Jonathan Bullington, Triblocal.com reporter

The Keg of Evanston was ordered closed July 1 and 2 after the city received numerous  complaints of underage drinking and other incidents.

The Liquor Control Review Board on Friday acted after hearing reports of 55 police calls to the bar this calendar year for underage drinking, injuries on the premises, public urination and other ordinance violations, said city attorney Grant Farrar.

He cited a May 21 incident involving an underage patron injured after a fight at the bar, located at 810 Grove Street. The police report includes several complaints of underage consumption of alcohol and intoxication by underage patrons. Farrar said.

This incident is very serious and it has me concerned both for the safety of The Kegs patrons and high school parents are calling me, the community is very concerned that you find a way to get a handle on underage drinking, Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl told Tom Migon, owner of The Keg.

Migon, who has owned the bar for 18 years, said he has worked with Evanston police to crack down on underage drinking at his establishment. He said he typically employees four or five doormen and asks patrons to produce two forms of identification before entering the bar.

These IDs are unbelievable, Migon said of the realistic appearance of fake IDs. Its almost impossible to tell if that person is 21 years of age.

Liquor board members said the problem might lie with The Kegs past.

Part of [Migons] problem is that because of the reputation, [underage people] flock there anyway, so hes going to get probably 20 times as many attempts at getting a false ID through the door than anyone else in the neighborhood, said board member Dick Peach. Im sure they float around, but the word is out on the street that [The Keg] is where you can get in.

Migon said the two-day ban would hurt him financially.

You have to find a way to stop underage drinking at The Keg, Tisdahl told Migon. But its our job to say that underage drinking is going to be stopped in the city of Evanston, and so I want to send that message today.