04.25.08 | PIonline | by Kerry Reid
S.P.A.C.E. to Create in Evanston
The performing arts space crunch doesn’t end at the city borders, and it doesn’t just affect theatre companies. Musicians also struggle to find welcoming environments in which to share their work with audiences and fellow artists from across the spectrum of musical genres.
A new venue in Evanston has big plans for just such an environment. And though it’s run by people with long roots in the music world, S.P.A.C.E. (the Society for the Preservation of Arts and Culture in Evanston) may also fill a gap for other artists who are in need of a large, flexible, multi-use room in which to present their work—the kind of place that has been in short supply since the demise of venues such as Randolph Street Gallery and MoMing in the ’90s.
The brainchild of real estate developer Craig Golden (owner of the Lakeshore Theatre at Belmont and Broadway), longtime Chicago blues musician Dave Specter, and musician, music producer and former NPR contributor Stuart Rosenberg, S.P.A.C.E is only one component of the activity housed under the roof at 1245 Chicago Avenue (just down the street from the Dempster el stop, in the former location of Khaki clothing company and Minasian Rugs). In the front is a large spacious restaurant, Union Pizzeria, run by Steven Schwartz, who also runsEvanston’s popular Campagnola restaurant. The eatery features wood-fired pizzas and a large, inviting U-shaped bar.
Behind the restaurant is where things get really interesting. There, one finds S.P.A.C.E., the large (3,000-square-foot) open room where the partners plan to present everything from music concerts to dance, theatre, literary, and visual arts events. But the facility is also equipped for filming videos and recording music, with an on-site control room. At the open house on March 25, Mark Tremonti, guitarist for Creed, was shooting an instructional guitar video as guests wandered through, balancing glasses of wine and small plates with slices of pizza. Behind S.P.A.C.E. is a series of recording rooms and a comfortable minimalist lounge environment, which will house the third component of this experiment: the League of Creative Musicians, which the founders describe as “a country club, but for music instead of sports.”
The idea for the membership-only League is that it will be a clubhouse for musicians, where they can record material, attend master classes, and hang out and share ideas with other artists—and where they will also enjoy signing privileges in the restaurant. Membership packages come at a variety of price levels and are by application, and thus far the League boasts over a dozen members, ranging from a Chicago Symphony musician to blues, jazz, folk, and rock artists, with a total membership cap of 60 to 70 envisioned.
“It’s not going to be used as a commercial recording studio,” says Specter. “It’s a center for creative involvement with the club members.” And it’s cozy, despite the concrete floors. Leather-and-stainless-steel-framed couches and chairs offer comfortable perches, and paper-shaded ceiling fixtures flood the cozy warren of recording rooms and the larger lounge at the back with warm light.
It’s a unique concept, according to Rosenberg. “We found examples of clubs with recording studios, or restaurants with nightclubs, but nothing that incorporates everything that we’ve put together. The idea was for a co-operative venture for passionate musicians who want a place to gather and record and produce.”
One of the inspirations for S.P.A.C.E., according to Rosenberg, was the now-defunct Amazing Grace coffeehouse in Evanston, which started out as a co-op in the ’70s run by Northwestern students. Rosenberg, an Evanston native, describes Amazing Grace as “a beacon of enlightenment,” featuring “world-class musicians whose creativity was truly inspirational,” including such marquee names as Pat Metheny, Muddy Waters, and Tom Waits.
Rosenberg, whose career path has included hosting concerts in the ballroom at the end of Navy Pier for NPR, wanted to capture that same sense of cross-hybridization and excitement. Both he and Specter have been friends for years with Golden, who forged the connection between them. Says Specter, “On the one hand, the local music scene in the greater Chicago environment is thriving. But I think specifically in Evanston there is a need for new music venues. Evanston is booming and there are very few places to hear live music.”
Though the trio naturally emphasizes music, given their backgrounds, both Rosenberg and Specter are adamant that they want S.P.A.C.E. to be available to artists from all disciplines. “We are going to be partnering with different promoters,” says Specter. “And it will also be available for private events on a rental basis.” The soaring ceiling and sound-proofed walls make S.P.A.C.E. a good bet for the sort of sprawling physical theatre with live musical accompaniment that a company like House Theatre of Chicago does, but the room can also host more intimate functions.
Rosenberg says, “I literally envisioned that space as a blank creative canvas. The point of what we put in there is to be able to provide a spatial context for any human expressiveness that requires space to be expressed.” Though the venture is now run as a for-profit, Rosenberg says, “We’re trying to come up with a model for programming S.P.A.C.E. It’s possible that we will come up with a [separate] non-profit that would book the space and handle the programming.”
For now, patrons can enjoy a line-up of musical performances, including the twice-monthly “Evanston Hootenanny” on the first and third Sunday of every month, 3:30-6 p.m. On April 20, Chris Walz of the Old Town School of Folk Music led a family sing-along of folk, bluegrass, and popular favorites. But the founders are eager to start getting non-music events in as well. Says Rosenberg, “The best way to describe it is that we’re setting the table for magic, and we certainly hope magic shows up for dinner. Evanston is a town that is full of artists and musicians and writers. We’re hoping that we’re going to provide a wake-up call.” |
03.27.08 | Chicago Sun Times | by Dave Hoekstra
Amazing S.P.A.C.E. New Evanston blues bar doubles as studio, club
In conversations about eclectic musical destinations, the leafy boulevards of Evanston will never be confused with Tin Pan Alley, Bourbon Street or Music Row. But a change is in the air.
Earlier this week the Society for the Preservation of Arts and Culture in Evanston opened its warm new digs at 1245 Chicago Ave.
S.P.A.C.E. now joins Bill's Blues -- the intimate blues club run by Bill Gilmore of Chicago's B.L.U.E.S. fame -- and Pete Miller's jazz club as P.L.A.Y.E.R.S. on the Evanston scene.
Longtime Chicago musician and former WBEZ-FM (91.5) host Stuart Rosenberg and Chicago blues guitarist extraordinaire Dave Specter are the forces behind the three-tiered project, which also includes the League of Creative Musicians recording studio andthe Union Pizzeria.
They partnered with real estate developer Craig Golden in the effort. Golden is also a partner in the Lakeshore Theater in Chicago.
"This is modeled after the European concept of the artist house as a social gathering place," Rosenberg said during a walk through the pizzeria into the performance area. "It is a space to pursue your craft in a social context with like musicians who will be here not specifically for a professional purpose but rather for the joy of being with other people who share their musical values."
So it could also be a golf club.
Specter added, "We don't know of anything else like this that exists: combining a live space with a private club and recording studio and a [public] restaurant."
In 1993, guitarist-flautist Ray Quinn tried a similar (non-private) concept with the Quicksilver Dancing Noodles Cafe and Club, 3855 N. Lincoln. That space is now Martyr's, still owned by Quinn.
S.P.A.C.E. is in a former Pace-Arrow dealership at Chicago and Dempster. The 9,500-square-foot building combines the pizzeria (opened last month), the performance/rehearsal space and the members-only recording studio. The performance area floor is finished with oak timbers from an East Coast barn. Mark Termonti, formerly of the band Creed, was shooting an instructional music video there on Tuesday.
The space will also morph into a 220-seat concert venue in the spirit of Evanston's Amazingrace coffeehouse, where performers once appeared in front of rapt fans sitting cross-legged on the floor. A cooperative run by Northwestern students, Amazingrace closed in 1978.
Brian O'Hern and the Model Citizens Big Band will christen the new room at 9 p.m. April 3 ($7 at the door; 847-492-8190). On May 22, Specter will host the release party there of his Delmark DVD/CD -- ironically called "Live in Chicago."
Golden and Rosenberg said they looked around Chicago for a location.
"The memory of Amazingrace was strong," Rosenberg said. "We spent a lot of time seeing world-class music there. One night it was Doc Watson, the next night it would be Muddy Waters. And this building happened to have some extra space, which is why we added the restaurant."
Golden added, "We hope to create the same atmosphere [as Amazingrace]."
Just around the corner from S.P.A.C.E., a storied musical vibe exists at Guitar Works, 709 Main St., where the late Jethro Burns (Homer and Jethro, Steve Goodman) taught mandolin during the early 1980s. Burns was an Evanston resident.
Bill's Blues is at 1029 Davis, about a mile northwest of S.P.A.C.E. Gilmore has been running the 100-seat club for five years. "It is still a struggle," Gilmore said. "For what I do, college kids don't care about blues anymore. The 40-year run of blues in elite colleges is over. New rock and hip-hop is all that kids are interested in. There's no emotional resonance for them in the blues. And we don't get tourists pounding the pavement up here. But parking is a breeze."
Rosenberg said he began discussing the eclectic concept with Golden in the early '80s. "I was programming public radio," he recalled. "I was broadcasting about 12 shows a summer from the Navy Pier ballroom. And Craig, a pal from Evanston Township HighSchool days, was beginning to buy up the West Loop. We began talking about how we could put music in as part of the idea of a development."
The 3,000-square-foot recording area looks like it was imported from Neil Young's ranch in northern California.
"It's designed not to feel like a downtown studio," Rosenberg said. "It's designed to feel like a living room. We are not going to be for hire at an hourly rate. This is for members only."
Different levels of membership bring different amounts of studio time. Memberships range from $2,500 to $7,500 a year. (Until leagueofcreativemusicians.com goes up, call 847-492-8860).
"We want the community to come to us and say, 'Let's do this,' " Rosenberg said. "Maybe its a gallery show. Yoga classes on Monday morning. One of our first public programs is 'The Evanston Hootenanny.' " On the first and third Sunday of every month, beginning April 20, Chris Walz of the Old Town School of Folk Music will lead sing-alongs of bluegrass and folk songs.
People have already been flocking to the Union Pizzeria, a 100-seat dining room run by chef Vince DiBattista and operations manager Heather Behm. "Their approach to food is similar to our approach to music," Rosenberg said. "It's organic, earthy and honest."
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03.14.08 | BroadwayWorld.com | by Chicago News Desk
Cutting-Edge Venue to Open in Evanston
Collaboration of four successful Chicagoans results in a state-of-the-art music and events venue, recording studio and restaurant in the heart of Evanston!
Craig Golden, principal of Sterling Bay Companies and partner in the Lakeshore Theater, Stuart Rosenberg, veteran music producer and radio personality, and prominent Chicago musician Dave Specter, in collaboration with Steven Schwartz, ofEvanston’s popular Campagnola restaurant, announce the opening of a unique and trailblazing venue at 1245 Chicago Avenuein Evanston. The 10,000 square foot restaurant and live music venue will include Union Pizzeria, an urban and spacious 65-seat dining room, comfortable vintage sofa lounge, and U-shaped 20 seat bar with a menu featuring small shared-plate dining, a daily special plate and wood-fired pizzas; the Society for the Preservation of Arts and Culture in Evanston (the S.P.A.C.E), a unique, fully-equipped audio-visual and music venue and function space; and the League of Creative Musicians, an exclusive creative gathering space for musicians that includes a recording studio and rehearsal space featuring state-of-the art equipment and amenities for members. Union Pizzeria opened on Tuesday, February 12 with the S.P.A.C.E hosting its first events in March. The restaurant was designed by T. Clifton Design.
A fully-domed wood-burning brick oven, hand-built by Vermont craftsman Peter Moore, is the centerpiece of Union Pizzeria, an eclectic urban restaurant with a full bar that seats 20 guests. Heather Behm, Manager of Operations at Campagnola and Union Pizzeria, has assembled a diverse beer list with both domestic and imported brews, several popular American microbrews and a varied selection of Belgians. She has also put together an impressive international wine list that boasts 50 value wines under $50. With a décor featuring the original brick walls and terrazzo flooring of the nearly 100-year-old building and an exposed loft-like beam ceiling, this new hot spot will serve the hip and comfortable cuisine of Campagnola’s talented veteran chef Vince DiBattista.
“Neo-Neopolitan” pizzas baked in the wood-burning brick oven will highlight the menu. Plate-of-the-Day specials include Lasagna Bolognese, a delicate Semolina Gnocchi alla Romana, Whole Fish roasted in the wood-burning brick oven and Duck Ragu with creamy Polenta. Hot small plate dishes include Pork and Veal Meatballs with Tomato and Orange Zest jam and the 1940’s Chicago-based Shrimp De Jonghe, while cold plate selections include Eggplant Caponata, Calamari Salad and Fresh Buffalo Mozzarella with Sicilian sea salt, olive oil and Crostini. The menu also features sandwiches, salads and soup. As at Campagnola, using local farmers and organic products whenever possible continues to be a priority for Chef DiBattista.
The S.P.A.C.E provides a flexible creative canvas for the community. Serving as an ideal venue for visual arts, dance, music, and literary events, the versatile 3,000 square foot area also serves as a perfect location for social gatherings and celebrations. The rustic urban décor is highlighted by the wood floor, made from the original timbers of an East Coast barn. With collapsible tables and chairs and portable staging and technologically advanced video and audio recording equipment, the S.P.A.C.E is versatile as well as stylish. By combining flexibility with functionality, it’s a venue that could easily be used for hosting a business meeting by day and showcasing an up-and-coming local band by night, and will certainly become a favorite place for celebrations of all kinds.
“We’re creating a space where our community can come together to explore and experience creativity,” Rosenberg said. “We see a need for a common ground for visual artists, writers, musicians, dancers, theater artists and all those who care about these arts. We’re making a place where we all can gather together to celebrate the expressiveness of the human spirit.”
The League of Creative Musicians is a membership club offering an extraordinary setting to pursue the passion for music.Rosenberg and Golden will be joined by prominent Chicago musician, recording artist and producer Dave Specter, whose guitar talents are featured on over 30 albums including collaborations with B.B. King, Eric Clapton, and Carlos Santana, among others. A comfortable and convivial setting, the lounge-like area features a state-of-the-art control room that blends the finest modern recording equipment with classic vintage technology for a powerful and flexible tech environment. Described by the partners as a “country club for music instead of sports,” members can combine the virtues of musical creativity with the social pleasures of collaboration and the camaraderie of good-natured fellowship.
The beautifully furnished and fully equipped multi-room studio complex offers an exquisite acoustic design, in addition to food and beverage service in the members-only lounge and an exclusive smoking room. Members can record their compositions, write songs, participate in master classes and seminars with legendary musicians, or play the clubs exquisite collection of vintage instruments. They will also have priority in booking the S.P.A.C.E for their own performances and social celebrations, receive premium seating at all concert events in the S.P.A.C.E, and enjoy special club privileges in Union Pizzeria. The League offers all musicians, professional and amateur, an opportunity to pursue their passion or simply to “come out and play.”
“There is a unique synergy between these three spaces under one roof,” Rosenberg added. “And there is definitely chemistry between this space and this community.”
The venue’s versatility is sure to make it a magnet for the region’s most coveted local concerts, parties, meetings and events, and a haven for local musicians. Membership for the League is limited and still available by e-mailingcreativemusicians@mac.com or calling (847)492.8190. For more information on any of the three spaces at the venue, call (847)492.8190 or e-mail evanstonspace@mac.com.
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