From the intimate feel of a jazz club to the roaring crowds of the United Center, the greater Chicago and Evanston areas offer countless places to experience live music.
Recently, box office management system TicketSource ranked U.S. universities’ live music scenes on a number of factors: number of music venues per 10,000 students, average rating of music venues, number of concerts in the fall semester, average cost of a concert and ranking for the university’s school of music.
With 852 shows during Fall Quarter, 74 concert venues per 10,000 students and an average ticket price of $32, Northwestern ranked second.
Upon learning this statistic, Weinberg sophomore Kaleb Bandele quickly expressed his enthusiasm about the surrounding music scene.
“I think we should be number one,” he said. “I can’t think of anywhere that has easier access to so many good venues.”
As a Chicago native, Bandele is well-versed in the local music scene. He said he’s seen the Rolling Stones at Soldier Field, Stanley Clarke at Evanston SPACE and the Black Pumas at The Salt Shed, among other performances.
Medill sophomore David Sun has taken advantage of NU’s music scene as well, attending concerts at five different venues.
In particular, he said Aragon Ballroom reminded him of The Anthem back home in Washington D.C. He said the Chicago venue was an improvement because of how hot and sweaty The Anthem can get — he’s even had friends pass out during performances.
“I definitely do like more intimate concerts, but they also stress me out a little bit more,” Sun said. “It’s just stressful when you get free rein. You’re like ‘Oh, I want to be at the front, but I also don’t want to be pushing all these people.’”
Sun said he enjoys the wide variety of venues the Chicago area offers — big or small, historical or modern.
SESP senior Sydney Gregg, a devoted EDM enjoyer, has attended concerts at many locations, including Radius Chicago, Thalia Hall and Lincoln Hall. She said she has also been to Chicago music festivals like Lollapalooza and North Coast.
Gregg said one benefit of shows in the area is that they bring in friendly crowds.
“I’ve been to concerts by myself more than one time in Chicago. It’s not something that I hesitate to do, because, especially in those settings, I don’t ever really feel unsafe,” Gregg said. “Everyone’s usually really friendly. So I think that also plays a big part in adding to the whole concert experience.”
Sun and Bandele both wish that the majority of venues weren’t so far from NU’s Evanston campus. However, Bandele concedes that Chicago’s accessibility is better than most other places due to the city’s extensive public transportation. And Gregg believes that making the trek is worth it for avid concertgoers.
“If you’re willing to put in the hassle that it sometimes takes to get to the venues, it’s really great,” she said.
Hailing from Denver, Gregg believes she is “really spoiled” with the music scene back home. However, she said Chicago affords her similar experiences, allowing her to see all the artists she wants at venues of similar quality.
“In terms of having to be somewhere else, I think that Chicago certainly does a great job,” Gregg said.
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