Park West (music venue)
| Former names | The Lane Court, The Town Theatre |
|---|---|
| Address | 322 W Armitage Ave. |
| Location | Chicago, Illinois |
| Coordinates | 41°55′07″N 87°38′15″W / 41.91861°N 87.63741°WCoordinates: 41°55′07″N 87°38′15″W / 41.91861°N 87.63741°W |
| Owner | Jam Productions |
| Type | Theatre |
| Capacity | 900 |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1920s |
| Renovated | 1977 |
| Website | |
| www.jamusa.com | |
Park West is the name of a music venue and special events space, in Chicago, Illinois located at the corner of Armitage Avenue and Clark Street, west of its namesake, Lincoln Park.
The theater was originally a vaudeville and movie theater - The Lane Court - when it opened in the 1920s, with a capacity of 900 people. In the 1960s, the theater became The Town Theatre, eventually showing adult films and featuring live burlesque. In the 1970s, it was purchased by Dale Niedermaier and John May, refurbished and re-opened as Park West, the music venue and special events space in May 1977. The 700-seat theater hosts a variety of bands, most of which perform classic rock or alternative rock. Aretha Franklin filmed her successful HBO concert there in 1985.
The Derek Trucks Band recorded their 2006 live DVD, Songlines Live at the venue.
It is also home to many fundraising events, including the Starlight Foundation's Dream Date Auction, and awards ceremonies, including the annual Non-Equity Jeff Awards.
The Park West theater taped a new talk show forum on April 18, 2015.