Come Friday nights, The Montrose Room is rocking Rosemont

When The InterContinental Chicago O'Hare first opened in September 2008, it began by hosting local comedians and improv groups in The Montrose Room, a small space attached to their hotel bar. But the goal was always to bring in live music. After nearly a year of planning and recruiting bands, the Montrose Room made the transition from comedy club to concert venue at the end of 2009. Since then the space has been bringing in sold-out crowds of fans from throughout the suburbs.

Motif: The rounded stage is the focus of The Montrose Room, with small black tables clustered around it. An upper tier provides more candlelit tables and a balcony you can watch from, allowing easier mingling if you want to step out. The Ice Bar is a gateway into the Montrose Room. The laid-back space features backed leather chairs facing a set of five flat screen TVs above an arced black bar top. The space also offers a mix of high tables with stools and square-shaped leather chairs around the walls, which have a crystalline appearance. The ceiling has spherical light fixtures with dangling crystal roses.

Crowd: The musicians at The Montrose Room determine the crowd, so ages can range from mostly twentysomethings to older groups, though most nights have a wide mix. Dress is mostly jeans and nice tops, though you're also likely to see more formal garb from business travelers who are staying at the hotel.

Service: The bar is well staffed to deal with the big Friday night crowds. You never have to wait long for a drink whether you're hoping for a server on the ground floor of the Montrose Room, or grabbing a bottle of beer from a small bar set up on the balcony area or at the Ice Bar. The service is not only prompt but warm and friendly. A cocktail we ordered came out missing a few ingredients and, when we pointed it out, our server laughingly chided the other bartender and proceeded to mix it up for us herself, then waited for us to try the results to make sure it was to our liking.

Liquid consumption: Martinis at the Ice Bar are served in special glasses containing a cone of ice. The ice slowly melts, keeping your cocktail cool, and each drink comes with a tiny shaker for refills. All of the dozen drinks on their signature martini list are named for works of art in the hotel. Gossip is one of the most popular, a mix of Bombay Sapphire, St. Germain, passion fruit juice and sour mix that comes together as lightly as fruity alcoholic lemonade. The Sierra Storm tastes like a mildly fizzy cosmopolitan with a peach kick, while the fresh blueberries and pomegranate juice in the Still Standing give it a deep color and a rich, sweet taste. The drink menu also features about two dozen wines by the glass and a selection of single malt whiskeys and single batch bourbons.

The InterContinental is an eco-friendly hotel and the environmentalism extends to the drink menu. The bar features Goose Island's eco-friendly Green Line Pale Ale on draft and is working on a special cocktail list where VeeV will plant a tree for every drink ordered. If you're drinking on a budget, the bar offers $3 domestic beer specials.

Music: The bar takes advantage of its location on the border of Chicago to bring city talent to the 'burbs. Upcoming acts include Chicago folk singer Michael McDermott May 7, the Latin and Caribbean jazz group The Pantastic 4 April 30 and hard rock band Red2Rust's CD release party May 28. The Montrose Room only seats between 250 and 275 people, so the focus is on an intimate experience. Some performers have walked into the audience during the show. Cover is pegged to the popularity of the group; it starts at $5. Big shows tend to sell out fast. All tickets are general admission, but even if you don't get there early the worst seats in the house are only in the 10th row. The sound from the small stage fills the whole venue, so you'll need to step out into the Ice Bar if you want to chat. Even there you can still clearly hear the songs coming from The Montrose Room.

Parking: The hotel has a large parking garage and offers parking validation to Montrose Room ticket holders. Valet parking is also available.

Overall: The Montrose Room offers Chicago talent without the hassle of going into the city.