Tuts Chicago

Silver foil button with black ink. Image of King Tut wearing aviator glasses.

Tuts was one of the first active punk clubs in Chicago, open from 1980-1984. Located on the corner of Belmont and Sheffield, Tuts routinely played some of the best and most active alternative, punk, and post-punk bands from around the nation. The more well-known location of Tuts (953 W. Belmont) was preceded by The Quiet Knight and replaced by The Avalon. 

Tuts photographer Howard Greenblatt published photos of blues legends Buddy Guy and Otis Clay, as well as local acts like Heavy Manners, Missing Persons, and Phil 'n' the Blanks, and touring big names of the era like Sun Ra, Richie Havens, Loudon Wainwright III, and the Romantics for an exhibit on Tuts that was available on Michigan Avenue in 2015.

The physical location as all three names over the years, Quiet Knight, Tuts, and Avalon, became a Chicago hot spot for entertainment featuring many well-known artists and bands that played there including Bob Marley, Tom Waits, R.E.M., Prince, Run D.M.C., The Cramps, Naked Raygun, Black Flag, Bauhaus, The Stray Cats, Psychedelic Furs, Echo and the Bunnymen, and The Smashing Pumpkins. Although Tuts was only there for a limited time, its presence in the area provided opportunities for music clubs to expand beyond only hosting popular music or top 40 music acts.