Backed by a mix of celebrities and local nightlife experts including blogger Perez Hilton, Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz, Empire Liquors owner Matt Eisler, and Lakeview Broadcasting Company owner Stephen Westman, Chicago's Angels & Kings (which opened in June) represents the second outpost of New York City's bar of the same name.
Indicative of its rock star ownership, the space features a stage for live entertainment and a pulpit-style DJ booth spruced up with an electric halo. Vintage furniture, custom booth seating, and quirky decorations play into the decor—celebrity mug shots and AK-47s designed by Gucci and Louis Vuitton line the reclaimed barn-wood walls. Guests can also create their own mugshots in front of a black-and-white striped wall.
Cocktails are served backyard-party style: Mini bottles of soda infused with a shot of straight-up liquor are amongst the bar's most popular drinks. For private parties, an antique dresser tucked into the corner of the lounge doubles as a bottle-service bar.
Available for full buyouts, the space can accommodate as many as 150 guests. For Pete Wentz's June birthday party, which doubled as a media preview of the space, the Hearty Boys Caterers brought in French fries and plaid-frosted cupcakes. Taking advantage of the venue's audiovisual capabilities, the rocker's wife, Ashlee Simpson, broadcasted a photo-and-video montage of her husband on a drop-down projection screen in back of the stage. Venus 'Zine also plans to use the space for the late-August launch of its fall issue.
