Evanston’s new blues club is one step closer to opening.
The city of Evanston approved the zoning for Bill’s Blues Feb. 10. Owner Bill Gilmore currently is awaiting a liquor license and building plans.
The club, to be located at 1029 Davis St., will provide another venue for Northwestern musicians and a new entertainment option near campus.
“I think it’ll be a success because I know a lot of people that would rather go downtown to get a different atmosphere,” Music sophomore Erica Burton said. “Just another option will be nice.”
Cover charges will be comparable to other downtown locations, at $5 for weekdays and $10 to $12 for Fridays and Saturdays.
Still, some undergraduates are concerned that the price may be too high for college students.
“$10 to $12 is too much to get NU students there,” said Charles Geizhals, a Weinberg senior. “For blues, it’s too much.”
Gilmore said he will have special deals, but they will depend on offers from outside investors.
“I’m sure I’ll have promotions for Northwestern students and Evanston residents,” Gilmore said. “I’m not exactly sure what.”
Between now and the club’s tentative April 15 opening, Gilmore will be contemplating specials, jam sessions and acts from NU. Calling the School of Music is on his list of things to do, he said.
Playing in a professional setting is especially important for musicians with less experience, said Kobie Watkins, a graduate student in jazz pedagogies.
Performing in public “forces you to be creative in a non-safe zone,” he said. It would give inexperienced players “a chance to make things happen. It’s a place to hone their craft. Everybody needs that.”
The club will primarily feature blues music, but Gilmore said he is not limiting his options yet. He plans to feature some roots music along with traditional rhythm and blues.
“A lot of people would like for the first time to hear Chicago blues because it has such a famous label to it,” said Chicago native Dario Osorio, a Music freshman. “This is such a national university, it would be good to have something that’s real Chicago blues.”
