King of his castle
Pete Wentz steps out for the Chicago preview of Angels & Kings
By Karen Budell
June 18, 2008
You’re not doing too bad for yourself if you celebrate your 29th birthday with a private preview party of your very own bar. And if your name’s Pete Wentz.
On Tuesday, the Fall Out Boy bassist and partners-local nightlife fixtures Matt Eisler (Empire Liquors, Victory Liquors) and Stephen Westman (Lakeview Broadcasting Co.)-unveiled Angels & Kings, their new River North bar with a gritty rock ’n’ roll edge in the space most recently occupied by Rockwell. (Celebrity gossip blogger Perez Hilton is also a partner, but he didn’t attend.)
Yeah, this spot has star-studded appeal. But the group plans to give Angels & Kings substance too. Get ready for live band karaoke Wednesdays hosted by Fall Out Boy’s Joe Trohman (when he’s in town), Angels & Queens Sundays for the GLBT crowd, and AK47 Mondays for industry peeps.
At Tuesday’s preview bash, guests walked in to have a mugshot taken-a theme carried throughout the space. Oversized celeb mugshots of James Brown, Janis Joplin and Ozzy Osbourne-just to name a few-grace the walls. Smaller shots of Pete and wife Ashlee Simpson-Wentz hang on the DJ booth; eventually patrons might see their own pics plastered on the wood plank-covered walls.
Dark walls and low lighting create the perfect mood for rocker wannabes who prefer a bit of privacy. The overall aesthetic is raw and edgy, yet comfortable. Bench seating lines the wall opposite the bar, while a couple of large gangster booths and an elevated platform with couches cover the front half of the space. It’s also fun: Bathrooms are covered in chalkboard paint, a yellow halo lights up above the DJ’s head, painted AK-47s by artist Peter Gronquist are on display, and there’s a huge gong behind the bar for the staff to ring when a big shot buys a “gong shot”-meaning everyone in the bar gets a shot.
Private, invite-only parties take place this week; AK will open to the public next week.
[source]
Pete Wentz steps out for the Chicago preview of Angels & Kings
By Karen Budell
June 18, 2008
You’re not doing too bad for yourself if you celebrate your 29th birthday with a private preview party of your very own bar. And if your name’s Pete Wentz.
On Tuesday, the Fall Out Boy bassist and partners-local nightlife fixtures Matt Eisler (Empire Liquors, Victory Liquors) and Stephen Westman (Lakeview Broadcasting Co.)-unveiled Angels & Kings, their new River North bar with a gritty rock ’n’ roll edge in the space most recently occupied by Rockwell. (Celebrity gossip blogger Perez Hilton is also a partner, but he didn’t attend.)
Yeah, this spot has star-studded appeal. But the group plans to give Angels & Kings substance too. Get ready for live band karaoke Wednesdays hosted by Fall Out Boy’s Joe Trohman (when he’s in town), Angels & Queens Sundays for the GLBT crowd, and AK47 Mondays for industry peeps.
At Tuesday’s preview bash, guests walked in to have a mugshot taken-a theme carried throughout the space. Oversized celeb mugshots of James Brown, Janis Joplin and Ozzy Osbourne-just to name a few-grace the walls. Smaller shots of Pete and wife Ashlee Simpson-Wentz hang on the DJ booth; eventually patrons might see their own pics plastered on the wood plank-covered walls.
Dark walls and low lighting create the perfect mood for rocker wannabes who prefer a bit of privacy. The overall aesthetic is raw and edgy, yet comfortable. Bench seating lines the wall opposite the bar, while a couple of large gangster booths and an elevated platform with couches cover the front half of the space. It’s also fun: Bathrooms are covered in chalkboard paint, a yellow halo lights up above the DJ’s head, painted AK-47s by artist Peter Gronquist are on display, and there’s a huge gong behind the bar for the staff to ring when a big shot buys a “gong shot”-meaning everyone in the bar gets a shot.
Private, invite-only parties take place this week; AK will open to the public next week.
[source]