The club began to be a showcase for local Chicago area hard rock and heavy metal bands such as Enuff Z'nuff, D'Molls, Life Sex and Death (LSD), 7th heaven band and others from the mid-80s through its closing in 1996. The height of the club was during the mid-1980s. Young bands would have the opportunity to open for national acts to grow their fan base and sometimes the attention of major record companies. Although the Thirsty Whale was a small club in size it had its own scene and from it grew a local music magazine, The Chicago Rocker, which was founded by Tony LaBarabra, one of the clubs many booking agents over the years. Chicago never had the metal scene that Los Angeles had but The Thirsty Whale was always a stopover for most bands playing the arenas in Chicago. If you were to ask a local rock musician from this era, they would say "Without The Thirsty Whale, there wouldn't have been a rock scene in Chicago".[citation needed]
The club closed its doors on June 2, 1996,[citation needed] and was demolished to make way for a BP gas station and McDonald's.[1] LaBarbara has hosted a "Thirsty Whale Reunion" where some of the bands that played at the Whale, back in its heyday, held a one-night-only reunion.[citation needed]
