The Bottleneck is considered by many to be a Rock & Roll historical landmark. The Lawrence, KS building that houses the Bottleneck has been home to everything from a roller rink to a paper warehouse before finally taking shape as a live music club (alternately named Off the Wall Hall and Cogburns) in the '80s. Purchased in 1985 by current owner Brett Mosiman with cash borrowed from an American Express card, Mosiman renamed the club the Bottleneck in honor of the numerous varieties of beer sold there. The Bottleneck's journey began with a regular Monday-evening open mic night (a tradition that still continues today), giving local talent the opportunity to take the stage in front of friends and fans.

From there, the Bottleneck soon cemented its status as a scheduled stop on many major-city, national tours, giving nearby University of Kansas students access to some of the best names in modern music. Over the years the artists that have played at the Bottleneck include Radiohead, Smashing Pumpkins, Foo Fighters, Widespread Panic, Gin Blossoms, Butthole Surfers, Wallflowers, Cracker, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, They Might Be Giants, Gwar, Jewel, Edwin McCain, Guided by Voices, Everclear, Cake, Ben Folds Five, Sublime, Marilyn Manson, Filter, Goo Goo Dolls, Bo Diddley, String Cheese Incident, the Smithereens, Butthole Surfers, Marcy Playground, Junior Brown, Lucinda Williams, 311, Faith No More, Rusted Root, Weezer, Fastball, Luscious Jackson, Semisonic, X, the Offspring, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Cibo Matto, Built to Spill, Soul Asylum, Social Distortion, Deftones, Living Colour, Blind Melon, the Residents, Presidents of the United States, Jurassic 5 and Pharcyde.