We're with the bands

Huettenbarwith Bang! Bang!
4721 N Lincoln Ave, 773-561-2507

The band: Bang! Bang! (Gretta Fine, from left, Jack Flash and Nick Kraska) has been keeping its “sex rock” three-way going since 2002, when it began burning up stages with glam punk so erotic you need a cigarette afterward.
The bar: Located in the heart of Lincoln Square, Huettenbar has front windows that open onto the street, and there’s a mural of hilly Germany behind the bar. “This place makes me feel like I’m in Bavaria,” says drummer Kraska.
The beverage: “I usually go for a Stiegl here, as it reminds me of Austria,” Kraska says. “I believe the woman bartender dresses like the St. Pauli Girl as well.”

Other favorites:
Kuma’s Corner2900 W Belmont Ave, 773-604-8769
Flash, vocalist-guitarist: “They have all the highbrow microbrews—as well as a couple of cheap old standbys for the lowbrow aesthetic—with a beer garden and good food.”
Phyllis’ Musical Inn1800 W Division St, 773-486-9862
Flash: “[The back patio is] like a wonderful drunken playground. Cheap beer keeps me going back. I’m a starving musician—starving for beer.”
Twisted Spoke501 N Ogden Ave, 312-666-1500; 3365 N Clark St, 773-525-5300
Fine, vocalist-bassist: “I had one of the best birthday parties ever, on the roof of the Ogden Spoke. The Clark location is pretty rad, too. It’s heavily populated with pedestrian traffic, which makes it a great people-watching spot. The cheap beer is a definite plus, along with the beautiful people—like the hot tattooed chicks—who work there.”

Bang! Bang!’s new disc, Decked Out (Morphius), drops Tuesday 9. Catch the group live at the release party at Schubas (3159 N Southport Ave, 773-525-2508) on May 12.

Puck’swith Corey Wilkes
Museum of Contemporary Art, 220 E Chicago Ave, 312-280-2660

The band: Corey Wilkes (right, with fiancée Mashaune Hardy), trumpeter for the Art Ensemble of Chicago, gigs tirelessly around town, and all the playing has given the funk-inspired jazzman a mature sound.
The bar: Okay, so the Museum of Contemporary Art in Streeterville isn’t technically a bar, but Wilkes loves its Tuesdays on the Terrace (which runs from June 6 to September 26). “You can tune in to some of Chicago’s finest live jazz,” says Wilkes, who often performs at the event. “It’s an alluring ambience, even before you’re inebriated.”
The beverage: “The libations are always on point, since the bartenders are a little heavy-handed,” he says. “My fave would have to be a Jack and ginger [Jack Daniel’s and a splash of ginger ale].”

Other favorites:
Chicago Firehouse1401 S Michigan Ave, 312-786-1401
“The patio is nice-sized and breezy. Last time I was there, they poured a mean drink. It was a gin and tonic, which I prefer with Bombay Sapphire and extra limes—always lots of limes.”
Green Dolphin Street2200 N Ashland Ave, 773-395-0066
“The back patio feels like a friend’s backyard. It’s huge and beautiful. I like a warm environment and cool people. And always good music, gotta have that.”
Iggy’s1840 W North Ave, 773-227-IGGY
“I go with the 007—shaken, never stirred, baby! The windows open like garage doors, so you get the best of both worlds even when there are no more seats on the patio.”

Wilkes holds a weekly residency at the relocated, soon-to-open Velvet Lounge (67 E Cermak Rd, 312-791-9050). The Corey Wilkes Quintet plays Andy’s Jazz Club (11 E Hubbard St, 312-642-6805) on May 6.

Fireside Restaurant and Loungewith Coppershot
5739 N Ravenswood Ave, 773-561-7433

The band: Individually, DJ-producer Copperpot (a.k.a. Daniel Kuypers, left) and MC Longshot (a.k.a. Chad Heslup) have contributed to Chicago’s underground hip-hop renaissance. Together, their moody new collaboration, Issues (EV Productions), shows neither has had a better foil.
The bar: The Fireside in Edgewater is cozy and welcoming all year round, but during the summer, the patio is the big draw. “Fireside is my late-night spot for outdoor drinking,” Copperpot says. “It’s open till 4am and is a fairly long walk from home, but when you are crooked, who cares!”
The beverage: “I can never actually remember being there because I black out, but I am assuming it is a gin gimlet with Tanqueray,” Copperpot says.

Other favorites:
Moody’s Pub5910 N Broadway, 773-275-2696
Copperpot: “The beer garden is the shitbomb. You can disappear in there. My fave drink is a pitcher of Beck’s beer. Moody’s burgers are the best in the city. Shame on all you vegetarians who won’t eat them.”
Morseland1218 W Morse Ave, 773-764-8900
Copperpot: “The people who work there are great, the food is delicious and they have a great selection of liquors. It’s zee bomb. My favorite drink here is the gin gimlet with Hendrick’s.”
Heartland Café7000 N Glenwood Ave, 773-465-8005
Copperpot: “The Heartland is a nice place to sit out on a shady street and enjoy a Miller High Life in a sexy bottle.”
Rainbow Beach3111 E 77th St, 312-745-1479
Longshot: “Rainbow Beach takes me back to my childhood, when as a kid I would play in the water in my Spider-Man tighty whiteys. I don’t go in the water anymore, but I still rock those Spidey tighty whiteys!”

CopperShot released Issues on April 25. There’s an Issues listening party at Innjoy (2051 W Division St, 773-394-2066) on May 19.

Montrose Saloonwith Low Rent
2933 W Montrose Ave, 773-463-7663

The band: Lots of bands out there play Replacements-style rock with a country tinge, but ten-year-old Low Rent (Nathan Chew, from left, John Hayes, Scott Tracey and Erik Friedman) is one of the few that can mix the two without sounding like it’s jumping on a bandwagon.
The bar: The cozy Montrose Saloon is a classic Albany Park joint with an Old Style tap made of a Cubs baseball and bat handle. But it’s got a CD jukebox featuring music ranging from Foghat to Miles Davis to The Strokes, and, most important, an outdoor area with a kick-ass horseshoe pit. “This place is warm, friendly and one of the best neighborhood bars in the city,” says Friedman. “They don’t have much food, but they have plenty of Slim Jims.” Adds Tracey: “We keep going back because it holds the occasional WLUW 88.7 FM fund-raiser show, and we support any place that is down with them.”
The beverage: “A pitcher of Old Style. Don’t go in here asking for some froufrou drink,” Tracey advises.

Other favorites:
Ten Cat Tavern3931 N Ashland Ave, 773-935-5377
Tracey, guitarist-songwriter: “[There’s] no attitude, no B.S., and a kick-ass outdoor drinking area. Perfect for shots of Jameson’s whiskey.”
Resi’s Bierstube2034 W Irving Park Rd, 773-472-1749
Jeff Eberhard, drummer: “I go here for the delicious German beers and sausages. No doubt, the best is the slow-pour Koenig.”
Cody’s1658 W Barry Ave, 773-528-4050
Hayes, bassist: “Gotta love a bar where you can bring your dog and grill out on the back deck.”

Low Rent plays the Beat Kitchen (2100 W Belmont Ave, 773-281-4444) in June. For more information, visit www.lowrentmusic.com.

Pontiac Caféwith Office
1531 N Damen Ave, 773-252-7767

The band: It isn’t all business for Office (Scott Masson and Alissa Noonan, sitting; Tom Smith and Erica Corniel, standing), whose bouncy, new wave–tinged pop has been wowing audiences at the Empty Bottle and, most recently, at the SXSW music fest. The band’s latest disc, Q&A (self-released), is the perfect soundtrack to your happy hour.
The bar: Regulars make pit stops at this quintessential Wicker Park summer hangout for refills on cheap booze and raucous live-band karaoke on Fridays. “The Pontiac makes for great viewing of pretty people, and the sunlight accentuates the beer buzz.”
The beverage: “Pontiac has Lone Star Beer, which helps us with our Texas drawl while we pick away at our grid of numbers at Honky Tonk Bingo [Sundays at 7pm].”

Other favorites:
Tuman’s2159 W Chicago Ave, 773-782-1400
“The prices aren’t too expensive and it’s crawling distance from where we live. Plus, Tuman’s also boasts some of the prettiest bartenders this side of the Mason-Dixon, and the grilled cheese was our lifeblood last year.”
Handlebar2311 W North Ave, 773-384-9546
“Handlebar has delicious mashed potatoes and is a great place to get bicycle-repair advice. There’s also an extensive beer selection, and the hangover with higher-quality beer is less vomit-inducing, and you can usually still remember what you came up with during rehearsal the night before.”
Black Beetle2532 W Chicago Ave, 773-384-0701
“Black Beetle is just plain dandy, and it has nice specials. They have wonderful vegetarian options, and each table is stocked with vinegar for the fries.”

Catch Office at Schubas (3159 N Southport Ave, 773-525-2508), where it is playing a monthlong residency through May.