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This is the city where Chance the Rapper was raised, found stardom and has become a civic force as a philanthropist, news publisher and political power broker. He’s a symbol of the city’s muscular mix of music and activism. When Chance revealed on Instagram Feb. 11 that he’ll release the follow-up to his 2016 Grammy Award-winning mixtape, Coloring Book, in July, it was a reminder that this Chicago native is a musical pioneer — the first artist to chart on the Billboard 200 with a streaming-only release.
He continues a long tradition of groundbreaking music from Chicago: the innovative blues of Muddy Waters, the alternative rock of Wilco and Smashing Pumpkins, the industrial-force edge of Ministry, the hip-hop of Kanye West and even the five decades of pop hits from the band once named for the city’s subway system: Chicago (previously Chicago Transit Authority).
Chance is far from alone in his activism. Musicians involved with causes including the fight against gun violence, environmentalism and mentoring young people will be recognized in Chicago on April 12 at an event staged by rapper Vic Mensa’s SaveMoneySaveLife Foundation, one of several nonprofits established within the hip-hop community in recent years.
Here, the fight still matters, and the little guys deserve their say. Case in point: A collective of the city’s independent music venues recently formed the Chicago Independent Venue League to challenge plans for an expansive, mixed-use development with entertainment spaces on the North Side that CIVL says would threaten the existing community of clubs and theaters.
The local activism and civic pride demonstrated by CIVL is reflected in the views of a number of Chicago’s music-business leaders who explain here what makes the city’s scene stand out.
‘A GLOBAL MUSIC LEADER’
“Chicago is a global music leader led by [outgoing] Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who is a music lover and champion of the arts,” says Mark Kelly, the city’s commissioner of the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. “Our musical heritage is legendary as the birthplace of house and gospel music, urban blues and modern jazz. And today’s Chicago music scene is as strong as ever, across genres including hip-hop, indie rock, experimental, jazz, classical and more. We are a city of stunning music halls, authentic neighborhood clubs, world-class festivals and a youth music scene that is lively and inspiring.”
THE THIRD-LARGEST MARKET
“Chicago is a great place to do business,” says Tony Brummel, founder of Victory Records, a leading independent record label and music publisher, the launching pad for Taking Back Sunday and Hawthorne Heights, and the current home of Broadside and The Reverend Horton Heat. “We’re geographically in the middle of the country and the country’s third-largest DMA [designated market area, as ranked by Nielsen].”
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CHOPS AND HEART
“Chicago is the City of the Big Shoulders,” says Heather Ireland Robinson, executive director of the Jazz Institute of Chicago, citing the nickname bestowed by Carl Sandburg in his poem Chicago, published in 1914. “We hold each other dearly and help each other out. There is room for many as long as you’ve got the chops and the heart. Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events — with whom we partner to program the Chicago Jazz Festival [every Labor Day weekend] — works hard to ensure inclusion and support to organizations and music clubs through grants and themed promotions. The JIC is proud to call scores of nonprofits and arts organizations partners in programming. Jazz music was born in the South but raised in the Midwest, and Chicago was a big part of this development, from King Oliver to the visionary new and emerging artists of today.”
‘ENORMOUS OPPORTUNITIES’
“Chicago is the No. 3 destination for touring musicians, behind New York and Los Angeles,” says veteran independent promotion executive Jeff McClusky, founder and president of Jeff McClusky & Associates. “Its diversity of clubs, theaters, arenas, festivals and live music-showcasing opportunities are enormous. The music industry infrastructure also is growing rapidly once again, with entrepreneurial young artist-managers, producers and label owners. Hip-hop and alternative rock have deep roots in Chicago.”
Where to go: “Schubas [3159 N. Southport Ave.] is world-class, with the recently opened Tied House adjacent to the club. You have an excellent restaurant with a great music venue.”
GRASSROOTS FESTIVAL GROWTH
“With the success of festivals like Lollapalooza, Pitchfork and Riot Fest, the Chicago festival market is really strong and vibrant,” says Garry Buck, a partner with Paradigm Talent Agency, which has deep roots in the city. (Paradigm acquisitions Monterey International Talent and The Windish Agency were established in Chicago.) “There are also many grassroots neighborhood music festivals growing throughout Chicago and the Midwest,” adds Buck.
Where to go: “Artango Bar and Steakhouse [4767 N. Lincoln Ave.], which features live flamenco and Argentine tango dance shows. It’s great to bring an out-of-town guest into one of my favorite neighborhoods [Lincoln Square] and witness amazing new talent, from Buenos Aires to Chicago, while enjoying a bahia blanca [cocktail] and some empanadas.”
‘THE INDUSTRY IS VIBRANT’
“Chicago is not the Second City,” says Rachael Cain, owner and president of Trax Records. “The industry is vibrant with a plethora of genres. Chicago is the original home of house music, mother to commercial EDM. A promising recent development is the amount of free cultural events presented] by the city of Chicago. There are house-music dance parties in Millennium Park, Blues Fest, jazz nights, classical music… something for everyone, all ages, at no cost.”
Where to go: “I frequent a music collective called Fort Knox [4255 N. Knox Ave.], a talent incubator, with everything from recording to video under one roof. They frequently have educational events and showcases for members. A place to find talent, including business, tech and music.”
‘WE PROTECT OUR COMMUNITIES’
“We are conscious and ‘woke’ about Live Nation, AEG, Goldenvoice, Starbucks, Apple, Amazon,” says Tim Tuten, co-owner of The Hideout and co-chairman of CIVL, the collective of local independent music venues that has challenged corporate control of new entertainment spaces in the expansive Lincoln Yards development. “Take notice, bean counters: Chicago started the Haymarket Riot. It’s May Day for corporate music venues. We are everywhere in Chicago, and we will serve, protect and defend our communities.”
Where to go: “The Metro [3730 N. Clark St.] opened about the time I turned 21, in 1982. I couldn’t wait to go. The very first time The White Stripes played in Chicago, they opened at the Metro at 8 p.m., then rushed to The Hideout to close at 11 p.m. Their first opening slot and headlining slot in the same night. Magic. And Joe [Shanahan, owner of the Metro] made that happen.”
‘SUCH A DEMAND FOR MUSIC’
“The acts we’ve had here have just been fantastic, whether it has been the Grateful Dead, U2, Beyoncé and Jay-Z, Kenny Chesney, Taylor Swift…,” says Tim LeFevour, GM of Soldier Field, the SMG-operated stadium that has hosted all of those performers as well as Ed Sheeran and Coldplay, and will present BTS in May and The Rolling Stones for two dates in June. “This young generation is moving into the city,” says LeFevour, “and whether it’s the clubs, small venues, outdoor festival areas or Soldier Field, there’s such a demand for the music in Chicago.”
A CITY OF COMMITTED RAPPERS
“I am excited about the fact that we have so many major hip-hop artists [that have] founded charities,” says Donnie Smith, executive director of Art of Culture, the nonprofit she co-founded with Kanye West and hip-hop artist/activist Che “Rhymefest” Smith. She cites M.U.R.A.L. (Lupe Fiasco), Common Ground Foundation (Common), SocialWorks (Chance), SaveMoneySaveLife (Mensa), John Walt Foundation (Pivot Gang), Haven Studios (Add-2) and Art of Culture itself. “It is a testament to the commitment Chicago artists have to community, and a powerful example for the next generation.”
Where to go: “My favorite venue right now is Thalia Hall [1807 S. Allport St.]. It used to be an opera hall, so the acoustics are amazing, and I love the fact that it is located on the South Side.”
‘SOULFUL CONTRIBUTIONS’
“The global music industry should always keep in mind that Chicago is a blue-collar city made up of black migrants from the South, Polish and Irish immigrants, and strong Mexican-Latino influences,” says Rhymefest. “Chicago is the house of house music, the home of the blues and the consciousness of hip-hop. Our artists bring soulful contributions that often defy industry logic in exchange for a spiritual experience. The mistake industry outsiders make is trying to commercialize and exploit the violence of this great city without [understanding the] context of the injustice that creates it — or the soulfulness that can heal it.”
‘AN INFLUX OF LATIN FESTIVALS’
“Chicago boasts a diverse audience that continues to attract music festivals both large and small,” says Henry Cárdenas, founder/CEO of the Latin-focused Cárdenas Marketing Network. “Recently we’ve seen an influx of Latin music festivals — Ruido Fest, Lift Off, Festival Cubano — that draw a unique demo of Latinos from old to young. Not only does this [confirm] Chicago’s market strength, but it is also opening the doors for newcomers to showcase their talents, and for veterans to re-engage their fans.”
‘THE ARTISTIC UNDERWORLD’
Rob Miller, co-founder of Chicago’s Bloodshot Records, describes The Hideout (1354 W. Wabansia Ave.) as a center of the city’s music and cultural scene: “a run-down roadhouse in a decrepit — but not for long — neighborhood that has been Bloodshot’s de facto clubhouse,” he says. “Home to music, comedy, dance parties, political roundtables, talk shows and whatever sounds amusing and relevant. Grab five random people off of a barstool any given night and you’ll find you are talking to an interested, passionate connection to the beating heart of Chicago’s artistic underworld.”
TALENT IS TESTED LIVE
“Chicago has an amazing breadth and depth of musical talent, much of which is overlooked because we aren’t on the coasts,” says Bruce Iglauer, founder of Alligator Records, the city’s renowned blues label. “Chicago talent tends to be tested in front of live audiences because we have so many venues here.”
Where to go: “FitzGerald’s, which is in the very close suburb of Berwyn, Ill. [6615 Roosevelt Road]. For decades FitzGerald’s has presented the finest roots music — Americana, blues, bluegrass, singer-songwriter, rockabilly — in the country. It’s got a wonderful, relaxed, down-home atmosphere and a clientele who are there specifically for the music, not for a ‘scene.’ ”
JAZZ AT THE GREEN MILL
Aside from the hundreds of concerts promoted by his employer, Chicago’s independent Jam Productions, vp marketing John Soss heralds one of the homes of jazz in Chicago as a must-go spot: “The Green Mill Cocktail Lounge in Uptown [4802 N. Broadway Ave.], preferably on the early side of a Friday night, when Chris Foreman plays the Hammond B3 organ,” says Soss. “Afterward, I’d head north on Broadway for a bite, either at Tank Noodle [4953-55 N. Broadway Ave.] for Vietnamese pho, or further up the street for fish tacos at Edgewater Tacos [5624 N. Broadway Ave.].”
MUSIC IN THE CITY’S FABRIC
“Chicago is a musical embarrassment of riches,” says Alan Salzenstein, director of performance arts management at DePaul University. Citing the city’s diverse array of genres, Salzenstein notes, “With an ecosystem of development, recording, production and performance, music is woven into the fabric of Chicago.”
Where to go: “The perfect Chicago evening is enjoying music at Millennium Park, overlooking the lakefront with the dynamic skyline backdrop, at the gospel, jazz, house, blues, world music or Grant Park Symphony festivals.”
METRO CHICAGO’S HOTTEST VENUES
Soldier Field
Capacity: 61,500 (for concerts)
Wrigley Field
Capacity: 42,512 (for concerts)
Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre (Tinley Park, Ill.)
Capacity: 28,000
United Center
Capacity: 25,000
Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island
Capacity: 22,000
Allstate Arena (Rosemont, Ill.)
Capacity: 19,200
Aragon Ballroom
Capacity: 4,500
Rosemont Theatre (Rosemont, Ill.)
Capacity: 4,400
Chicago Theatre
Capacity: 3,604
Riviera Theatre
Capacity: 2,300
Source: Billboard Boxscore
This article originally appeared in the March 9 issue of Billboard.