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Chicago · Venue

LiveWire Lounge

A compact Northwest Side room with a metal-bar past, direct booking, and an adults-only door policy.

Upcoming shows
16
Capacity
150
Address
3394 North Milwaukee Avenue, Chicago, IL 60641
Next show
Wed, 18 Nov 2026
Official siteDirections
LiveWire Lounge in Chicago

About LiveWire Lounge

LiveWire Lounge is a 150-capacity Chicago bar-stage room whose defining feature is its address: the space previously housed Metal Shaker, a Norwegian-black-metal bar with weekly live shows. LiveWire’s 2011 relaunch brought a stage, DJ booth, acoustic wall panels, a 100-disc jukebox, and a booth built around a vintage Galaga machine. That combination makes the venue feel purpose-built for loud, compact bills instead of a bar that occasionally clears space for music.

A 2011 reset with metal still in the walls

The story begins with Metal Shaker, which occupied 3394 North Milwaukee Avenue by 2010. CBS Chicago described it as a Northwest Side metal dive where bartenders talked thrash and doom records and the calendar included local heavy acts. By September 2011, LiveWire had taken over the room under a new partner and Liar’s Club veterans. Time Out reported a similar hard-rock atmosphere, plus a stronger emphasis on live weekend shows spanning metal, country, and rock.

A February 2012 report by WBEZ’s Jim DeRogatis captures the early LiveWire experience from the floor: local band Vortis returned for a four-band Saturday bill after an earlier date, drawn back by a new booking team. The account singles out the practical side of the room as well: gear traveled down to a basement for storage and back upstairs to the stage, while the soundman, bartenders, and owners made an encouraging impression. It is a useful snapshot of LiveWire’s working-band identity in its first year.

The room now

LiveWire books bands and events directly by email, and its official policy sets every show at 21-plus; every performer must also be 21 or older. Metal remains central to the venue’s character, while the current calendar also carries hip-hop activity, happy hours, and an open jam. Expect a bar-scale sightline to the stage, plus the DJ booth and sound-focused wall treatment introduced for the 2011 relaunch. The Galaga booth adds a distinct corner to the room between sets.

Sources

  1. Contact — LiveWire Lounge
  2. Live Wire Lounge — Time Out Chicago
  3. The Vortis Diaries: Saturday night at LiveWire Lounge — WBEZ Chicago
  4. Chicago's Best Metal Bars — CBS Chicago

Next 15 shows

Artists playing here

Little Jon

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