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The Vic Theatre

The Vic Theatre is a music venue located in Chicago, Illinois. Vic Theatre can easily accommodate 1,400 people or with a seated capacity of 1,000.

See also: Victoria Theatre (disambiguation)

Former names

Victoria Theatre

3145 N. Sheffield Ave.

Chicago, Illinois

Jam Productions

1,400

 1912 (1912-MM)

1983 By Walter Klein & Big Bob Suszynski

History[edit]

Vic Theatre, designed by architect John Eberson, opened in 1912 as the Victoria Theatre. It took three years to build the luxurious five-story Vaudeville house. The theatre was owned and built by Robert E. Ricksen and Frank Gazzolo. Ricksen and Gazzolo operated the Crown and Imperial theaters as well. Costing $300,000 to construct it was equipped with every luxury. (Source: September 14, 1912 Billboard publication)


In 1983 The Vic was purchased by Walt Klein who spent several million restoring it. Opening with the 20th Anniversary of Second City and recorded for broadcast by HBO The Vic was originally programmed by Lou Valpano and Celebration Flipside. Within a year programming was handled by Dave Frey, who brought in Holiday Star Theater as a partner. Later on Walt sold The Vic to Jam Productions.

at the Vic on February 7, 1986.

The Residents

at the Vic on April 11, 1986.

The Replacements

Red Hot Chili Peppers Beastie Boys at the Vic in January 4, 1987.

Trouble Funk

In November 1988, produced the musical Hair at the Vic Theater to celebrate the shows' 20th anniversary. The production ran until February 1989.[1]

Michael Butler

recorded Kicking Television: Live in Chicago at the Vic in May 2005.

Wilco

recorded Live In Chicago, a DVD and CD of their three night run at the Vic in 2003.

Ween

taped their home video Parachute Express Live in Concert at the Vic in 1989.

Gymboree

recorded an HBO special, One Night Stand, at the Vic in 1991.

Bill Hicks

brought his Earthling tour to the Vic on September 19, 1997.

David Bowie

's In Absentia tour played The Vic on July 25, 2003.

Porcupine Tree

's Beyond the Pale CD, DVD and TV special were recorded at the Vic in 2006.

Jim Gaffigan

played their first reunion show at the Vic on August 5, 2010.

Soundgarden

brought The Incident tour to The Vic on September 22, 2009.

Porcupine Tree

Recorded his second Comedy Central special at the Vic in January 2014.

Hannibal Buress

recorded Live & Murderous In Chicago, a DVD of their live performance at the Vic.

Papa Roach

recorded a live album, Cage the Elephant Live at the Vic in Chicago in 2012.

Cage the Elephant

played in a line-up featuring among others guitarist Robert Fripp and three previous line-ups' drummers performing simultaneously, for 4 consecutive nights in autumn 2014, one of only nine city stops for this incarnation of the band.

King Crimson

performed two nights March 2-3, 1990, with the second show being broadcast live on WXRT.

Todd Rundgren

's stand-up special "Let Me Tell Ya" for Showtime was recorded at the Vic in May 2015.

Pete Correale

's stand-up Netflix special Confirmed Kills was recorded at the Vic on April 23, 2016.

Iliza Shlesinger

’s stand-up HBO Special “Faces and Sounds” was recorded at the Vic in 2016.

Pete Holmes

played here on May 18, 2017, on The Great Circle World Tour, their first tour since 2002.

Midnight Oil

played here on August 22, 2018, for her "Sweetener Sessions" mini tour to celebrate her new album "Sweetener".

Ariana Grande

played here on October 26, 2019, for their Great Tour, opened by fellow Swedish band HammerFall.

Sabaton

Official website

41°56′22″N 87°39′14″W / 41.9395°N 87.6538°W / 41.9395; -87.6538