Someone in another thread was asking what was currently happening with the blues in Chicago and where to go to see live blues. I poked around and I believe that here is no thread like this on this board.
This thread is for both of the topics below ...
- a list of links for searching for live Chicago blues on a bunch of websites
- a list of the blues clubs in Chicago
I'm sure other folks will know of Chicago blues clubs that I have not put into the 2nd list. If you have knowledge of a club that is not listed then please post in this thread! A reasonably detailed description would be good. Please, more than just a name and adddress.
An HTML version of the info below can be gotten at the URL immediately below. Get the page from Rapidshare and save it. Drag that HTML file into your browser. My HTML skills are pretty weak, but it looks OK. If you are worried about what might be in the HTML then use notepad to open the file. Maximize notepad. Turn word wrap off. You wil be able to clearly see that it is just links and text with some font and paragraph tags.
rapidshare.com/files/382855041/Chicago_live_blues.html
Here goes ...
Links to metro Chicago blues music performance listings websites
None of the links below have all of the shows. Surf to all/most of them and gather show info.
Centerstage - general music event calendar for the next 7 days in the Chicago metro area
Chicago reader blues listings for the next 7 days
This is probably the most comprehensive listing of Blues, Gospel, and R-n-B in the Chicago metro area. If you look at this URL you see it is long/involved, so it could change from one year to the next. If that happens try www.chicagoreader.com and navigate in from music -> music listings search ... (etc).
Chicago Traveler - listing of some of the larger music events in the Chicago metro area
IllinoisBlues.com - blues shows in the state of Illinois
The link above brings you to the listings for the state of Illinois, but you can scroll to the top of the page and surf to the listings for any of the 50 states.
Metromix - Chicago blues shows for the upcoming week
Again, if you look at this URL you see it is long/involved, so it could change from one year to the next. If that happens try chicago.metromix.com and navigate in from music -> Concerts This Week -> Blues ... (etc).
Music Matters - lists mostly rock, some blues, some general and sometimes folk concerts and club shows in the Chicago metro area
Maximizing your browser window will help in reading this web page. There is also a link to a PDF version of the page on the page.
TimeOut - Chicago - Music
Click on the link on the left for "Blues, Gospel & R&B." Occasionally this website has problems (including as I'm typing this) ... be advised. I haven't been to the site in a while and I notice that they have some JavaScript running that is consuming almost all of my CPU. You might want to disable JavaScript before surfing here.
========== General Non-Chicago Listing ==========
Blues Festival Guide - this is both a magazine and an online directory
These folks are making a pretty good effort at covering the worldwide blues fest scene. The Blues Festival Guide magazine is published either monthly or quarterly. I'm not sure which. It is sometimes distributed for free at blues fests and some of the larger blues clubs. It appears that all festivals are listed for free and that they make their money on website and magazine ads.
A listing of many of the Chicago area blues clubs
For any club that I have not given the website you can easily do a net search on the name and street address. You should be able to find their website.
Evanston (WAY North Side)
Bill's Blues -- 1029 Davis St., Evanston -- This place is way up north by Northwestern University. I believe that you can get there by the CTA Purple line, but the train hours might be limited. Plan ahead. I went to Bill's Blues a year or two ago to see Eddy Clearwater and had a great time. As I recall they have a nice dark Belgian beer on tap ... among others, of course.
CLOSED - CLOSED - CLOSED - CLOSED - See the post below.
North Side
This area is a LONG cab from downtown or you can take the CTA Red line to the Fullerton stop and then head east towards Halsted where you will hang a left (90 degree left at a 3 way street intersection). Parking in this area can be a problem if you drive here. There's usually open parking spots waaaayyy down on Fullerton, west of the CTA station.
Kingston Mines -- 2548 N. Halsted St., Chicago -- This club may draw more patrons than Legends. It has 2 stages and generally very good acts. When an act finishes on the main stage another starts shortly after that on the second stage. It is in the vicinity of DePaul so a younger crowd sometimes frequents this club. That can have both up and down sides to it. Food is an option.
These 2 clubs are 1/2 block apart.
B.L.U.E.S. -- 2519 N Halsted St., Chicago -- Smaller club than Legends and Kingston Mines, but they have good acts. I like this club. It can get pretty packed.
In between the North Side and the West Side
Rosa's -- 3420 W. Armitage Ave., Chicago -- "Chicago's friendliest blues club" ... to quote them. They have very good acts. The place is run by a very nice lady named Momma Rosa. This club is off by itself. You really need a car to get there, but it's worth it. This is my favorite club. It is sort of on the north side, but it is west of the Kennedy Expressway (90/94) in the Logan Square area. I recommend parking on Armitage. Just keep driving until you see an open parking space on Armitage or immediately next to it.
Nick's -- 1516 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago -- They frequently have live music at Nick's and I believe it is almost always free. Occasionally they have a good blues act. I like this place, but I wouldn't call it a blues club. The last act I caught there was Jimmy Burns. He and the band did some great blues. Nicksbeergarden.com is their website.
Downtown a.k.a. The Loop
Buddy Guy's Legends -- 754 S. Wabash Ave., Chicago -- This is a large club with great, top name acts. My experience is that 9 times out of 10 you'll end up standing. Mind that you don't stand in the "movement corridor." That's an area indicated by tape on the floor that the bouncers keep clear so that patrons/staff can move from the back bar area to the front/kitchen. If you can get a table food is an option.
Blue Chicago -- 536 N. Clark, Chicago -- I've been here several times and have enjoyed it. At other clubs you can get packed in cheek to jowl ... less so here. Because it is in the downtown area this place can be convenient for tourists.
West Side
These 2 clubs are both just outside Chicago in Berwyn. I guess that that puts them a bit beyond the West Side, but who's counting?
Harlem Avenue Lounge -- 3701 S. Harlem Ave., Berwyn -- Good blues club just outside of Chicago. I just saw Barrelhouse Chuck and Billy Flynn there two weeks ago. It was awesome. As I'm typing this I notice that both Studebaker John and Eddie Shaw have upcoming gigs scheduled. The prices are very reasonable. Car is pretty much the only way to get there. Watch where you park! Harlemavenuelounge.com is their website.
FitzGerald's -- 6615 Roosevelt Rd, Berwyn -- This is a largish club with an extra outdoors area. The live music is generally indoors. They frequently have many different kinds of music there on different nights. Food is an option. The acts there run the gamut. Sometimes they can have top blues acts there. Years ago I saw Joe Lewis Walker perform there after the Blues Festival let out. Fitzgeraldsnightclub.com is their website.
South Side
A word about safety on the South Side. Some folks will not venture to the South Side because of the current "murder epidemic" going on in Chicago. Let's be real, once you're inside the city limits of any large city in the USA you're less safe than if you were in some rural area. I'm originally from the NYC metro area. I guess I've been trained. Always Be Mindful Of Your Surroundings. That goes for anywhere in a large US city. Park where it is well lighted. If possible, park within sight of the club.
Lee’s Unleaded Blues Club -- 7401 S. South Chicago Ave., Chicago -- This is a blues club of long standing. It's a black club. I've been here several times and enjoyed it each time. Park only on S. South Chicago Ave. Yes, that's the right street name. Make sure you know something about the particular act you are going to see because some of the acts here lean more towards the R and B side of things. Leesunleadedblues.com is their website.
Checkerboard Lounge -- 5201 S Harper Ct., Chicago (at 52nd St.) -- Of the South Side clubs listed here this one is in the safest area, Hyde Park. That is the general area that the Univ. of Chicago is in. The old Checkerboard Lounge had HUGE karma. Tons of blues greats played there. The place eventually got so run down that it just could no longer pass building code and the club closed. They reopened a year or two later at the current location. It's a good club. The acts sometimes lean more towards the R and B side of things.
Artis's Lounge -- 1249 E. 87th St., Chicago -- This is the furthest south of the clubs listed here. I go to this club once in a while to hear Billy Branch play. He has been doing a Monday night gig just about forever (20 years?). It's a black club. The folks there are fairly nice. I've heard that there is a blues jam there on Sunday nights, but I don't know if that is still happening. There's a large parking lot that gets less flat the further you get away from the bar. I believe that the place is cash only. Billy is an awesome harp player. Make sure that Billy isn't out of town the night you're going to go here. That happened to me once.
The Chicago Blues Tour -- As the name implies this is an outfit that does "blues tours." You pay a fee and are carted around to many South Side clubs in one night with a large number of other folks. The fee for the tour includes club admissions. The price is a little on the high side, but for out of towners it is probably worth it because of the security of being in a group. Out of towners wouldn't know where to go. The clubs visited can be obscure even for local blues fans. I did this once a long time ago and it was good. When I did it they were using yellow school buses for transportation (?still so?). I've also been in clubs that have participated in this operation while not being on the tour myself. The tours happen sporadically, so it may not be happening on the weekend you're in town. Chicagobluestour.com is their website.
There are absolutely venues that I'm not listing here. If I haven't been to a club/venue I'm not going to list it because I don't know what it is like. Some of these are Hugo's Frog Bar, Smoke Daddy, S.P.A.C.E., and the Blues Island Pub.
This thread is for both of the topics below ...
- a list of links for searching for live Chicago blues on a bunch of websites
- a list of the blues clubs in Chicago
I'm sure other folks will know of Chicago blues clubs that I have not put into the 2nd list. If you have knowledge of a club that is not listed then please post in this thread! A reasonably detailed description would be good. Please, more than just a name and adddress.
An HTML version of the info below can be gotten at the URL immediately below. Get the page from Rapidshare and save it. Drag that HTML file into your browser. My HTML skills are pretty weak, but it looks OK. If you are worried about what might be in the HTML then use notepad to open the file. Maximize notepad. Turn word wrap off. You wil be able to clearly see that it is just links and text with some font and paragraph tags.
rapidshare.com/files/382855041/Chicago_live_blues.html
Here goes ...
Links to metro Chicago blues music performance listings websites
None of the links below have all of the shows. Surf to all/most of them and gather show info.
Centerstage - general music event calendar for the next 7 days in the Chicago metro area
Chicago reader blues listings for the next 7 days
This is probably the most comprehensive listing of Blues, Gospel, and R-n-B in the Chicago metro area. If you look at this URL you see it is long/involved, so it could change from one year to the next. If that happens try www.chicagoreader.com and navigate in from music -> music listings search ... (etc).
Chicago Traveler - listing of some of the larger music events in the Chicago metro area
IllinoisBlues.com - blues shows in the state of Illinois
The link above brings you to the listings for the state of Illinois, but you can scroll to the top of the page and surf to the listings for any of the 50 states.
Metromix - Chicago blues shows for the upcoming week
Again, if you look at this URL you see it is long/involved, so it could change from one year to the next. If that happens try chicago.metromix.com and navigate in from music -> Concerts This Week -> Blues ... (etc).
Music Matters - lists mostly rock, some blues, some general and sometimes folk concerts and club shows in the Chicago metro area
Maximizing your browser window will help in reading this web page. There is also a link to a PDF version of the page on the page.
TimeOut - Chicago - Music
Click on the link on the left for "Blues, Gospel & R&B." Occasionally this website has problems (including as I'm typing this) ... be advised. I haven't been to the site in a while and I notice that they have some JavaScript running that is consuming almost all of my CPU. You might want to disable JavaScript before surfing here.
========== General Non-Chicago Listing ==========
Blues Festival Guide - this is both a magazine and an online directory
These folks are making a pretty good effort at covering the worldwide blues fest scene. The Blues Festival Guide magazine is published either monthly or quarterly. I'm not sure which. It is sometimes distributed for free at blues fests and some of the larger blues clubs. It appears that all festivals are listed for free and that they make their money on website and magazine ads.
A listing of many of the Chicago area blues clubs
For any club that I have not given the website you can easily do a net search on the name and street address. You should be able to find their website.
Evanston (WAY North Side)
Bill's Blues -- 1029 Davis St., Evanston -- This place is way up north by Northwestern University. I believe that you can get there by the CTA Purple line, but the train hours might be limited. Plan ahead. I went to Bill's Blues a year or two ago to see Eddy Clearwater and had a great time. As I recall they have a nice dark Belgian beer on tap ... among others, of course.
CLOSED - CLOSED - CLOSED - CLOSED - See the post below.
North Side
This area is a LONG cab from downtown or you can take the CTA Red line to the Fullerton stop and then head east towards Halsted where you will hang a left (90 degree left at a 3 way street intersection). Parking in this area can be a problem if you drive here. There's usually open parking spots waaaayyy down on Fullerton, west of the CTA station.
Kingston Mines -- 2548 N. Halsted St., Chicago -- This club may draw more patrons than Legends. It has 2 stages and generally very good acts. When an act finishes on the main stage another starts shortly after that on the second stage. It is in the vicinity of DePaul so a younger crowd sometimes frequents this club. That can have both up and down sides to it. Food is an option.
These 2 clubs are 1/2 block apart.
B.L.U.E.S. -- 2519 N Halsted St., Chicago -- Smaller club than Legends and Kingston Mines, but they have good acts. I like this club. It can get pretty packed.
In between the North Side and the West Side
Rosa's -- 3420 W. Armitage Ave., Chicago -- "Chicago's friendliest blues club" ... to quote them. They have very good acts. The place is run by a very nice lady named Momma Rosa. This club is off by itself. You really need a car to get there, but it's worth it. This is my favorite club. It is sort of on the north side, but it is west of the Kennedy Expressway (90/94) in the Logan Square area. I recommend parking on Armitage. Just keep driving until you see an open parking space on Armitage or immediately next to it.
Nick's -- 1516 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago -- They frequently have live music at Nick's and I believe it is almost always free. Occasionally they have a good blues act. I like this place, but I wouldn't call it a blues club. The last act I caught there was Jimmy Burns. He and the band did some great blues. Nicksbeergarden.com is their website.
Downtown a.k.a. The Loop
Buddy Guy's Legends -- 754 S. Wabash Ave., Chicago -- This is a large club with great, top name acts. My experience is that 9 times out of 10 you'll end up standing. Mind that you don't stand in the "movement corridor." That's an area indicated by tape on the floor that the bouncers keep clear so that patrons/staff can move from the back bar area to the front/kitchen. If you can get a table food is an option.
Blue Chicago -- 536 N. Clark, Chicago -- I've been here several times and have enjoyed it. At other clubs you can get packed in cheek to jowl ... less so here. Because it is in the downtown area this place can be convenient for tourists.
West Side
These 2 clubs are both just outside Chicago in Berwyn. I guess that that puts them a bit beyond the West Side, but who's counting?
Harlem Avenue Lounge -- 3701 S. Harlem Ave., Berwyn -- Good blues club just outside of Chicago. I just saw Barrelhouse Chuck and Billy Flynn there two weeks ago. It was awesome. As I'm typing this I notice that both Studebaker John and Eddie Shaw have upcoming gigs scheduled. The prices are very reasonable. Car is pretty much the only way to get there. Watch where you park! Harlemavenuelounge.com is their website.
FitzGerald's -- 6615 Roosevelt Rd, Berwyn -- This is a largish club with an extra outdoors area. The live music is generally indoors. They frequently have many different kinds of music there on different nights. Food is an option. The acts there run the gamut. Sometimes they can have top blues acts there. Years ago I saw Joe Lewis Walker perform there after the Blues Festival let out. Fitzgeraldsnightclub.com is their website.
South Side
A word about safety on the South Side. Some folks will not venture to the South Side because of the current "murder epidemic" going on in Chicago. Let's be real, once you're inside the city limits of any large city in the USA you're less safe than if you were in some rural area. I'm originally from the NYC metro area. I guess I've been trained. Always Be Mindful Of Your Surroundings. That goes for anywhere in a large US city. Park where it is well lighted. If possible, park within sight of the club.
Lee’s Unleaded Blues Club -- 7401 S. South Chicago Ave., Chicago -- This is a blues club of long standing. It's a black club. I've been here several times and enjoyed it each time. Park only on S. South Chicago Ave. Yes, that's the right street name. Make sure you know something about the particular act you are going to see because some of the acts here lean more towards the R and B side of things. Leesunleadedblues.com is their website.
Checkerboard Lounge -- 5201 S Harper Ct., Chicago (at 52nd St.) -- Of the South Side clubs listed here this one is in the safest area, Hyde Park. That is the general area that the Univ. of Chicago is in. The old Checkerboard Lounge had HUGE karma. Tons of blues greats played there. The place eventually got so run down that it just could no longer pass building code and the club closed. They reopened a year or two later at the current location. It's a good club. The acts sometimes lean more towards the R and B side of things.
Artis's Lounge -- 1249 E. 87th St., Chicago -- This is the furthest south of the clubs listed here. I go to this club once in a while to hear Billy Branch play. He has been doing a Monday night gig just about forever (20 years?). It's a black club. The folks there are fairly nice. I've heard that there is a blues jam there on Sunday nights, but I don't know if that is still happening. There's a large parking lot that gets less flat the further you get away from the bar. I believe that the place is cash only. Billy is an awesome harp player. Make sure that Billy isn't out of town the night you're going to go here. That happened to me once.
The Chicago Blues Tour -- As the name implies this is an outfit that does "blues tours." You pay a fee and are carted around to many South Side clubs in one night with a large number of other folks. The fee for the tour includes club admissions. The price is a little on the high side, but for out of towners it is probably worth it because of the security of being in a group. Out of towners wouldn't know where to go. The clubs visited can be obscure even for local blues fans. I did this once a long time ago and it was good. When I did it they were using yellow school buses for transportation (?still so?). I've also been in clubs that have participated in this operation while not being on the tour myself. The tours happen sporadically, so it may not be happening on the weekend you're in town. Chicagobluestour.com is their website.
There are absolutely venues that I'm not listing here. If I haven't been to a club/venue I'm not going to list it because I don't know what it is like. Some of these are Hugo's Frog Bar, Smoke Daddy, S.P.A.C.E., and the Blues Island Pub.
