2014: Dmitry Samarov @ Rainbo Club

Above: The irascible Mr. Porkchop at the opening reception for "Anonymous Alcoholics," in the Rainbo on June 7, 2014.

"Anonymous Alcoholics"
Shay DeGrandis and Dmitry Samarov
June 6 - 28, 2014
Rainbo Club
1150 N. Damen Avenue
Chicago, IL

http://shaydegrandis.com/

http://www.dmitrysamarov.com/

Above: Outside the Rainbo Club, 1150 N. Damen Avenue, Chicago, IL.

Above: Rainbo Club interior, "Rainbo Club #9," charcoal on paper, 30x32 inches, hung center of the stage, on June 7, 2014.

Above:"Rainbo Club #4," gouache on paper, 17x24 inches, in the Rainbo on June 7, 2014.

Above: Mr. Samarov, left, chats at the opening reception for "Anonymous Alcoholics," in the Rainbo on June 7, 2014.

Above: "Rainbo Club #5," gouache on paper, 17x24 inches, in the Rainbo on June 7, 2014.

Above: Patron of the arts John Corbett, candid, at the opening reception for "Anonymous Alcoholics," in the Rainbo on June 7, 2014.

Above: "Rainbo Club #6," gouache on paper, 17x24 inches, in the Rainbo on June 7, 2014.

Above: Outside the Rainbo Club, 1150 N. Damen Avenue, Chicago, IL.

Above:
Images (1,2,3,5,7,9) June 7, 2014;
Copyright Paul E. Germanos.
Slavish reproductions of two-dimensional artwork (4,6,8) June 7, 2014;
Copyright Dmitry Samarov.

2014: You Slayer Me @ Rainbo Club

"Conversation Hearts: You Slayer Me"
February 14 - March 14, 2014
Rainbo Club
1150 N. Damen Avenue
Chicago, IL

John Ausikaitis, Theo Katsaounis, Jillian Lamberson, Tim Kinsella , Brittany LaFlamme, Raychael Stine, Paul Koob, Brit Parks, Jourdon Gullett, Sergio Roca, Carrie Ruckel, Marvin Tate, Chandler McWilliams, Selina Trepp, Kelly Whitesell, Gina Ciaccio, Jaime Meyer, Rich Salamander, Jason Waclawik, Chelsea Culp, Ben Foch, Garrett Jensen, Erin Leland, Sarah Shikama, Jonathan Van Herik, Kate O'Neill, Michael Ruta, Todd Mattei, Stephanie Tisza, Sofia Leiby, Laura Callier, Carmen Price, Angela Mullenhour, Meagan Donegan, Claire Arctander, Christian Brandt, Dana Carter, Raquel Ladensack , Bobby Burg, Joe Pankowski, Seth Crawford, Erin Foley, Joe Jeffers, and Kristen VanDeventer.

Above: Jillian Lamberson's "What a Wookie" in the display case on the east wall of the Rainbo, February 14, 2014.

Above: Rob "Rabbit Ears" Funderburk, left; the lovely Julie Ghatan, center; and (LA?) gallerist Andrew Rafacz, right.

Above: Chaos in the Rainbo during the opening of "Conversation Hearts: You Slayer Me" on February 14, 2014.

Above: Exhibiting artist Sergio Roca in Rainbo's photo booth, foreground; random guy, background; on February 14, 2014.

Above: Melina Ausikaitis and Sergio Roca's "Fabio and Mac" at lower-left, illustrating the difficult lighting conditions.

Above: Aay Preston-Myint, left; Karsten Lund, background; Michael Robinson, center; Dana Carter, right.

Above: Dana Carter's work in the display case on the east wall of the Rainbo, February 14, 2014.

Above:
Image (1) "Conversation Hearts: You Slayer Me" web advertisement, no copyright claimed;
Images (2-8) February 14, 2014;
Copyright Paul E. Germanos.

2003: Rainbo Club @ Ukrainian Village & Wicker Park

Above: Rainbo Club interior, candid, on February 28, 2003.

Rainbo Club
1150 N. Damen Avenue
Chicago, IL

On November 30, 1988, while a student at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, the author turned 21. Employed as a carpenter's laborer by John van Amerongen, who then ran SAIC's foundry, the author was treated to a tour of Damen Avenue taverns at the end of his hard, working day. Beginning at the Rainbo Club, 1150 N. Damen Avenue, and ending at Danny's, 2100 N. Damen Avenue, the author was introduced to the Ukrainian Village, Wicker Park, and Bucktown neighborhoods which would define his social territory for the next decade.

Things changed. Ken, who had in the 80s been at the door of the Rainbo in a black Zildjian shirt and MA-1 flyer's jacket, moved behind the bar. And the Haggerty boys, who had been behind the bar, were gone altogether. Ernie, Eddie, Miriam, Dru: they all disappeared. Almost everything which the author had known vanished at some point in the 90s.

Time passed. Down on his luck, sleeping in his taxi, the author returned, with a camera, to the Rainbo in 2003. The building was the same; the people inside the building were different.

"I wish you guys would come back," said Ken.

"I'm not in the neighborhood much, anymore," the author replied.

"The neighborhood isn't in the neighborhood, anymore," said Ken.

Above: Alliance Bakery, 1736 W. Division Street, display window for Saint Valentine's Day, 2003.

Above: Smoke it while you shake it with a Bakelite ashtray on the urinal in the Rainbo on February 28, 2003.

Above: Under the Blue Line to O'Hare, along Milwaukee Avenue, the Winter of 2003.

Above: Random guy on crutches threatens to "kick my ass because I'm trying to make him look bad," outside Rainbo, 2003.

Above: Alliance Bakery, background, and Maria's, foreground, on Division Street in 2003.

Above: Random shot of Ken's butt in the Rainbo, 2003.

Above: The soul-crushing walk home alone, in the alley, under the Blue Line, in a heavy snow, bathed in sodium light, 2003.

Above: Rainbo bar top in 2003; they drank a lot of Stella.

Above: Sinibar, 1540 N. Milwaukee Avenue, in 2003.

Above: Rainbo Club interior, candid, February 28, 2003.

Above: The author in the Rainbo on February 28, 2003, when he still had long, dark hair and smiled.

Above:
Images (1-12) January, February, and March 2003;
Copyright Paul E. Germanos.