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Like Slayer? You'll love Smut & Eggs.

Wednesday Jul 13, 2005.     By Jacob Knabb

Music Feed

It don't matter if it's Slayer blasting from the boombox, Pantera rattling the cage or Tool thundering the arena, because for those of you about to rock, Lollapalooza has enough adrenalized madness to keep your pulse pounding at least long enough to carry you over until next weekend at the Bottom Lounge. So leave the ear-plugs at home, grab your coolest black metal tee and come on over to Grant Park, because this is your Lollapalooza…

Saturday will deliver The (International) Noise Conspiracy, …And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Our Dead and Primus. And Sunday offers up The Ponys, Kasabian, Drive-By Truckers and Widespread Panic.

Your bar = Mutiny
With The Fireside Bowl inexplicably discontinuing its amazing run of shows in favor of corporate party bowling nights, the Mutiny is now the premier punk club in Chicago. Shows are always free, and though the selection is limited, the beer is shockingly cheap. Fridays and Saturdays are always a safe bet for local punk acts, and user-friendly (whatever that means) for leather clad hardcore fans. And the Mohawk to Cubs hat and tattoo to sweater-vest quotients are tripled on those nights. So dirty up your black leather, sew your Misfits patch back on and practice your "Oi-Oi-Ois," because the Mutiny beckons.

Your restaurant = Twisted Spoke
1970s hardcore porn and scrambled eggs. Need I say more? The Twisted Spoke has made a mint off of late-night Smut & Eggs. On Saturdays from midnight to 2:30 a.m., you can rock out in this Biker Bar, famous for Bloody Marys, fat boy burgers and Jim Beam on tap, as well as what's on its televisions. Guzzle Beam, gobble eggs and witness the Barcalounger heroics of the likes of John Holmes or The Hedgehog before he was fat and hairy. Does it get any more hardcore than this?

Your record store = Metal Haven
Located right off of the Belmont Red Line stop and specializing in every kind of metal (except Nu), Metal Haven has all of the music for your head banging needs. Its selection of Scandinavian black metal is just as impressive as its '80s speed metal offerings. And you're just as likely to find a gut wrenching Satyricon album as you are a guilty pleasure like Striper. But Carcass and Wasp fans be warned, you'll blow your wad in this joint, and leave with an empty wallet. Plus, it does mail-orders from its Web site, so you can browse the stacks from your hotel room if you like.

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For Additional Info and Insider Tips: Check out the Unofficial Lollapalooza Guide on ChicagoFests.com.