Great place to see a show! The atmosphere is really laid back and there is plenty of space. Also, it is smoke free (awesome). Sometimes there is a cover, but it is typically $10 or less. They have a good beer selection too, and the staff is on top of things when it gets crowded....always a plus. read more

I always have a great time at Martyrs'. I like that they book international and world beat bands. The Bombino show was especially amazing. Age-wise the crowd is perfect for me (30s, 40s, 50s) and the location is convenient (easy to reach with the #50 Damen bus). I also like that they have a lavender collins on the cocktail menu. I'm a sucker for anything lavender. I either get that or a fernet and coke. Self-service ice water! read more

i come here every couple of months for pecha kucha night...which deserves its own review independent of the venue. i really like this place. the stage/sound is awesome. it seems it would be a cool place for dancing b/c there aren't very many seats. i really want to go check it out for music. maybe i will when i have someone to go with. lol. anyhoo, i know ppl probably don't go here for food, but i want to give a heads up to any vegetarians out there, or ppl who like veggie burgers and may be ordering one @ martyrs...their "black bean burger" is LITERALLY a bunch of black beans molded together in a pattie...no seasoning that i can recall, no vegetables...um...just straight beans. its not bad. its just surprising and i feel you should know before you order. that is all. =) read more

A really excellent live venue. I don't get here too often since they don't have a ton of the type of bands I like, but every show has had good sound and great sight lines. They have good tap selections here too. I didn't even know they have food too! No attitude from the clientele that I can see, bartenders were prompt, no BS. I'd definitely go back, like when Project Object returns. read more

I saw the Prodigals a few years ago here. I really liked the place. Very nice setup and good crowd. Not the cheapest prices on drinks and don't think parking was the easiest. But nice place. I would go back. read more

They host great shows/events. Lots of great bands. Music ups your mood, great sound. Cramped even for a bar tho during real crowded events like Big C. As in, when there's a crowd, you can't move. At all. Even considering it's a bar. It's not a small place tho, just packed, (plus dancing) so that must just mean it's kickass, right? ;) Also, bathroom is nice, clean, & spacious for a bar. Even a separate mirror from the sink. Girly girly! read more

I've only been there once for Pecha Kucha Night. The set up is great for speakers (you can see their face from the bar). Quick/ friendly service. I only had a few Guinnesses ($5.50) but the food looked great. Next Pecha Kucha Night I'll be there early so I can get a seat and some food. read more

Great place to see a show. Reasonable charge for any size venue ($8-15 per ticket). Good prices on beer, decent food, nice staff.

This place is one or the best venues in Chicago!! They have consistently hosted amazing musicians on a regular basis for years!! Check out Tuesdays with the henhouse prowlers for some awesome bluegrass and cheap 2 dollar beers!! read more

REBIRTH BRASS BAND!! As a New Orleans native, I thoroughly enjoyed myself partying with the "home team." I had the best time EVER! And to go up on the stage, with my favorite band, to my absolute favorite song, just sealed it for me. BEST TIME EVERY!! BEST TIME EVER! BEST TIME EVER!! read more

Came to support Nyco - a friend of a friend's band. The venue is pretty cool, with an opening act and a closing act as well. The "Kanye" looking closing act was pretty good - too bad I had to leave early for work the next morning. Enough seats overall and a spacious standing room. I especially loved the older mom in leather pants and pearls - please tell me you are one of the band member's mother. read more

One of my favorite venues to play. Nice stage, great sound. For some reason swing dancing always breaks out when we play there, don't know why, but I love it. read more

Martyr's stands out for the great entertainment they bring in for their shows. They have fresh unique experiences you can't find everywhere. On Pecha Kucha night people present 20 images/slides and get only 20 seconds per slide to tell a captivating story or share an idea. When you first read the description of the event you may think it sounds like it could be a string of boring but short powerpoint presentations that are so common in business across the world . When you go out you want to get away from work, relax and enjoy the night. Pecha Kucha is not even close to a boring business night - watching creative people use only 20 images to concisely and quickly convey an idea is entertaining in itself. It's hard to describe it's appeal since watching it you get the sense it requires talent to present this way - some folks will have you laughing as much as any second city skit, others will feel poetic, then the next may be unexpectedly cerebral but captivating since it challenges you to think about things you never considered before or paid attention to. Of course The Moth Story telling tickets sell out quickly and can't be bought in advance. Tonight our dinner took longer than expected and when we arrived there was a sold out sign on the door already. Apparently people start to show up around 6pm which is two hours before the show starts and they get to capacity quickly. Their musical lineup always has a broad mix of genres on the docket including traditional bluegrass bands like the local Henhouse Prowlers, reggae funk, jazz, improvised hip-hop, and many more. The times I've been there have been fun and the friends I've taken along to Pecha Kucha and the Moth always comment on how engaging the events are and they want to go back. There is usually an diverse and fun crowd of people there so no matter your age or style it's unlikely you will feel out of place. Sadly the atmosphere and food detract from the shows and gives the place a divey feel that - when I walked in it reminded me a bit of bars 20 years ago that invest little in the esthetic part of the experience. I'm okay with basic, bare bones atmosphere in a bar but since you have to arrive when they open to get one of the few tables available you may want the option to have something to eat. While the shows are captivating a few hours you can be distracted because you unless you are seated you have to pay attention to your body, balancing shifting and try more than what is happenin, They seem to make an effort to try to jazz up a typical bar menu with things like Ham, fig and mozzarella pizza and goat cheese salad which are offered along standards like burgers, nachos and quesadillas which are okay if you need to eat something. But I don't go here for the food. Partially because it's hard to enjoy eating when you smashed like a sardine at a table where if you back your chair up an inch you'll bump the person behind you. The last time a friend and I ordered something to eat, we didn't have a table even though we arrived over an hour and a half before the show started. We found it almost impossible to juggle our drinks and the food and my friend was bumped by someone squeezing by and her quesadilla ended up on the floor where people proceeded to trample on it because all the people standing around us made it hard to bend over and grab it. It's also hard to get a waitress to come over when you are standing in a crowd without a table. Going to the bar to get a drink requires moving through a crowd and finding your place back to your group which means you aren't able to pay attention to the show much when you go get your drink. Really wish they'd figure out a way to get more tables, even high ones you stand up at would be better than nothing. They have a couple pillars with small counters on them that are nice everyone fights over them since they aren't enough tables despite that it's hard to see the stage if you are on far side of the pillar. Most folks are there for a few hours at least - more tables may reduce a bit of capacity but patrons would be more likely to eat food and have more drinks. Plastic clear solo cups - really? They have all these cool entertainers and talent staying there, a hip eclectic crowd that isn't likely to wreck the place and break ton of glasses if you Bottom line: The entertainment at Martyrs is definitely the draw to come here. Wish I lived closer to Martyrs' and was able to go to a lot more of the shows. If you haven't been to a Pecha Kucha night or a Moth Storytelling event - give it a try to expand your horizons. The experience could be greatly improved with a little thoughtful design to update the atmosphere and places to set your drinks and food. read more

I was really surprised by this venue. Back in the day I went to a lot of Chicago's smaller places, but never Martyrs. This place has great acoustics and is a solid spot to watch a concert. Our waitress was always around to make sure our drinks were full. My one complaint was that there was a smell that reminded me of my college house, which is not a good smell. It stuck on my clothes after I left too. Other than that it's a surprisingly nice venue! read more

I've definitely had fun here. Good food, reasonably priced drinks and if there's a band you like playing you are set. Can be a chore to get to if you don't have a car, but it's worth the trek for cheap chicken wings and good music. read more

Great place to see music. I especially enjoy going on Monday nights when there's typically Irish music. I love that it's non-smoking. Their food is pretty good although I have to admit I pretty much get the same thing each time I'm there - the black bean burger. It's excellent! I've also had their pizza and thought it was good. They pull a nice pint of Guinness and have a few other good beers on tap as well. I've always found the staff to be very friendly too. They showcase a great variety of music - it's definitely worth checking out! read more

Great sound system, as an A/V geek I was impressed with the quality and clarity of the sound. Martyr's also has a very eclectic mix of musicians that come through, some nights you will see a loud rocking band, while other nights its a quiet acoustic set while everyone whispers to each other. Reasonable prices on drinks as well. read more

it's all about the intimacy. here, we find no barricades and a stage (if one could even call it that) no higher than two feet. if i wanted to, i could have assaulted the entire band, but no, i wouldn't do that because i'm polite and i'm a firm believer in the social regularity that the band stands here and the audience stands elsewhere. this regularity may only be broken during band-induced singalongs and during shows where the pit decides to spill into the band's personal space. there are no other exceptions. read more

I had the chance to catch Greg Laswell here on 7/24/09. The venue is a perfect size for live performances. Drinks were at decent prices. I would definitely come back pending if they have someone worth watching read more

Nice place for a venue or concert with a good size stage. Drinks are basic, nothing special. Located conveniently next to the Brown Line stop. read more

i was here to photograph a band and leave so i know nothing about service. i did take a peak at the menu and i think i'll come back to write about it. stage is huge and the stairs aren't in an awkward spot. lights are a photographer's wet dream (although it's not hard to do lighting...i thought so until i went to double door the other week and the lights were all red the entire night; i know it wasn't their fault likely they just ran out of other bulbs but i just thought i'd ramble on here). oh and the sound is very good. i will be back! read more

Went to Martyrs last night to see a Romanian group Mahala Rai Banda in their American Debut (they're great) and got there early enough to get two seats at the back bar. Shared a pizza (mid-sized big enough for two) with chorizo, blackened chicken and red onions with a barbeque sauce (purty good) and a couple of beers. Nice selection of beers. The room is kinda like Fitzgeralds' with a few seats by the bars but mostly floor space, but has a bigger area for a band; it came in handy with the multi piece band that played. The show was sold out but there was still a liitle room to dance. Also like Fitzgerald's, Martyrs books a variety of bands including in October alone, Ivan Neville's band, Alan Holdsworth a primo guitarist and a double bill of Los Straitjackets and Big Sandy and his Fly Rite boys. Martyrs web site has helpful info. on the bands. Decent parking in the area too. I'll be back next month a time or two. read more

Best small music venue in Chicago. Always have quality acts, acoustics are as good as it gets, food is solid, and the staff are beyond accommodating. read more

This is a great place to listen to music. Saw a mix of jazz and Icelandic rock here. It not a huge venue, so you can get close to the stage. Also, the beer selection is pretty good. read more

A great venue to have a beer and watch a show in close quarters. The owners are terrific and truly care about what they are doing; a hidden gem! read more

For all the singer/songwriter lovers out there, Martyrs should be on your list of places to catch a live show. From Ryan Bingham to Greg Laswell, Martyrs' tends to attract some of the best up-and-coming artists. If hours of standing and listening to heartbroken musicians doesn't tickle your fancy, be sure to arrive early and catch a show during the weekday when they have tables set up in front of the stage. There isn't a bad seat in this intimate house, and you can order grub until midnight (pizza seems to be the most popular cuisine). The staff is great (don't mind the "No Smoking" sign; they'll let you go in and out), the drinks are reasonably priced, and if you're on a tight budget, they have a fridge filled with High Life with your name on it. read more

You can always count on this place for live music, but sometimes be surprised by how much a ticket or cover is if you are just going on a whim one night. They do get some pretty good acts though, that are usually worth the money. I do wish they would get Tributosaurus to play here as often as they used to because when I saw them 'become' Otis Redding they were phenomenal. Never tried the food, but the pizza looked like the best thing on people's tables. read more

I've been here countless times. I know the place like the back of my hand. Without getting into the rich musical history that's gone on there and why it's special to the Chicago music scene, let's talk about the bar itself. It's a destination music venue. The music changes genre every day, so there's variety in the booking schedule. I've met the booking agent here and he seems like a real straight shooter. I learned that he plays music and has been in a world music project too which is important for a booking agent because it means that you have an open ear to culturally diverse projects. If I were to pick one rock club in Chicago that has consistently brought culturally relevant international and nationally touring in most genres artists to Chicago between Schuba's, Lincoln Hall, Reggies, Double Door, Subterranean etc... Martyr's takes the cake. Martyr's is one of the few venues where you can find a multidisciplinary rock & funk based booking schedule in the city. There is no good or bad night of the week as their calendar's highlights are set around national touring headliners who may come in on a Monday or a Wednesday. My suggestion is to watch the calendar. There's no coat check, but a big wall where you can hang coats during a performance. They have a kitchen which is fair, but let's be honest, it's bar food. Expect it to be alright, but nothing terribly special, so as bar food goes... it's fine! Let's talk sound. Depending on the show they are taper friendly. Sometimes there are multiple bands on a bill and not everyone has a chance to play a long soundcheck with the engineer. This is where experience takes hold. I have never been to Martyrs and had it sound poorly due to bad engineering. That's not to say I haven't seen bad shows there... there was an industrial band where someone was playing with a circular saw back in the mid-late nineties I wasn't too keen on. This is the home of Dark Star Orchestra and home to the Cornmeal winter residency. If you don't know who these projects are, then DSO is a Grateful Dead Tribute project and Cornmeal is an original newgrass / plugged in rockin' bluegrass band. Martyrs has seemed to have fostered strong and long lasting relationships to their artists. There are two bars and the service is generally pretty quick. I was once served Guinness in a plastic cup which isn't my preference but at a music venue with people dancing I can kind of understand it... this only happened one time, about 4 years ago. Since then, when I ask for it, I get a pint glass. I have a penchant for Guinness, but I'm completely brainwashed about the subject. They have a full selection of beer and a full bar with a plethora of bourbons and whiskeys. read more

Maryr's has some great bands. The views are not the best if there are tall people there. They have a huge dressing room and a great & helpful staff! Good location. read more

Martyrs' - Lickity Split Radicals performing at Gurlesque Burlesque - Music Venues Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Went to see a show here and I was not impressed. Arrived pretty early (7 pm)and took in the place. It would be a great venue if it were not for the staff. They were unhelpful and somewhat dismissive when you finally managed to get there attention at the bar, as it seems they were too busy doing nothing to notice you. If you can look over the help, Martyrs' is positioned in a great location and has a great dance floor. It's pretty dark inside, but they have these large windows on the side of the place that overlook the street - a nice compliment. The biggest issue for me though is the atmosphere - and Martyrs' lacks it. Maybe the staff are unfriendly because of the clientèle. My friends and I were front and center, getting into the music - and that's where the movement stopped, in a room with a hundred people! Disappointing... read more

Server: cute & attentive, cheeseburger: above avg.,, merch: good (especially panties), entertainment: Crash Test Dummies led off by Rob Morsberger: phenominal, date - my beautiful, sexy, and hopefully amorous wife: out of this world. read more

Got to see Cornmeal here a few days ago, and loved every second. Rockin' joint. Oh, and if you're like the dic***ad that posted below, you can't light up anything in a bar. Regardless. How is one bouncer who's trying to deal with two hundred hippies supposed to know if thats pot or not. Go outside like everyone else. read more

Bad food and rude hospitality. I'm not going on a rant and wasting a lot of time writing here. Just to say, I won't be coming back to Martyr's for any reason. There are plenty of other places to go in this big city. read more

I was here for the RC's Rock & Blues Jam Fundraiser on May 19th, which is interesting as it was a Sunday that they would normally be closed. And the concert ran maybe a little over 4 hours long. They have live music go on the stage, that they have a dance floor right up by the stage. This is the only concert that I have attended here, so compare this to other concerts I don't what this was like to the other ones they do. But the sound system which is very loud, and which I have to assume it is just like that for their other concerts. My suggestion why don't you take it down a notch or two, what if people want to go with group or so, or just out for dinner and just want to have talk. But the good news is that since the sound is loud, there was few times that I went to the bathroom, I say twice when the concert was going on, since the sound is very loud you can hear it in the bathroom. So you won't have to tell anybody in your group, "please let me know what I miss". And they do have have food there, which I bet you will know if you go to this place more then me. And I ordered a cheeseburger, and I enjoyed and what I didn't expect it came with chips. And they only had one server working through the whole event. so I tell you that is could be very hard to hear her over the music, so you both have to get close to each other ears. But it is a great place to check out even once and say you want to a concert or have been there once even if you don't become a regular. read more

Martyrs is the best venu of its size. Great acts, re-entry, dank beer selection, drink specials, street parking, two bars and a pinball machine. Official home of the cover bands. I wish they had hard tickets and the room is a little awkwardly shaped aside from that a great place to see a show. Can't speak for food, I don't think in all my times there I've eaten. read more

Marty's come for the show, go anywhere else for food. Amazingly the entire kitchen staff suffer from a rare disease called, "Can't taste shit." read more

Without explanation got a refund (as did all my friends) who purchased, in advance, tickets to tomorrow nights Tributosaurus show. Can't reach a human at Martyr's and no emails have been returned. Great shows, when things work well. If they don't - there should be no expectations of any form of support. read more

Martyrs is a great entertainment venue, but the food definitely leaves a lot to be desired. The only things I can recommend are the empanadas. The pizza toppings were clever, but did not deliver anything other than cardboard dryness. The quesadillas were a joke; no filling and overly cooked tortillas. I was there for a story slam and the service was good considering how busy they were, but the use of paper and plastic utensils and dishes was disappointing. read more

I love the music here and other live performances (particularly blue grass nights and the MOTH story slam). Also, the beers are reasonably priced! read more

good music and beer selection. gets a little crowded for the better bands. servie is eh and a little pricey. overall good place to dance with your lady read more