You don't have to go too far in Chicago to find a reasonable jukebox. Throw a rock down Lincoln Avenue and it'd probably bounce it off of at least two different units featuring tracks by Led Zeppelin and Patsy Cline. Then there's the MP3 jukebox contingent that allows you to access thousands of tunes instantly, assuring little to no input from the bar's owners and employees, thus sucking the lifeblood out of the whole experience.
There are plenty garden-variety jukes in town, but we decided to spend a day sampling some of the city's most unusual boxes in search of collections with a twist. It was hard work swilling cheap beer and forking over rolls of quarters in search of a few good tunes. But we're just selfless like that.
One caveat: We're not claiming these are Chicago's best (though some of them are) or that we had even close to enough time to sample one-tenth of the quality jukes in town (we didn't even venture to the South Side), but do deem these selections worthy of your time and change.
Delilah's
Price: three plays/$1
Do yourself a favor. Slug back a few dollar American beers, chase it with a shot of whiskey and hit the rawk box at this Lincoln Park institution. From punk pioneers like the Cramps, Wire, the Modern Lovers and the Stooges to Black Flag, the Descendants and Chicago's own the Pony's, Delilah's has the kind of raucous collection that makes other jukes in the 'hood quake in their boots. It's as much a valuable educational resource for pliable young rocking minds as it is a tool for entertaining. Most late evenings, the bar has live DJs spinning everything from mod and rockabilly classics to metal and alt-country, so the best time to catch this one is a little earlier.
AliveOne
Price: two plays/$1
As you might guess from the name, the granola-friendly environs of AliveOne feature a constant flow of live concerts playing on the bar's big screens and loudspeakers. It makes sense, then, that the bar's jukebox follows suit, offering up an almost exclusively live and rare collection of concert CDs covering a pretty impressive range. Tune in to everything from the Velvet Underground and Built to Spill to standard jam band fare like Widespread Panic and the North Mississippi All Stars. If you're a Phish fan, this place is your Nirvana. If not, it's well worth a visit for the impeccable service and incredibly knowledgeable, music-obsessed staff. The jukebox temporarily leaves the spotlight each Tuesday, replaced by the $2.50 price tag on all pints. We recommend leaving a dollar tip and hoarding your two quarters…for more spins on the juke, of course.
10pin Bowling Lounge
Price: $1 a play
River North's new upscale bowling alley and eatery features a real anomaly in the local juke scene: a video jukebox. Pop in a buck and you're a burgeoning Bill Bellamy, projecting old Del the Funky Homosapien videos on the giant flat screens in front of the bowling hordes. The selection is a strange mix of old (Roy Orbison's "Only the Lonely" in glorious black and white), new (Electric Six's hilarious "Gay Bar"), cool (Siouxsie and the Banshees) and downright egregious (Snow's repugnant "Informer"). Whatever you pick though, it's a lot of fun, and you get the feeling some of the tracks will get more play here than they ever did on MTV (big surprise there). Serious bowlers will do well to take note of the dancing that accompanies the televised beats…watch, learn and bust a new move to celebrate any and all strikes.
Green Mill
Price: seven plays/$1 or 25 cents each
It makes sense for one of the nation's oldest and best jazz spots to have one of Chicago's most impressive jukeboxes. Classic 45s include a long list of jazz and big band standards, many from performers who have graced the Green Mill stage at some point in its staggering near-100-year history. Singles from the likes of Billie Holiday, Lena Horne and Marlene Dietrich mingle with Big Band standards from golden-agers Glenn Miller and Gene Krupa. The collection looks like it's been cryogenically frozen at around 1952, and the sound is every bit as deep, woody and romantic as the ultra-smooth environs in which it resides. A genuine treasure, at prices that seem 1952-like as well.
Marie's Riptide Lounge
Price: four plays/$1
Anyone wondering how this strange hole-in-the-wall next to the interstate could draw a sizable crowd most any day of the week ('til four in the morn, no less) need only pay a visit to the old-school vinyl juke to figure it out. Swoony, croony numbers from Bobby Vinton and Sam Cooke get the crowds of drunken hipsters filtering in from nearby Bucktown all woozy-eyed, and country and western classics from the likes of George Strait and Tammy Wynette just might inspire an all-out sing-along. When you've had your fill of stocking the juke, try out the kitschy electronic skeet shooting game behind the bar, one of the many bizarre touches that makes this one a late-night gem.
Schubas
Price: three plays /$1
Schuba's is already known for its role in the upper echelon of up-and-coming indie and alt-country acts presenters, and for good reason. Its performance space seems born to stage an elementary school Christmas pageant, which translates into some pretty serious intimacy. It goes with the territory then that Schuba's employees keep the front bar's juke stocked with a stellar collection of local and national acts. Even when shows are on (which almost always seems to be the case), you can still catch the top-notch collection with a drink in hand (and a quick round in the photo booth to boot). Want to hear some tracks off of Arcade Fire's "Funeral?" Check. Love the latest Decemberists' album "Picaresque?" Got it. Eager to hear something from local folk rocker Robbie Fulks? You're set on all fronts.
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