Comments on: Thirsty Whale Reunion

By: Dennis

Dennis — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 19:25:56 +0000

Paula,
Are you the Paula that lived with Sherwin and I in a house in Bartlett?? If so, look me up on Facebook. Dennis Szot

By: Paula

Paula — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 16:48:50 +0000

Sherwin Spector beside being talented, also left behind 3 sons, that all have that Sherwin charm. I should know I’m a mother to the youngest one Easton. Damon if you see this please try to find Easton on face book, he has been trying to locate you and Ryan. We’d really love to see you both, and see how the rest of the family is doing. The Whale might have smelled like a dead whale, but bring back those days, the bands, the music, Loved the whale!

By: ralph

ralph — Sun, 03 Oct 2010 19:10:12 +0000

the best: paradoxx, hammeron, smash alley, widows rose, diamond rexx, hexen.

By: patricia

patricia — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 17:44:20 +0000

is this a club for whales ?????

By: Dennis

Dennis — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 18:56:38 +0000

Damon, I had the pleasure and honor of playing bass with your dad Sherwin. He was a great talent and one of the best singers and front men to ever take a stage. You should be very proud. Keep the faith and remember him with a smile. I know I do. Best to you and the family. Dennis

By: Damon

Damon — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 00:41:26 +0000

I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who have such kind words to say about my father ( Sherwin Spector ). Although I was too young to appreciate his talent, I love to hear from those of you who did!

I love and miss you very much Dad!

Damon

By: MuscleHead!!!

MuscleHead!!! — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 06:16:55 +0000

hello people,musclehead here!!!
I had a great time working there and working with the bands.i wish the whle was still there because,I would be there working the sound or lights.that is the place where i learned how to run sound and keep the bands on a time slot. I do miss the employee’s and the people who showed up to watch the bands.I even let some people see on the side of the stage when they couldn’t see infront or on the sides.i did see some fights happen there and i know if i got into a fight, my back would be covered!! thanks for the memories and I MISS YOU ALL!!!

By: Mike

Mike — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 17:34:18 +0000

Sherwin Spector and Sparkle were the best band I have ever seen at the Whale, or any of the local bars for that matter. Great memories reading about the Whale, sure makes me miss the 70s, and even more so when i am sitting at Gene & Judes having a hotdog and seeing a McDonalds where the Whale used to be.

By: David Lacher

David Lacher — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 07:12:53 +0000

Thanks to this post I do not seem like an idiot. I had an argument with my wife and this proves I was right, The Whale was in River Grove, NOT in River Forest. Thanks!

By: Dennis

Dennis — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 02:32:00 +0000

Great memories from this article. I was one of the bass players who played in both Sparkle and Spector. Real shame about Sherwin…we had some great times both on and off stage. The Whale was always one of my favorite clubs to play along with Beginnings in Schaumberg. Jamming with Jimmy Sohns was always a blast…the only time I got to play guitar instead of bass. Sure do miss those days and all the great players that I had the honor to be playing the circuit with. God Bless. Dennis

By: Joe

Joe — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:14:08 +0000

Hey! For all you ROCK fans from the Whale days! If you are going to KISS tonight at United Center (or coming from the South Side) check out the afterparty at …. (admin: you guys should consider taking out an ad)

By: Yvonne

Yvonne — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 22:19:16 +0000

I had no idea that Sherwin Spector had passed. What happened to him. I used to know him quite well.

By: Roger

Roger — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 01:13:26 +0000

Loved the Thirsty Whale!! It was the beginning and ending spot for so many acts. This is one of those places you played on the way up and on the way down. Saw Holland there along with InfraRed. Other bands I saw were; Kashmir, Brick Shithouse, Precipice, 7th Omen, Turbulance, and many many more.

Played there in a few bands too – Terminal Illness and Turtle Hurd.

Got to see The James Young Group there a few times. Like I said – the place to be on the way up and the way down.

Miss the Whale. Now that it’s gone I go to Gene and Judes a lot less.

By: bez

bez — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 19:16:08 +0000

Great show last night. Felt like a family reunion. Lots of friendly and not-so-friendly faces – I have not seen in 20 years. Many of us have survived and even thrived since the Whale closed. 7th Heaven sounded great, miss that original line-up. Mark O’ Dette’s voice is better than ever. Holland, Dirt, Mike – The Boyzz – I could go on and on. I hope there’s a sequel.

By: Scott

Scott — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 21:38:23 +0000

The Whale was a dark dank smelly place. The only good view of the stage was right in front of it and there wasnt that much room right in fromt of it. It was one of the premier places to play but I dont know why everyone is making it out to be more than it was. The ceiling was way too low and the sound was louder than it was quality. I remember saying to the sound man “Hey we would rather have good sound than just loud sound” You never got anything unless you greased some palm! I do give the owner and management credit. They took a crappy place and made it the place to be…with all its downfalls! The Beatles came out of a club in Europe, I think it was the cavern. They played that club 8 hours a day, that’s how they got so good at their craft. I dont think if you asked if they particularily liked the club they would say yes, but they did use it as a launching pad. Did I have fun there?? I guess so mostly. Yeah mostly, but it was more the people that hung out there. The staff was tired of putting up with attitudes of everyone, bands and patrons. They were never in that great of a mood. My band played all over chicago the suburbs, indiana, iowa, and wisconsin. We were always treated with respect at all of those clubs; Avalon, China club, standing room only, stay out west, interactions lounge, Chances R,(just to name a few) but the Whale always treated everyone like sh*t. That’s what they did, it wasn’t directed at any one individual it was directed at everybody. Hey they were in it to make money and I dont blame them…I still had fun. Take the awesome bands and the awesome fans out of a sh*tty venue and put them in a decent place like Shark city and it will be better than any night at the Whale. I miss the fans, and all the friends I made from all the other bands. Tribe of none, The plague (Troy “roach” Coach) Time Beings, Imagine That!, Johnny Chainsaw, Daisy Chain (Mind Bomb, captain lovejoy and the love rockets, Pivotman, SuperMercado) Meat Puppets, Bob Pucchi and everyone at Metropolis. I dont label any of the music or people that hung there, but I do miss them. Even Tony Labarbera. (edit: admin). I loved to p*ss him off!!! Hey Shelly G how are you???

By: George Millspaugh- Big G

George Millspaugh- Big G — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 21:03:32 +0000

Hey
It was nice reading about all the bands and good times at the Whale, but you forgot about my band, The Pearl Handle Band. We Played there alot during the late 70’s and early 80’s. I hope the reunion goes well. Say hi to Dan Buck from Big G.
Thanks, Big G

By: Matt Kissane

Matt Kissane — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 21:59:57 +0000

I actually video taped the second to last show at the Whale with Enuff Z’nuff! The band had several special guests join them onstage including Nash Kato from Urge Overkill and Jim Ellison from Material Issue. If you ever go to the McDonald’s that is there now they have a poster near the counter for this show. Matt Kissane

By: Bill M

Bill M — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 02:18:16 +0000

Very well written. So cool to mention Sparkle and the late, great Sherwin Spector. Saw them there so many times as a youngster and they really inspired me more than any live act to get on a stage.

By: bez

bez — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 03:57:55 +0000

Wow – really cool story. I feel like
its 1986 all over again. Thanks for the memories – long live The Whale

By: JR

JR — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 05:22:23 +0000

I wish they’d bulldoze the McDonalds and BP gas station and build a new club there. I know it wouldn’t be the same, but anything would be better than what we have now — a corner with no character. At least Gene and Jude’s is still going strong though!

By: Dino Manzella

Dino Manzella — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 19:43:45 +0000

The Thirsty Whale was truly the Plymouth Rock of the band scene. If you didn’t land a show there in your band career, you never made it.

By: Michael Wisnieux

Michael Wisnieux — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 22:26:55 +0000

Glad that my ol’ pal Billy Corgan Tweeted this; I haven’t been reading IE since moving to LA in 1998! (Miss y’all!!) Both the Entertainer & the Whale were formative stomping grounds, for those of us in the entertainment biz (surely, many thousands!) — thanks to everyone who made it great!!

By: Maria

Maria — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 00:09:55 +0000

Wow Guy, thanks for the memories. I spent many weekends at Thirsty Whale in the ’80’s.
Your article is like an acid flashback!!