Loading Zone

Pretty cool little spot!
SHOW TUNE TUESDAYS IS THE PLACE TO BE!!! Always fun on tuesdays!!!
Pretty decent drink prices and the bartenders are fun!

My friends and I always hit up The Loading Zone (or «The Zone») on Tuesday’s for Show Tune Tuesdays. If you’ve never been before, I strongly encourage you to pop in on a Tuesday night to check it out. I’m not exactly sure what time the show tunes start spinning on Tuesday nights, but I would definitely suggest getting there around 9. The place is usually packed to gills, which makes for a blast of a time, but longer waits for drinks.
The show tunes range from some of your oldest favorites, to some of the newest tunes. Disney tunes, Moulin Rouge, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Sweet Charity, The Book of Mormon, and Wicked are just some of the musicals sampled on Show Tunes Tuesday. Also, as a tip, definitely go to the bar upstairs! The bartender on the upper floor mixes the drinks really strong and you get more bang for your five bucks (or at least he did when I was there)!

Let me paint the scene: It’s Snowpocalypse 2011. School was closed today, and we just got word that classes were cancelled for tomorrow. This is a true rarity for any school, especially a law school, especially a law school in the Midwest in a city that keeps plows and salt eveready. How do we spend this mid-​week weekend if driving is out of the question? CWE barcrawl.
Gay bars aren’t usually my scene, but The Zone lay squarely in our snowy path of destruction, nestled in between Tom’s and Club 34. The terms of the barcrawl clearly dictated that all open bars must be visited, even gay bars, even by a roving band a straight guys. It happened to be Showtunes Night, and hearing some good ‘ol Disney songs while downing a few strong drinks was a unique but fun experience. CWE prices for sure, but I got my money’s worth.

Showtune Tuesday was fun, a bit smokey but still a pretty good time. Mostly depending on company you are keeping.

I’ve seen better, but it is nicer than some of the gay bars and clubs in The Grove area. The same music at any bar. The bartender was friendly, but he also knew one of the friends I was with so I’m thinking it would be a different experience if I returned again.

Pretentious staff. Over priced and out dated. Parking is horrible!

I have a confession to make– back in the 90’s I was a show choir geek. Think «Glee» only with big hair and sparkly costumes. What’s worse is that show choir stops after you finish high school. Or so I thought.
Thanks to Showtune Tuesdays at Loading Zone (or the LZ, as my friends call it), I don’t have to stifle my urges to belt out the lyrics to «Seasons of Love» or jump up and dance along to a Bob Fosse number. Joy!
Granted, this kind of activity is not for everyone. However the LZ is always full of friendly people (gay and straight) who want to relax and have a good time. If you know someone who’s a little hesitant to go to a gay bar, the LZ would be a good starting point. No one will be made to feel like an outsider or uncomfortable if they aren’t looking to score a date.
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this place!

Go for show tunes Tuesday. Have a ball.
Such a rocking good time!
Also, maybe you’ll see your former middle-​aged (very quiet) coworker singing on the bar from a popular modern musical to cheers, applause and general awe… or maybe that’s just me.

Better go Tuesday night — SHOWTUNES!

The Loading Zone has seen its bad days, but has more recently been attracting big, diverse crowds. It wouldn’t be surprising to see older men and 21 year olds on any given night. The drinks are fairly cheap (usually less than $ 5) and strong. The bartenders are always very nice, although it sometimes takes a few minutes to get a drink.
The most popular night by far is Tuesday, which the LZ calls Showtunes Tuesday. The DJ plays back-​to-​back showtune clips from plays and movies. I’ve actually been to a few different showtunes nights at different bars and I think the LZ has the best variety and picks songs everyone knows so people can sing along. With that said, it’s also not uncommon to see everyone in the bar singing in unison to Seasons of Love from RENT, or Defying Gravity from Wicked.
Other nights (including Friday and Saturday) are still fairly popular, although not as crowded as the famous Tuesdays.

SHOW TUNES TUESDAY YES PLEASE. Girls, bring your cute male gal-​pals, because it can be a trial to get a drink even if you’re doing your best Madge or Cher!