Hideout
The Hideout is a privately held independent live music venue and community gathering space in Chicago, Illinois, operating since 1934 in a historic 19th-century building. It serves indie music fans, comedy audiences, and civic organizers through nightly concerts, comedy shows, private events, and community programming.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1934
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Hideout does
The Hideout (also known as Hideout Chicago or The Hideout Chicago) is a privately held independent live music venue and community gathering space located at 1354 W. Wabansia Ave in Chicago, Illinois. The venue operates in a 19th-century balloon-frame building with nearly 150 years of history, having been legally established in 1934. Under the ownership of Tim and Katie Tuten and Mike and Jim Hinchsliff from 1996 until March 2026, and now owned by performer and former employee Teri O'Brien, The Hideout hosts nightly live music, comedy, and community programming across music genres including indie rock, folk, country, jazz, post-rock, and experimental music. The venue has hosted historically significant performances by artists including Jeff Tweedy/Wilco, Mavis Staples (who recorded the Grammy-nominated 'Live: Hope at the Hideout' on-site), Jack White, Andrew Bird, and Billy Corgan, and early-career sets by comedians including Sarah Sherman, Hannibal Buress, Cameron Esposito, Amy Schumer, and Aziz Ansari.
The Hideout generates revenue through four primary streams: ticket sales (processed via the Etix platform, with prices ranging from free to approximately $32 per show), on-site food and beverage sales (the venue operates as a bar with nightly tamale vendor but no in-house kitchen), private event rentals (weddings, fundraisers, corporate events, memorials), and space buyouts. Ticketed programming is supplemented by annual events including 23 legendary Hideout Block Parties that have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for local charities, recurring community programs like Soup & Bread and Veggie Bingo, and special programming such as the Chicago Psych Fest. The venue employs 101-250 people and is accessible via Chicago Transit Authority Red Line, Blue Line, and Metra rail.
The Hideout's infrastructure centers on professional live sound equipment including a Midas M32 Digital Mixer, Crown amplifiers, EV speakers, Peavey subwoofers, Technics SL1200MK5 turntables, and Pioneer DJM-900NXS2 DJ mixers, with 24 stage inputs and 4 monitor mixes supporting high-quality performances. The venue is the birthplace of the Chicago Independent Venue League (CIVL), which served as the organizational model for the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA), co-founded by outgoing co-owner Katie Tuten. The Hideout has received recognition from USA Today, Chicago Tribune, Forbes, Rolling Stone, Esquire, and Consensus of Sound, and was named '2019 Chicagoans of the Year for Music' by the Chicago Tribune. Anthony Bourdain famously called it 'a perfect bar.' The venue operates as a traditional brick-and-mortar entertainment business with no software platform, API, or proprietary technology product, and all ticketing is handled through the third-party Etix platform.
Hideout firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Hideout
- Legal name
- The Hideout
- Website
- https://hideoutchicago.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1934
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- The Hideout is a privately held independent live music venue and community gathering space in Chicago, Illinois, operating since 1934 in a historic 19th-century building. It serves indie music fans, comedy audiences, and civic organizers through nightly concerts, comedy shows, private events, and community programming.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Hideout industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Live Music Venue
- NAICS
- Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (722410)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Live Music Clubs & Venues (MPAGAIAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Live Music Bars & Venues (CRANACAH), Live Music Venues & Concert Bars (THAFAEAD), Nightclub & Small Live Venue Operations (Clubs, Bars with Stages) (MPAGALAF)
Keywords
Where Hideout is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Hideout business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Ticket Sales: Revenue from ticketed shows and events, with prices ranging from free to approximately $32 per show
- Food and Beverage Sales: On-site bar sales including alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. The venue does not serve food but allows outside food and has a tamale vendor nightly
- Private Event Rentals: Weddings, private parties, fundraisers, and corporate events hosted at the venue
- Space Rentals: The venue is available for private buyouts and special event rentals
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | General admission shows ranging from $7.68 to $32 |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Sliding scale admission events |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
Hideout product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Hideout operates an independent live music venue and bar in Chicago, hosting ticketed concerts, comedy shows, dance parties, private events, and recurring community programming. Revenue is generated through ticket sales (via Etix), on-site bar/beverage service, and private event venue rentals. The venue does not serve food but hosts recurring event series including songwriter showcases, block parties, and community fundraisers.
Product overview
Hideout Chicago is a single-location independent live music venue and community gathering space operating since 1934. The venue offers live music performances (concerts, comedy, dance parties), private event hosting, and community programming. Key products include the core venue space hosting nightly shows, private event rentals, and recurring event series such as block parties, songwriter showcases, and community fundraisers. The venue does not operate as a technology platform but as a traditional brick-and-mortar entertainment venue.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 30 years of operation under the Tutens' ownership, with the venue continuing under new ownership
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Hideout
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Hideout technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Hideout partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Teri O'BriencoreTeri O'Brien, a performer and former Hideout employee, acquired ownership of The Hideout in March 2026. She is committed to retaining the venue's staff and expanding opportunities for artists and community partners. Former co-owner Tim Tuten stated that The Hideout will remain independent, creative, and rooted in the community.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Hideout competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- 9:30 Club: Legendary Washington, D.C. independent live music venue recognized for hosting breakthrough indie acts. Comparable operating ethos, capacity, and standing as an institution within its city's independent music community.
- Brooklyn Bowl: Independent Brooklyn-based live music venue combining concerts with hospitality (food/bar/bowling). Comparable scale and live-music-centric operator ethos, with a more diversified on-site revenue mix.
- The Empty Bottle: Iconic Chicago independent dive bar and live music venue specializing in indie, punk, jazz, and experimental music. Same neighborhood-scale operations, similar $5–$20 ticket range, comparable DIY/community programming ethos.
- Thalia Hall: Chicago performance venue housed in a historic 19th-century Pilsen building, hosting live music, comedy, and private events. Comparable historic-building asset, multi-purpose programming, and Chicago indie venue operator profile.
- Schubas Tavern: Chicago intimate live music venue and neighborhood bar hosting emerging indie, folk, and singer-songwriter acts. Directly comparable capacity, ticketing structure, and artist development pipeline to Hideout.
- Lincoln Hall: Chicago-based dedicated live music venue featuring indie rock, folk, and alternative acts. Operates at a comparable capacity, with similar ticketing models and an independent-operator ethos.
- Sleeping Village: Chicago bar and live music venue in Avondale operating as a combined bar/concert room, hosting indie and experimental acts. Closest emerging analog to Hideout's bar-venue hybrid model.
- Bottom Lounge: Chicago live music venue and bar presenting indie, hip-hop, punk, and metal acts. Comparable mid-capacity ticketing model and West/North Side urban venue positioning.
Regional players
- Lee's Palace: Toronto independent live music venue and bar hosting indie and alternative acts for over three decades. Comparable iconic independent venue profile in a different geography, useful as a comparable for venue valuation and lifetime-relevance metrics.
Broad incumbents
- Metro Chicago: Long-established Chicago live music venue hosting larger indie and alternative acts. Larger capacity than Hideout but a benchmark Chicago independent venue operator with comparable history and cultural footprint.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Hideout social profiles
Digital presenceHideout financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Hideout leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Hideout funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Hideout M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Hideout
What does Hideout do?
The Hideout operates an independent live music venue and bar in Chicago, hosting ticketed concerts, comedy shows, dance parties, private events, and recurring community programming. Revenue is generated through ticket sales (via Etix), on-site bar/beverage service, and private event venue rentals. The venue does not serve food but hosts recurring event series including songwriter showcases, block parties, and community fundraisers.
Is Hideout a public or private company?
Hideout is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Hideout founded?
Hideout was founded in 1934. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Hideout based?
Hideout is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does Hideout make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Ticket Sales are the primary driver. The others are food and Beverage Sales, private Event Rentals and space Rentals.
Who are Hideout's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are 9:30 Club, Brooklyn Bowl, The Empty Bottle, Thalia Hall, Schubas Tavern, Lincoln Hall, Sleeping Village and Bottom Lounge. Lee's Palace is listed as a regional player. Metro Chicago is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Hideout have an API?
No public API is recorded for Hideout.
What industry is Hideout in?
Hideout's product category is Live Music Venue. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGAIAB, Live Music Clubs & Venues, with a secondary code of CRANACAH, Live Music Bars & Venues. Its NAICS code is 7224 and its SIC code is 5810.