Members of suburban band Libido Funk Circus keep the crowds jumping at Ballydoyle Irish Pub in Downers Grove, which offers live entertainment weekly.
American music comes alive on local stages By Wendy Foster
A great variety of musicians have called Chicago home – among them Buddy Guy, Benny Goodman, Smashing Pumpkins, Kanye West – and the city’s clubs and festival halls play host to the world’s best, month after month, across the city.
In order to have a vibrant music scene, there are several core requirements, according to Mo Levone, booking and entertainment manager for Ballydoyle Irish Pub in Downers Grove and Aurora.
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Live entertainment is the “cornerstone of their business,” he added. “There aren’t very many other places in the area to see live music nightclub-style.” Ballydoyle features an eclectic offering of music including classic rock, dance music, tribute acts, heavy metal, jazz, Celtic, acoustic and more. Open mics on Wednesday evenings are very popular and bring in a variety of styles. Levone said that he alternates between booking local and national talent for both Ballydoyle
locations. “We like to tap into our local community and support local musicians,” he said, adding that there’s an abundance of varied and talented musicians from which to choose. “We also have relationships with booking agents that handle national and touring acts. For instance, Rusted Root is coming in early November. It’s a touring band that started in New York and developed a powerful and committed fan base for about 20 years,” he said. Bill Fitzgerald, owner of Fitzgerald’s Night Club in Berwyn said that he has been booking top local, national and international talent for 33 years. “Our music falls under the category of roots American music. It’s a wide variety like jazz blues, rock and roll, country, rockabilly, Cajun,
Photos by Jodi Michelle Photography
But as so many avid fans move into the suburbs, a few key locales have built a reputation outside the city limits for great live music not too far from home.
“You need variety and a lot of talent. You also need to have bars and venues that will hire bands so that they have someplace to work. You can’t just have bands playing in garages,” said Levone.
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