Black Veil Brides, Motionless in White and Ice Nine Kills chose Aragon Ballroom as the site for their Trinity of Terror tour, and it did not disappoint them.
When they opened a dance hall in 1926, the Karzas brothers set out with one goal in mind: silencing critics who criticised public dancing as immoral. To achieve their aim, they implemented dress codes and chaperones as safeguards.
The Aragon Ballroom in Chicago is renowned for its distinctive architectural design that can't be found elsewhere. Built in 1926 and widely popular as a concert venue, it currently hosts over 70 events annually in Chicago's Uptown neighborhood - many renowned musicians including Rolling Stones and Nine Inch Nails have called this space home!
The Ballroom holds up to 4,500 people, making it ideal for concerts, parties, fundraisers and special events of any size. Furthermore, its spaciousness also makes it suitable for business meetings and corporate events; and their staff can assist with planning every detail so your special occasion goes off smoothly!
When the Karzas Brothers opened the Aragon Ballroom at 1106 West Lawrence Avenue in July 1926, their goals included replicating the success of Trianon Dance Hall across town. The new establishment quickly established itself as a center of dance-hall culture during the 1920s, 1930s, and 40s; drawing large crowds six nights each week during those decades. Location was key in drawing patrons from throughout Chicago and its suburbs; radio station WGN broadcast live from there nightly, spreading its fame across the nation. The success of the ballroom lay in its management's ability to uphold high standards of behavior among patrons. Men were required to wear jackets and ties; women semi-formal evening wear; smoking was forbidden on the second level. Floorwalkers in tuxedoes assisted guests from entering or leaving the dance floor and strict regulations prevented close dancing and jitterbugging.
Huszagh and Hill architects designed the interior of this building so it looked like the courtyard of a Moorish castle, complete with palm trees, twinkling lights, and a ceiling painted to look like a clear Mediterranean sky. A dance floor mounted to springs cork felt that vibrated to the rhythms of bands playing inside was built for maximum impact.
Aragon Ballroom's music lineups were eclectic, featuring everything from jazz and swing, big band, doo-wop and doo-wop as well as doo-wop with occasional rock acts thrown in. One of the more notable rock shows at Aragon was Abbie Hoffman and members of Chicago Seven's benefit concert held November 1969 to raise money to defend them against charges they incited a 1968 Democratic National Convention riot; other rock acts such as Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Ozzy Osbourne have all played Ballroom before.
The Aragon has hosted many Wisconsin bands over its history, such as Steve Miller Band in 1969, BoDeans in 1994, and Garbage in 1998. Aerosmith launched their World Tour here in 1976 while Styx and Van Halen performed there later that same year; other notable performers at this venue include Howlin' Wolf, Buddy Guy, The Five Stairsteps. And in 1991 when Styx reunited again they performed to 3000+ fans at Aragon!
