“[The California Clipper] was definitely the last place I would have expected something like this to happen.”
The California Clipper in Chicago is mourning the passing of one of its own this week. A group of men reportedly attempted to rob 32-year-old Marshall Russell as he left the club over the weekend with one shooting him dead.
Police said that that Russel, a server at nearby restaurant Owen & Engine, left the California Clipper at 2:30am on Sunday, according to Block Club Chicago. Three or four men then departed from a vehicle and attempted to rob him. A physical altercation ensued, leading to one of the men shooting Russell multiple times. He was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The California Clipper opened in 1937; its early history is famously shrouded in mystery. “Humboldt Park’s longest standing neighborhood bar,” as it touts itself, has become a hotspot for underground dance music events in recent years. Traxman, Rahaan, and Beau Wanzer are among the artists who have performed there, and its Resident Advisor page is studded with off-the-beaten-path events catering to fans of styles like techno, house, downtempo, and noise.
“My staff and I are emotionally exhausted and depleted,” The California Clipper General Manager Matt Zavala told Resident Advisor. “Marshall was a wonderful part of our community, and to think that he won’t be around anymore to tell us about his day is saddening. This is nothing compared to what his family must be going through. Stay safe and look out for each other, Chicago.”
“It was definitely the last place I would have expected something like this to happen,” added Steve Noah, an artist who recently held an event at the venue.
The California Clipper donated 100% of its door sales this past weekend to the family of Marshall Russel.
