O Fireside, Where Went Thou?

By Rob Christopher in Arts & Entertainment on Jan 14, 2008 8:46PM

Some years before making a cameo appearance in The Break-Up, the Fireside was the kind of place that Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston wouldn't have been caught dead in. Or actually, maybe they would have. Ultra-late hours and ultra-loud bands were the two prime ingredients in Brian Peterson's makeover of the vintage bowling alley. If you were under thirty, with lots of time on your hands but little money in your pockets, the Fireside was the ne plus ultra of Chicago nighttime adventure.

So what happened? Well, it went back to being just a bowing alley. But before those old memories fade, Rebecca Rakstad wants to preserve them. She needs your help. As part of her MFA thesis she's collecting stories, flyers, photos and anything else related to the Fireside. "Keep in mind, I am not talking about the new lame Fireside," she elaborates. "I'm talking about the Fireside that had rad all ages shows from 1994-2004." She'll be creating an installation of posters, images and stories which will be going up in the spring; and her eventual goal is to create a book and an online archive.

You can check out her MySpace page or email her directly at firesidebowlproject(at)gmail(dot)com.

photo by Patrick - msigarmy.com