Evanston will soon have a new spot for jazz aficionados and casual listeners alike. Slated to open as early as late spring, Local Note, a jazz club located on 1716 Sherman Ave., aims to expand the city’s live music scene.
Kurt Schauer doesn’t have the typical background of a jazz club owner. Having received his bachelor’s degree in illustration from Columbia College Chicago, he has worked in industrial design since 1987.
Wanting to contribute to the greater community, Schauer said he decided to embark on a new chapter in his career and open Local Note.
“I’ve always watched other people go off and do things and try new things, and not be afraid to go out and do something that they really want to do,” Schauer said. “I just got to that point in my life where I was like, ‘Why not me?’”
The idea of a jazz club first came together two years ago around a fire pit with his friend, Steve Bollinger.
Schauer said that Bollinger has helped bring their vision to life ever since.
“The more we discussed it, the more we realized that we had this kind of shared vision,” said Schauer.
According to Schauer, the 800-square-foot club will be able to hold 45 people. Bollinger and Schauer hope the tight space will create an inviting and intimate feel.
To pay homage to its name, Schauer said the club will offer cocktails and legacy drinks made with local ingredients.
Schauer chose Evanston as the location of Local Note after growing up in the area. He said the city, already home to painters, artists and jazz musicians, has a “hunger” for a stronger arts scene.
Currently, the club plans to host local Evanston acts on weekdays, while Fridays and Saturdays will host more regional, or “well-known” acts from the greater Chicago area, Schauer said. The club has ideas to host jam sessions on Sundays.
Weinberg freshman Andrew Jin said a local jazz club sounds appealing as a space to appreciate the genre and would be “relaxing to go to after an exam.”
Local Note will join Studio5 Performing Arts Center, which offers live performances of the arts, and Donovan’s Garage, a performance laboratory that regularly hosts jazz concerts, in Evanston’s jazz scene.
“Jazz fans like to know that they’re coming to a jazz club where the music is the main thing,” said Donovan’s Garage founder Donovan Mixon. “Here in Evanston, there are a lot of college students and elders who I believe would love to have such a place to go and hang out and hear something inspirational.”
Chris Anderson will be Local Note’s talent buyer, using what Schauer calls his “huge network” to recruit performers. Anderson managed Chicago’s celebrated Green Mill cocktail bar for nearly 12 years, and is currently managing the Fulton Street Collective, an arts center with frequent jazz performances.
Accessibility is a major theme of the club. Whether visitors are hardcore jazz fans or couples looking for a date night, Schauer said he wants everybody to be able to enjoy the club.
“We’re really excited to bring this vision to Evanston,” Schauer said.
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