There is not much delightful mystery always in regular adult life, but Fitzgerald’s Nightclub is on a mission to generate some. On sale now are tickets to its annual “golden ticket” concert. The catch is that buyers won’t know what four acts will take the stage on Friday, Sept. 6.
What is known in advance is that a $99 ticket buys a night of entertainment, a two-hour open bar and a barbeque buffet from the adjacent Babygold.
The idea for this event started during the depths of Covid-19’s stay-at-home times. Fitzgerald’s Nightclub venue was closed, but the owners and staff brainstormed ways to keep the music flowing. One stunt was to put bands on the back of their flatbed truck and take music to the people. Neighborhood blocks competed to invite the traveling concert to their address.
Musicians got work; people got live music; Fitzgerald’s kept the faith.
“We are a joy machine and when we can’t actually bring people here, we wanted to bring Fitzgerald to people, which of course meant coming up with creative ways to still generate a little bit of revenue and keep the musicians going until we could,” said Michelle Larson, general manager of Fitzgerald’s.
Still, the empty halls at 6615 Roosevelt Road in Berwyn were waiting to be filled again, and no one knew when that might be.
Then inspiration struck. Like children awaiting the arrival of Santa Claus, Fitzgerald’s came up with a way to inject some pleasant anticipation into what were anxious times.
“We knew we were going to host a show again sometime, someday. So, we sold tickets to the golden ticket show. We were not able to announce anything about the artists,” said Larson. “The tickets sold out immediately.”
The idea was that the tickets would be good for a date sometime in the future, once venues like Fitzgerald’s could reopen. It turned out to be so much fun that they decided to keep it going.
“We think about our campus here as like a Disneyland for adults. We’re not often surprised as adults; and so often when we are, it’s not in a fun way,” said Larson.
Tickets for the fourth installment of the golden ticket concert are currently on sale. You don’t find out who will take the stage until they step foot on it. But you do get a champagne toast (a holdover from the end of Covid celebratory nature of the first event). And there is an all-you-can-eat spread from the barbeque next door, Babygold: brisket, smoked cauliflower, smoked shrimp, all the favorite sides.
Previous artists, who have participated in this musical jack-in-the-box were Alejandro Escovedo, Les Greene and the Swayzees, Parker Millsap, Alanna Royale, The Iguanas and Them Coulee Boys.
Fitzgerald’s co-owner Jessica King teased who will hit the stage this year, saying “The last time the headliner was here, it was a sold-out show and we’re confident many people have been awaiting their return.”
For a little trust and the price of a ticket, Fitzgerald’s promises to live up to its reputation.
“We can throw a good party,” Larson said.
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More Info:
fitzgeraldsnightclub.com
babygoldbbq.com