Vic Theatre (The Vic), Chicago

The people who patronize the Vic Theater do not seem to mind that it is somewhat rundown, dreary, dilapidated, dank and falling apart. It is all part of the charm of a crumbling once-luxurious five-story vaudeville house with floors and stairways of Italian marble. Customers pack in to hear various rock acts like Skinny Puppy, the Black Keys and Jackson Browne. On non-concert nights (which means three to four nights a week), the Vic is home to "Brew & View," an ongoing series of second-run and cult films (during screenings of which, moviegoers can drink cheap booze and smoke pack after pack of Marlboros. It is just like your living room back home, with a bigger screen, better acoustics, a balcony (with wonderful sight lines). The Vic can easily accommodate 1400 people with seating for 1000.

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