Ahhh. Corporate excess; it reminds me of the eighties. This 1,500 seat music venue/tourist trap located in the declining Marina City complex by the River claims to represent the roots of the blues, but has restroom attendants, private corporate boxes in the balcony, a private members-only club, and a gift shop. On the upside, the sight-lines are good ("not a bad seat in the house") and the sound system is excellent. The beer and drink selections are good but the prices are, expectedly, quite high. The bar food that I had was abysmal, though it was ordered from the bar on a very busy night. I do hear that the "music hall" (the downstairs room with its own performance space) serves a good Cajun/Creole menu. The Sunday morning Gospel brunch is very good, and so popular that you need tickets! It would seem that the HOB is positioning itself as the new tourists' and convention-goers' must-see stop in Chicago. You'd think Planet Hollywood, and The Hard Rock Cafe were enough. In short, HOB provides great acts, great acoustics and a clean atmosphere. It's also the only music club I've ever been to where I couldn't breathe due to all the cologne and perfume instead of smoke.