What Is This? Velvet?

By Scott Smith in Arts & Entertainment on Apr 20, 2006 5:57PM

Remember how the Velvet Lounge was supposed to close on April 1st? Well, that didn’t happen (April Fool’s indeed!). Then remember how Fred Anderson said it was going to stay open for another month or so? That didn’t happen either, as it closed on April 8th. So now, the Velvet is moving. Like anybody else, they’re selling off some of the stuff they don’t need and asking its patrons to help them with a housewarming.

This Sunday, April 23rd, the Velvet Lounge will auction off some of the items that gave the bar its unique personality. Gaper’s says they’ll even be auctioning off the top of the bar starting at $1000. If you’ve got enough cash, maybe you pull a Kramer and re-create the Velvet in your basement sans the fancy chandelier. The auction starts at 3 p.m. at the club’s old location at 2158 S. Indiana (take the Red Line to Cermak/Chinatown and walk over; don’t forget to stop for White Castles on your way back).

The Velvet's new location at 67 E. Cermak is scheduled to open ... well, that pretty much says it. See, Fred Anderson and Co. and looking to acquire some items for the new club that will allow them to be “fully functional, fully outfitted and debt-free.” (We wish the same thing for ourselves.) The items in question include a CD player, a record player, a PA system, a security shutter and other odds and ends. A complete list is available on the Velvet Lounge site and cash donations are accepted through PayPal. They’re also registered at IKEA, Target and Williams-Sonoma.