Local News

Best Places To See Local Musicians In Chicago

May 12, 2016 / 7:00 AM CDT / CBS Chicago

There's just something very special about music that speaks to most of us on a very basic and primal level. Although we may listen to it while at the gym or in our cars making our way from point A to point B, there's nothing quite like seeing and hearing music live and in person. Fortunately for us, Chicago offers a wide array of places all over the city and suburbs to go to see bands and musicians performing. Whether you're into jazz or blues, pop or rock, folk, punk or hip hop, there are a variety of places to catch your favorite local musicians and enjoy their performances in intimate settings right here in the Windy City.

Thalia Hall
1807 S. Allport St.
Chicago, IL. 60608
(312) 526-3851
thaliahallchicago.com

One of the newest venues to see live music in Chicago is the stately looking Thalia Hall. Located in the city's Pilsen neighborhood, Thalia Hall got not only a beautiful theater, but a restaurant and bar as well. The theater at Thalia Hall also features four private opera boxes on each side of the stage that date back to 1892, and for select shows, seats in the opera boxes are available in addition to general show entry. Offering a variety of performances -- local and national -- representing pretty much every genre you can think of, there's something for everyone coming to Thalia Hall.

Reggie's Rock Club
2105 S. State St.
Chicago, IL. 60616
(312) 949-0120
www.reggieslive.com

If rock, metal, punk and the link are your thing, then you really need to catch a show at Reggie's Rock Club. Imagine a fun dive bar that offers some of the best names in both local music as well as some of the heaviest-hitting major acts as well, and you've got Reggie's. Not only a concert venue but also a bar, grill and record store all in one, Reggie's Rock Club is simply a music lovers haven. It's also one of the best spots to see a show where you can actually "see" the show having been built with a sloped floor to offer stage visibility from everywhere in the theater. Or, if you'd rather experience the performance from a more relaxed viewpoint, Reggie's has got a comfortable seated balcony area, too.

Empty Bottle
1035 N. Western Ave.
Chicago, IL. 60622
(773) 276-3600
emptybottle.com

With a small, neighborhood feel and cheap beers to boot, the Empty Bottle is a hidden gem among places to catch live music in the city of Chicago. Located in the city's Ukrainian Village area, the Empty Bottle might look small and unassuming from the outside, but once you step in the door you'll see why this place is becoming a favorite haunt of both neighbors and music lovers as well. Most local shows are free, so come in and check out some of Chicago's own. In addition to the live, cutting-edge music, you can also play pool or pinball and enjoy cold, cheap beer -- what more could a person want?

City Winery
1200 W. Randolph St.
Chicago, IL. 60607
(312) 733-9463
www.citywinery.com

Chicago is without a doubt one of the top food towns in all of the country, so when you find a place that serves up culinary arts as well as offering a functioning winery, your establishment is going to be a hit. And the West Loop's City Winery is all of the above, in addition to featuring some of the best music bursting forth from this great city. Come for the food and wine, stay for the live shows in this intimate and cozy place, and listen to pop and rock, jazz and soul. It all just depends on the night.

Lincoln Hall
2424 N. Lincoln Ave.
Chicago, IL. 60614
(773) 525-2501
www.lh-st.com

One of the great things about a city like Chicago is that you can go to a newer establishment to see the hottest performers and bands and yet take in a history lesson as well, simply because of the building you're standing in, and Lincoln Hall is located in one of those types of historic buildings. The structure initially housed the Fullerton Theatre back in 1912 and then even housed other businesses over the years like a machine shop and a garage, but it's back to being what it was meant to be -- a place to take in great music and be entertained. With a warm interior and one of the best sound systems in the area, Lincold Hall is a great place to check out a new band, or come once again to support a familiar one.

Soon after earning her BA in journalism, Melanie Falina began writing about one of the loves of her life - music. Since then, she's covered some of the biggest names in music, in addition to writing on an array of other topics as well. She has written for Black Belt magazine, KISS: The Official Authorized Quarterly Magazine, Examiner, AXS.com, Yahoo Voices, and more, and was editor for Don Lemmon's KNOW HOW Book Three, Refuse To Fail. Melanie is also a poet with six published collections of poetry available via Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and various establishments.