http://metromix.chicagotribune.com/mmx-4873_lgcy,1,1251432.htmlstory
From Metromix.com
INSIDE: Carol's Pub
Honky-tonk in the heart of Uptown
By Dan Kening
August 18 2000
Carol's Pub
4659 N. Clark St.
773-334-2402
Sights: It sure doesn't look like much from the outside. A brick corner bar with a sign that says, "Carol's Pub -- Live Country Music/Hot Sandwiches." Things don't look much more inviting in the entryway, where a handwritten sign warns in no uncertain terms that there's no "soliciting" allowed inside. At first glance this may be construed as a warning to itinerant Amway salespersons, but, then again, it's probably aimed at the working girls that ply their trade on Clark St. after midnight. But once inside the door, Carol's is the closest thing Chicago has to a good ol' fashioned honky-tonk, where the music of Hank Williams and Tammy Wynette has yet to be overrun by Clint Black and Shania Twain. And the clientele, who are just as colorful as the bar, likes it that way. Carol's ambiance can best be described as "Kentucky on acid." Indeed, the bar can have a somewhat surrealistic look to it, especially after one too many shot-and-a-beers. From the rebel flag behind the stage to the framed photo of Elvis, longhorn cattle skulls, posters of country star Tim McGraw and the Pillsbury Doughboy and virtually every neon beer sign ever made -- Carol's has everything you'd want in a honky-tonk but the chicken wire in front of the stage. There are about a dozen somewhat battered-looking tables, a decent-sized (and well-used) dancefloor, a pool table in a back room and a large, U-shaped bar filled with regulars like big-bellied, genial "Pickles" and Joanne, a friendly -- if occasionally over-served -- soul with a voice like a foghorn.
Sounds: Under various names, Carol's has been presenting live country music for 30 years in a part of Uptown once known as "Hillbilly Heaven" because of the numbers of southern transplants that used to live there. The resident band, Diamondback, is really the reason to come here. This ace unit plays an exhausting seven sets a night on Fridays and Saturdays beginning at 9 p.m. And best of all, there's no cover charge. While the Carol's jukebox is well-stocked with Alan Jackson, Garth Brooks, Patty Loveless and the like, you won't hear Diamondback playing any of that stuff. They play classic country: Merle Haggard, George Jones, Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings, with a bit of Bob Wills-style Western swing and a smidgen of blues and roots rock 'n' roll thrown in. Make special note of lead guitarist Dave Doran: This former Nashville session musician is one of the best pickers in Chicago. The band takes requests -- just attach your dollar bills to the sticky tape in front of the band. A word of advice: Don't ask for anything by the Dixie Chicks. On Sundays the Diamondback rhythm section combines with members of the Country Roads Band to back any and all comers for an eight-hour jam session beginning at 9 p.m. The pickers and singers range from pretty darn good to pretty darn awful. Feel free to come on down and do your best Patsy Cline or Dave Dudley ("Six Days On the Road") imitation!
Smells: Cigarettes and cheap beer (sounds like a country song, doesn't it?). Everybody smokes in Carol's, and I mean everybody. If cigarette smoke is a problem, this probably isn't your kind of place.
Prime time: While Carol's is open nightly, weekends are the best time to come here because of the live music. Because of its 4 a.m. license (5 a.m. on Saturday), the place doesn't really start rockin' until after midnight on weekends. Before then you can enjoy Diamondback's first few sets in relative peace and quiet before the hordes descend from all the joints that just closed. Hours: 9 a.m.-4 a.m. Monday and Tuesday, 11 a.m.-4 a.m. Wednesday through Friday, 11 a.m.-5 a.m. Saturday.
People: One of the greatest things about Carol's is the clientele. While you would expect it to be full of Southern types with John Deere hats and big hair (and you won't be disappointed on that account), the crowd here is mind-numbingly diverse. You'll find fully decked-out swing and rockabilly kids in their 20s, white-belted seventysomethings, biker types who look like they just got out of Stateville, North Side yuppies and people of various ethnic groups. A former member of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra has also been known to hang out here. For the most part, everyone gets along just fine. Oh, every once in a while there's a minor scuffle, but it's quickly quelled by the efficient (and scary-looking) Carol's doormen.
At the bar: Don't try to order any foo-foo fruit drinks or martinis. This is essentially a beer joint (the usual domestic brands plus imports like Corona and Heineken) that also does a pretty good trade in Jack Daniels. Wine is available -- just order it by the color rather than label and vintage.
At the grill: The word is that Jimmy behind the bar makes a pretty mean cheeseburger. Other sandwiches include veal, chicken, fish and shrimp and, best of all, none costs more than $3.
Essentials, etc.: The neighborhood is a changing one, meaning that while it's relatively safe, keep your eyes open after midnight. Street parking is pretty easy to find on either Clark St. or the block of Leland Ave. just west of Carol's. It's also easy to get a cab, as there's a cab terminal just a block north of the bar. The Clark St. CTA bus stops nearby as well.
Dan Kening is the interactivity editor for metromix.com.
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