FitzGerald’s owners, Will Duncan and Jess King, didn’t want to go public with the break-in at their Berwyn nightclub, but they wanted to know how their network and network had combined so as not to disappoint fans.
Berwyn’s FitzGerald Concert Hall was damaged until the early hours of Saturday morning, but scheduled performances went ahead as planned that night.
The club, at 6615 W. Roosevelt Road, dates back to the 1930s and has been owned by FitzGerald since 1980. The theft took place early Saturday morning, according to a Facebook post through co-owner Jessica King.
“No one was here, so no one was hurt, and that’s all that matters,” King’s post read. “But they took things. Including a detail of the lighting formula that is a must-have for each and every show, and with two showings of The Straightjackets last night, it was a precedent to understand.
King, who co-owns the club with her husband, Will Duncan, explained in her message that the news spread and members came alone with some neighbors and helped arrange things so that the exhibitions scheduled for Saturday could take place. in.
The crowd pays attention to a live band on a level at FitzGerald’s on Saturday night. People said there were no visual signs of a robbery.
Will Duncan provided
“We bet no one would have seen anything last night if it wasn’t for the damaged front door,” the post continued.
Speaking by phone Sunday, Duncan said that in addition to the damaged front door, several laptops and iPhones were stolen, as well as some bottles of alcohol. Duncan said he and King have no plans to go public with the news of the breakup. They went in, but were encouraged by the fact that they and their neighbors came together to make sure the nearly 500 people who attended two exhibits on Saturday night were not disappointed.
Duncan explained that they stole a fundamental lighting for the main level lighting fixtures, but the club was able to move the lighting formula from its sidebar to the main level and a neighbor, Mike Bruno, who rents music and AV equipment, brought one of his lighting formulas to use in the sidebar.
Duncan said Berwyn police raided the home between 2 a. m. and 4 a. m. on Saturday and has surveillance video of surrounding businesses and neighbors. He added that he is now contemplating installing security cameras inside FitzGerald’s.
Lori Portnoy, an Oak Park resident and Fitzgerald regular who was at the club just hours before the break-in, said she was convinced the story had gone from a negative story about a break-in to a positive one about the staff and neighbors who came together to put on the shows. . continued. He attributed it to the way Duncan has controlled the club since buying it from founders Bill and Kate FitzGerald in 2020.
“If we could have taken control of the FitzGeralds from the FitzGeralds, they might not have done any more than Will,” Portnoy said.
Christine Kutt, a FitzGerald regular, echoed Portnoy and said the explanation for why it’s such a tight-knit network is down to Duncan. “This kid did a wonderful job in this place. He bought it just before COVID, and not only did it retain the essence of the place, but he took a step forward.
The owners implemented the addition of FitzGerald’s to the National Register of Historic Places. It has been a live music stage since at least the 1930s.
Will Duncan provided
Steve Mendel, a Brookfield resident who was at FitzGerald’s Friday and Saturday night, said he didn’t notice any difference inside the club compared to before or after the robbery.
“The door to the big club opens on Saturday, but I thought maybe it would be to give the club a bit of a new lease of life,” Mendel said. “I found out that the door had been broken and that the place had been destroyed by the Straitjackets bassist after the show. It’s a shame. “
Others responded in some way in comments on FitzGerald’s Facebook post.
“I’m at the first exhibition of The Straitjackets and oblivious to the problems of the past,” Cheryl Brownell wrote. “Thank you to the FitzGerald team for helping us overcome the obstacles. “
The Berwyn Police Department said Sunday that the home invasion is still under investigation.
Also on Saturday, about 20 km away, the Irish Nobleman Pub, at 1367 W. Erie St. in West Town, and some of its users were robbed at gunpoint around 1:45 a. m. No one was arrested in this incident and Chicago police are still investigating.
Lately, attention is being paid to FitzGerald’s for listing on the National Register of Historic Places after its owners filed paperwork in January.
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