poster 15- no more

feb 29th, originally uploaded by rebecca ann rakstad.

told to me by angel

poster 13- oi polloi 1994

feb 29th, originally uploaded by rebecca ann rakstad.

remembered by Kirk Syrek, MK-ULTRA

I have 2 brief fireside stories:

1. I went to see Oi Polloi there in 1994 and the place was packed. There was a small group of about 10 skinheads that showed up and were causing trouble. The place almost turned into a riot. I remember about 150 punks yelling/chanting "Get Out! Get Out!" and the skins were in the middle ready to fight and it was a pretty intense situation. I’m not a very good story teller, but if you ask around, I bet you can get a good description of what exactly went down that night.

2. Ok, now my other story is about the origins of the fireside and how it got started. This is true and I don’t care what anyone says about it. My friend found the fireside and basically started doing shows there, BEFORE Brian Peterson or anyone else. His name is Jim Grimes and he put on one of the first shows there. It was BEFORE they had a stage or anything. Bands set up on the floor in the corner and the bowling alley chairs and everything were still all the way down to the wall, right up next to the stage (later on they built a stage, ripped out chairs, and widened the area for bands). It was just a tiny area for the bands to squeeze into. The band that played was a straight edge moshcore band called Unbroken and a video of this show does exist.

poster 12- covered in blood

feb 26th, originally uploaded by rebecca ann rakstad.
Bobby Hilliard
I grew up at the fireside bowl, without it I would be a much different person.
It was the like a YMCA or Social club for kids who had nowhere else to go.
I had other friends but, I made friends there that I still hang out with and talk to solely because we met from going to so many shows together and eventually, got to know one another and through the years had one another's back if something went wrong with an outsider who didn't understand the concept of hardcore dancing or punk kids smashing into one another, or head walking. It was all fun.
Saving your money for the show that week, five dollars to get in and hopefully enough left over to get some food and maybe a cd or a shirt off the band if you got lucky.
Hardcore shows, punk, ska, metal, all kinds of awful bands you had to sit through but it didn't matter.
The screwed up lanes, the bathroom being so dirty you'd swear if you sat down on the toilet you'd get an STD. Everything down to the tables in the back, the righteous liberation people who wanted to beat you up for smoking and eating a cheeseburger and wanted to beat you up even more for not visiting their vegan propaganda table.
Getting show lists that had someone you've heard of one night and ten other bands you've never heard of for the next ten nights. In a lot of cases, you still went anyhow just to hang out and maybe buy a new shirt to wear to high school the next day.
The dank smell that permeated the air and it was a smell you'll never forget in a million years. I'll walk into somewhere to this day and if I smell something remotely close, I'll say to someone " smells like the fireside in here"
Seeing bands like Poison the Well arrive two hours late because of a snowstorm even though the show was supposed to end at ten, still went on at ten thirty. Even though people left because of the weather, it still went on. No one complained about getting their money back, because they knew the band needed it, even though they couldn't stay that late.
The Dillinger escape plan show for three dollars, complete with a guy blowing fire into the crowd that was very much over any allowable fire safety codes.
Hatebreed showing up late for a show, luckily it was in the middle of summer and even though they arrived late they played every song they had at the time to make it up to everyone who stayed. Shane, Jim, Anton, they guys who kept Chicago hardcore in business.
Slapsticks last show, Botch playing two shows in one day, Converge and Glassjaw playing back to back shows. The Bollweevils, New Found Glory, Screech Weasel, the Smoking Popes, Rise against, Unearth, Coalesce, Fallout boy, Shadows Fall, Strife, Snapcase, Vision of Disorder, Earth Crisis (speaking of Earth Crisis, who remembers when Pete Wentz of Fallout boy was maybe 100 pounds soaking wet with blonde dreadlocks and was obsessed with EXC?).
Some of my best memories were spent in that disgusting, dark, smelly little room. I've gotten punched, kicked, covered in blood, sweat and other unsavory substances. But, would I ever trade it in? Never, it was essential in making me who I am today and I'll take that to my grave.

flyer, originally uploaded by rebecca ann rakstad.

poster nine- june of 44, i think 98?

feb 24th, originally uploaded by rebecca ann rakstad.

i haven't figured it out yet.
some one slipped the band a note that said....
"we're not leaving till you play sharks and sailors"

poster eight- tim kinsella

feb 22, originally uploaded by rebecca ann rakstad.

the person that told me this one would like to remain anonymous

poster ten- that really blows

feb 22, originally uploaded by rebecca ann rakstad.

Pat
Anytime Hoboken played was awesome. The one show were Todd was in the hospital or something and Pete Oblivion sang, that was memorable. My favorite show though had to be Pegboy sometime around 2000. My buddies and me took a shit load of mushrooms before the show and the place was fucking packed solid. It was close to a religious experience. Before the show I saw John Haggerty eating a hotdog and it tripped me out.
The all ages aspect was huge. I don't think Chicago has really recovered from the loss in that aspect. Coming from the south side we usually alternated between the Fireside and Off the Alley and then later Sputnik. Still the Fireside was more notable. More touring bands came through there than anywhere else. There used to be this box or something on the counter in the back where people would leave mix tapes for anyone to pickup. First time I heard Fugazi was from a tape someone had left there. That place had a huge effect on people. It changed lives.
Back in the day none of the bands I was in were ever good enough to play there. Thanks to Marc Ruvalo and Das Kapital we got the chance to play there like a year ago. It wasn't the same, by any means, but it was nice to kind come full circle ten years later. The website for the place is hysterical. It's almost more frustrating that the place has survived in some capacity, but at the same time stripped of all that is was. Torn down, turned into a park, you can deal with that. The fact that it's still there with the same bartenders and the stage is still up...that really blows.

poster seven- 7000 dying rats supposed last show, 2003

feb 18th, originally uploaded by rebecca ann rakstad.

made after a conversation with my friend ryan.
the band handed out margaritas, add that to the summertime heat and a crowd of sweaty kids and that all equals a slimy mess!

poster six- cockroach

feb 16th, originally uploaded by rebecca ann rakstad.

this is something my friend jen told me about the fireside

poster five- bikini kill 1994

feb 18th, originally uploaded by rebecca ann rakstad.

my first show

poster four- los crudos 1996

feb 15th, originally uploaded by rebecca ann rakstad.

yep, i took a nap at the fireside. it was a crazy week, you would of fallen asleep too! i missed young pioneers, it was such a bummer!

poster three- dismemberment plan 2000

feb. 12th, originally uploaded by rebecca ann rakstad.

one of the best shows ever
everyone was dancing!

poster two- kicked, dragged

feb. 10th, originally uploaded by rebecca ann rakstad.

this one is about something that happened to me back in 1996.
good times!

poster one- best time ever

feb 5th, originally uploaded by rebecca ann rakstad.

what more can you say about the fireside?

what is this all about?

part one- an instillation, opening may 2, 2008 as part of columbia college chicago's interdisciplinary book and paper mfa thesis exhibition. the instillation will include letterpress prints that i will create based on stories that i receive from people. there will also be other ephemera from the fireside on display; photos and flyers and such.

part two- a book covering the history of the fireside. this one will take a while!

eventually- a website that will archive from the fireside.
(i need help with this!)