FitzGerald's in Berwyn and Robert's Westside in Forest Park are perking up local music lovers during these cold winter months.
Vanessa Collier at Robert's Westside. Photo by Michael Lepek
On one end of town, you’ve got a 12-time Blues Music Award nominee wowing the Thursday night crowd. Meanwhile, just two miles south, you could swing over to an old historic roadhouse on Roosevelt Road and catch nationally known artists playing inside. And that was just this past weekend!
No, folks, this ain’t Austin or Memphis. It’s all right here in Chicago’s west suburbs where there is now live music on Madison Street at the recently opened Robert’s West Side in Forest Park. In neighboring Berwyn, FitzGerald’s continues to expand and innovate while honoring its heritage with a listing on the National Register of Historic Places.
History or not, having these two clubs in the ‘hood is a boon for music lovers who live in the area. People like me. During the first week in February, I did BluesDay Tuesday at FitzGerald’s followed by a hot show with Vanessa Collier at Robert’s on Thursday night and then back to FitzGerald’s on Saturday for a Blues Brunch featuring Tom Holland.
While the Blues Brunch was a first for me, we can’t forget that BluesDay Tuesday at FitzGerald’s has been going strong and lifting our collective spirits for ten years now. While the old hunting club has gone through more than a few changes since 2015, “Bluesday Tuesday” is a FitzGerald’s constant as it continues to be curated by WDCB DJ Tom Marker, who hosts the blues party on the first Tuesday of every month. Flash forward to 2025, and the event never fails to attract an SRO crowd of blues lovers, who start queuing up well before the doors open at 6.
Marker’s blues booster ship doesn’t go unnoticed by the artists who play there. They never fail to give the DJ his due while they’re on the stage. They also are quick to recognize the specialness of FitzGerald’s and frequently give a shout-out to owner, Will Duncan. He took it over from Bill and Kate FitzGerald in March of 2020. Just about a week after that, the club had to be shut down due to the pandemic.
Undaunted, Duncan, along with his wife, marketing maven Jessica King forged on with innovative ways to reach the FitzGerald’s community during the Covid-19 lockdown. They hosted truck concerts for the neighborhoods, did livestreams and came up with a drive-in show concept. When some of the restrictions were lifted, they created a large and welcoming patio on the FitzGerald’s campus. It’s now the place to be in the summer and “patio season” can’t come soon enough.
While there are many highlights to be had on the FitzGerald’s patio, the pinnacle of patio season happens over the Independence Day weekend. That’s when FitzGerald’s hosts the 42nd running of the Great American Music Festival. This year, guests can expect to see everyone from nationally known artists like Samantha Fish, the Wallflowers, and CJ Chenier to up-and-comers like Melody Angel, Les Greene and the Swayzees, and so many others.
Although Robert’s doesn’t have a patio per se, it’s located in a prime spot on Madison Street in Forest Park. Prior to owner Donnie Biggins taking over in late 2023, the space, formerly known as the Tap Room, was mired in controversy. There were fights, license suspensions due to Covid-19 capacity restrictions, and several violations of the liquor code.
Luckily for us, the mayor of Forest Park, Rory Hoskins, attended college in Austin, Texas and saw how music helped boost the city’s economy. Starting in 2022, he began pushing to reverse the zoning laws related to hosting live music venues in the hopes that Forest Park would become a destination for local music lovers. In an interview with Mark Guarino for WBEZ, Hoskins said that “We have young people moving in and they want entertainment options ... so to the extent that Donnie Biggins can create a thriving entertainment venue can only be a good thing.”
Robert’s is billed as a “live music venue and community gathering spot” and Biggins is uniquely qualified on both counts. He’s been a talent buyer for both FitzGerald’s and the Exit Strategy Bar, which was also in Forest Park. He also operated the Golden Dagger in the Lincoln Park neighborhood but sold the club to focus on Robert’s Westside.
As a second-generation Oak Park resident, Biggins is keenly aware of the importance of community in the area. A quick look at their website shows that they are hosting everything from bocce leagues and a monthly “soup and bread” fundraiser to “Bring your Own Vinyl Night “and community meet ups in the form of “Find Your People Night.”
With both Mardi Gras season and St. Patrick’s Day coming up quickly, locals can “find their people” at a few events that are on tap at Robert’s. On February 22nd, there will be a Mardi Gras party with the Lowdown Brass Band featuring Wyatt Waddell. Robert’s is also getting into the St. Patrick’s mindset and will open at 10am on Saturday March 1st as Forest Park kicks off the season with their annual parade down Madison Street.
FitzGerald’s will be letting the good times roll with their Mardi Gras celebrations happening on Tuesday, March 4th. There will be New Orleans inspired music in the Side Bar from the Environmental Encroachment Brass Band. Then, in the Club, there is a special “Fat Bluesday Tuesday” featuring the always-lively Rick King and his Royal Hustle.
FitzGerald’s hosts its annual St. Patrick’s Day party on Saturday, March 15th so folks can get their Irish up more than once because it’s all going down in the bustling western suburbs.
It is nice to see such a strong music culture emerging in the OPRF/Berwyn area.