The Haunting of The Chicago Metro (A HauntLore Special)

Summary

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HardLore Podcast: The Haunting of The Chicago Metro (A HauntLore Special)

Date: October 2, 2025
Hosts: Colin Young & Bo Lueders (Knotfest)
Special Guest: Joe (Senior Talent Buyer/Manager, Chicago Metro)
Additional Guests: Christy (Production Manager), Skunk (Security & Tickets), Three (Head of Security)

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Overview

In this special “HauntLore” episode, hosts Colin Young and Bo Lueders explore the storied, allegedly haunted Chicago Metro—one of the city’s most iconic and historic music venues. Alongside longtime staffer Joe and other Metro employees, the crew tour the building’s nooks and crannies, recounting ghost stories, legends, strange occurrences from decades of concerts, and the essential local charm that distinguishes the Metro. The episode is a blend of playful skepticism, genuine spooky energy, and deep musical lore, perfect for fans of both hardcore and the supernatural.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introduction & Venue History

• Chicago Metro: 40+ years strong; hosts legendary performances across punk, hardcore, metal, and more.
  • Joe has worked at Metro for 16 years, most as Senior Talent Buyer. Grew up in western Chicago 'burbs.
  • Venue is "labyrinthine," notoriously confusing to navigate (14:10).
• Notable Secret Shows: Metallica, Beastie Boys, and others have graced the secretive spaces and back rooms of Metro.

2. Exploring the Haunted Spaces

• The Top Note Theater (4th Floor)

  • Described as the “most haunted spot in all of Metro” (05:10).
  • The Legend of Marilyn:
    • A floating orb believed to be Marilyn, a woman who allegedly hung herself under one of three chandeliers in the 1940s or 1950s (05:26).
    • No confirmed sightings by staff, but many feel a distinct presence:
      “I don't think I've actually seen the orb, I've maybe felt the orb more.” – Joe, (06:29)
  • Haunted Activity: Cold spots, falling plaster, sensations of being watched (11:36, 11:48).

• Elevator Ghost Stories

  • Old elevator cited in a tragic tale: the caretaker’s child was reportedly crushed by it in the 1940s (15:48).
  • The elevator is a "rite of passage" for staff; getting stuck is common, but “there’s never any attempt to modernize” (17:01).

• Smart Bar Basement & Bathrooms

  • Another ghost: an apparition/orb in the basement women’s restroom, often glimpsed in or near the mirror when lights go off (18:05).
  • “Supposedly when you walk in here and the lights, they disappear from the mirror.” – Joe, (18:28)
  • Smart Bar itself is described as the “engine of the building,” a nexus for staff and public ghost experiences (19:30).

3. Musical Lore & Unforgettable Shows

• Guns N’ Roses Legend: "Use Your Illusion" sessions supposedly took place at Metro during a frigid January, resulting in wild bar tabs and inspiration (07:15).
• Sonic Youth: Live album was recorded at Smart Bar.
• Frankie Knuckles: Resident DJ, "invented house music," played until he passed (23:01).
• Major Shows:
  • Metallica’s secret show still haunts those who missed it (09:09, 45:48).
  • Memories of Burning Fight and Open Air festivals, chaotic and legendary in their own right (25:54-28:34).

4. Personal and Staff Supernatural Experiences

• Christy, Production Manager (34:00–39:28)

  • Multiple 5am encounters after events: “We started hearing music ... something you'd hear in an elevator ... we looked at each other ... a clipboard flew across the balcony at them.” (34:51)
  • Belief in Marilyn: “We give her flowers every year in the theater.” (36:24)
  • Sees apparitions: a child in the green room and “the legless man” (37:31).
  • Finds the spirits calming: “[After shows] ... I'll sit on this stage and just decompress. It's my favorite time of day. … It's just energy.” (39:07)

• Skunk, Security/Tickets (39:44–45:34)

  • Also experienced the flying clipboard, attributes it to an apparition rather than Marilyn.
  • Personally saw “just a pair of legs ... like a pinstripe suit, shadowy gray” (42:56–43:22).
  • Even has a photo of a full apparition in the lobby on her phone (44:17).

• Three, Head of Security (46:59–53:03)

  • Witnessed a “black valley mist” hovering atop stairs after a staffer was reduced to tears (47:04).
  • Recorded noises and found that office chairs had moved themselves overnight: “All the chairs from the desk were all against the window ... I pooped my pants. For sure.” (48:46)
  • Recalls multiple deaths: “A little boy got killed in elevator. A girl got crushed in the barricade ... A girl got crushed in the be. Yeah, she died. She died? Yes, yes, suffocated.” (50:12)
  • Describes cold spots in a packed crowd as “impossible,” adding to the haunted atmosphere (52:28).
  • Lived next door and experienced ghostly knocks and wall hits in his apartment as well (51:13).

5. Skepticism, Vibes, and Community

• Hosts and guests toggle between jest, skepticism, and genuine curiosity/fear.
• Colin: “The thing that always gets me... are when multiple people report the same unique thing from different locations... I don't really have an explanation for that.” (53:20)
• Joe and staff agree: ghosts here aren’t malicious—“I think they're looking for camaraderie ... They're here for tunes and vibage.” (11:54, 12:03)
• General consensus: whatever spirits linger, they seem most at peace when music and crowds fill the venue.
• Colin’s advice: “If you get to go to the theater at any point in your life, don't touch the piano ... Don’t play November Rain on the piano. Marilyn doesn’t like it.” (54:04)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Haunted Atmosphere:
  • “That something that's beautiful has to have a dark side too.” – Colin (02:53)
• The Legend of Marilyn:
  • “If you're ever on main stage and get like a faint smell of rose oil, that's her.” – Christy (36:15)
  • “We give her flowers every year too.” – Christy (36:24)
• Ultimate Skeptics’ Dilemma:
  • “The only thing I could possibly explain it with is just like, once a story sticks, that's the story, you know?” – Bo (53:33)
  • “It's not like a game of telephone. It was like three people who were just there.” – Colin (53:40)
• On Security Never Sweeping Alone:
  • “I never do any building sweeps past midnight by myself ... I always take at least two or three people with me.” – Three (48:57)
• On the Spirits’ Preferences:
  • “I think they like having people here, heavy bands and having everybody here, it keeps them busy, you know?” – Three (52:16)

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Time-Stamped Highlights

• 00:39: Joe introduces himself, shares history and job at the Metro.
• 05:10: Joe shares spooky legends of Top Note Theater (“most haunted spot”).
• 07:15: Joe recounts Guns N’ Roses writing Use Your Illusion at Metro.
• 11:36: Plaster falls, an example of random unexplained phenomena.
• 18:05: Discussion of the haunted basement bathroom apparition.
• 19:30: Smart Bar described as Metro’s “engine”—site of most ‘public’ ghost stories.
• 23:01: DJ legends—Frankie Knuckles as a resident and Questlove appearances.
• 34:51: Christy tells her 5am clipboard-flying ghost story.
• 42:56: Skunk describes seeing the “pair of pinstripe legs” apparition.
• 44:17: Skunk says there's photographic evidence of a full apparition.
• 47:04: Three encounters “black valley mist” following staffer breaking down mid-show.
• 48:46: Chairs move unaided; Three is so scared he sprints from the office.
• 50:12: Recounts true tragedies: child elevator death, young woman crushed at a show.
• 52:16: Three asserts that ghosts prefer the venue alive and busy; never malicious.
• 53:20: Hosts wrap up, note the logic-defying consistency of witness accounts.

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Conclusion

This episode of HardLore blends chilling ghost stories and venue folklore with the joy and community of hardcore music. Hosts, staff, and guests all agree—the Metro is as much about its haunted energy as its storied musical legacy. While some approach with skepticism, first-hand accounts, eerie happenings, and a strong connective spirit keep the legends of the Metro alive.

Tone: Wry, irreverent, spooky yet affectionate—a haunted house as much loved as it is feared.

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For new listeners:

This episode is a quintessential HardLore blend of backstage chaos, local legend, and supernatural intrigue, all filtered through decades of hardcore tour life. Whether you believe or not, Chicago’s Metro is a place where ghosts, bands, and fans all come to play.

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Transcript

[A]

So anyway, it says to Mabel, I can't do this anymore.

[B]

Yeah, I know.

[A]

She's out of control.

[B]

You know, I can't believe after three years, I finally have gotten you to Chicago.

[A]

I'm loving it. I'm having a good time. Except for all the ghosts. Hello. Welcome. What is that?

[B]

Do you see that? Who could have.

[A]

Did they know we were coming?

[B]

Who could have popped possibly done this?

[C]

Welcome.

[A]

Wow.

[B]

Wow.

[C]

Welcome, gentlemen.

[A]

Thank you so much.

[C]

Hi, Bo.

[B]

I'm Bo.

[C]

Hi, Colin.

[A]

We're here with Joe from the Chicago Metro. He's going to show us around this spooky haunted venue and all the ghosts and the ghouls and the goblins, and we're going to. We're going to show you an inside look at one of Chicago's greatest venues and this very definitely haunted place that Joe definitely, definitely believes in. Right?

[C]

Yeah, definitely.

[B]

Joe, how long do you work here?

[C]

I've been here for 16 years.

[B]

16.

[C]

Currently the senior talent. Perfect for the last, I don't know, 13 of those years, I guess.

[D]

Okay.

[C]

Grew up here in Chicago in the western burbs.

[B]

Okay, where. Where about?

[C]

I'm in, like the Villa park area.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

I'm from Schaumburg.

[A]

Oh, from Van Nuys.

[B]

Well, he's from a. Very good. Yeah.

[A]

Why don't you use some of those 16 years of expertise to really show us the nooks and crannies of this building that that many never get to see.

[C]

Truly.

[A]

Let's go in.

[C]

Yeah, why don't we.

[B]

Why don't we.

[C]

Why don't we head in? We can head through the front door, cut through some staff we're getting. Usually not this full, but this is what a load in looks like, I guess.

[A]

Yeah, I've definitely loaded this way. I've gone there. Never really gone here.

[C]

This is the general public, so smart bars through this door here. Merch. Merch.

[A]

Oh, yeah, I've been in there.

[C]

Been there, Max.

[A]

Been there then.

[B]

A lot of stairs in the Metro.

[C]

A lot of stairs.

[A]

So over here, Metallica played a secret show here a couple years ago. Bo didn't go, so just keep that in mind.

[C]

You're technically on the second floor of the building. The balcony will be the third floor of the building. Fourth floor is above the venue.

[B]

Right.

[C]

We'll see that later too. Where?

[A]

And in this room, have there been any stories of hauntings in here?

[C]

Yeah, I believe so. Some of the staff has some good stories about walking across the balcony and stuff like that.

[B]

Them maybe.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Items moving and being thrown and such.

[C]

Perhaps. Yeah.

[A]

Okay. Some people we're looking forward to learning about. It looks so prestigious and historic and gorgeous. Really?

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

That something that's beautiful has to have a dark side too.

[B]

Yeah. Always a catch.

[A]

No barricade right now. That's dope.

[B]

That's nice.

[C]

Quick. Truly last ever. Yeah. Yeah.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

You can't do that at treasury anymore.

[B]

It's banned. That's ours.

[C]

Yeah, we'll keep you and we'll. We'll let you stay here.

[D]

Cool.

[A]

Thanks, man.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

One of the scariest things about an old venue barricades.

[B]

These old.

[C]

They took many lives back today.

[A]

The ghost of hardcore future.

[C]

Oh, the coast of hardcore. Hated that.

[A]

Should we go upstairs?

[B]

Yeah, sure.

[A]

You say 4th or 40th for Jesus Christ.

[B]

Cramp. And cramp.

[C]

Thank you, sir.

[A]

Wow.

[C]

Still got you.

[B]

So what is this?

[C]

This is technically call the Top Note Theater. We're on the fourth floor. We're basically above Metro's Main.

[A]

You've never been in here?

[B]

Never? Never.

[A]

You've lived here for my whole life.

[B]

Oh, I knew we'll get into the stories. I knew there was space up here, but I did not know there was a theater of any kind up here.

[C]

Yeah, it's a.

[A]

It's a bit rickety.

[C]

It truly is. What happened in here? I mean, nothing's happened in here. It's just the time and plaster falls apart after a while here and accordion. I think ultimately over the years, if you've been in Metro or Smart Bar anywhere in this building, we have like this total lack of storage. Like we can't put anything anywhere. And when you've been in business for 40 plus years, you tend to need places to throw things. So this becomes a de facto storage spot for us.

[A]

We cleaned it about every like bird cage.

[C]

Exactly. There used to be like old pas up here, tons of old soundboards up here. Kind of where production goes to die.

[A]

Up here kind of does anything else go up here to die.

[C]

So that's a great segue. So I. Some people maybe think of this as the most haunted spot in all of Metro right here. And. Or we should say 3730 as a building. I think the.

[A]

The.

[C]

There's an ongoing kind of view of this room is that there's a floating orb that resembles a woman named Marilyn, Maryland. Oh, that supposedly. Yeah, that supposedly. Hunger hung herself somewhere in this room. Oh, the forties now, I heard.

[B]

Under a chandelier.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I mean there's three.

[C]

There's three. So you can pick your.

[A]

Let's take a walk around the Theater. Let's look at what we got in here. We've got chairs.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Symbolism of blood.

[B]

Really nice.

[C]

Yeah, gorgeous. These are originals.

[B]

Original symbolism. We just ate.

[C]

Yeah, Symbolism of chicken fingers.

[A]

I didn't eat that.

[C]

Everyone knows you sacrifice a chicken finger.

[A]

To see if it goes exactly. Okay, good.

[B]

So here's one of the. The chandeliers. Maybe the one.

[C]

Possibly.

[B]

Possibly.

[A]

So right here. Not a huge drop line.

[B]

Well, from.

[A]

So with the chandelier or under the chandelier.

[C]

I don't know if there's ever technically been established, but the. The orb seems to just be floating as much as when.

[A]

How have you seen this orb?

[C]

I don't think I've actually seen the orb. I've maybe felt the orb more interesting before.

[A]

That's what they say.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Feeling an orb is way better than.

[C]

Yeah, truly. I think this room especially you hear the most noises.

[A]

Tell me about the noises.

[C]

I. I think it's a combination of being right under the roof is right above us, and we're right above Metro. So what does that have to do with noise? I think there's a lot of plumbing that goes through this space too.

[A]

No, it can't be that.

[C]

But it could just be the ghost talk.

[B]

Hvac. Now the urban legend is even scarier than a floating orb. It's like Guns n Roses.

[C]

Yeah, Truly scary.

[D]

Lives in here.

[B]

Well, what's the story?

[C]

The story goes that the record label didn't believe they could write a record in LA. And so for use your illusion 1 and 2, they had to send them somewhere. And that's. And it was January, I think. January 88. And so they're like, what better place to send a bunch of drug addict alcoholics than Chicago in the dead of winter?

[A]

Smart.

[C]

In a building that happens to be a functioning music venue that has bars open all night long. And on Clark Street, I mean, they.

[A]

Wrote user illusion2 is my favorite. So you're telling me you could be mine was written in this room?

[C]

You could have been mine. Yeah. The other good story is that supposedly the bar tab they ran rang up in Smart bar in through the month of January. Kind of kept us. Kept. Kept my boss in the building open.

[A]

I was gonna say probably more than the engineer.

[C]

Yeah, exactly. So yeah, tip your engineers. True. So, bartenders.

[A]

So the cold November rain was Chicago rain.

[C]

I probably snow.

[A]

It's totally different meaning now. Oh, cocaine. Remember rain? Cocaine.

[B]

Now, is there ever a reason for like someone working to be in here?

[C]

Not a ton. Unless you're like just coming to get something. If something's like stored up here.

[A]

So if somebody tells you, joe, I saw a ghost in the theater, your first answer would be like, what were you doing?

[B]

Why were you up?

[C]

Why were you full.

[A]

You were stealing time and the ghost knew.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Or you were just trying to summon the ghost you were coming to. You wanted to maybe have a conversation.

[A]

That would be crazy.

[B]

Have you ever done anything like that?

[C]

I don't think I have.

[B]

Is anybody.

[C]

I think there has been some. Some seance like stuff here to try to sell. Settle. Settle some scores.

[A]

We can do that now. Hello, it's me. I believe if you. If Bo. If Bo.

[C]

She'll find you.

[A]

If not Bo.

[B]

If not.

[A]

Should we check out the stage?

[B]

To bow or not to bow.

[A]

Oh, that's the. Yeah.

[B]

Are there any music acts who have.

[C]

Played up here, Jo? Yeah, a lot. I mean obviously the. We just talked about the Guns and Roses thing. Tap dancing fools. Beastie Boys actually did something up here.

[B]

Yeah.

[E]

Pre.

[C]

This is like kind of like. I think it was like 96 or something. Like they were huge at the time and they were doing like a radio thing and they did like a private thing up here. So that was kind of like wild.

[B]

Do you want to walk?

[C]

Yeah, definitely something like that.

[B]

Pretty spooky.

[A]

They hate this.

[C]

And then a lot of like interview. Like Henry Rollins did a talk up here.

[B]

This seems like a place he would really like.

[A]

Yeah, yeah.

[C]

So it was like a lot of. We did like a lot of those kind of things whenever. Kind of like people hit us up about like. Or do like conversations with kind of things.

[A]

And then the blood rituals would be back there.

[C]

Or usually try to get. Get them off the stage. You want to preserve the wood, but it's terrible for wood.

[A]

I'm really curious what has been seen and heard in this room. You said you felt an orb that was in here.

[C]

I think I. I think more just the. The. The presence of. Also there tends to be like when you open the door and come in, there always tends to be a big like like suck of air. Yeah. Cuz it's just like pressure. Different pressure.

[A]

It's got nothing to do with pressure.

[C]

Could be.

[A]

Pressures could be earlier here. And it's from this.

[C]

The soul. Yeah, we've. We've done some like pretty. During the pandemic, I kind of. I kind of did a couple things. The local band Fax filmed like a record up here by themselves.

[B]

Oh cool.

[C]

And that was like super rad. And they actually played a show here once with this other band, Dim. It's like A good Chicago band. And like, they. We played. They put all the lights off, just turned everything off.

[B]

Whoa.

[C]

And I was like. Yeah. I was standing in, like, that corner over there. And I remember just, like, digging the show. I was, like, leaning against the wall and like, right when they finished, I went into the lights are in there. I went and turned on the lights and I thought I heard something during the show. And I was standing against the wall, and I go back to the stairs and I look at the guy who was sitting there, and he kind of looked up at me and we both looked down and just like a huge chunk of plaster had fallen right between us during the show.

[A]

You're saying one of those.

[C]

Yeah, exactly. So, you know, maybe the ghosts don't like us here sometimes, so they'll throw some ceiling at us every now and then.

[B]

When you say you felt something.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Did it feel malicious? I don't have an attitude.

[C]

I don't. I don't ever feel like the ghosts feel malicious in this building.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

I think they're looking for, like, camaraderie. Oh, so they're looking for, like, something.

[A]

It's a music thing.

[C]

Yeah, yeah.

[A]

They're here for tunes and vibage. I don't.

[C]

I don't feel like any of the. The haunts of this building are after the initial, like, sightings or feelings of them are malicious by any terms. Because I think, like. Yeah, I think they want. I think they want you to be here kind of lonely.

[B]

Do you have any employees who will not come up here?

[C]

Oh, yeah. Really? Yeah. Yeah, absolutely.

[B]

We got to get worse because of that.

[C]

I mean, I don't know if it's because of that or just in general.

[B]

Because it's four flights up.

[C]

Yeah, that too. Yeah. There's definitely people who are just, like, really spooked out by things. Especially, like, all the lights are off in here too, because the light switch is, like, across.

[A]

It's awesome.

[C]

Oh.

[B]

So you gotta.

[C]

You gotta go through dark. It's like. It's like this. It's like the basement feeling as a kid.

[A]

Oh. Like taking the trash.

[C]

You have to go down and you have to go all the way to the light switch. And you're like, what can happen between the light and the light switch?

[B]

It's like you're gonna get got.

[C]

You're gonna get.

[A]

That's when. That is when the ghouls get you.

[C]

Yeah. So I think that's perhaps the scariest part of being in here. But it's.

[A]

It is. It's a very cool It's a beautiful room. It feels prestigious. It feels classic.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

The acoustics are fantastic.

[B]

Hello.

[A]

See?

[B]

Hear that?

[A]

I'm an idiot.

[C]

This whole, like, fourth floor, which is like, all above Metro. We walk through our offices on the way in. This used to all be, like, Smart Bar when our boss Joe first came into the building. Building. So this Smart Bar was up here. And then quickly he moved smart part of the basement later. So. But the whole building was kind of like a hangout back in the early 80s too. So love to get tons of, like, little rooms and stuff everywhere.

[B]

And, you know, it's a very confusing room or building is a labyrinth.

[C]

Yeah. Truly.

[B]

It's almost like that house they built to with the ghosts.

[A]

Taylor Winchester house. California, right?

[D]

Yeah.

[B]

San Francisco. Ish. Yeah.

[A]

Bay.

[B]

Bay. Okay. Kind of interesting.

[A]

Wow.

[B]

A theme.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Yeah. There's basically, like, two staircases that will take you to, like, every floor of this building. But it's kind of confusing on which staircase you're in.

[B]

Goes to it.

[C]

We definitely have had, like, just people fall down the back of the stairs.

[A]

Oh, there's Christmas decorations.

[C]

We definitely. I definitely have hired. It's July. Hired interns that, like, on their, like, first week will like, text you or call you and just like, they're absolutely lost in the building.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Like, go find them.

[B]

Scary.

[C]

Yeah. I had a good story with the rapper Action Bronson, who he played, went out in the crowd and he wanted to go back up on stage, but he went through a side door and then ended up, like, in another staircase. And he had, like, a wireless mic and he was, like, not joking right now. I actually have no idea how to get back up to the stage. So we had, like, go running down the back stairs to go get him. He finally got back to stage.

[A]

I would be scared in that situation.

[C]

Totally.

[A]

Well, thank you for showing us the theater, Marilyn. You're so sweet and kind. So nice as well as. The orb that you have become is such a gorgeous shape. We would love to see it.

[B]

We would love to see that.

[C]

Wouldn't we love to see it?

[A]

We would love to see that orb.

[C]

Marilyn, she'll come to you.

[A]

Okay. It's because I'm asking. Yeah, I'm too open to it. If you were in here by yourself, she'd get you.

[B]

You think so?

[A]

Yeah, I think so. Marilyn. Hello.

[C]

That's a scary elevator.

[B]

This is a scary elevator. Yeah. Now why?

[A]

Oh, I've been up this thing.

[B]

Have you?

[A]

I think so. You ever load gear with this?

[C]

No, I've never been up this this only goes to the office we were just in.

[B]

Oh, okay.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

So what have you heard about the cell?

[C]

So the only other like confirmed death in this building was the old caretaker's child supposedly got crushed in this.

[A]

In.

[B]

We didn't plan that in.

[A]

In supposedly.

[C]

The story says they were like somehow playing on top of it. But I've also heard that they were in between the door and that cage.

[B]

More likely.

[C]

It seems like a more, more likely thing. Yeah.

[A]

Oh, no.

[C]

Which I, I guess, I mean, this.

[A]

Looks like an awesome place to play right here.

[C]

Right?

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Right.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And then I just, you know.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, you're done.

[C]

Which kind of seems. I mean, I don't know if technology's changed on this thing, which I can't imagine it really has because it, it's pretty old. It is like a rite of passage. You get stuck in this elevator or as an employee.

[A]

So people use it.

[C]

Yeah. Because it goes right to our office. So like.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Save your knees a little bit. But it's like, I mean, those stairs are.

[B]

Yeah, yeah.

[C]

So yeah, it's not unusual to get stuck in this. Nothing really happens when you get stuck in it. That just kind of like there's some sort of safety mechanism that just slowly lowers it after all. But takes like a long ass time. You can like reset the elevator and it will eventually turn back on.

[A]

But like, there's been no discussions of like updating it or fixing it or what. When was.

[C]

Look around. You do that question in the beginning.

[A]

When was there. When was this caretaker child that I.

[C]

Think that that one was later or that one was earlier. I think that one might have been the 40s then Maryland might have been later, like the 50s or something like that.

[B]

Tragic start.

[C]

Yeah. So I think sharing about the other one. Yeah.

[A]

So can only be. There can be only one. In Highlander Rules, there can only be one Maryland. Everybody knows that.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Caretaker. So what did he take care of?

[B]

Just the whole building. Not his kid.

[C]

Ohio. Yeah, I, I, I don't know the backstory of either of these people. So the haunted space is actually in the bathroom over here.

[B]

Oh, perfect.

[C]

So we can kind of just get out of this room.

[B]

Wood.

[A]

Haunted bathroom.

[B]

Moaning Myrtle, others.

[A]

So tell me about what's been experienced in this room.

[C]

So we're in the basement of the building. This is Smart Bar. We're in the second restroom. A smart bar. Some call it the women's restroom. But gender neutral bathrooms these days. The, the third ghost of the building is supposedly floating.

[A]

Full body apparition.

[C]

I think it's supposed to be just more of like an orb. A floating.

[B]

There's a lot of orbs.

[C]

A woman, though, also have been stated as a woman that supposedly when you walk in here and the lights, they disappear from the mirror. It's like a lot of people say.

[A]

That like she's indecent briefly.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Well, I think it's. Well, the lights are like automatic in here. So sometimes if no one's in here for a while, they'll just turn off.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

And so like when people come in, they say when the lights turn off, an apparition disappears from cool.

[A]

She had to. Real bad.

[C]

These are good bathrooms, actually. These are. This looks good. Yeah, these are. These are the secret bathrooms of the building. Back in the day, Smart Bar was like a 365 day club.

[A]

Holy hell.

[C]

So yeah, it's always open late. It's kind of like a big industry place. So like if you were like a server or bartender around the city, you'd come and end your night serve elsewhere. Yeah, exactly.

[A]

So it only makes sense that one person would die in this bathroom at some point.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

With everything going on, I would say.

[C]

In general the Smart Bar is probably seeing the most action of.

[A]

Define action.

[C]

Well, I would say the spirits coordinating with actual public guests because the public goes through here. The other spaces that we've seen are really private, private staff only. So the public has a lot of stories about what this space can offer people. I think ultimately Smart Bar is like, we always treat it as like the engine of the building because it's like open so much and like really it's a club, it's a nightclub. So it's like people who come here tend to come multiple times a month sometimes or just hang out. You know, people come multiple times a month. You said this.

[A]

I'm pretty sure you said it. Here it is.

[C]

People who come here tend to come multiple times a month sometimes. So much of like the things in this building kind of all started here. Whether it be like industrial music, house music, techno and stuff. Yeah. And then like we even had like back in the day we had like rock and roll nights, like garage rock nights, like metal nights down here.

[A]

How often was it live bands versus TVs?

[C]

There was not. There's hardly live. But the most, maybe the most. There's a sonic. There's a live Sonic Youth record. That's from Smart Park. From Smart park, yeah.

[A]

So the crow is not as real as I've been led to believe my whole life.

[C]

I. I don't. It might not be But.

[B]

But only in that one.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Okay. So I still got a shot to.

[B]

Everything else to crawl out.

[C]

My first metro show was the Mighty Mighty Boss Tones.

[B]

You. You have met a champion of the Lost Jones.

[A]

How good was that?

[C]

It's great.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

What year?

[C]

94. Good year. Yeah.

[B]

Is that pre Clueless or post Clueless?

[C]

That is. That is clueless.

[B]

That is.

[C]

So they on a rock.

[A]

Where did you go? Where did you go?

[C]

Yeah. Also the Clueless record, also featuring Smoking Popes. Legendary.

[B]

A band that I don't talk about enough on the show is Smoking Popes.

[A]

Yeah. Who are sick name.

[B]

Well, it's kind of like Alkaline Trio, Lawrence Arms, Smoking Pops. They kind of get like overlooked a little bit.

[C]

I mean.

[B]

Yeah, but Smoking Post rip. I saw them play a secret show at the Doc Martin store. Park once, walked by and they just. And they just started ripping. Yeah. Great band.

[C]

Are.

[B]

Are they doing the Blood Rave down here?

[C]

You could. You could feel it if you wanted to, but it's like. I mean there's all different kinds of.

[B]

Now throw one.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

This is cool though.

[C]

The one. The one fun fact of this room, it's kind of hard to. Without to show you kind of. But like a woman basically from like these poles. The building actually ends here. That's the sidewalk.

[A]

No way. Yeah.

[C]

Cool.

[A]

That's really cool.

[C]

We sometimes like, people want to like drive cars up onto the sidewalk and we have to be like, no, the ceiling's just vaulted. And so this is because it's like an old building, you know, so it's just kind of. It's hard to unders. Also just like anything else in this building, you kind of get lost.

[B]

Is this the. Is this where the DJ goes up there?

[C]

DJ goes right here. Yeah.

[B]

Wow. Wow, wow, wow, wow.

[A]

You ever listen to Scooter, the German guy?

[B]

No.

[A]

You know, Scooter, this feels good. I do feel powerful up there.

[C]

Sure.

[B]

What's. What's like the biggest name you've had? DJ down here?

[C]

Frankie Knuckles was like a resident of the club.

[B]

Oh, no.

[C]

Invented house music. So.

[B]

Pretty dope.

[C]

Yeah. I mean, he played here till he passed away and Questloves DJ'd here.

[B]

Oh, cool.

[C]

Yeah, a couple times actually.

[A]

It's awesome.

[B]

Trent ever get up here?

[C]

I don't think so, Al. I bet you Al has. Probably way before my time existed or one of the crew of the ministry people have.

[B]

Yesterday was the 30 something year anniversary of Psalm 69. So shout out. Shout out to his family.

[A]

Shout out to his family.

[C]

Do you want to do green Room.

[A]

Now I think that sounds awesome. Okay, now that's a room. I know.

[B]

Yeah, good. Green room.

[A]

So this is the main green room for the Metro. I in here 15 to 30 times. No problem.

[B]

We're going to do horrible.

[A]

I'm talking Abraham Lincoln Club 33.

[B]

That's a lot. Oh my God.

[A]

Coffee supplies.

[B]

Wow. So where are we now, Joe?

[C]

We are in the green room slash dressing room of Metro.

[A]

Yeah, I've been in here.

[B]

I've always loved this green room and dressing room because it means that I'm like playing the Metro just like being here. Yes. It's just like a nice thing for me.

[A]

It's I'm in Chicago which is always a treat.

[B]

But your team, Christy. Yeah. In hospitality. Phenomenal. Yeah. Always checking on everybody, making sure we have the most Diet Cokes that are true.

[C]

The most DCs one can have.

[B]

Just doing a great job.

[C]

Yeah, I think we like, I think the one thing about Metro in general is, is like we kind of like work with the same amount of staff for every show because with the understanding that all of our shows are kind of complicated. There's a lot of stairs, there's a lot of things to deal with and stuff like that. So you know, I think like, like when local bands played here, even on the most like local nights, we still supply all the same things to people and try to like make it as professional as possible. I think as like as a thousand cap venue. You don't see many venues doing like local shows like trying to like build.

[A]

Music and Thousand Cap local show is.

[C]

That'S what the dream. Yeah, yeah. I mean the Metro is the most forgiving room I think in the country. Just cuz you could put like four or five hundred people in there. Still looks, looks packed. Yeah.

[A]

So just got a really scary question. How many times has the Metro been sued?

[C]

Oh, I, I, I can't count the. Yeah, I mean talking this year, how.

[A]

Many times have you been sued successfully?

[C]

I mean I don't know if I could put a percentage on the numbers but many.

[B]

But it happens.

[C]

Yeah, yeah.

[A]

Just like happenstance catch a spin kick.

[B]

To the face or the dreaded God damn right stage dives.

[C]

Oh yeah, yeah.

[B]

It can be real risky.

[A]

It's over though, right?

[B]

Well, were you here for Burning Fight? Yeah, right in the beginning, right?

[C]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[B]

Underdog. Yeah, yeah, that was pretty one of it was like the first Killing Time comeback here. Yep, underdog was here. 108 unbroken trial. That trial set was like legendary.

[C]

Yeah, that was a insane two days Right.

[B]

Yeah. It was two days. We Convicted played one day and Harmsway played the other day. Didn't know there was a really good.

[A]

That's awesome.

[B]

Pumpkraft.

[C]

What was the festival on the south side that got rained out that we did the late night show here. Oh open air.

[B]

Open air Chicago Open air.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Which was like.

[B]

That was Knock loose, cold orange harms way.

[C]

Wow.

[A]

Oh here. Right.

[C]

And it's show started at midnight.

[B]

It was a six hour notice.

[C]

Let's.

[B]

Let's talk about that.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Stephen, real tight right here. There's a big super corporate open air fest. Who it was like Gojira, Mastodon. There's bands like that.

[C]

It only happened like two or three years.

[B]

It only happened a couple years. Two bands played and then it got rained out. So Vayne got skipped and I think Code got skipped and knocked loose.

[C]

Played, played. Yeah.

[B]

After they played it was announced we're going to do a makeup show at the Metro and with. With your help and with Pete's help. Yeah we pulled it all together and within with a. About a six hour notice. Four to six hour notice, there were 900 people here at midnight.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

We stayed until after 2:00am yeah. It was one of the coolest last minute things.

[C]

A hardcore rave.

[B]

It truly was and it was very special.

[C]

Yeah. Yeah. It was very, very cool you guys and Pete like totally pulled that off. And like I. I got the phone call during the day of Pete telling me like hey I think I'm going to do this. I'm like you should do that. And I just kind of came and supported and like you and like I think Shane helped out too a little bit and like it was wild to see and also that festival's on the earth was on the other side of the city down by Midway. So like people had to trek up here and like it's. I.

[B]

It was a miracle. It's a wild Nick had to come down from Milwaukee. Like it was a whole like the fact that it all happened and truly at the time it was four van because they didn't get to play and they also only had a limited time to have merch up and then got rained out. They were kind of. So it was really truly like a. All of us agreed if we do this everyone will make some money.

[C]

Everybody will be able to whatever and.

[B]

Take care of V. Yeah, it was super awesome.

[C]

Like all the bands were super great about it. Like I was worried that like people were going to be like just kind of last minuteness of it was going to be scary. But everyone adapted to it.

[A]

You were you in the underdog pit at Burn Fight?

[C]

I wasn't.

[A]

Because. Because you were working.

[C]

I was probably cuz I was. I came to those shows. I remember that.

[B]

Yeah, those were crazy. Those were awesome. I would actually love to tell a story. Vic got on top of his guitar, like guitar strings down, laid on it like a surfboard. Paddled, bodyboarded like a surfboard from the stage, down the stairs, went into that room and just rolled around for a while with a wireless pack on. So it was just outside. And this is confirmed because I had a friend. My friend Alex was going up the stairs as he saw that. Going down the stairs while still making.

[A]

How do you slide? I would just. You just tumble. He's good, man.

[B]

He's good. He's good.

[A]

Krishna.

[B]

See, I think a good segue now would be to go up those stairs.

[A]

Yeah, yeah.

[B]

So you would go from the green room where we just were up these stairs and we're going straight to the stage.

[A]

So he went. He surfed.

[B]

It's crazy. I'm not joking about that.

[C]

It's just.

[A]

How would that not destroy the guitar?

[B]

I think it, like did. That's the thing. It's like. It was like a studio.

[A]

Oh, he knew.

[B]

Yeah. Pretty good. Pretty good. You looking to forward for what? I think I'll show you.

[C]

Don't worry about that.

[B]

See that Steven right there? Who wrote that?

[C]

I don't know.

[B]

One of them. One of them.

[A]

That is what's up.

[B]

Here's a clip of Kirk Hammett on the first Metallica tour on Kill them all in 1983 playing right here. And he holds his guitar out to the crowd. That happened right here, right in this beautiful room.

[A]

And the person he handed it to was Barack Obama.

[B]

So right here. Right here.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

In 2002 or three.

[C]

Makes sense. Yeah.

[B]

Sat 1, Wesley Willis drawing a subway scene like you wouldn't believe. For the American nothing. Christensen Glash jaw show.

[A]

Oh, I know the song.

[B]

That's the song. And then in between bands, they were playing Wesley Willis songs. Yeah, it was nice.

[A]

Yeah. I've heard confirmation from Josh from American Nightmare that they were big W squared heads and they couldn't.

[B]

I love that.

[A]

He may be the greatest Chicago musician in history. Most iconic.

[B]

We played his keyboard. Punk rock museum in Vegas.

[C]

Oh, I didn't know that was there.

[B]

Yeah. The second you press play, it's like.

[C]

Did you ever get headbutted by.

[B]

No, I didn't.

[C]

I got headbutted by him, like, right here. He's Gonna hang out, like, right on this staircase a lot.

[A]

So how many times he gets it?

[C]

Twice that I can remember. Once at the fireside too. Was it.

[A]

Did he hit hard?

[C]

No, it was more like a. A communal love tap.

[A]

Kind of sweet.

[C]

Yeah, yeah. Just kind of like a. Hello.

[A]

Like that.

[C]

Yeah, yeah. Callous on his head.

[A]

Yeah, he had that permanent thing.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, it is. It is sweet. There's an infamous Venom Chromax show here when it was still the cabaret. Yeah. Sam Hayne played here.

[C]

Sam Hayne shows here.

[B]

What was that?

[C]

It's like four.

[A]

Yeah, there were a lot shows here.

[C]

Two in the 80s, two in the.

[B]

90S, I think, so confusingly.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

The men's room is right here. The women's room is three floors up.

[A]

Unbelievable. We gotta update that. Are they all gender neutral now?

[C]

Pretty much, yeah.

[B]

Oh, really? Oh, okay.

[A]

We.

[C]

We. We write them both ways.

[B]

That's there for.

[A]

That's decorative.

[C]

The real. I mean, the real. Only. The only really issue is there's only one stall.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Oh, it's your urinals.

[B]

So it's like urine.

[C]

It's like gender neutral, but by somewhat.

[A]

You could write urinal.

[C]

Yeah, exactly.

[A]

Just pee here because I don't like.

[C]

It's more of like a UK setup where you just have troughs versus toilets.

[A]

Yeah, it's more for fighting.

[C]

Exactly.

[A]

What's the deadliest brawl that's ever happened here?

[C]

There was like. It didn't happen in the building, but there was like an 80s. Like. I think it was Agnostic Front, like, brawl that happened outside where like a whole street of car windows got broken. And it was like, oh, maybe punk show shouldn't happen here, but this was.

[A]

Like my gallery watching. Can you type below what happened?

[C]

Yeah, I think it was Agnostic Front, but, yeah, I. I surprisingly haven't seen like, that many in my tenure. Haven't seen that many fights here. I can't really get into it, actually. Yeah, it shows. I've been to.

[A]

Yeah, everybody's happy to be here except for the spirits.

[C]

I think they're happy to be here too, to some degree.

[A]

Even the spirits.

[B]

We're here with Christy, who does not want to be filmed for fear of hauntings, which is totally fair. Which is totally fair and fine. But she's head of. Would you say you're head of hospitality?

[A]

Production manager.

[F]

No, I'm production manager.

[B]

Production manager now. Big moves at the Metro. But almost as important, we heard you're a believer in some of these.

[A]

Believer in these very real things that have happened to you here.

[F]

Yes.

[A]

In the supernatural, the great beyond, even the lesser beyond. If you could please share with us some things that you've experienced here.

[F]

Okay. One night, it was about 5 in the morning after like an all building event. It was me, Skunk, one of our head of security and Sam, who is now a bartender. We were the last three people in the building.

[B]

The whole building.

[F]

The building sweep was complete and do.

[A]

You get overtime when you're here?

[F]

And all of a sudden we started hearing music.

[B]

Oh, what kind?

[F]

Just like something maybe you like hear in an elevator. Like nothing I recognized and it was faint. We looked at each other and we're like, okay, let's do one more building sweep. So I took house left, they took house right. And we went through the back. Well, yeah. And when we got into the vip, when I got into VIP balcony reserve, I said if there is anyone there, show yourselves. Mind you, they were on the other side of the balcony and all of a sudden a clipboard flew across the balcony at them and they just screamed and started running and I started laughing. But mind you, to this day they're convinced I was behind them the whole time.

[A]

Oh, they think it was you?

[F]

No, they're remembering it because it was most likely Marilyn, the lady upstairs behind them who threw it.

[A]

My beloved.

[F]

But I was across on the other side.

[B]

The other side of the horseshoe, essentially. So what do you know about Marilyn? Because we've heard about Marilyn. Jo's told us a little bit.

[F]

Yeah, I know. From what I understand she hung herself upstairs from a chandelier or that's what I've been told.

[B]

But do you know which one in.

[F]

The center of the.

[B]

You would pick.

[A]

That's where I would do it.

[F]

And if you're ever on main stage and get like a faint smell of rose oil. That's her. We give her flowers every year too.

[A]

Really?

[B]

Where do you put the flowers?

[F]

In the. In the theater.

[B]

In the theater.

[A]

That's beautiful.

[F]

On the stage.

[B]

Have you. I know because of social media. You're a fan of the cemetery across the street. Is there a Maryland there?

[F]

Oh, I am sure. I just go there to see the coyotes.

[A]

Oh, they got some yoats, so.

[B]

Pretty cool.

[F]

Yeah, I can't go there at night cuz they lock the gates, so.

[B]

And you're a law abiding citizen.

[F]

Well, I'd probably get in trouble.

[B]

Okay, so you think it was Marilyn who threw the clipboard?

[C]

Yes.

[B]

Have you had any other experiences with Maryland?

[F]

Not with Maryland, but you know, but when I was hospitality there was a. I used to Be like the first in and last out. And I was setting up the green room, doing stuff downstairs. But I used to always see, like, what looked like an apparition of a kid running around in between the Green room and Smart Bar. But I'm pretty sure that's who closed me in the beer cooler one day.

[B]

You got closed in the beer cooler?

[F]

Yeah. Luckily they didn't lock it.

[D]

Okay.

[F]

But they did close me in there. And then I have seen, as well as a ton of people here on staff, the apparition of what we call the legless man, even though it's his torso down.

[B]

So he's full legged.

[E]

Yeah.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

They exclusively legged man.

[F]

Yeah. But we call him the legless man.

[B]

Sometimes things just stick.

[A]

Well, the man himself is legless somewhere.

[B]

Somewhere.

[A]

Legs.

[B]

Well put.

[A]

Crushing.

[B]

Now, you've heard about the elevator boy.

[F]

Yes. In the elevator. That's probably who that is.

[B]

You think so?

[F]

Probably because it's a kid.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So you're a believer. Are you a believer of ghosts and stuff outside of the Metro? Yeah.

[C]

Me too.

[A]

He's not with me, but I'm. But that's why we're here.

[B]

Yeah. We're here to learn. You feel any kind of intent or malice or kindness or anything. I mean, throwing a clipboard, I think.

[A]

That'S just joking, right?

[B]

Just cut it. Just.

[A]

Hot dog. You asked like, hey, show yourself. And she did. If anything, it was a polite thing to do.

[F]

Nobody got hurt.

[B]

Nobody got.

[A]

Exactly. She was just.

[B]

And have you felt any such. Any. Any kind of snow? No. Okay, that's good.

[A]

So you're comfortable coming work in a haunted building?

[F]

Yeah.

[B]

Beautiful. And do you. Let me ask you this. Be honest. If you're upstairs and you have, you know, I have to turn the lights off, and you get across the stage.

[A]

You ever get to see the jeeps?

[B]

You go quick.

[E]

No.

[B]

You just walk.

[F]

I sit up there sometimes after the. At the end of a show. Smart Bar still open. I'll sit on this stage and just decompress. It's my favorite time of day.

[C]

That's beautiful.

[B]

Wow.

[C]

Beautiful.

[A]

So you find calm in the spirits around you. Potentially.

[F]

It's just energy.

[C]

Beautiful.

[B]

It's just energy. I like that. I like that. I can get behind that.

[A]

Good vibes.

[B]

Good vibes.

[A]

Literally, good vibration. Do you know of anybody else working right now that we could talk to about supernatural occurrences? Okay, we're here with Skunk in the green room. Now, Skunk, what is your role at the Chicago Metro?

[E]

I do security coordinator and ticket office manager.

[A]

Cool, scary jobs.

[E]

Scary jobs.

[C]

Scary job.

[A]

Can you tell us a little bit about your experiences with the supernatural and. Or the great beyond in the Metro?

[E]

I got a couple stories. I know one of them is super pronounced and it was because something flew at me, okay. And I was looking for my fiance. The building was pretty much closed. Smart Bar was closed. And I was just looking for him in the building. I thought everybody was gone, but I knew he was still in here. And all of a sudden, is he.

[A]

Still in here to this day?

[E]

Yeah, he does.

[C]

He.

[E]

He's the head of security here and he didn't. I didn't find him. And Christy, I heard her coming from the crew room. And this one girl who was on security who is now a bartender, her name is Sam, she was in the lobby with me. And I'm like, I'm freaked out. I'm not going upstairs because of a previous thing that I had upstairs on the main floor. So she came with me upstairs because I heard the door slam. And it's a very pronounced door slam. Slam.

[A]

Yeah, Cuz we're working here.

[C]

Yeah.

[E]

And we go upstairs, she goes first, cuz I'm like, hell no, I'm not doing that. Chrissy goes on the other side. And when there's like this little doorway entrance, Sam passes that. And then when I start to pass the door entrance, there's a clipboard that's on a wall, flings at me. And I look behind me and I'm like, what the fuck? Like, sorry, no, no, you. And I'm like, what is happening right now? Like did. That just flew at me. Like the person's in front of me, Sam is in front of me. And Christy, before that happened, she said, and I didn't know. Show yourself.

[B]

We heard that. We heard this tale, but we wanted to hear and unadulterated version from your point of view.

[E]

Yeah.

[A]

What do you think can happen?

[E]

I. I have no idea.

[B]

Like this is unexplainable.

[E]

Completely unexplainable. And the thing is it's on a hook. It's not like on, you know, just a nail on the wall or something.

[A]

You don't think Christy yanked it off?

[B]

And do you believe in Maryland?

[E]

I do.

[A]

Do you think it was Maryland?

[E]

I don't think it was Maryland. I think it was the gentleman that I saw. Previously on the main floor as well.

[A]

Please Gods, come tell me about this gentleman.

[E]

So it was before Smart Bar opened. I was working coat check that night and I went on the main floor just to chill out for a little bit before, like I started work and when I was on my phone scrolling, I was sitting on the stairs that are right in front of the actual stage. And all of a sudden I saw somebody walking towards me at the corner of my eye. And it was right by the trash cans that are all lined up. I thought it was a bar back, so I looked up and it was just a pair of legs walking towards me.

[B]

The legless guy. Yeah, Confusing name.

[A]

So you've seen the legs?

[E]

I've seen the legs.

[B]

So describe it please. Is it black? Like shadowy, glowing at all?

[E]

It's. No, it's definitely like shadowy. It looked pinstriped. Oh, like a pinstripe pair of legs. Well, not like that. Like. Like. Like a suit. Like a pinstripe suit pants.

[A]

Oh, like mop mob.

[E]

Yeah. And. And it was walking towards me. It was like. Like a grayish. It was not like I could see through them because. Cause I could see the garbage cans past it, which was really weird. But it was not like solid black or white. It was like a shadowy gray that we're walking towards.

[A]

You look away and they vanished. Or did they? What? How?

[E]

No, I was staring at it for a minute. Like it felt like a minute. It was probably like 0.2 seconds and I just bolted down the stairs. Pure white. Freaking out. I'm like, I don't know if I could work tonight because I'm so freaked out. That's how bad it was.

[B]

Did you work?

[E]

I did.

[A]

Capitalism. Are you the only person who's seen these lights?

[E]

No.

[A]

You know, other people.

[E]

We actually caught a picture of a security guard standing over by the stairs in the lobby. And you see a full apparition.

[A]

Full apparition.

[B]

Where is this picture?

[E]

It's in the lobby. Well, it's on my phone.

[B]

The actual picture?

[E]

Yeah. Somebody else took it. And there's a whole apparition behind him.

[A]

Here it is, freestanding apparition, full bod. You're scared. Chris's not scared.

[B]

Yeah, she's. She's kind of welcoming it.

[A]

She wants.

[E]

I. I mean, I kind of welcome it, but it is at moments where I'm not prepared for it.

[A]

Getting the willies regardless. But you're not. Not matter.

[B]

So she. She said she doesn't do the, like if you're turning off the lights, running up the stairs kind of thing.

[E]

Oh, I do that.

[C]

Right.

[B]

As would we. I'd be on all fours. As do I. As like a. A non believer. I still get scared.

[E]

Yeah.

[B]

Do you? We've asked both Joe and Christina, do you feel scum as though there's an intention, a malice. No. Calm. Yeah. You didn't feel threatened in any way.

[C]

It's just.

[B]

You weren't ready.

[E]

No, I was. I just wasn't ready.

[A]

And so do you think that when you run away, they're like, I'll do it a bit.

[B]

Come on, come back, we're going.

[A]

Possibly you want to wear my suit.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Possibly the class. It's sad. So sad.

[B]

Let's talk music real quick.

[E]

Okay.

[B]

How long have you worked here?

[E]

Since 2017.

[B]

2017. So fairly recent. What are some standout shows to you? Something that. Anything come to mind that you're like. I was really glad I was here to see that.

[E]

I want to say like a 100% a Metallica show that was out of the blue.

[B]

This is what's haunting me.

[E]

Yeah.

[A]

How do you feel knowing that the LEGO sky has seen Metallica here in both?

[C]

Pretty cool.

[B]

Yeah, it's dope.

[A]

Okay, cool.

[B]

Who else?

[E]

Deftones, last year. That was. Yeah, that was really good. Another one was like, Billy Eilish was dope, cuz she had a huge spider on stage.

[B]

Oh, I didn't know Billy Eish performed here. That's cool.

[E]

Fever Ray was dope.

[B]

Love Fever Ray.

[E]

Yeah.

[A]

Any of these artists report supernatural happenings?

[B]

Yeah. Have you heard of any bands or any artists being like.

[E]

I don't. Yeah, I don't really talk to the bands here. It's more of like.

[A]

We've never spoken here.

[B]

I didn't know there was a sc.

[A]

Well, thank you so much for your time.

[E]

No problem.

[A]

This is irrefutable proof to me.

[B]

Yeah, we have to investigate.

[A]

Do you know anybody else who might be here that might be able to share something with us?

[B]

Your fiance, do they have any stories?

[A]

Is he still fiance or.

[E]

Yes.

[A]

Pre.

[B]

Mazel to you both.

[E]

Thank you. Yeah, he's right next door.

[A]

Yeah, we're here with three. This is the head of security at the Metro. Congrats on the engagement.

[D]

Oh, thank you so much, man. Appreciate it. Thank you.

[C]

Thank you.

[A]

Can you tell us a little bit about your supernatural experiences working at the Metro?

[D]

So I remember it was one show a couple years back, it was sold out. Our person that's on stationed at Ladyside security came downstairs mid show crying. Did not understand why she was crying. And she just kept saying, it's up there, it's up there, there, it's up there. So I went to go check. As soon as I got to her spot behind the double doors, there was this black valley mist that went this way and the Bottom went like this way.

[A]

Ish.

[D]

It was just hovering in one. One area on top of the stairs. I ran downstairs. It was freaked out. I didn't want to go back upstairs. Security.

[A]

But ghost.

[D]

Yeah. Yeah.

[A]

Okay.

[D]

Yeah. So, yeah, ghost. Definitely not my problem. Yeah, that terrified me. And then somebody else before Steph went up there right after we said they saw the same thing. The second time was when our fourth floor offices. It's more of like. It's just offices up there. And there's a theater up there.

[A]

Yeah, yeah.

[D]

You guys been there, right? You guys go to the theater, right? So there's the story that the lady hung herself on top of the piano. Da, da da.

[B]

Right.

[A]

Was the top of the piano.

[D]

It's still up there, but nonetheless.

[C]

You've been playing all over that.

[D]

I was playing that thing after I touched the same. I didn't forget I was touching key. Yeah. Not the only ones. So. Yeah. So one night we set up was during a smart bar ship. So Mitchell was dead. So we set up a recorder upstairs for like six hours in the offices. So the end of the night, about 4:30am we went upstairs to get it.

[A]

Me. So you're testing?

[D]

Oh, yeah. While I was thinking for sure it was testing. And we caught some weird stuff, by the way, but we'll get into that. So we went up there. Yeah. Around 4:30, me and some security guys went up there. Keep in mind there's desks up there. Office desk.

[A]

Yeah, yeah.

[D]

So remember, all the chairs are at the desk. Right. I promise you my daughter's life. We heard a noise in the theater. So we go check it. Didn't see anything. We came back outside. All the chairs from. From the desk were all against the window by the theater.

[A]

That's four or five.

[D]

I. Dude, I. I pooped my pants. For sure. Yeah. I ran downstairs. We left the record up there. Still like. Yeah. I just came out like. So I never do any building sweeps past midnight by myself.

[B]

Oh, you're one of them.

[D]

Oh, yeah.

[B]

We asked Joe. We asked Joe if anybody wouldn't.

[D]

I always take some. At least two or three people with me. We heard a baby crying.

[B]

I mean, you heard a baby crying.

[D]

Maybe. Maybe not a baby. But it's a fake. Just like that knocking every. Like I say, about every 20 to 21 minutes, there'll be a knock. There'd be a three knock, then you two knock.

[A]

Three knocks?

[D]

Yeah. For like six hours, then. Yeah. Laughter at one point. But I think that was maybe something in the lobby. But yeah, it's. It's this place is hot. It didn't really.

[A]

You full on. You're with me. You believe.

[D]

Oh, dude, I did not believe in ghosts since I started working here, man. Yeah. Wow. The very, very, very first time I. I heard the ghost whatever was in the Smart bar. And there was six of us eating dinner before our shift and we heard the ant room door slam across the bar. Right? So what the hell's that noise? So we went there, we looked and some small blurry thing ran behind the DJ booth to the bar and we just couldn't find it. There was six of us that saw that.

[A]

Now of all the apparitions people talk about, they talk about Marilyn first and foremost.

[D]

What do you know about her? So what I know about her that apparently she likes older gentleman. Our former manager here had his house exercised blessed because I guess it followed him home and he was having. Yeah, twice it did. He had some weird stuff him in his house.

[A]

The Marilyn had a crush on this old guy.

[C]

Yeah, yeah.

[A]

Whoa, now what about the legless guy?

[D]

So the legless guy, I haven't seen I heard of him, but I don't know what's his story. But I do know we had a little boy get killed in elevator. A little girl got crushed at the barricade. A girl got crushed in the be. Yeah, yeah, she died. She died? Yes, yes, suffocated.

[B]

How long ago was that?

[D]

About 13. Yeah, before. Before I was even here.

[B]

But recent enough?

[D]

Yeah, recently. Totally. Hell, I had no idea we had somebody next door G Man, or upstairs in our apartment. Shot. Shot somebody in the head. My apartment.

[B]

Ish.

[D]

Yeah, so the Soviet. So Yeah, yeah. So. So the one guy was standing outside of G man for like three hours and we noticed him like this guy's standing straight in the building. So we asked him. So one of our bar backs asked the guy, what are you doing here? The guy goes, I used to live up there. My mom like 30 years something. Years back, my mom shot somebody in the face cuz he tried reaping me. And I was like, what dude? And don't me tell you about my apartment. My apartment, dude. Yeah, so.

[B]

So there's all kinds of stuff.

[D]

Yeah, yeah. You're a believer, dude, I'm a believe. Just this section I believe because. Yeah, from this quarter to Metro for sure.

[B]

Old.

[D]

Yeah, Old Chicago. Yeah, yeah, my apartment. The first night I move, moved in, it was still pandemic. So it was just nobody there. This whole building was empty.

[B]

It was me, which is creepy.

[D]

There was four knocks on my ceiling. I Freaked up on top of loud knocks, dude. So me and my fiance were in bed. I'm like, yeah, yeah. I'm not checking that. That was the very. That was the very first time that happened.

[A]

Is she the head of security at home?

[D]

Oh, yeah. You know she is, dude. Yeah. Also, she's the head pesticide person. She kills bugs for me, too.

[A]

Oh, yeah.

[D]

But yeah. And then. And then in my apartment, everybody she. Everybody's working. I took the night off. So I was over there. He was scratching on my wall some. I hear some. What's that noise? So the wall. That wall next door to it is just a closet. So I'm like, what's that noise? So I went to listen. I went closer and I. Somebody punched the wall. I ran downstairs, got sage and started burning for still till now. I'm still freaking sage, dude. I'm terrified. But yeah.

[B]

Holy.

[A]

Yeah. So three, you're all in.

[D]

I'm all in with you, man. For sure. Yeah.

[A]

What would you. I mean, do you feel safe coming to work every day or do you feel that the spirits are not actually malicious?

[D]

They're not. So I think they like having people here. Yeah. Heavy bands and having everybody here, it keeps them busy, you know? And there are times when I walk through this main floor when we're sold out and there'd be cold spots in the middle of the crowd. We can just say, cold spots are like goosebumps.

[B]

Yeah.

[D]

So I'd be walking. Yeah. We were walking through all the time. I walked through the crowd. There's a cold spot amongst a thousand people which is like. This is.

[C]

I.

[A]

Seems impossible, right?

[D]

So. So I'm pretty sure the ghosts like us here. Having music here. Not once have I felt they tried to attack me. Except for my apartment one. But that's a different ghost.

[A]

That's a different. That's a nasty rapist.

[D]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Totally.

[A]

You gotta be careful, please.

[B]

But.

[D]

Yeah, but the one here or the couple here, they're pretty much harmless. Yeah. If. If. If you go looking for them, you're not gonna find them for sure.

[B]

Right.

[C]

You gotta.

[D]

You just gotta just be. They'll come to you if they like.

[A]

I want them to meet me so open. And that's the problem.

[B]

Someday.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

Final thoughts here. For sure. Haunted. The legless guy. Scary.

[B]

The Marilyn.

[A]

The kind.

[B]

She seems nice.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

The stories are scary. The picture's weird.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

The thing that always gets me, the truly the thing that I cannot explain are when multiple people report the same.

[A]

Unique thing from different locations.

[B]

I don't really have an explanation for that.

[A]

I just saw those clipboards. They ain't going anywhere.

[B]

They ain't going anywhere. The only thing I could possibly explain it with is just like, once a story sticks, that's the story, you know?

[A]

Yeah, but there was the same. It's not like a game of telephone. It was like three people who were just there.

[B]

Yeah, but one of whom is a couple. You know what I mean? The other.

[A]

Anything you do. But we bicker, you know?

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Will go.

[B]

No, we don't.

[A]

So that was. That was haunt lore at the Chicago Metro. Thank you guys so much for having us. Thank you for watching.

[B]

Thank you to the Metro.

[A]

Yeah. This is unbelievable.

[C]

This is amazing.

[A]

So, so helpful. Such a beautiful, terrifying place. Turns out if you get to go to the theater at any point in your life, don't touch the piano. The piano's curse. Don't play November Rain on the piano. Marilyn doesn't like it. She was more of an appetite for destruction chick. We're working on that. Thank you all for watching. November Rain means cocaine. See you. Very fun. All right. What do you think of that? What are you waiting for?