Ratzo's


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Ratzo's
Posted by: Chipast ()
Date: November 29, 2010 06:46PM

Where was this bar?, Used abbreviatedly in that one song lyric of "Lake Shore Drive"?.

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Re: Ratzo's
Posted by: captain54 ()
Date: November 29, 2010 08:40PM

It was "Ratso's"...a jazz club on Lincoln, north of Fullerton, on the west side of Lincoln between Altgeld and Montana...also on that strip was Orphan's, Wisefools, No Exit, Alice's Revisted, and (south of Fullerton) Kingston Mines...

After Old Town had started to become gentrified in the early 70's, the hipsters moved north on Lincoln toward DePaul and started to displace the Hispanics in that area...Lincoln Ave was THE place for music/jazz/blues throughout most of the 70's



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/29/2010 08:41PM by captain54.

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Re: Ratzo's
Posted by: tseals ()
Date: January 22, 2011 11:21PM

In the 70's I played there often in bands. I can't rememeber if it was on Lincoln or Halsted. Maybe next to Wise Fools/ or It was the old Kingsten Mines??? Or was it next to???? It was the 70's ALSO the VIBE was south of Fullertn on lincoln- Next to OXFORDS PUB.

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Re: Ratzo's
Posted by: FranCarmen ()
Date: February 23, 2011 01:46AM

Holstein's in the '80s took over the old Ratso's place -- all the folkies mentioned that at the time, returning to an old space.

http://francesarcher.com

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Re: Ratzo's
Posted by: captain54 ()
Date: February 23, 2011 02:16PM

tseals Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> In the 70's I played there often in bands. I can't
> rememeber if it was on Lincoln or Halsted.

wow...I practically pinpointed the Lincoln Ave location in a previous post...it was 2464 N Lincoln..next to Somebody Else's Troubles...Kingston Mines was about a a block south of Fullerton on Lincoln..

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/20205384@N03/5471030467/" title="ratso's - Chicago Reader Ad - 1971 by captain54_01, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5056/5471030467_bceb7a3e23_z.jpg" width="500" height="581" alt="ratso's - Chicago Reader Ad - 1971" /></a>

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Re: Ratzo's
Posted by: FranCarmen ()
Date: February 23, 2011 08:21PM

During the Holstein's era, I worked across the street at Irish Eyes, 2519 N. Lincoln. I had totally forgotten about Troubles, as we called it. There was another great music bar, Orphan's. Periwinkle cafe next to Lilly's on the east side of the street, Bookseller's Row had two locations, one by Periwinkles and later by the Biograph. There also was book store next to Three Penny for a short time, as well as Guild Books, so there was a time where that strip was known for its eclectic mix of bars, bookstores, movie theaters and restaurants.

http://francesarcher.com

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Re: Ratzo's
Posted by: tseals ()
Date: February 24, 2011 02:35PM

Thanks Captain. Brings back Foggy memories.

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Re: Ratzo's
Posted by: FranCarmen ()
Date: February 24, 2011 02:54PM

More: Bob Briggs was the owner from 1969 to 1977. He is pictured in the ad, and he named the restaurant after the character from Midnight Cowboy. After he sold Ratso's he bought the Ivanhoe. It turns out I have a friend whose father cooked at Ratso's.

http://francesarcher.com

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Re: Ratzo's
Date: February 20, 2013 01:09AM

Right down the street on Lincoln Avenue back in that era was ORPHANS. Here's a link to a YouTube video that includes an Orphans concert poster from 1983 for the jazz vocal group called "Scat", The audio track for this YT video is "Scat" live at Crosscurrents (which was on a side street just north of Belmont between Clark & Sheffield) performing the Horace Silver composition "Cookin At The Continental".

Here's the title of that clip and the URL:

'SCAT' 1983 Chicago vocal trio: RON COOPER, JOANIE PALLATTO, MIKE RASFELD

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbbF-p2yGUk

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Re: Ratzo's
Posted by: bob1060 ()
Date: February 27, 2013 09:40AM

I remember being at the last show before Orphans closed down...that was a great place to see bands. IIRC, I think it is now Hi Tops. At least Lincoln Hall is maintaining the Lincoln Ave music tradition.

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Re: Ratzo's
Posted by: Paul Petraitis ()
Date: May 03, 2013 01:03PM

I played Ratso's (Frank Zappa came in and said "Boss Lead Singer") with the late Kevin McCarthy, JDF&E was there as well. Next door was Orphans where Bill Quateman played with the amazing guitarist Buzzy Fieton.

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Re: Ratzo's
Posted by: Arjaytoo ()
Date: July 31, 2015 06:21PM

I just listened to the lyrics of Lake Shore Drive by Aliotta,Haynes and Jeremiah and they don't actually mention Ratso's although I did see them play live there once. What they do say in the song is "from rats on up to riches" when describing where LSD runs.

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Re: Ratzo's
Posted by: the_mogra ()
Date: July 31, 2015 06:49PM

actually the lyric AH&J sing in the LSD song is "from rags on up to riches" (not rats). they also sing "water on the drivers' side" indicating they're heading south on LSD (in effect to Ratso's, not away from). from rags to riches is a popular old phrase



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/31/2015 07:08PM by the_mogra.

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Re: Ratzo's
Posted by: chicagorootsgal ()
Date: August 08, 2015 03:18AM

In the middle of a Chicago winter remember going in the 70's there with friends to hear live music, what music, long forgotten. I do remember coming out to find the car stuck in a foot of snow between two other cars, also stuck, and the four of us pushing the car out. Two skinny girls and a couple of boys freezin' our a///s off. Ah, the good ol' days.

- from California 2015

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