Get ready to party on… in Bucktown. Eater Chicago reports that a pop-up bar called Wayne’s Basement, inspired by the 1992 comedy Wayne’s World (and its 1993 sequel, Wayne’s World 2), will take over Bucktown Pub later this month. The tribute comes on the heels of the original film’s 25th anniversary, which was celebrated last year with a series of events in Aurora (the Chicago suburb where Wayne’s World was set) and a Millennium Park screening of Wayne’s World introduced by shock-rocker Alice Cooper, who made a memorable cameo in the movie.
A Facebook event dedicated to the pop-up states that Bucktown Pub will be transformed into a “90s suburban Aurora Illinois basement—complete with couch, chair and guitar,” so visitors can likely expect to knock back drinks amid cheap wood paneling and vintage Chicago Blackhawks posters. The bar is partnering with Around the Bend Beer Co. to present the pop-up, which will feature the brewery’s beer and a selection of themed cocktails. Wayne’s Basement will open at 5pm on April 20 and will remain in Bucktown Pub through April 29.
Bucktown Pub’s Wayne’s World-inspired pop-up bar is the latest in a succession of temporary (usually unofficial) pop-culture indebted concepts that have become increasingly popular. From Emporium’s The Room-themed bar Tommy’s Planet to Replay Lincoln Park’s recent It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia-inspired pub, Chicago’s love affair with pop-ups isn’t stopping anytime soon.