Live Music In Chicago

This journal describes the following venues which I consider to be the best places to hear live music in the Chicago area: Buddy Guy's Legends, Carol's Pub, Empty Bottle, Green Mill Cocktail Lounge, HotHouse, Metro, Old Town School of Folk Music, Ravinia, and Spirit of Music Garden (Chicago SummerDance).

Quick Tips:

A variety of free papers in Chicago feature show listings, including NewCity (www.newcitychicago.com, out every Wednesday or Thursday), The Onion (out every Wednesday or Thursday), The Reader (www.chicagoreader.com, out every Thursday or Friday), RedEye (Metromix center section, www.metromix.com, out daily, sometimes costs 25¢), and UR (http://www.urchicago.com, out every month I think).

Best Way To Get Around:

You could drive but you'd get frustrated trying to find parking spots on the streets or having to pay for parking in lots. Public transportation should get you to most of these, just be careful coming back after a show if it's late at night. Otherwise, take a cab.

OK, so I haven't actually ever been to Buddy Guy's Legends yet but I live in Chicago so I have plenty of time for it. It seems to me, on the other hand, that if someone was visiting here briefly, they would definitely want to come out to Buddy Guy's to hear the blues music Chicago is so famous for. Buddy Guy himself plays a few shows at the club every winter. Tickets are pretty expensive though and they go fast. To get to Buddy Guy's Legends (South Loop Neighborhood) via public transportation, take the red line train to Harrison, walk east two blocks to Wabash Avenue, and south two blocks to 8th Street. Buddy Guy's Legends' website: click here

Chicago doesn't have a lot of venues for country music, so if that's what your ears crave, a trip to Carol's Pub is a must. In fact, they have both kinds of music at Carol's - country and western. It's a dive but the cheap beer, no cover, and late hours (open until 5 AM on Saturdays) bring in the weekend crowds, even if not necessarily country fans. The house band, the Diamondbacks, are in residence Friday through Sunday nights starting at 9 PM (Thursday is karaoke night), and they play the Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings covers that get the people dancing.

To get to Carol's Pub in the Uptown neighborhood, your best bet would be to take a cab. I would not recommend that people who are not familiar with the area walk around in it, but if you must, go west from the red line train Wilson stop to Clark Street (seven blocks), turn right, and walk to Leland Avenue (one block). You can also take the Metra Union Pacific North line to the Ravenswood stop, walk east on Lawrence Avenue to Clark Street (four blocks), turn right, ans walk south to Leland Avenue (one block).

Carol's doesn't have a website, but here's the phone number: (773) 334-2402.

Although you might hear jazz, honky-tonk, or funk at the Empty Bottle, this venue is best known as a mecca for indie rock bands, both local and touring. This place is not very fancy - just a pool table, jukebox, and some couches in the front with the bar, the stage, and black walls pasted with stickers and flyers in the main space further inside. Occasionally, Radley the cat strolls in and wanders among the hipster kids in the audience. Clouds of cigarette smoke grow quickly and the heat rises from the bodies swarming in front of the stage. The Empty Bottle is just a cool place to rock out and have fun to good music. And with tickets almost always at $15 or less (some shows are even free), it is worth checking out.

To get to the Empty Bottle in the Ukrainian Village neighborhood, take the blue line train to Western and take the 49 Western bus (regular or express) south to Division Street. Walk south along Western Avenue three blocks to Cortez Street. Or just take a cab.

The Empty Bottle's website: www.emptybottle.com

A visit to the Green Mill will take you back in time. This is a jazz club that has been operating since the days of Prohibition when Al Capone, Jack "Machine Gun" McGurn (who was its part-owner), and their associates made it one of their haunts. While the gangsters, movie stars, and glamorous patrons of its earlier days are long gone, the place has maintained its character in decor, music style, and atmosphere and is now the longest-operating jazz club in the country, not to mention one of the coolest music venues in Chicago. It is also home of the original Uptown Poetry Slam which is held every Sunday evening. To get to the Green Mill in the Uptown neighborhood, take the red line train to Lawrence. Walk west on Lawrence Avenue one block to Broadway. The Green Mill Cocktail Lounge doesn't have a website, but here's the phone number: 773/ 878-5552

HotHouse - The Center for International Performance and Exhibition is a cultural gem in Chicago. This non-profit performing arts center hosts musical acts from around the world. A typical HotHouse schedule allows you to dance to Brazilian samba, take in the sound of Spanish guitars, or check out Zimbabwean chimurenga, all within the same month. HotHouse celebrates the diversity of music from blues to dance, folk, hip hop, jazz, and soul. Some performances may even be preceded by free dance lessons. HotHouse has a great atmosphere and is the place to go to for the most provocative and eclectic music showcased in an inspiring, art-filled environment.

To get to HotHouse in the South Loop neighborhood, take the red line train to Harrison, walk south along State Street for one block, turn left onto Balbo Avenue, and walk for another block.

HotHouse's website: www.hothouse.net

The Metro is the most famous rock venue in the City by the Lake. After more than 20 years of building up its reputation, it is considered one of the best places in Chicago to see a show because of its size, acoustics, and ambience. This is where Liz Phair, the Smashing Pumpkins, Urge Overkill, and other Chicago-bred acts got their start. There are concerts at the Metro almost nightly, and many are all ages. There is a variety among the acts that perform here, but most are rock bands trying to win over new fans and generate some buzz. Certainly no band on its way up, whether local or touring, would miss a chance to perform at this now-legendary venue with a legacy of great music. The crowd is young, hip, and friendly, and its energy, whether bottled up in anticipation or released in elation, adds to the excitement of attending a show here. Although ticket prices are often higher than at the Empty Bottle, the larger Metro provides on occasion an opportunity to see some big-name acts. Overall, the experience of seeing a show here is memorable and very enjoyable. You just never know whether you will see the next big thing and be able to say in the future, "I saw them way back when they played the Metro."

To get to the Metro in the Wrigleyville neighborhood, take the red line train to Addison. Walk west along Addison Street 2 blocks to Clark Street. Turn right and walk north 3 blocks.

Metro's website: www.metrochicago.com.