During the late 1980’s, Crash Palace served a post-punk scene of the La Mere Vipere and O’Banion’s vintage, several years after both of them closed, and served as a precursor to the alternative movement. Ministry’s Al Jourgensen, a Chicago native, spun records here and it is also reputedly where Kurt Cobain of Nirvana first met Courtney Love (according to Cynthia Plaster Caster, a self-described “recovering groupie” whose claim to fame is having taken 2,000 plaster casts of rock stars’ penises). Deviation from this course began on Wednesday nights, where Jonboy Langford of the Waco Brothers and Rob Miller, current co-owner of Bloodshot Records used to spin what has become “insurgent country,” of which is becoming the next chapter in the Chicago songbook thanks to all of the above. The latter style of music lives on strong at Delilah’s, the same place that inherited the space following the Crash of the Palace. I never had the pleasure of visiting Crash Palace, so let me know if you have any stories or photos relating to the bar. Alas, Crash Palace we hardly knew ye…
“The Crash Palace is dark. The people wear black. The music is hip. The music is loud. The drinks are cheap. The men’s restroom is dirty. The Psychotronic Film Society presents B movies here once a week. There is no one here on weekdays until late. There is no cover any day of the week. There are images of Jesus on the red walls. You’ll probably either really like this place or dislike it intensely.”
– Sweet Home Chicago – The Real City Guide (1993)