KELLY'S HEROES The neon come-on read "Hang Your Hat at Mister Kelly's," and countless people did just that. Many laughed themselves silly therein. Now, 30 years after its closing, famous omics recall their formative days at the jumping Rush Street nightclub.

In a town teeming with historic icons, the storied Rush Streetnightclub Mister Kelly's makes the grade in spades. Long the place tosee and be seen on Chicago's hippest strip, its shuttering 30 yearsago, on Aug. 25, 1975, struck a major blow from which the area didn'tsoon recover. And even when it did, things were never thesame.***Kelly's demise, though, was anything but sudden. Death throeshad become increasingly apparent well beforehand, as northwardgentrification and verdant suburbs poached patrons from theirstumbling-distance Near North digs; security issues and late-night TVkept would-be revelers homebound, and disposable income became lessdisposable. Plus, far roomier …